DC’s Legends of Tomorrow season 5 episode 5 review: A tearful, Darhk-centric goodbye

Damien Darhk returns in a Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood-themed farewell for Nora Darhk and Ray Palmer as they enter their penultimate episode of  DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.

 Although we’re sad to say it, the time has finally come: “Mr. Parker’s Cul-De-Sac” marked Brandon Routh and Courtney Ford’s second-to-last episode as Ray and Nora on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. While we’re not happy about the pair’s impending departure and feel that the show will surely suffer from their loss, we are glad to report that “Mr. Parker’s Cul-De-Sac” is a worthy beginning of the end for two beloved characters, as well as one of the best episodes the show has ever put out.

Centering a dinner party from hell (quite literally) a-la Meet the Parents,  Ray’s plan to propose to Nora is turned upside down when daddy Darhk himself returns as the Legends’ newest encore. Chaos ensues as Nora attempts to juggle wining and dining her dad, staving off a vengeful Sara, pleasing her fairy godmother charge, and keeping things smooth in her relationship with Ray.

Neal McDonough is always a delight when he pops up to play Nora’s dastardly father Damien Darhk, and this episode was no exception. He brings an easy charm and friendly menace to the role, while also maintaining 100-percent believable “dad” energy; he plays off of Courtney Ford’s exasperated daughter incredibly well.

Even though Ray is a character who has been around since season one, this sendoff seems to focus more on Nora and all the plates she’s spinning as the night goes by, but the writing seamlessly weaves in other characters’ issues as well. Sara is dodging calls from Wild Dog, which raises Ava’s suspicions, and Constantine’s attempts to get Charlie to lead him to the wheel of fate puts them at odds. Both “B” plots end up intertwining with Nora’s when her young charge, Pippa, makes a wish for everyone to be characters on an episode of “Mr. Parker’s Cul-De-Sac,” a friendly riff on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

It’s a charming sequence that brought a smile to our faces and exemplified how the zaniness of Legends of Tomorrow is irreplaceable magic that can make even the most outlandish of concepts work. Watching Ray, Nora, and Damien work out their issues with the “safe-space sombrero” and Constantine and Charlie make up thanks to the help of puppets is both bizarre and heartwarming — a pitch-perfect combination.

However, the key to the episode’s success is Ford’s performance as Nora, as she struggles to keep her emotions toward her father and her love for Ray in check (but not at odds with each other). Season five has been a great one for Ford, who also turned in a stellar performance in “Slay Anything”– so it’s great to see her get such a strong sendoff. Nora Darhk is one of the most well-written characters on Legends  (and dare we say in the entire Arrowverse). Watching her attempt to deal with all of the chaos around her was amusing when it needed to be, but also incredibly emotional when it came to scenes with Ray and her father.

While Nora’s plot was stellar, we couldn’t help but wish for a little more time spent on Ray, considering he was one of the original Legends and is also leaving the show. While he is the star of the fictional “Mr. Parker’s Cul-De-Sac,” he doesn’t really have all that much time to shine in the episode as a whole, considering how he’s literally banished so he won’t get in the way of Nora and Damien’s time together.

While It’s disappointing that one of Ray’s last episodes is one in which he isn’t really the star of the show, “Mr. Parker’s Cul-De-Sac” was an incredibly emotional, heartwarming episode that perfectly enlisted the help of a fan-favorite to say goodbye to Nora. Not to mention, there’s still hope that next week’s entry, “Romeo v Juliet: Dawn of Justness” will give Ray the proper sendoff he deserves.

Are you going to miss Ray and Nora? Who’s your favorite Legend? Sound off in the comments below.