DC’s Legends of Tomorrow S1:E5 Fail Safe Recap starts now!

Spoilers ahead!

Martin Stein is at STAR Labs, reviewing the formula for the thermocore needed to build a new Firestorm. “How did you manage to arrive at something that took decades to produce?” Martin asks a very clean cut looking Cisco Ramon standing behind him. They continue to discuss the formula, and Cisco asks how they stabilise it. Martin begins to explain and tells Cisco he is so pleased he has taken an interest in his work. “What can I say, Sir, nuclear physics is my passion.” “Sir?” queries Martin, beginning to realise something is not quite right. He takes in Cisco’s clothes and hair,  “I’ve just subscribed to GQ,” Cisco tells him. “A snide attempt at humour, almost Cisco like. Almost”. He tells him that he is most definitely not Cisco, and he will never give up the rest of the formula. Martin’s hallucination fades, and Cisco transforms into Valentine Vostok, and the lab at the Gulag.

Vostok assures him that the hallucinogens given to him were safe, “Don’t worry. I would never dream of damaging that beautiful mind of yours.” Martin tells her that he will never be tricked into giving up the formula, and since they can’t kill him “I would like a hot shower and a change of clothes!” Vandal Savage enters the lab “And I thought I gave a good speech,” he says to Martin. Savage reminds him of the time they last met, “Like me, you haven’t aged a day.” “I have a good hairdresser,” Martin replies. Savage threatens him with numerous forms of torture, and tells he has learned a some new ways whilst in the Soviet Union. Martin still holds strong, “This is going to be so much fun,” says Savage.

On the Waverider, Jax is trying to get some rest, but can’t relax without Martin and can feel everything he is going through. Kendra assures him that things will be fine, they’ll get them back. Rip and the rest of the crew are looking at schematics of the Gulag, Gideon reels off some stats until Leonard cuts in with, “Can we cut through the Wikipedia crap and get to the good stuff? Like how to break in.” Gideon stays silent. Sara asks if perhaps she didn’t hear, “I heard the question, but in it’s two hundred years of existence no one has ever escaped.” “Thanks Gideon, but I never met a building that I couldn’t break in to,” Leonard replies.

Rip hopes he is right, but is more worried that Savage will discover that Martin is actually part of Firestorm and not just it’s creator. Leonard tells him all he thinks about is Savage, and he is more worried about Mick “And Ray,” adds Sara. “Whatever,” snarks Leonard. Rip tells them he had no other choice but to let them be taken, and that Mick at least should be used to prison. Sara tells them Rip is right, criminals usually do feel more at home in prison; they know it better than anyone else. Sara suggests the Bratva. “Oooh, the Russian Mob,” says Leonard, “In 1986, they would have ruled the criminal underground inside every prison.”

Rip and Leonard head for their nearest steam room, and confront a sizeable Bratva member called Yuri the Bear. Rip comments on his tattoos to start up conversation, and then starts to question him about the Gulag. “We need to break into that prison, and can you make it fast? I despise the heat,” says Leonard. Rip mentions that they know about Savage’s prison within a prison, and this gets Yuri’s attention. “I have heard of this Savage, and he has no respect for my country’s rich criminal history.” “So you’ll help us?” asks Leonard. “You men have no tattoos, a man that has no life story cannot be trusted,” replies Yuri.

He calls his guards from outside, but Sara is waiting and takes down six of his men. Rip takes on Yuri and is not quite up to the challenge, but does particularly well considering he’s wearing only a towel. Sara enters and tells them she took out his men “You killed my men,” says Yuri. “They’re not dead, yet. And neither are you, assuming you help us.” He tells them that he runs a black market goods exchange out of the prison, and might be able to get them in.

Back on the ship, Rip, Sara and Leonard are looking at the schematics and Rip points out where they will have access, as provided by Yuri. “Got it?” asks Rip. “This isn’t my first prison break,” says Michael Scofield, uh I mean Leonard Snart. Rip informs Jax and Kendra they are staying on the ship, Jax because he is the other half of Firestorm and Kendra because she is the only one who can kill Savage and they need her safe for now. As they are getting ready to leave, Rip asks to speak to Sara. He tells her for some reason if they can’t save Martin, she needs to take him out. Gideon shows her the projected future if Savage is able to recreate Firestorm, and Central City in 2016 is not a pretty sight.

Leonard comes to talk to Sara while she is packing her weapons. “Why did Rip keep you after class today?” suspicious of all the extra weapons she is taking. She tells him it was just going over the plan, but Leonard has worked out that she is planning on taking out Martin. “I’ve done a lot of heists, and even when things got rough, I never took out one of my own. We’re Rip’s pawns, Sara. I’m the crook, you’re the assassin” he tells her. “He’s not just asking me to kill, he’s asking me to save the future” she replies.

At the Gulag, Mick and Ray are getting their daily rations out in the yard. Ray tries to be friendly to the other prisoners and get some information about where Martin might be being held. An old man tells him there is a place prisoners go to, and are never seen again. A giant of a prisoner appears “Who told you you could eat,” he says to the old man, knocking his plate out of his hands. Ray tells him “I’m sure we can handle this like adults,” and gets the absolute shite beat out of him. Mick grabs a Zippo off a passing prisoner, and stares into the flame, seemingly hypnotised. And doesn’t intervene.

Vostok tries to win Martin over with food, but he still is holding out. He tells her that she has already built a thermacore once before, “Just build another one, it’ll only take you eight to ten years,” he says. “As if I would only build one,” she sneers, as her assistants bring in another case containing another core.

Jax can feel that Martin is feeling increasingly worried, and is fearing that the rest of the team has abandoned him. Kendra asks if there is a way he can send him a message, seeing as their minds and bodies are linked. Jax remembers something Martin once told him. “Get a knife, you need to cut me,” he tells Kendra.

Vostok threatens Martin with a toxin, that won’t kill him but will cause him immeasurable pain. Martin wavers, but starts to feel pain on his arm. He pulls up his sleeve, the words “We’re coming”, slowly and painfully appear on his forearm. “So Professor, do you want to talk? Or do you want to scream?” she says. “Do your worst, Doctor,” he tells her.

Ray regains consciousness in the dark of night, still out in the prison yard. The guards drag him back to their cell, where Mick is waiting, still staring at the lighter. “Hey pyro! What was that there back in the yard,” says Ray. “Just your typical prison Alpha, he didn’t like you threatening his reputation” replies Mick. “Not that, I mean you sitting there while I was getting my ass kicked,” says Ray. “The only team I’m on is mine and Snart’s, besides, you had that beatdown coming,” replies Mick. The Russian Colonel that captured them appears, “Remember me?” and takes Mick and Ray out of their cell and down into the depths of the Gulag.

At the gates of the prison a truck rolls up, being driven by Rip. The guard asks for his identification, and he hands over a wad of cash, “Yuri the Bear sent me,” he says and the guard waves him through the gate. Leonard and Sara jump out and scramble for cover. Leonard looking schmexy in his guard’s uniform, complete with ushanka *swoons*. They go over the plan and Leonard says to Sara, “You want my advice? Don’t use your gun. Do it with your hands. Do it while you’re looking right into Stein’s eyes.” “You’re talking about a member of our team!” replies Sara. “I don’t want YOU to forget who we’re talking about,” says Leonard.

Vostok lets Savage into the cells where Martin is being held. They switch on the lights down the corridor, and Mick and Ray are chained to the ceiling, electrodes on their chests. They begin the torture and Martin watches on in horror. “Professor! We’re okay,” says Ray, “Don’t tell these bastards anything!” A longer jolt of electricity follows. “If you think I have a sentimental attachment to them, you’re as foolish as you are mad”, Martin says to Savage. Savage smiles “You’ve held out longer than expected, but if four thousand years of life has taught me one thing, it’s patience.”

The guard torturing them changes to a small sledgehammer, and heads for Mick. Ray begins to taunt him, and takes the brunt of the Colonel’s anger. “What are you doing Boy Scout,” says the Colonel. “Nothing compared to what I did to your mother last night.” Yo mama never ends well, Ray. “You have quite a mouth on you,” replies the Colonel. “So does she,” says Ray. Oh, snap! He cops the sledgehammer to the back, and Martin has seen enough. “I’ll tell you how to stabilise Firestorm, just let them live!”

Leonard is wheeling Sara through the prison on a gurney, a sheet over her as if she is dead. “How does it feel to be dead again?” he asks as they run into a guard who goes to inspect the body. Leonard tells him that the body has come from Vostok’s lab where it has been exposed to a smallpox weapon and is highly contagious. The guard lets them pass and they see Mick being dragged back to his cell. They exchange meaningful eyes, and continue on. Sara takes off towards the lab, and Leonard continues on to rescue Mick, and maybe Ray, if the mood strikes.

Mick and Ray are discussing the beating Ray just took “You think you proved something back there,” says Mick. “Proved I’m not scared,” replies Ray. “Proved that you’re a great piñata,” says Mick. They talk about their values and what they’re willing to die for. “The perfect score,” says Mick. “The difference between us is the way we define score,” Ray replies.

On the Waverider, Gideon tells Rip the the probability of the U.S. losing to Cold War has risen to a 99% probability. Star City, the seat of the Resistance, is predicted to fall in 2003. “Come on, Sara,” says Rip.

Vostok is escorting Martin back to the lab and asks him about the quantum splicer he has told her is necessary for stabilising Firestorm. Sara comes up and kills a number of guards behind Vostok and Martin. A guard shoots at Sara, and Martin and Vostok make it to the lab. Sara is now down to her last option, kill Stein.

Jax and Kendra manage to convince Rip that they can help. Kendra will fly Jax down into the Gulag, and he will try and find Martin, turn into Firestorm and make their escape. All they need is for Rip to create a distraction.

Leonard turns up to rescue Mick, he passes him a bag with another uniform and his heat gun. “Wakey, wakey, time to shrink,” Leonard says to Ray, who is now unconscious. He doesn’t wake, so Leonard puts his Atom suit in his pocket and goes to leave. “We can’t ditch him, he won’t survive,” says Mick, “Two guards walking out, not suspicious. Two guards carrying him, suspicious,” replies Leonard. “He took a beating for me,” says Mick. “Raymond would take a beating for a complete stranger,” snarks Leonard, “If our time in the can taught us anything, it’s that we look after each other. It’s you and me, right?”

Rip tells Jax and Kendra where to enter, and how to cut the power. Jax will have a 15 second window to get past sharpshooters and into the building, as an ex-footballer he should be able to make it, even with an injured knee. “You can do this, I know you can,” Kendra tells him.

Martin gives over the formula for the quantum splicer, but Vostok can tell that there is something missing. Martin insists the formula is complete, and Vostok sees the words sliced into his arm. She puts it all together and realises that Martin himself is Firestorm, and that’s how he was able to absorb all the energy when he took the thermocore. Martin warns her that without the quantum splicer, any Firestorm she created would be unstable but she is undeterred. “Have you ever merged with a woman before?” she asks him, “I think you and I are gonna make a wonderful Firestorm.”

Kendra flies Jax into the prison, and Sara is ready with her sniper rifle to take out Martin. She asks Rip what’s going on, and he tells her they’re there to rescue Stein and they can’t worry about the timeline. Jax is waiting for the lights to shift so he can make his run. Leonard and Mick are making their way out, Mick with Ray over his shoulder’s in a fireman’s carry. Looks like Mick’s team is slowly growing. Jax makes his run and just gets there, injured knee and all, “Barry Allen who?”

The lights go out, and the cell doors open. Not such great news for Leonard and Mick “We’re dressed as guards! RUN!” They make it through, Mick managing to bump the Colonel into a cell with Alpha Male and shut the door. Leonard shows Mick the way out with Ray, who says “Hey Mick, this is a strange kind of hug.” “Where are you going?” says Mick “I have something to do,” replies Leonard.

Savage is making his way out of the prison, when he has a vision of Kendra which tells him she is close. He turns and sees her head into the building and decides to follow.

In the lab, Vostok instructs another scientist to take the core to full power. She enters the containment room and starts to absorb the radiation from the thermocore. Meanwhile, guards are escorting Martin to the lab, and Sara has a shot on him. She can’t contact Rip, but Leonard comes over the comms “Sara, don’t do it.” “I have no choice,” she tells him “that’s how a killer thinks,” he replies, “And that’s not you anymore.”  She doesn’t take the shot.

Martin gets to the lab, and is pushed into the containment room with Vostok. He warns her again about the splicer but she merges with him anyway, and she goes almost mad with the power.

Kendra is setting charges inside the prison when Savage appears behind her. “Rip Hunter must be a fool to send you into my arms,” he says. He tries to make her go with him, that he’ll find a way to make her live forever and they’ll be together for eternity. “No. My answer will always be no,” Kendra tells him as Rip comes up behind him and put his laser gun to his head. Kendra leaves, and Savage tells Rip that he still hasn’t forgotten his wife and child, and that he will be ready for them when they finally meet. “Not if I see you first,” says Rip, leaving Savage in the room. He walks down the corridor, and sets off the charges remotely, blowing Savage to smithereens. Temporarily at least.

Vostok as Firestorm leaves the prison and begins wreaking havoc in the prison yard, where the others are trying to find a way out. Jax decides to try and get through to Martin, who is in Vostok’s head now, but should be able to hear him. Leonard and Sara cover him as he approaches Firestorm, “I know you’re in there Grey! Your mind is stronger than hers.” She tries to shoot fire at him but Martin manages to stymie her, and Jax gets closer. “You and me, we’re Firestorm, Grey. You and me!” He reaches out and grabs Vostok’s hands and Martin manages to undo the merge, and is thrown free. Without Stein Vostok goes into meltdown, and the crew runs for the jump ship waiting outside the gate. They make it out and up and away, moments before Vostok explodes taking the whole Gulag with her.

On the Waverider, the team is celebrating with vodka courtesy of Yuri the Bear. Ray thanks Mick for saving him, “More drinking, less feeling,” he says brushing it off. “A toast to the first time we haven’t completely ruined the timeline,” says Martin. Gideon confirms that this is true. “To Rip,” says Kendra. “To things going NOT according to his plan,” says Leonard.

The ship takes a sudden hit, “We have been struck by an explosive projectile,” Gideon tells them. Rip tells them all the strap in, “We’re in the Temporal Zone, I don’t understand, no one should be able to.” Another explosion rocks the ship, “You were saying?” says Leonard. It’s Chronos, back on their trail and closing in fast. Rip instructs Gideon to fire back, and Chronos takes a direct hit. His missile is still following them, and the ship ends up knocked out of the Timestream. “What does that mean?” yells Kendra. “It means a crash landing, in place, and time” says Rip.

They land, and walk out into a ruined, burning city. It’s Star City, in 2046. A familiar green, hooded figure appears above them. “Don’t move” says the Green Arrow. “Thank God. It’s me, it’s Sara,” she says. “Hey Oliver look, I know it’s been a long time but don’t you remember that Rip Hunter recruited us to become Legends?” says Ray. The Green Arrow shows his face, “I’ve never heard of any Legends,” he replies firing off an arrow. But it’s not Oliver Queen, its Connor Hawke!