The Legends find out that Damien Darhk has managed to wriggle his way into the Ronald Reagan White House during a nuclear summit with the USSR.
Tropes:
- Artistic License – Military: The White House Marine guard is shown holding his cover in his hand. Being on duty, he should be wearing it, even indoors.
- Batman Gambit: Damien couldn't shoot Obsidian, so he aimed for Amaya instead, necessitating the latter going solid and Taking the Bullet to save her. Fortunately, Obsidian survives the shot.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: This episode marks the concrete beginnings of a real partnership between Eobard and Darhk. Before that it was just an on-off thing because Thawne would only meet up with Darhk at certain points in time.
- Breaking Speech: Sara gives one to Damien which visibly unnerves him...and gives him the motivation to try to Screw Destiny by joining forces with Thawne.
- Broken Ace: Despite at first appearing as a capable Old Superhero, Obsidian admits himself after being injured by Damien Darhk at the end, that his fighting days are over.
- Continuity Nod:
- The time machine Thawne gives Darhk is a time sphere just like the one that Cisco and Ronnie built in the Flash Season One finale.
- Mick reiterated that the cold gun and his heat gun must never cross streams together. Considering that's how he and Snart got blown away and arrested back then, it's a mistake he'll never forget.
- Young Martin Stein mentions that he's working on a transmutation project, likely a precursor to the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. project from The Flash Season 1.
- The Corrupter: Mick very briefly tries to get Ray to embrace his dark side, in order to emulate Snart.
- Cruel Mercy: Sara decides not to kill Darhk, as she figures it's far crueler to let his destiny play out.
- Distinction Without a Difference: Amaya denies being romantically involved with Rex, saying that they couldn't become a couple as teammates... which is why they had plans to retire from the JSA once WWII was over.
- Doomed by Canon: Sara tells Darhk his "Genesis" plan is doomed to fail, thinking there's nothing he can do about it. Unfortunately for Sara, Darhk's new friend happens to have access to a time machine.
- Face Death with Dignity: Played for Laughs. As the bomb is just about to go off, Mick says there are worse ways to die, while digging into an eclair.
- Fist Bump: Jax and Nate share one over their mutual appreciation of Ian Fleming's work.
- Guest-Star Party Member: An aging Todd/Obsidian works with the Legends to thwart Darhk's plans.
- Hell-Bent for Leather: In the opening scene, Eobard wears a black leather jacket.
- Heroic Sacrifice: A variant, Ray has to disassemble Snart's cold gun to stop the bomb, which Mick consents to.
- Hypocrite: Sara, as Jax points out, as she is fine with disturbing the timeline if it suits her needs. Also Stein to a small extent, as his first priority is not saving the president and history, but his wife, despite scolding Sara for her selfish behaviour. Partly justified though, as Stein is trying to correct something resulting from an aberration, while Sara's actions will likely result in causing one.
- I Hate Past Me: Stein is appalled how his younger is so self-absorbed about his work that he's neglecting his wife. Although this time it's due to time ripple effects due to Thawne's meddling.
- Internal Reveal: The Legends learn that Darhk's co-conspirator is a speedster.
- It's All About Me: Or in Sara's case...all about her sister, despite the fact that it could have irreparable consequences to the timeline.
- I Work Alone: Thawne's first attempt to get Darhk to work with him gets turned down this way.
- MacGuffin: We never find out what item the KGB agent gave Darhk, only that Thawne wanted it for some nefarious plan.
- Major Injury Underreaction: Darhk barely seems to notice when Sara hurls a throwing star into his hand.
- Mocking Music: After admitting to Ray how he is still mourning Snart's death, Mick turns on the car radio. Cue Cutting Crew's "Died in Your Arms Tonight" and him breaking it.
- Nerves of Steel: Darhk, who once again reacts to a shootout very calmly, and twice to boot.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
- Ray and Mick cross streams causing a huge explosion at the White House which was caused by...
- Sara tries to kill Darhk when she finds out he's at the White House, unsurprisingly alerting security which means the team has to abandon secrecy to save Sara's bacon.
- Sara informs Darhk that his Evil Plan goes up in smoke; which leads to forge a full-time partnership with Thawne.
- Oh, Crap!:
- The team when they find out Darhk is in the White House, cause they know Sara will try to kill him even if it endangers the mission.
- Sara realizes that Darhk's partner is a speedster.
- Ominous Latin Chanting: A new rendition of the Reverse-Flash theme that plays over the opening title contains elements of this.
- Only Sane Man: Stein, as usual.
- Replacement Goldfish: Mick tries to get Ray to act more like Snart, but it only brings up memories for Mick, so he tells Ray to just be himself.
- Revenge Before Reason: Once again, Sara ruins the team's mission due to her desire to kill Darhk before he can kill Laurel.
- Science Hero: Ray's status as this is lampshaded.Mick: You're Ray. You can science your way out of anything.
- Screw Destiny: Once Sara informs Darhk of what will happen to his "Genesis" plan he decide to travel through time to stop it.
- Seen It All: Darhk's reaction to Obsidian's powers is a mere "huh".
- Ship Tease: Nate and Amaya get a fair share of romantic build up scenes, with Todd playing a subtle version of Shipper on Deck towards the end.
- Skewed Priorities: Applies to two characters:
- Sara trying to save her sister instead of working to prevent the sabotage of peace relations between the Americans and the Soviets.
- Past Stein not listening to his older self about what really matters, instead thinking about all the science awards he might win.Past Stein: Did we win the sixth Carlin?
- Shout-Out:
- The opening scene on the Miami pier evokes feelings of Miami Vice.
- Stein calls 1987 the heyday of Whitney Houston and Star Trek: The Next Generation.note
- "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins is played when the Legends enter the White House dinner hall.
- Stein tells Jax that he's "not thinking fourth-dimensionally", leading Jax to call him "Doc Brown." Amusingly, Stein doesn't get the reference, despite making a Back to the Future reference himself just three episodes ago.
- When Ray accidentally collides his Freeze Ray beam with Mick's Fire-Breathing Weapon, causing an explosion.Mick: What'd I say about crossing the streams?
- While the team is shadowing Dahrk prior to his clandestine meeting, Stein mentions that it feels like the beginning of a John le Carré spy novel. Nate responds that he's more of an Ian Fleming guy. Jax agrees.Jax: More explosions, less clothing.
- The Slow Path: Vixen has time-traveled to 1987 directly from the 40s. Obsidian made it there the old-fashioned way, and has appropriately aged.
- Take That!: Mick smashes a radio in frustration when he hears "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" by the Cutting Crew, claiming that he hates the 80's.
- Taking the Bullet: Obsidian does this for Amaya when Darhk shoots at her, though fortunately, he survives.
- Thou Shalt Not Kill: Vixen has no plans of killing Rex's killer, as she sees herself as a hero and not a vigilante.
- Time Bomb: Ray is tasked with defusing the KGB explosives placed in the White House dinner room.
- Took a Level in Badass: Nate now seems to be completely in control of his powers, kicking ass quite easily.
- Villainous Breakdown: Darhk's smug demeanor breaks down once Sara informs him of the failure of his plans as well of the death of his wife in the future.
- Villainous Friendship: How Thawne sees his relationship with Darhk. The latter however thinks it has yet to be earned.
- Villain with Good Publicity: Darhk has somehow managed to become a credible White House advisor.
- Wham Episode: Spurred on by Sara's warnings about his future, Darhk decides to become Thawne's full-time partner with the help of a time sphere meaning the two can now travel through time together, sprouting the seeds for the Legion of Doom.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Stein gives Sara a much deserved-dressing down for trying to kill Darhk in the White House endangering the team and the timeline itself.
