It’s safe to say that the Legends – don’t call them heroes – messed up big time in DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow Season 2. Victor Garber, Dr Martin Stein, one half of Firestorm, talks to us about how they’re going to cope with the consequences of their actions, and gives us insight into the madness of the four-way crossover episodes.
SciFiNow: You mentioned last year that you didn’t think the show found its feet as solidly as you would have liked, do you think this improved in Season 2?
Victor Garber: I think in Season 2 definitely we found our footing. It was like any new show, you start off and it was like getting on a speeding train. Nobody really knew anything, there was no pilot, there were no scripts, we just started. It took us a while to figure it out what it was, and the writers. And with Season 2 they had a better idea of where to go and I think given that the response that we had, it proved to be true. We definitely took a giant step.
This year you got to expand his story with the inclusion of Stein’s daughter Lily and the changing storyline. Was this something you liked exploring?
I loved it. For me, I’ve always said to the writers is what is interesting to me is Stein’s dilemma of his family. He’s looking at life from a very different perspective from everybody else, in terms of being the oldest, so I think that’s what dramatically feeds that character.
We also saw more of Stein’s improved partnership with Jax, how did you find working with somebody who on paper is fairly different to yourself in age, experience and background? And treat him like a son?
I think that’s what makes acting interesting, you have conflict, you have drama and you have humour. Those are the things that I love. That’s why I’m an actor. Franz [Drameh, Jefferson Jackson, the other half of Firestorm], is a great actor and fabulous person, we have found a natural chemistry, that goes from paternal to fraternal to he becomes the teacher, almost. And I think that’s true in life, too. I think that’s what makes the characters appealing. I think that’s why people respond to Jax and Stein, because there is an authenticity to it. That’s what we strive for every time we step on stage, what we aim to achieve.
Season 2 saw a lot of really iconic moments and people in history show up, like Albert Einstein and George Lucas, do you think these relationships, short-term or otherwise, add to the show?
Of course! Yes, definitely. For me, that was one of the best episodes for John Rubinstein playing Einstein. First of all he is a friend of mine so it was fun to have him on set, and I thought it was well depicted and well written. We have Julius Caesar coming up in Season 3, that’s the fun of the show, to meet these iconic people and realise that they’re human, of course, and for an audience, I am sure that’s as much fun for them as it is for us.
Who would you like to see crop up in Season 3? Is there a particular event you’d like to see?
I really don’t think about it much because they always surprise me. We have PT Barnum played by Billy Zane, and that was fun to be reunited with my old friend and actor. And I think it’s amazing that they keep creating, it’s a very ambitious show and I think the wardrobe department has the hardest task. They’re so beautifully made and authentic. In this next episode, I haven’t read it yet, but we go back to the 1800s again. I love period shows. I’ve done a lot in my career and I really enjoy being from another time, and I think that works to my advantage.
Do you find it’s refreshing to effectively each week to be going to different time periods, to have a different challenge each time?
Yes, absolutely. Sometimes it’s just annoying, it’s very hard work, and it can be cold or hot outside, then inside and you’re wearing whatever you’re wearing. But I think it’s fascinating. I have to give a shout out to the art department. I think they really are brilliant. We did a circus episode in the beginning of the season and I just couldn’t believe what they came up with and how they built this from nothing. It always amazes me.
The end of Season 2 was quite spectacular, what with dinosaurs in LA, is there anything you can give us about what’s going to happen in Season 3?
I think what the jist of Season 3 is that they screwed up badly and they’re trying to fix the anachronisms that are occurring when they’re looking at a map, they really screwed up badly. It’ll be at least one season of them trying to fix everything. And, of course, they go back to fix something and something else happens, it’s open to anything. And also, for Stein, his life dilemma is “is this what I really want?” at the beginning, of course, it was all what he wanted, but like with so many things, he thinks “What about that? What about my life? What about my family?” So that’s the big arc for me this season.
What is it like to film the big four-way crossovers? Is it fun, is it challenging with there being so many people, and people you don’t get to work with as often?
It’s both! It’s really fun to be on set with everybody, you think, ‘Wow, this is exciting,’ and they’re very difficult to shoot. And it’s exhausting, because you’re doing two episodes at once. You’re doing one of theirs and one of yours, the logistics are terrifying. First of all, we know the audience loves them, they’ve created something quite special here to be able to do that. I’m looking forward to this next stage of crossovers. I don’t think I have to sing, though they do surprise me sometimes. It takes a lot of work for me to do that.
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Season Two is out now on Blu-ray™ and DVD.
