Spoilers ahead for the April 28 episode of Legends of Tomorrow Season 5, called "The Great British Fake Off."
Legends of Tomorrow can always be counted on to deliver some time travel shenanigans and romantic drama, but a good love triangle is difficult for even the most bonkers show to pull off. Even though a lot of storytelling rules don't really apply to a show like Legends of Tomorrow, a love triangle between Nate, Zari, and Constantine seems like an idea that is both pretty bad and out-of-the-blue on the page. After "The Great British Fake Off" with Tala Ashe and Matt Ryan performing, however, I'm on board to see what happens next.
With Zari determined to find a way to bring her brother back to life, she teamed up with Constantine, but their plan was derailed when they faced encores like Jack the Ripper, Brutus (who betrayed Caesar), Henry VIII, and Bonnie and Clyde. Constantine dressed up as Jack the Ripper and tried to sacrifice himself to give Zari the chance to escape, but Zari awesomely dressed herself up as Cleopatra and stepped up. The episode ended their story by putting them in very close quarters, and they nearly kissed, which is not something I would have expected last season.
Of course, last season is when sparks were flying between Zari 1.0 and Nate, and Nate isn't altogether over what he had with Zari before the Season 4 finale twist. Zari 2.0 doesn't seem to feel the same attraction to Nate, but she also hasn't been cruel, and she understands a little more after meeting the other version of herself.
Basically, Legends of Tomorrow created a love triangle between a man who is far from a romantic lead, a woman who is a social media influencer and more or less fell into working with the Legends, and a guy still in love with an alternate version of that woman and who is seemingly trying not to transfer his feelings for Zari 1.0 onto Zari 2.0.
This bizarro love triangle wouldn't have believably started if "The Great British Fake Off" hadn't spent most of the hour increasing the sparks between Constantine and Zari, even if those sparks were mostly antagonistic until the near-kiss. Actress Tala Ashe weighed in on what's happening between her character and Constantine, saying this to TVLine:
They’re kind of fighting what is a confusing attraction for both of them and actually kind of an inconvenient attraction, to be honest, for both of them, given the circumstances and given the Nate of it all. Constantine is not looking for a relationship, not that that’s what this is. It is sort of like an inconvenient inconvenience for all involved, I would say.
Based on Tala Ashe's comments, fans shouldn't take the kiss close call as a sign that Constantine will be swooning with the need to start a relationship as Season 5 progresses, although I for one thought I noticed an interesting look from him after their moment was interrupted. Still, some inconvenient feelings between two of the most unlikely people on the Waverider would have the potential for entertainment even if not for "the Nate of it all."
This Nate/Zari/Constantine is just weird enough to stand out from the tired love triangle trope, and the unpredictability makes me think that the triangle may be enjoyable without making me tired of one or more of the people involved. Tala Ashe went on to tease that the inconvenient feelings between Zari and Constantine aren't gone just because their kiss was interrupted:
Again, I think it’s an inconvenient attraction, but I think it will kind of show itself in certain ways as the season moves forward. And again, I think it does complicate things with the Nate and Zari relationship… It’s not the last that we see of it.
Fortunately, Legends of Tomorrow managed to finish filming its current season, which is not the case for The Flash, Supergirl, and Batwoman due to production halts, so the story of the love triangle will be told as intended for Nate, Zari, and Constantine in Season 5. The next new episode of Legends of Tomorrow airs Tuesday, May 5 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.
Don't forget to weigh in our poll below about the Nate/Zari/Constantine love triangle! For some additional viewing options now and in the not-too-distant future, be sure to check out our 2020 spring premiere schedule and our 2020 summer premiere guide.
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