TV Show Review

TV Review: LEGENDS: Season 1, Episode 6: Gauntlet [TNT]

Morris-Chestnut-Sean-Bean-Ali-Larter-Legends

TNT’s Legends Gauntlet TV Show Review. Legends: Season 1, Episode 5: Gauntlet kicks us off into a fast paced ride that ends with Martin Odum (Sean Bean) and Kyle Dobson (Kirk Acevedo) marinating in a smoking car wreck. In case you missed it, Martin is on leave and even though he appears to almost have a mental breakdown, he becomes another Legend…Len Barlow. The chase to find another piece of the puzzle is on and leads his team to Houston.

One of the things that concerned me most about this show was wondering if they could keep the plots and story lines interesting without getting corny or too redundant. Thus far the weakest of the Legends has been Len Barlow. It didn’t take long to realize Martin does not sell this Legend to us. He could have gone to Houston as anyone, especially with that weak accent. In terms of gaining any upper hand on this situation, there really wasn’t a need for Len or even a Legend on this self appointed mission. Well, other than sporting that cool denim jacket. Each of the legends before had something about them that helped on a case. They were also all fairly believable. One thing stands out here…Martin is getting sloppy. This episode starts off with a crash and I hope it’s not the sign of anything more.

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With Kyle Dobson in tow, Martin hijacks a bus. I thought this scene would lead us into another homage. The title and bus scene immediately reminded me of a Clint Eastwood film. This turns into a transitional scene and nothing more. After the police show up, Kyle finds out why the organization he works for cannot find Martin…he’s an FBI agent. With that dealt with, there are still issues on this brief joy ride. You have a guy enter a bus with a gunshot victim who claims Martin shot him and no one seems to care or be paying attention. That to me is more disturbing than Martin’s poor accent. I thought they were on the bus with zombies.

Getting to see Tony Rice (Morris Chestnut) and Nelson Gates (Steve Harris) lock horns again was entertaining. What a difference a day makes. Tony has been sold to us as a pretty sturdy character. Having him and Crystal McGuire (Ali Larter) teaming up and heading to Houston looks like a great opportunity for him to test his marriage. Especially after seeing how Crystal lets her hair down when not in the office. Maggie Harris (Tina Majorino) is finally starting to get more action, which is good. She is a breath of fresh air in the office. Having her come clean to her boss about helping Martin really keeps things grounded. I am wondering if this woman has a person life.

The issue of trust is a big part of this show. Martin for instance is placing a lot of trust in his wife, Sonya Odum (Amber Valletta) and in his boss. Come to find out my hunch was correct. Both of them are sitting on knowledge about his past and are engaging in an elaborate dance to keep him in the dark. With all Martin is going through, I cannot see how he will take this information when he finds out the truth. A lie of this magnitude could potentially send another character to the permanent time out box. The scene with Gates and Sonya also suggests they have to be pretty close. Was she an agent and what kind of relationship does she have with Gates? Having him tell her to get back with Martin leaves us with two possible roads. Either Gates is truly protecting him from the entity that has yet to show itself or he is or was a part of that organization. Great questions and I like how this is unwinding.

After following Martin and Kyle from hospital to empty house in the middle of nowhere, I thought we would get a little more information from him. After all, this was a pretty big deal going all the way to Houston and activating a new legend and not getting much. Kyle seemed to be teasing with little bits of information but never gave Martin the whole deal. In a way this is good. The ride is still going and is still intriguing. On the downside we are seeing some inconsistencies with Martin. The Stranger (Billy Brown) was one of the first players to tell him to trust no one. At this level of cloak and dagger play, leaving yourself open for a second could prove fatal. So watching Martin take that coffee from a nurse who ended up being an agent suggests he is slipping in a major way. The other problem was, him waking up and still being alive. Having an agent try and question him after moving Kyle didn’t make a lot of sense. These agents are technically the clean up crew. After securing Kyle they would have pumped a bullet into Martin’s brain and disposed of his body. A few minor writing issues in this episode but overall the story is still moving well. Lets hope Martin does not jump into another Legend too soon. He may end up with no brain at all if this continues.

Leave your thoughts on this review and this episode of Legends below in the comments section. For more Legends reviews, photos, videos, and information, visit our Legends Page, subscribe to us by Email, “follow” us on TwitterTumblr, or “like” us on Facebook.

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Brian Fire

Brian is a screenwriter and visual fx Artist who loves science fiction, drama and follows many TV shows. He is a versatile writer who is published and has written copy for: CompUsa, The California State Lottery and Princess Cruise lines. Every year he attends The Sundance Film Festival and the San Diego Comic Con filling up on his other passions…indie films, comic books and video games.
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