The Legends travel to the Vietnam War, drawn by reports of a monster attacking soldiers. It's not a monster, it's Gorilla Grodd.
Tropes:
- Abusive Parents: Mick's father is all but stated to be one; it's implied because of lingering PTSD. Mick tells Nate that his father did nothing but sit in a chair and drink, and indicates that he only really took any notice of Mick if Mick was going to end up being beaten.
- Alas, Poor Villain: Amaya feels compassion for Grodd, and offers to take him some place in time before humans exist. Unfortunately, the Rorys storm the camp with their men before Grodd can be fully convinced to stand down, he then snaps in rage, thinking himself to be betrayed and plans to use the Waverider to turn Earth-1 into a literal Planet of Apes. Luckily he never gets that far.
- And Your Reward Is Edible: Rather than give Jax a medal for saving his life, LBJ gives him the secret recipe for his wife's famous pecan pie. The Legends agree that it's better than a medal.
- Bad Future: We get a glimpse of one where Grodd's followers assassinate Lyndon Johnson and trigger World War III.
- Bait-and-Switch: Before Grodd is revealed, he is referred to by a follower as a New God.
- Brutal Honesty: Mick flat-out tells the team where Zari put Helen, despite her telling him off-screen to keep it a secret.
- Captain Obvious: When Sara attacks Stein, Gideon comments that she appears to be under telepathic control.Stein: Really Gideon? You think so?
- Continuity Nod:
- Ray still doesn't want his Shrink Ray to be called that.
- Damien Darhk says he was impressed with Grodd's Invasion of Central City.
- Converse with the Unconscious: Jax does this with Sara at one point.
- Daddy Issues: Turns out Mick hates his old man, just as much Snart hated his. He has no regrets about accidentally killing him...until he learns he wasn't always a monster.
- Disney Villain Death: Grodd is thrown off the Waverider and about to burn to death in a Napalm fire...until Darhk opens a time portal to save him.
- Elites Are More Glamorous: Dick Rory is a Green Beret.
- Eagleland: Discussed, after Amaya states that they should go to the American troops' rescue, both Zari and Nate say that the USA's involment in Vietnam was pretty controversial and not as morally cut and dried as in WWII.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Zari and Ray realize that most of the anachronisms they've encountered involve one of the Legends meeting a family member, ancestor, or in Ray's case his younger self — and there's no way it was a coincidence.
- Freudian Excuse: Deconstructed; Mick has always blamed his dad for his villainy...until he realizes he was a good man broken by what he did in the Vietnam War, so Mick realizes he's worse than his old man.
- Frying Pan of Doom: Newton knocks a brainwashed Sara out with a frying pan.
- Generation Xerox: Dick Rory is just as grizzled as his son, and also wields a flamethrower. They even spit the same way.
- Gilligan Cut: Jax shows Martin a "top secret" document that President Johnson gave him as a reward for saving his life. Then we cut to the kitchen, and it turns out to have been the First Lady's pie recipe.
- Heel–Face Door-Slam: Just when Amaya is reaching out for Grodd and he actually seems to consider her offer, Dick and Mick Rory storm the camp with their men, causing Grodd to angrily think he has been betrayed and attempting to get the Waverider.
- He's Back!: Sara wakes up from her coma at the end of the episode.
- Humans Are Bastards: Grodd's hatred for what the humans did to him is still burning hot, and he argues that the world will be better off without the evil of humanity.
- I Choose to Stay: Anh Ly declines the Legend's offer to get her out of the country, as it is still her home, despite the war.
- I'm Mr. [Future Pop Culture Reference]: Nate's alias for Mick after they run into the latter's father is "Schwarzenegger".
- Interrupted Cool Down Hug: Amaya tries to reason with Grodd, offering to take him to a time before humans. It might have worked...but then the U.S. military attacks, pissing him off.
- Kneel Before Zod: Kneel Before Grodd.
- Landmine Goes Click: Happens to the President. Jax pulls the "freeze the trigger" trick, then guides LBJ through the mine field to safety. More justified than most examples, as this one also has a tripwire which (while touched) hadn't actually been triggered.
- My God, What Have I Done?: After realizing his father used to be a good man broken by his war experiences, Mick is left almost catatonic and laments how he should have died in the fire himself.
- Mythology Gag: Brainwashed Sara instructs Martin to "kneel before Grodd", similar to General Zod's "Kneel before Zod!" Mind you, Grood did it a few times too.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Mick and his father inadvertently stop Amaya from talking Grodd down.
- Our Presidents Are Different: LBJ is President Target; Grodd is gunning for him so he can kick off World War III.
- Out of Focus: Sara is still in her Convenient Coma for most of the episode, only coming back at the very end (if you don't count Grodd using her as a vessel).
- Patricide: Mick openly tells Nate that he killed his father, and doesn't regret it. He seems to by the end.
- Rogues' Gallery Transplant: Gorilla Grodd, who so far has primarily been a Flash villain and only appeared in that series, officially makes the move to Legends of Tomorrow and becomes an enemy of the Legends.
- Self-Harm: Mick burns himself with his old lighter.
- Serious Business: Jax gets angry when he sees that somebody stole the pie his mother made for him.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Dick Rory is implied to become one due to his experiences in the war, leading to his status as an Abusive Parents.
- Shout-Out:
- Nate references both Predator and Apocalypse Now. Oddly enough, the latter is played as another reference from Amaya's future that she doesn't get, even though she could have recognized the name Kurtz from the original novella Heart of Darkness.
- Brainwashed Sara tells Stein that ""There is no Sara, only Grodd."
- Talking Is a Free Action: Nope. Sir Isaac Newton knocks out Brainwashed Sara while Grodd gloats through her, saving Stein.
- Tap on the Head: Sir Isaac Newton knocks Sara out with a frying pan. She's later shown walking around no worse for wear, though admittedly with a headache.
- Tempting Fate:
- Nate promises Rory the odds of running into his father are remote, and promises him a six-pack if they do. They are then immediately ambushed by a squad of American soldiers, lead by Rory's father.Mick: You owe me a six-pack.
- While trying to fly the Waverider and deal with Gorilla Grodd, Stein laments "Where is Captain Lance when I need her?" Cue a Brainwashed and Crazy Sara.
- Nate promises Rory the odds of running into his father are remote, and promises him a six-pack if they do. They are then immediately ambushed by a squad of American soldiers, lead by Rory's father.
- Tragic Keepsake: Mick still has his father's old lighter. At the end of the episode, he decides he doesn't need it anymore.
- Wham Episode: Damien Darhk saves Grodd from burning to death and recruits him into the Cult of Mallus.
- With Us or Against Us: Dick Rory takes it very personal when some of the U.S. soldiers became followers of Grodd, calling them traitors and attempted to do a Vigilante Execution of them (along with Ray, Amya, Nate, and Zari who happened to be there). Fortunately, Mick manages to talk him down.
