LEGENDS Episode 107 "Quicksand" Summary & Brief Review

Martin returns to DCO after the events in Houston and is presented with a brand new case: someone is threatening to assassinate a Saudi Prince during a visit to Los Angeles. The investigation leads Martin and Rice to a beautiful and charismatic female rights activist named Hani Jabril. Her cause is just but will she cross the line and kill for it?
http://www.tntdrama.com/shows/legends/season-1/episode-7/quicksand.html

SPOILERS AHEAD!!

The episode opens with a dude testing a drone for nefarious purposes. At DCO, Martin is being grilled by his bosses for his "rogue" adventure which took him to Houston to seek answers to his own problem. He wasn't happy with the interrogation, or that the conclusion of his adventure had robbed him of another source. Crystal wasn't happy either. And Martin didn't like boss "friend" Gates telling him that the Iraq photo was doctored to put him in it, Gates all the while insisting that his & Sonya's story about Martin was the true one. It's a strong persuasive argument.

Despite reprimand, Martin & his legend is needed for another case, protection detail for a Saudi prince who is threatened because of his government's policy. He is teamed with new DCO member Tony Rice for surveillance, and they were surprised to find out that a clandestine dropoff contact is prominent human/female rights activist Hani Jabril. Later they take a closer look at her apartment for clues & find a peeping tom with diplomatic immunity. Martin isn't amused.

Martin decides that his fave legend Sebastian Egan, a scotch-drinking underground journalist, is what's needed to dig deeper to find out what's going on. Martin/Sebastian and Tony posing as a photographer have a closer look at Hani Jabril first through one of her speeches then at a reception afterward, feeling her out. They next find out she is supposed to be at a protest where the prince is going for his own summit, and finagle a come-along in guise of doing publicity for her documentary film. The prince's people don't suspect anything, a drone is deployed, and the episode ends on a rather explosive note for the prince.

I was definitely not OK with seeing a human/woman rights activist collude with those resorting to violence to send a message. I hope this was a mis-perception as violence never solves anything. I know Martin's latest legend Sebastian Egan is the fave of both Sean & character Martin but beyond drinking scotch, I'm not too impressed yet. I assume this episode was a cliffhanger & the real story will be revealed next week. The thing I DID love was pairing Tony Rice with Martin, I think they make a great team! Plus Tony will learn more about Martin, hopefully to fit pieces into his murder case & the underlying identity mystery. Don't trust Gates or Sonya and #DONTKILLSEANBEAN!!

Written by Donna DeBoer (@DRLDeBoer on Twitter)

LEGENDS Episode 106 "Gauntlet" Summary & Brief Review

Martin takes Kyle Dobson into custody in the aftermath of a shoot-out with the smuggling crew. But when Dobson is wounded, Martin is forced to get him medical attention at a Houston Hospital. Dobson's mysterious employers, The Verax Corporation, send a team of professional hitmen to retrieve Dobson, forcing Martin to take his prisoner on the run in a frantic escape back to Los Angeles.
http://www.tntdrama.com/shows/legends/season-1/episode-6/gauntlet.html

SPOILERS AHEAD!!

Len: "I don't have to win. I just have to survive."

When last we left off, Dobson & Martin/Len, in Houston, were trying to get away from a shootout at the garage where he had found Kyle Dobson, a man whom he thought might tell him what in hell was going on with his identity & past memories. Unfortunately Dobson was hit by a bullet and so Martin/Len had to go back to being Martin the FBI agent in order to help this guy & to try to get some answers out of him. They dodged pursuit and he questioned Dobson the whole way to the hospital but didn't get any solid answers.

In the hospital some more undercover people enter the fray, agents of this new player The Verax Corporation, for whom Dobson works. They tell him that Martin's prying is going to blow their operation. Dobson agrees but what can he do while injured? They try to thwart Martin but he fights them off, retrieves Dobson & they go on the road again, told by his boss Gates that the Austin TX FBI office would be safe.

But... the stolen car breaks down! Now Martin is forced to hole up in an abandoned house in the middle of some oil wells & hope that help comes before the Verax squad catches them up. Martin prepares for the siege & hopes it's enough, between badgering Dobson further with questions. He's still hurt & gives reluctant, dodgy answers. Verax attacks and Martin deals with it, but despite his best effort he loses Dobson and his answers in the fight. Another dead end.

Back at the Los Angeles DCO ranch, all kinds of hotfootin' going on. DCO now has Tony Rice & his investigation into McCombs' murder, which through Evans' death is now connected to a high level secret 2004 operation in Iraq called Raining Fire that Martin also discovered. Tony ends up sent with Crystal to Houston to fetch Martin. Maggie tells Gates about helping Martin. Gates also meets with Sonya, and now it looks like they are in cahoots with whoever is trying to cover up who Martin really is. Sonofabitch!

On twitter the Legends writers said this episode was shot like a classic western; my reply was that it was more like a spaghetti western, but I meant that in a good way as some of those films are my faves! Len Barlow is definitely my fave Martin legend so far, Sean played this to the hilt & I imagine it was great fun for him. Was Martin working for Verax too? Glad to see more of Tony Rice included, still hoping he gets a promotion to DCO. And another new player to Martin's mystery even as he loses another! Looks like a brand new legend for Martin next week. Keep it coming but #DONTKILLSEANBEAN!!

If you saw this episode of LEGENDS on TNT & liked it, please let them know what you thought in Survey #5: https://www.tvinnercircle.com/S.aspx?s=525&r=NPskDJ9b_UKihSq7U1YWng&a=976&fromdetect=1

This time they ask you to write about Sonya in detail. I told em. :)

Written by Donna DeBoer (@DRLDeBoer on Twitter)

LEGENDS Episode 105 "Rogue" Summary & Brief Review

Martin is put on leave after the confrontation with The Colonel. He begins looking into his own past and The Stranger's assertion that "Martin Odum" is a legend. This off-book investigation leads him to a mysterious smuggler in Houston named Kyle Dobson, who may have the answers he needs. Martin assumes the legend of a Southern outlaw named Len Barlow in order to infiltrate the smuggling operation and get close to Dobson.
http://www.tntdrama.com/shows/legends/season-1/episode-5/rogue.html

SPOILERS AHEAD!!

The episode opens with Martin back on the FBI psychiatrist's couch, another debrief after a blown operation. How many more of these can Martin do without cracking? Has he already cracked? Martin is tired of the questions, and after being told to take a break from work, decides to continue pursuing his own problem. Why the nightmares? Why the memory losses?

Sonya shows up to have a chat & eat a meal with him. Martin finds that he likes it, but still more questions are raised when Sonya tells him about the care accident that left him in a coma for awhile.

Whilst doing research on this, Martin remembers he got a book from the dying vet Robert McCombs, the one who told him he wasn't Martin. He looks for clues and finds some page numbers marked which he gives to Maggie for investigation. She comes back with a list but it's obvious it's a phone number. Martin remembers what happened to Bobby, tells her very strongly to watch out.

Martin investigates the phone number owner, Dennis Evans. He is scared that Martin found him, doesn't want to talk but Martin pries out info, along with a damning photo of him & McCombs & this guy in Iraq, same time as the car accident. Is this right? Evans insists their problem is a cover up. He tells Martin to look for Kyle Dodson. Maggie gets Martin a few bits of info, enough to jog a bit of memory, and investigate.

Martin needs to assume an old legend, Texas cowboy Len Barlow, in order to find this Dodson. Maggie sets documentation up for him, and Martin/Len goes to Houston to follow up the lead. There he meets another old contact, and they troll a bar, connect with the guy's girlfriend who takes Len where he wants to go, see a lot of stuff there. But of course there's a bit of a hitch...

In the meantime, Tony Rice is still at his investigation into McCombs' death. He now hits up Crystal, whom he convinces that looking further into Martin's involvement is a good idea. They pursue some new angles, but there's a problem when they arrive at Evans' house after Martin. They have a look at Martin's apartment and discovers he's using the Barlow legend. Gone rogue.

Len: "I never lost a gunfight for lack of shooting."

I thought I liked Dante best but new legend Len Barlow ups that ante! Sean doing a Texas cowboy! This was terrific, this is what I was hoping the main push of the series would be, to Martin & who he might or might not be. I like Tony Rice & the cases in order to see new legends but it's almost a distraction. I liked Maggie a lot better this time. With Sonya Odum, some of my suspicions were confirmed by this episode, and I hope this tale keeps being chased!
The writers on twitter @LegendsWriters made a jest that included something about a 2nd series, I hope this is going to be true!

Written by Donna DeBoer (@DRLDeBoer on Twitter)

LEGENDS Episode 104 "Betrayal" Summary & Brief Review

The Colonel and Ana Paulanos are captured by DCO when they sell Martin a briefcase of VX that turns out to be bogus. In response, one of The Colonel's followers releases real VX on a crowded bus, threatening more attacks if The Colonel and Ana aren't released. As a last resort, Martin stages a pulse-pounding "false flag" prison break of The Colonel and, with Ana's help, forces The Colonel to lead him to the VX. Time will tell whether Martin can trust Ana to betray The Colonel and help him find all the gas before more civilians are killed.

http://www.tntdrama.com/shows/legends/season-1/episode-4/betrayal.html

SPOILERS AHEAD!!

Martin as Dante Auerbach was in a tight spot last time we saw him, about to poison one of Colonel Yuri's henchmen. If he wants to make this deal & arrest the bad, Martin/Dante must do it. It was good to see that he had a problem with this later. He makes the deal. The former Russian chemist tells DCO how much he made. They are appalled. Ana asks Yuri if he knew about the warehouse. He says yes, he knows that the FBI knows. Dante is driven back to his apartment. Crystal admits that she was wrong about Martin. Ana shows up at the apartment.

 

The deal for the VX gas goes down at a park, but it's blown from both sides, fake money & fake gas in the canisters. Yuri & Ana are arrested & questioned. Then the FBI find out that the real gas was released on a public bus, with very bad results. This can't happen again so they try to figure out what to do with Yuri. With some digging they get info about Ana's relationship with Yuri & hope to use that.

The FBI springs it's plan with Martin/Dante again, who pretends to break Yuri & Ana out of custody & flies them away in a helicopter. He roughly questions Yuri himself, to get the info needed to find the VX gas & stop any further attacks. But Yuri has one more trick up his sleeve when they all get to the bank vault. A 3-way standoff between Dante, Yuri & Ana ends up with 2 of them shot & it's not Martin.

In the other storyline having to do with who Martin is, Tony Rice tells his boss that he still thinks there's something weird going on, but later looks at evidence & gets the truth from one of the vet McCombs's buddies, that a woman killed him, not Martin, but Martin was there.

I like the Dante legend but I didn't much like the murder of Yuri's man, at least Martin had an issue with it, you could clearly see he was unhappy when making his report, and he also had a bout of panic after the bit with Yuri & Ana ended. I think he really liked Ana, but who did, Martin or Dante? I also hope this isn't the end of Tony Rice, I think it would be cool to put him in the DCO to work with Martin. Guess we start a new storyline next week, this one seemed pretty well wrapped. Who will Martin get to be next? Just #DONTKILLSEANBEAN!!

If you saw this episode of LEGENDS on TNT & liked it, please let them know what you thought in Survey #4: https://www.tvinnercircle.com/S.aspx?s=522&r=_l983R3s1k.Ta3aVc1Wszg&a=972&fromdetect=1
More questions about feeling for show, characters etc. The writers on Twitter @LegendsWriters are also asking, which leads me to think a 2nd series is seriously being considered!

Written by Donna DeBoer (@DRLDeBoer on Twitter)

LEGENDS Episode 103 "Lords of War" Summary & Brief Review

Official synopsis: Martin assumes the legend of Dante Auerbach, an international arms dealer known as the "Lord of War," in order to track the sale of VX gas and rescue kidnapped chemist Richard Hubbard. He makes contact with beautiful arms dealer Ana Paulanos, the right hand of a mysterious Chechen mobster known as "The Colonel." Martin develops a romantic entanglement with Ana as he gains The Colonel's trust - but does he trust him enough to trade him all the VX gas?
http://www.tntdrama.com/shows/legends/season-1/episode-3/lords-of-war.html

SPOILERS AHEAD!!

When we last saw him Richard the former Russian chemical engineer turned American chemistry teacher was dragging his heels at creating bad VX gas for the Chechen mobsters. As this episode opens, he is still stalling his captors in hopes of finding a lapse in attention in order to get his family out. He creates a distraction to try to do exactly that (I thought he should've melted the bad guy's face off) but his attempt fails.

Over at DCO (Division of Covert Operations), the team is preparing to support Martin Odum in his Dante Auerbach "Lord of War" legend. Crystal is still complaining about Martin's perceived unbalance, but neither her boss Gates nor the Big Boss Spiller feels he is unfit in the face of the big picture of city-wide annihilation and OK's Martin's cover continuation. Martin/Dante first goes to meet a guy Khalid in order to weasel info. He gets a lead, who turns out to be a Miss, not a Mister, Paulanos, Ana by name. Martin/Dante decides that the operation needs to have a closer look at her. He speaks to her at length. Deciding she is who they want to deal with, Martin/Dante also removes Ana's buyer from the picture and inserts himself. Later they find out Ana is their way to get to Yuri The Bad Chechen Colonel boss who has the VX gas.

There is also FBI Transportation Security agent Tony Rice, who won't let go of his suspicion that Martin had something to do with the Vet's death and that there is something fishy going on. He is told again to back off, both by his boss & by Martin's boss Gates.

Martin himself feels some more confusion in between his Dante forays, and goes to Sonya his ex-wife's house to ask some questions of her. She is concerned with his mental state. His son Aiden is glad to see him but disappointed again about weekend plans being canceled.

The DCO computer people finally get a signal that indicates where the VX gas and the kidnapped family might be. Crystal doesn't want to wait, heads the team that crashes the place, rescues the family, but... NO GAS.

In the meantime Martin/Dante is finally taken to meet Yuri, who doesn't quite believe his story about him being a buyer and asks him to test a chemical weapon product on a captive. Uh oh!

I think Dante is Martin's best legend yet! Dante Auerbach is everything I expected him to be, and I hope we see more of his slickness. Just #DontKillSeanBean!! As for the rest of the show, the plots in general, the other characters & such, I'm not so impressed. Exceptions are Mason Cook, who plays Martin's son Aiden Odum, I like the kid. I also like Morris Chestnut's Tony Rice, I could see him ending up as a partner to Martin if his inquiry doesn't go askew.

If you saw this episode of LEGENDS on TNT & liked it, please let them know what you thought in Survey #3: https://www.tvinnercircle.com/S.aspx?s=519&r=tSnpxI.exUy18h1JCV0O9w&a=957&fromdetect=1
More questions about feeling for show, characters etc. I wrote them a another book :)

Written by Donna DeBoer (@DRLDeBoer on Twitter)

LEGENDS Episode 102 "Chemistry" Summary & Brief Review

Official synopsis: When a high school chemistry teacher and his family are kidnapped, DCO takes the case because the teacher is a former chemical weapons engineer for the Russian Army, hidden by the CIA in the Witness Protection Program. Are the kidnappers using the teacher to manufacture VX gas? Martin, Crystal and Troy Buchannan go undercover to infiltrate the Chechen mob, rescue the family and stop the production of the deadly gas.http://www.tntdrama.com/shows/legends/season-1/episode-2/chemistry.html

SPOILERS AHEAD!!

In the opening scene we see the chemistry teacher and his family being kidnapped by rouge Chechen agents, who want him to manufacture VX gas, which can be used for chemical terrorist attacks. The teacher, a former Russian Army engineer, is an expert & why the DCO is called upon to act to stop these plans. This plot is unresolved in this episode, I assume it continues in the next.

At the end of the last episode, Martin Odum was left with the warning from a deceased homeless Vet that his own person was just another legend. As this episode opens, Martin is speaking with a mental health counselor, a mandatory procedure after exiting an undercover job. The counselor tries to draw Martin out, including about his family, but he insists that he is fine. He later goes out with his son Aiden & tries to patch up their relationship, and that with his ex-wife Sonya.

Martin also asks after deceased co-worked & friend Bobby. When confronted with the dead Vet's file, which was retrieved from Bobby's apartment, Martin decides to tell his boss Nelson Gates what the man said about him not really being Martin, but kind of blows it off as the ravings of a crazy man. Yet there is other suspicion in the office: after Martin asks agent Tony Banks in the Surveillance department for some help with identifying the Vet, he wants to investigate Martin because the video revealed Martin was the last person to see him alive. He is ordered not to do it, but puts a tail on Martin anyway. He has to dodge it.

Martin, Crystal and Troy Buchannan do go undercover at a club in order to infiltrate the Chechen mob & find out where the chemistry teacher & his family are, but the cover is blown, bad things happen, the operation is busted wide open & terribly, Troy pays the ultimate price.

This is devastating to the team, especially Crystal, but the teacher & family are still in trouble and the bad guys are still at large. Martin tells his boss Gates that a bigger bait fish is needed to catch them- the legend, Dante Auerbach, nicknamed "Lord of War."

What interested me most about this episode is that Martin himself is now under investigation and we don't know what will be uncovered, but any info that is found is just as important to Martin as they are to the bureau! I'm keenly interested in this puzzle. Next episode reveals another legend who looks like a real piece of work. Bring 'em on, just #DontKillSeanBean!!

If you saw this episode of LEGENDS on TNT & liked it, please let them know what you thought in Survey #2:  https://www.tvinnercircle.com/S.aspx?s=515&r=ZyrRLUBCi0mHd_M_WwgrDA&a=945&fromdetect=1
 There are different questions about Sean's character, feeling for show, etc. I wrote them a book :)

Written by Donna DeBoer (@DRLDeBoer on Twitter)

LEGENDS Episode 101 "Pilot" Summary & Brief Review

Official synopsis: Martin Odum has the uncanny ability to transform himself into a completely different person for each job. But he begins to question his own identity when a mysterious stranger suggests that Martin isn't the man he believes himself to be.
http://www.tntdrama.com/shows/legends/season-1/episode-1/pilot.html

SPOILERS AHEAD!!

The episode opens with shots of terrorist damage 9 months previously & then switches to Martin Odum now working as legend cover Lincoln Dittmann in the camp of white supremacists in Virginia who had done the terrorist acts. He was embedded there by the FBI to meet their leader & arrest him, but had had no luck for 6 previous months until he was called in to talk to the boss there. He was about to get the meeting until an unplanned raid by another government agency almost blew his cover & that of an informer also in the camp. Martin barely escaped an explosion, was angry about that & his nearly blown cover, protested loudly to his boss when he went in to his office to report the situation & ask to salvage it. In the office his old boss Crystal (Ali Larter) didn't want him to continue on the job because she thought he was unstable, but she got overruled.

In between all this, we meet Martin's son & ex-wife, the son misses Martin & he's apologetic for not spending more time with his son. He promises to get him Chinese food. Later we see Martin about to buy Chinese take away from the restaurant below his apartment when he sees a man he'd seen before, who had warned him that someone didn't want him to know that he, Martin Odum, was also a legend. Martin can't make sense of this right now, and gets on with his undercover job as Lincoln Dittmann.

Dittmann is instructed to meet the white supremest terrorist "Founding Father" boss in Chicago, and so he goes there. His office technical team spends some time bulking up Dittmann's legend with computer records to support his story for any background checks that will be run. They almost botch it up by misspelling "Dittman." Two N's! Dittmann meets his contact in a strip club, but then his FBI team are suspicious when they lose contact with the previous informer, fearing something bad has happened to him. It did. Crystal then goes undercover fast to bail Dittmann out, and they barely get away with the operation still intact. They regroup & send Dittmann in to the meeting with a wire so the team can listen in & provide backup. Martin, as Dittmann, doesn't like what the terrorist boss tells him, and while he is trying to figure out how to stall for time, the FBI team's presence is blown by a stray radio transmission. Chaos ensues, and Martin calls the terrorist boss' bluff & saves them all from being blown up. The bad guys are arrested. Operation done.

Back at home, after debriefing, Martin drops by his support tech Bobby's house & finds out he's been killed, perhaps because of the info that Martin was having him dig for, to identify the man that had been following Martin. Now he's really worried & upset, agrees to meet the strange man when he calls again. And then that man is killed in front of him on the train platform, still leaving him with with the question, "Who is Martin Odum?"

What I enjoyed most about this series debut episode, besides Sean's fantastic multiple performances obviously, is the suggestion that Martin Odum, the supposed "real person," may be just another legend. I think this is complicated by the presence of his son & ex-wife, with whom I assume he has a lengthy history. Or does he? Are they part of the implied lie? A mystery I am eager to follow each week as more puzzle pieces are revealed along with more of Martin's "legends" for his covert jobs. All I ask at the end of the 10 episodes of series 1 is: #DontKillSeanBean!!

If you saw LEGENDS on TNT & liked it, please let them know what you thought in this survey: 
http://spr.ly/6184mFie  There are questions about Sean's character, feeling for show, etc.

Written by Donna DeBoer (@DRLDeBoer on Twitter)

LEGENDS TNT at San Diego Comic-Con; Premieres in 2 Weeks!! #DontKillSeanBean

Just 2 weeks to go until "Legends" premieres 13 August on TNT channel in the US! Please check your local channels for date & time, I also saw it listed for Canada and for Sky in the UK. This past weekend "Legends" had a HUGE presence at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), here's some photos of the best TV show advertising campaign this summer:  #DontKillSeanBean!

#DontKillSeanBean

 

2 print advertisements

Promotional items given out at SDCC

There were also huge banners on buildings in San Diego and even in the airport! Bravo and many thanks to the advertising department for the huge Sean Bean love! 

 

Unfortunately, Sean himself was absent from SDCC, but it was for a very good personal reason: his daughter Molly's wedding! Congratulations to the happy couple! Her mum Melanie Hill posted a lovely wedding photo on Twitter, go here to view it:
https://twitter.com/melaniejhil/status/493791338224427008

The first episode for "Legends" was also screened at SDCC, from the viewing descriptions I saw it was a positive, enthusiastic reaction! Here is the official list of episodes & other descriptions from TNT's website:
http://www.tntdrama.com/shows/legends.html

There are also some great promotional photos there! I can't wait to see this show!! Stay tuned, I plan on posting an episode recap a few days after airing each of the 10 weeks. I also post screen captures to my Tumblr account at: drldeboer.tumblr.com

Written by Donna DeBoer (@DRLDeBoer on Twitter)

Sean Busy Filming for TNT's Legends & Oh, Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Sean!! May it be bright & blessed!! Yes it's 17 April 2014 and this year Sean is in Los Angeles, CA, US hard at work filming TNT channel's spy series Legends, scheduled to premiere this summer on 13th August! Again, he is starring in it as Martin Odum, an undercover CIA agent so good at his job that he can barely tell where his covers (legends) leave off and his real self begins. Or is Odum just another "legend?" Hopefully the series won't answer this question too soon and we get another year after this one to find out!










While in Los Angeles Sean has also been training, relaxing and doing some appearances for Legends, this weekend he is scheduled to appear in support of it at Anaheim's WonderCon convention, where television and film do promotions for upcoming releases. A few days ago some of Sean's football pictures were posted to our fan Facebook page. I expect to see WonderCon pictures too so please Like our page, I will be sharing any pictures I find there!

I think Sean is looking very fit!! Cheers & thanks for reading!!

Here's the original link for the football photos:
http://www.holymoly.com/celebrity/pictures/game-two-halvesthrones-whats-sean-bean69098

Written by Donna DeBoer 
(@DRLDeBoer on Twitter)