Ground Control to Sara Lance

File:David-Bowie Chicago 2002-08-08 photoby Adam-Bielawski-cropped.jpg was an English musician who died in 2016]]

In 1977 London, Ava Sharpe realizes that Sara Lance is missing, and learns from David Bowie that she was going to propose but was abducted by aliens. Ava is consoled by Nate Heywood and contacts the D.E.O., unaware that it was destroyed. John Constantine returns to his house with Zari Tarazi and Astra Logue and fails to find Sara using magic, but discovers a human chrysalis in Gary Green's room and Image Inducer glasses that can transform its wearer. Behrad Tarazi learns of a girl who could communicate with aliens named Esperenza Cruz; Mick Rory kidnaps her. Sara awakens on a spaceship and frees Spartacus, only for him to be eaten by Kayla, the boss of the ship. She discovers one of her captors is Gary, who was sent to Earth to acquire the most quintessential human, but he agrees to help her escape. They knock Kayla (also Gary's fiancée) out of the ship by releasing containment pods into a wormhole leading to Earth's Temporal Zone, but fail to reach the wormhole themselves and fall towards another planet.

Filming of the episode was scheduled to begin on October 5, 2020, in Burnaby, British Columbia.{{Cite web |date=May 7, 2021 |title=DGC BC Production List |url=https://www.dgc.ca/assets/Uploads/BritishColumbia/AvailsProductionLists/Documents/Production-List.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509044644/https://www.dgc.ca/assets/Uploads/BritishColumbia/AvailsProductionLists/Documents/Production-List.pdf |archive-date=May 9, 2021 |access-date=May 10, 2021 |website=Directors Guild of Canada}} Due to the COVID-19 test results for the cast and crew it was indefinitely delayed.{{Cite news |last=Aurthur |first=Kate |date=2020-09-30 |title="'Riverdale,' 'Batwoman' Shut Down Over Testing Delays in British Columbia" |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/riverdale-batwoman-shut-down-coronavirus-testing-1234787386/ |access-date=2023-05-03}} Development on the episode ultimately began on October 8, 2020,{{Cite web |last=Zano |first=Nick |title=Feels so good to be back... #DCComics #LegendsOfTomorrow #Season6 |url=https://twitter.com/nickzano/status/1314299715790401536 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008202159/https://twitter.com/nickzano/status/1314299715790401536 |archive-date=2020-10-08 |access-date=2023-05-04 |website=Twitter |language=en}} and concluded later in the same month.

The episode was co-written by James Eagan and Mark Bruner. Eagan and Bruner submitted the production draft of the screenplay on August 19, 2019. On September 18, the second draft was completed. The third and fourth drafts of the script were completed on 23 and 27 of the month, respectively. The fifth, sixth, and seventh drafts were each completed three days apart on October 1, 4, and 7, with the seventh version being the final draft.{{Cite web |last=Shimizu |first=Keto |date=2020-10-08 |title=Finally! #LegendsOfTomorrow episode 601 has begun production today! Written by @James_eagan and Mark Bruner, and directed by @kevmock 👽 |url=https://twitter.com/ketomizu/status/1314311046375469057 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230508034923/https://twitter.com/ketomizu/status/1314311046375469057 |archive-date=2023-05-08 |access-date=2023-05-08 |website=Twitter |language=en}} The episode references other pieces of media including the events of Supergirl's fifth season, with the destruction of the DEO. Additionally Sara defeating the alien by opening the airlock is an reference to Alien.{{Cite web |last=Dandeneau |first=Jim |date=2021-05-03 |title=Legends of Tomorrow: Can Sara Lance Survive This Space Oddity? |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/legends-of-tomorrow-season-6-episode-1-review/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=Den of Geek |language=en-US}}

The cast for the include series regulars Caity Lotz, Tala Ashe, Jes Macallan, Olivia Swann, Amy Pemberton (voice), Nick Zano, Matt Ryan, and Dominic Purcell as, Sara Lance, Zari Tarazi, Ava Sharpe, Astra Logue, Gideon, Nate Haywood, John Constatine, Mick Rory.{{Cite web |date=2020-05-14 |title=DC's Legends of Tomorrow season 6 confirms returning stars |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a32480286/legends-of-tomorrow-season-6-characters-return/ |access-date=2023-05-04 |website=Digital Spy |language=en-GB}} This is the first episode where Adam Tsekhman and Shayan Sobhian appear as series regulars. Both actors had previously been reoccurring characters. They portray Garry Green and Behrad Tarazi respectively.{{Cite magazine |last=Agard |first=Chancellor |title='Legends of Tomorrow' promotes Adam Tsekhman to series regular for season 6 |url=https://ew.com/tv/legends-of-tomorrow-season-6-adam-tsekhman-gary-series-regular/ |access-date=2023-05-03 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Gelman |first=Vlada |date=2020-06-17 |title=Legends Promotes Shayan Sobhian to Series Regular for Season 6 |url=https://tvline.com/2020/06/17/legends-of-tomorrow-season-6-shayan-sobhian-series-regular-behrad/ |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=TVLine |language=en-US}} This is the first appearance of Lisseth Chavez as Spooner Cruz. Chavez joins the main cast as a regular.{{Cite web |last=Das |first=Swagata |date=September 13, 2020 |title=Chicago P.D's Lisseth Chavez Join DC's Legends of Tomorrow - Animated Times |url=https://animatedtimes.com/lisseth-chavez-join-dcs-legends-of-tomorrow/ |access-date=May 1, 2023 |website=animatedtimes.com }} On the opposite end of this Dominic Purcell announced that he would be leaving the series after this season.{{Cite web |last=Bankhurst |first=Adam |date=April 18, 2021 |title=Legends of Tomorrow Star Dominic Purcell Leaves Show as Series Regular |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/legends-of-tomorrow-star-dominic-purcell-leaves-show-amidst-tension-with-studio |access-date=May 1, 2023 |website=IGN}} This episode guest stars Thomas Nicholson as David Bowie{{Cite web |last=Crowley |first=Liam |date=June 19, 2021 |title=DC's Legends of Tomorrow's Thomas Nicholson On 'Humanizing' David Bowie (Exclusive) |url=https://thedirect.com/article/dc-legends-of-tomorrow-thomas-nicholson-david-bowie-exclusive |access-date=May 1, 2023 |website=The Direct }} and Shawn Roberts as Spartacus.{{Cite web |title=Shawn Roberts |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/shawn-roberts/credits/3000012578/ |access-date=May 1, 2023 |website=TVGuide.com}}

"Ground Control to Sara Lance" was first aired in the United States on The CW on May 2, 2021. It was watched by 450,000 live viewers with a 0.1/1 share among adults aged 18 to 49. When accounting for seven day DVR viewership the episode gains an additional 440,000 viewers, for a total of 890,000 viewers. The episode finished 5th in its timeslot.{{Cite web |last=Berman |first=Marc |date=2021-05-03 |title=Sunday Ratings: ABC and CBS Split Dominance; Return of 'D.C.'s Legends of Tomorrow' Left at The CW Starting Gate |url=https://programminginsider.com/sunday-ratings-abc-and-cbs-split-dominance-return-of-d-c-s-legends-of-tomorrow-left-at-the-cw-starting-gate/ |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=Programming Insider |language=en-US}} The episode was the fourth-highest viewed of the season in terms of live viewers, and when considering DVR viewers, it jumps to first.{{efn|DVR viewership for episodes 14 and 15 are not available.|group=lower-alpha}}

The episode was released as a part of the Legends of Tomorrow season six box set on November 9, 2021,{{Cite web |title=DC's Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Sixth Season (DVD) |url=https://www.amazon.com/DCs-Legends-Tomorrow-Complete-Season/dp/B097G5JF4R |access-date=November 5, 2023 |website=Amazon.com|date=November 9, 2021 }} for both DVD and Blu-ray and is available for digital purchase on various streaming platforms.

"Ground Control to Sara Lance" was met with generally positive reviews from critics. The episode reveal of Gary Green as an alien raised questions from viewers of the show, however most simply accepted it.{{Cite web |last=Milner |first=Sarah Bea |date=2021-05-04 |title=Legends of Tomorrow: How Gary Green Kept His Secret (Why It's Not A Plot Hole) |url=https://screenrant.com/legends-tomorrow-gary-green-alien-plot-hole-explained/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=ScreenRant |language=en}} Allison Shoemaker of The A.V. Club said while the episode had flaws there was more good than bad, giving it a rating of B. Shoemaker praised the casting choices of the episode saying that Thomas Nicholson "nailed it" with his portrayal of David Bowie, and that Lisseth Chavez was a "natural fit" for the show. However, she felt that Chavez's character, Spooner Cruz, was inconsistent and changed from "scene to scene". Overall Shoemaker felt generally pleased with the episode as a start for the sixth season.{{Cite web |last=Shoemaker |first=Allison |date=May 3, 2021 |title=Legends Of Tomorrow kickstarts a new season |url=https://www.avclub.com/sara-s-sitting-in-a-tin-can-as-the-legends-of-tomorrow-1846808858 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614175819/avclub.com/sara-s-sitting-in-a-tin-can-as-the-legends-of-tomorrow-1846808858 |archive-date=June 14, 2021 |access-date=May 1, 2023 |website=The A.V. Club}}

Jesse Schedeen of IGN rated the episode a 7/10 attributing the success of the episode to the cast and not the plot. Scheeden raised concern with the fact that only two of the original 9 Legends were still on the team, Caity Lotz's Sara Lance and Dominic Purcell's Mick Rory, and noted that Purcell would likely be leaving soon.{{efn|Amy Pemberton's Gideon was not considered a Legend until season seven despite being on the show since the first season.|group=lower-alpha}} Scheeden felt that this concern would be proven false considering that the show had done a good job integrating new characters, citing Matt Ryan's John Constantine.{{Cite web |last=Schedeen |first=Jesse |date=May 3, 2021 |title=DC's Legends of Tomorrow: Season 6 Premiere - "Ground Control to Sara Lance" Review |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-season-6-premiere-ground-control-to-sara-lance-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503130219/https://www.ign.com/articles/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-season-6-premiere-ground-control-to-sara-lance-review |archive-date=May 3, 2021 |access-date=May 3, 2023 |website=IGN}}

Writing for Game Rant, Bruno Savil de Jong gave the episode 3.5 out of 5 stars, and described it as a good beginning to the series' sixth season.{{Cite web |last=Jong |first=Bruno Savil de |date=2021-05-03 |title=Legends Of Tomorrow: 'Ground Control To Sara Lance' Review |url=https://gamerant.com/legends-tomorrow-ground-control-sara-lance-review/ |access-date=2023-05-06 |website=Game Rant |language=en}}

Jim Dandeneau of Den of Geek said that the episode was a 8/10 episode of Legends, stating that if it was another show it would be a 9.5/10. Dandeneau called the show "comic book-y", but said that it was disrespectful to comics in a fun way. He felt that the introduction was similar to Bronze Age comics in the way where it re-introduces all of the characters. Scheeden's only complaint was the retconning of Gary as an alien.

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• {{IMDb episode|11568530}}

{{Legends of Tomorrow}}

Category:2021 American television episodes

Category:Legends of Tomorrow episodes

Category:Television episodes directed by Kevin Mock

Category:Television episodes set in the 1970s

Category:Television episodes set in London

Category:Fiction set in 1977

Category:Cultural depictions of David Bowie

Category:Cultural depictions of Spartacus

Category:2021 LGBTQ-related television episodes