The following has minor plot setup spoilers for the Legends of Tomorrow Season 6 episode “The Satanist’s Apprentice.”
Astra Logue (Olivia Swann) has been through a lot in the few seasons she’s been on Legends of Tomorrow so far. Having made peace with her mother’s passing and freed herself from Hell after joining the Legends and helping them defeat the Fates at the end of the last season, everything should be up for Astra, no? Unfortunately for this episode’s heroine, life on Earth can be just as hellish as her former demonic residence. And even worse so as she was a queen in the latter, and now just a regular human in the former. Not getting the help and guidance she needs from her roommate and newfound mentor John Constantine (Matt Ryan), Astra takes matters into her own hands in this zany, hilarious, and heartfelt episode of Legends.
This is the first time I recall that Swann has taken full center stage and focus for a Legends episode, and she brings all her skills as a performer for a fantastic performance. There’s a deep relatability to Astra here as she finds herself frustrated by the world’s challenges. Viewers will see themselves in this character who struggles to make connections, find a fulfilling job, and just generally get a sense of direction now that her circumstances have changed so fundamentally. Swann continues to play Astra with trademark sincerity and snark as she tries to navigate her new status quo, and makes mistakes on the way that could have serious repercussions for her and the other Legends. Hilarity and intrigue ensue for Astra, in such a way that viewers will find more endearing with this complex character. Ryan also continues to excel any chance he gets as Constantine and plays an amazing scene partner for her in any scene they’re in.
Without giving too much away, this is also the Disney Princess episode that involves Astra as the aforementioned princess protagonist and the other Legends as her supporting characters. This sequence was absolutely amazing and hilarious, poking loving fun at the genre we’ve all grown up with and our media is inundated with. It’s a loving parody as Legends so often does with such great and uplifting humor. Swann does an amazing job at changing her voice to fit the stereotypical Princess mold while singing as well! While getting to showcase more of her skills as an actor, she excels even further in this episode.
This episode also features the continuing space-abductee-adventures of one Sara Lance (Caity Lotz). Without giving too much away, Sara is very much going through the wringer as she continues to fight her way past her alien abductors. It’s a very stressful situation to watch, and Lotz continues to do a good job of conveying Sara’s stress and anguish. But some more mysteries are uncovered as well in her plotline that pertains to the plot of the rest of the season, and it becomes more intriguing. Even though I sometimes felt like this subplot detracted from the main event of Astra’s self-discovery, it was still a solid story to watch unfold that interests me for where the season will be going.
“The Satanist’s Apprentice” is a fun and deeply relatable episode of Legends of Tomorrow. Viewers will find great familiarity with Astra as she tries to find her place on Earth and make mistakes along the way, and Olivia Swann puts in a dynamite performance. You’ll laugh, you’ll feel for her Astra, and find some twists and turns bizarre, all as you should for a Legends episode, which, at its best, encompasses all these best dramatic and comedic elements.
Rating: 9/10
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’s “The Satanist’s Apprentice” airs Sunday, June 6, and you can watch new episodes every Sunday on The CW and streaming the next day on The CW app.
