One of the more bittersweet developments in Legends of Tomorrow Season 5 is the impending departure of longtime characters Ray Palmer and Nora Darhk, a move that will bring both of the time-traveling heroes tenure on the Waverider to an end.
According to showrunners Phil Klemmer and Keto Shimizu, the characters in-story departures will reflect the two forming a loving romantic relationship, setting out to build a new life together.
"We've always imagined that time on the Waverider was meant to be finite, you know? It was always meant to be halfway home and not a permanent home and that once you've repaired whatever damage you had when you boarded the ship that you probably should make room for another damaged soul," observed Klemmer in an interview with Game Spot. "It's like real life, as well. You know, you have your single friends but when you get into relationships--sorry to break the news to all the people in young relationships who think that life is never gonna change, but it does. There's no way of going through a threshold in life and carrying everything that you had before. You have to forfeit something. And that's the pain and beauty of life."
Ray had been a member of the original team, recruited by Rip Hunter at the start of the season. Nora was introduced as the evil daughter of Damien Darhk before redeeming herself against the sinister Malus and becoming a heroic Legend.
"People come together for a time when they need each other, and then when they don't need each other anymore, they kind of grow apart," explained Shimizu. "That is definitely the story we're trying to tell with Ray and Nora. And we think it's the way that we build up to their departure. I think it's very loving. It comes from our love of these characters. And it comes from us wanting that story to come to the most satisfying close that we can, both for us as writers, for the actors, and for we hope the audience."
Airing Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW, DC's Legends of Tomorrow stars Caity Lotz, Dominic Purcell, Brandon Routh, Nick Zano, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Tala Ashe, Matt Ryan, Jes Macallan and Courtney Ford.