Although The Flash's use of time travel often has dire consequences, Legends of Tomorrow has managed to keep the timeline relatively consistent so far. The Legends always make a mess during their adventures through the past, but they generally manage to put everything back together well enough for no one to notice. That being said, one very impassioned decision made by a member of the team may soon have far-reaching consequences throughout the Arrow-verse. Specifically, Sara Lance may have just fundamentally altered Damien Darhk as a character, thus completely changing the nature of Arrow's fourth season.
This week's episode of Legends of Tomorrow had just about everything you could possibly want from the zany time travel series. There was action, there was comedy, and we even got to see Neal McDonough hilariously pay tribute to Miami Vice. (Seriously, the guy pulls of 1980s fashion like a champ.) However, the crown jewel of the entire episode came during the climactic showdown between White Canary and the renegade assassin. After besting her opponent in a vicious fight, the younger Lance sister decided to torment the supervillain by telling him every last detail regarding his death at the hands of Oliver Queen during the failure of Genesis in 2016.
As a result of Sara's prolonged glory, Reverse-Flash managed to swoop in and rescue his new partner. Clearly shaken by this ordeal with a badass, time-traveling blonde, Darhk made the decision to team up with Eobard Thawne in order to avoid the death described by the mysterious woman. Riding off in a time machine, he now knows what happens during the events of Arrow's fourth season, and he intends to change things.
The potential nature of the ripple effects caused by this moment obviously remains unclear. If Damien Darhk and H.I.V.E. still attack Star City, then it's entirely possible that another member of Team Arrow could wind up dead instead of Katie Cassidy's Black Canary. Such an event will undoubtedly weigh heavily on Sara's conscience, as the revival of her sister means indirectly killing someone else in her place.
Then again, it's also possible that this event could have an impact on the current Team Arrow roster. Evelyn Sharp made her debut in the Arrow-verse as a copycat of the deceased Black Canary, and she subsequently signed on to Oliver Queen's crusade after agreeing not to take revenge on Damien Darhk for the murder of her own family. Darhk's actions during Season 4 of Arrow are integral to her development as a heroine, so any changes to him could also fundamentally alter her as well.
Finally, there's the simple possibility that Damien Darhk may successfully change his own fate. By knowing that he dies in May 2016 (as supervillains are known to do in Star City) he may actually find a way to avoid a grisly demise at the business end of one of Oliver Queen's arrows. Oliver's decision to kill Darhk has weighed heavily on Arrow's fifth season, so it's entirely plausible that this major shift in the timeline could lead to a change in The Emerald Archer's solo series. It also may mean that Damien Darhk is still out there somewhere in the present day ready to cause trouble.
Although the direct implications of this potential shift in the timeline remain to be seen, it could wind up being a welcome change for many Arrow fans. Season 4 is generally derided as one of the show's weakest seasons, and as such, this could be the Arrow-verse's way of undoing some of the damage caused by last year's story. Only time (get it?) will really tell.
What do you think of Sara's decision to gloat before her failed attempt to murder Damien Darhk? Will the changes to the timeline affect Arrow's fourth or fifth seasons? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!
We will bring you all of the latest and greatest Arrow-verse news as new details become available to us. Arrow airs every Wednesday night at 8 p.m. EST on The CW, while Legends of Tomorrow airs the following night at the same time.
