Written by Greg Berlanti & Marc Guggenheim
Directed by Thor Freudenthal
Rip: "Perhaps we will see each other again, my friend."
Jonah: "Yeah, I reckon that'd be okay."
I have to admit, I'm not the biggest western aficionado going (more my dad's thing) but you're gonna time travel, it's one of those era you just have to visit. We've seen Back To The Future go there and we've also seen Doctor Who go there twice in the space of 53 years so for this show to go there in their eleventh episode is great going.
This week, the gang were putting their quest to stop Vandal Savage to one side so they could hang out in a town not called Mercy but Salvation and keep to themselves while figuring out what to do about the Hunters who were desperate to kill them. Of course, this being the Wild West, there was fun to be had and between drinking sessions, bar fights and pissing off bandits the gang also came face to face with Jonah Hex himself.
To say the character is a massive step up from the movie he was given a few years ago would be an understatement but Johnathon Schaech really was great in the role. A slightly less feral version of the character we already know, Jonah seemed to be intrigued by Rip's motley crew when he wasn't hashing out some past issues with Rip as well.
It's been evident for a while now that Rip isn't a great leader and the revelation about Calvert definitely his remorse over a past failure but it does make you wonder that if maybe Rip actually planned then maybe he would have some actual success. His lack of preparation has been a consistent factor in why Savage has constantly gotten the upper hand in their ongoing back. As for Hex, I really liked the character and I'm hoping he pops up again next season.
Of course between Ray being appointed the sheriff and the gang try to rescue Salvation from a gang of baddies, there were also some other developments worth noting. Kendra and Sara banded together and the former met another version of herself (played by Anna Deavere Smith) who had some uncomfortable truths for Kendra. Plot wise, I really enjoyed the Kendra stuff this week even if it were too disconnected from the main action.
Also a bit disconnected from the main action but equally affecting was Stein's need to save a little boy from consumption. I've felt the last few episodes the character had been a tad underused but between learning more about his past and discovering that the boy whose life he saved was a little HG Wells, this was definitely a strong episode for Victor Garber's Stein. Actually aside from Sara, Jax and Snart, every other character had a fair amount of prominent screen time this week.
Then there was the Hunters. They popped up as the episode was concluding and we got our second coolest fight sequence moment in the episode. Of course the gang beat them pretty easily but not before both Mick and Rip realised that deadly assassin the Pilgrim was going to wipe out the gang by going back in their individual timelines, which managed to set up next week's episode pretty well.
- Sara and Mick's drinking/bonding session was brilliant. I also laughed when Mick was passed out as everyone else was fighting in the saloon.
- Rip and Jonah, we need flashbacks next season to their previous encounters. There was a bit of a slash vibe between those two as well. Other Kendra's "Carter" was called Hannibal. Ray calling himself John Wayne as well was amusing.
- Kendra needs to get a bracelet as part of her her arsenal to take out Vandal Savage.
- The episode took place in 1871 Salvation.
Well, The Magnificent Eight certainly lived up to it's title. An absolutely fun and chaotic episode with some delightful character moments, a great appearance from Jonah Hex and a nice set up for the Time Masters showing themselves to be as bad as Savage himself. One of my favourites.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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