Time Canary

"You are one of the strongest people I have ever met, Sara"

- Rip

Time Canary is the het ship between Rip Hunter and Sara Lance on CW series Legends of Tomorrow.

Canon
SAVAGE MISSION From the moment she's recruited by Rip to join the Legends, Sara has no issue confronting Rip when she thinks he's way off base and does not necessarily parry orders from the Captain. Rip, in turn, admires Sara's abilities and tenacity, often conceding his misgivings to Sara, and is essential to convincing her that she isn't without humanity, keeping Sara's doubts in check and her focused on their shared missions. Not too long into the Legends' journeys, Rip begins training Sara to take over for him as Captain of the Waverider, should anything ever befall him.

WITHOUT RIP After everyone was timedisplaced the Legends were unable to locate Rip – even Gideon could not tell them what had happened and so they carry on Rip's mission, while hoping to find him again. When the Legion of Doom seek out Rip and locate him in the '60s, they find his identity altered and him leading a new life as American film director Phil. The Legends manage to save Phil briefly and bring him aboard the Waverider where Gideon confirms his identity alteration. Sadly, they lose him to the Legion again, and Eobard Thawne reverses his identity: Rip returns, but evil and without any conscience or feelings regarding his erstwhile team.

EVIL RIP Rip shoots Sara in cold blood and while she is dying, with Jax pleading with him not to harm her, snaps her neck. Fortunately Sara is saved by Gideon and she refuses to give up on getting Rip back to his true self. After battling the Legion of Doom, Darhk leaves Rip to die when Rip is injured and Sara brings him back to the Waverider, where he uses an override command to wreak havoc on board. Rip is detained and Mick mentions that they could try Cognitive Intrusion, an abhorrent method used by the Time Masters. Sara volunteers, along with Jax, to enter Rip's subconscious to rescue him and remind him of his true nature.

RETURN OF THE TIMEMASTER

They are successful, with the help of Gideon, and Rip rejoins the Legends, with him and Sara sharing captaincy for a while. Rip tells Sara that she far outdoes him as Captain of the team and cedes his position to her. Rip helps Sara as part of the team in their mission to get the spear but they are thwarted by the Legion of Doom and are sent into Doomsworld, where Rip is separated from his team in a shrunken Waverider. Swiftly, the team is revived and after the destruction of the spear, Sara faces the difficult decision whether to risk time by re-visiting the past they have already been to. Rip supports Sara in her decisions and helps her execute the plan. After they have beat the Legion, Sara catches Rip leaving unannounced and he tells her he needs to figure out where he's supposed to be, now that she's the new Captain. Sara tells him she understands and expresses hope and faith that they'll see each other again.

THE TIME BUREAU Mere moments after Rip departs he reappears having assembled a new timeline control institution to rectify the broken timeline, in what he deems the most efficient manner. He shows the team the Time Bureau's headquarters, then unceremoniously disbands the team for having broken time, although they saved the world. He admits to Sara that he misses being part of their rogue team, but is adamant that he's right. Sara and the rest of the team return to the normal workforce, but six months later Mick finds an anachronism the Bureau hasn't and events lead Sara to repossess the Waverider. Although Rip doesn't feel that the team is efficient enough to run rogue, he also understands why they want to continue as legends. This is further infused by an enemy Rip secretly feels he will need the Legends to destroy, although he doesn't share this with Sara, instead telling her that she needs the Legends, time doesn't need them.

FALLING OUT He later confesses to this when the Legends happen upon Rip in Victorian England, where they suspect vampires are running rampant. Rip admits to Sara that he's missed the team and needs their help with a mission that his own Time Bureau has dismissed. They happen upon Darkh and his grown daughter, Nora, where Sara learns why Rip is actually in London: to allow Damien Darkh to be resurrected so that Rip may have a chance at luring Mallus, an evil being, into revealing himself. Rip's gambit fails miserably, leaving scores of Time Bureau agents dead at the hands of Darkh and his daughter.

"You've gone rogue from every organisation that you've ever been a part of! Because you don't trust anyone. I don't know how I could've ever trusted you"

- Sara to Rip

Rip relays that he's moved apart from the Bureau as they fail to recognise what a threat Mallus is to the world. Sara is furious and hurt that Rip lied to her and, scorned, Sara has contacted the Bureau, and they arrive to bring Rip with them. He warns Sara that she should ready the Legends to fight Mallus. Although angry and feeling betrayed, Sara still seems to believe Rip's word and keeps in mind he may have told the truth. This is proven when later Sara is transported to a nether realm and introduced to Mallus' disembodied voice. When Ava later tells Sara that Rip's been imprisoned by his own bureau, Sara's shocked and seems remorseful and unsure of how to handle the news.

REUNION Ava relays that Rip has escaped his imprisonment and is at large, but the bureau doesn't know where he is until Rip recruits Wally West to retrieve Rip's coat and a time courier. Once Rip and Wally show up on the Waverider, Sara isn't thrilled to see Rip but doesn't make much of his presence and, after saving Ray, they make amends as Rip starts working for the Time Bureau again. Sara, along with Ray and Gary, discovers that Ava is a clone from a future lab of law-enforcers and that Rip knew, but never told Ava. This renews Sara's ire with Rip keeping secrets and hurts her, although Rip doesn't get to explain the extend of Ava's history.

Fanon
Generally people feel the ship has been treated unjustly via the Season 3 altering of Rip Hunter's character from a smart and capable captain, trusted advisor to Sara and family member of the Legends to a renegade outcast, who's increasingly positioned as a scapegoat, damaging the close bond and connection between Rip and Sara. This inconclusive, some might say character assassination is only exacerbated by Rip's death.

Fandom
AO3

FORUMS
 * Time Canary

TUMBLR

Quotes
"I believe in you. You're stronger than you know"

- Rip

Photos

 * Time Canary/Gallery