The Arrow actor and director discusses how Legends star Nick Zano helped elevate the episode’s emotional climax.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Sunday’s episode ofLegends of Tomorrow, “Stressed Western.”
Despite facing several obstacles and dealing with heightened emotions,David Ramseyhad a blast visitingDC’s Legends of Tomorrow.
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you could do whatever you want!'"
the actor and director tells EW.
But it’s the characters.
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I think that’s what makes it so rich."
Below, Ramsey who alsoguest-starred as Bass Reeves breaks down the intricate episode.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:Legendsis unlike the other Arrowverse shows.
What jumped out at you when you read this script for the first time?
Did you go back and watch Coen Brothers movies to inspire your approach to the episode?
I’m always a Coen Brothers fan.
How could you not be?
I mean, you do that.
That’s no small secret.
That’s what directors do.
Which shots in “Stressed Western” did you borrow from them?
That’s very Coen Brothers.
We kind of see the heavy behind her through the hole in her head.
And then we kind of snap-zoom it back to her, obviously a Coen Brothers shot.
The episode was very, very stylized.
How much research on the show did you do?
I wasn’t on top ofLegendsas much as I could have been during myArrowtime.
So to keep up with all of them was nearly impossible.
But when I got the assignment to direct, I went back and watched them all.
And I think I even said in another interview, I just never realized how much funLegendswas.
And it really took another step even as shooting it.
It’s really super-irreverent, and you might do whatever you want.
Nick told me that you had to overcome several obstacles while directing.
What made this episode so challenging?
We shot in a place called Jamestown, right outside Vancouver, in the middle of January.
Now shooting in Vancouver in the middle of January is enough just by itself.
This is kind of our resident Old West exterior space that productions use in Vancouver.
It was snowing and raining a mix of sleet, snow.
We had horses, we had carriages, we had actors and extras.
This was also, clearly, during COVID I mean, COVID is still going on.
So the protocols were very much intact.
This was the first episode back where we had a background of more than 10 people or 15 people.
So there’s a big dance number, a hoedown [inside].
It has to be sensitive to that.
So I was handed that task.
So I think between the two things, just as an episodic director, it was a bit challenging.
The episode climaxes with Nate letting out all his pent-up emotions and frustrations.
What conversations did you have with Nick about that scene?
I think it was really Nick’s moment to just kind of shine.
So the conversation was just, “You’ve earned this.”
And he’s, as Sara was gone, was kind of the de facto leader in some respects.
He kind of held it together.
He’s always the guy who knows exactly what the mission is about.
And so I was just like, “Hey, embrace this, take the stage.
Just own it.”
Nick’s totally tuned in.
He totally gets it.
But it was very, very simple.
What ideas did the cast pitch you?
I had something completely different.
All that was Nick.
So it really changed it.
And when I found out that, “Wait, we can make the pictures fall.
Legends of Tomorrowairs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the CW.
