Part 1 The Flash
Part 2 Arrow
Part 3 Supergirl
Previously at the end of Supergirl, we got a teaser about what was to come in the upcoming crossover. The Monitor takes a book (book of destiny) bestowing it upon a Doctor on Earth-One after all the heroes, except The Flash, are defeated on Earth 90. Yes, there does appear to be a lot more Earth's out there. Infinite Earths it would seem and the Monitor keeps the balance. So you may be wondering why he gives the Book of Destiny to someone who clearly isn’t of sound mind. It would appear it is to test our Hero's for what is to come. We have some Freaky Friday/ Quantum leap .. well whatever the hell they called it body swap with Barry and Oliver which causes great confusion but does give these two a better understanding of the other. They soon realise they need some help. On Earth 38 Barry and Oliver show up for Kara's help but she is visiting her cousin Clark and Lois Lane, two for one as both the Super's agree to help. As usual, once they realise who is who the rest of the gang lend a hand. We travel to Earth 1 Gotham, as where else would a mad Psychiatrist hang out, where it would seem Batman has disappeared and the fort is being held down by Batwoman. Leave it to the ladies not to bail in a crisis. Chaos ensues and it's not long before she wants our Hero's out her city.
Before they put things back to how they should be their worlds are turned upside down again leaving them the final test but at what cost.
As always I asked my fellow Spoiler Tv writers and Cw show reviewers to participate in a roundtable review and share their thoughts. Many thanks to all who participated.
1.How did each part reflect their own shows, or do you feel it flowed just like a movie and forgot each was an episode of the series? How did each lead fair?
Zandarl While some cast members appeared in several parts the flash cast all appeared in Part 1 Arrow part 2 and Supergirl in part 3. The main criticism for me with the crossover is Supergirl is the heavy hitter and seems to be sidelined far too much even in her own episode.
The Flash had the more comedic side, Arrow forcing the Felicity drama wasn’t necessary and Supergirl, apart from a great scene between her and earth one Alex, was barely seen in her own episode. I would have liked to see more of her and Batwoman together too.
Prpleight For the first time the crossover really played as one story. I don’t remember last year’s crossover all that clearly right now, but I wasn’t as satisfied with the overall story as I was when Elseworlds ended. As we landed in each show I felt that the regulars were served pretty well..until we got to Supergirl.
In terms of the Elseworlds story, the episode was what it needed to be and I really enjoyed it, but in terms of reflecting Supergirl, it felt like Jimmy, Hank and Brainiac took too much of a back seat to a character that’s only appeared in 5 episodes. But as an Elseworlds climactic episode, I thought it was awesome.
LM I wouldn't say that it flowed like a movie - I had a lot of issues with the plot. Mostly, I think the same tone was carried throughout, but The Flash episode seemed the most light-hearted which was a reflection of its general tone. Mostly, it was the inclusion of the other characters from the particular show that reflected that show - except that Cisco was in all three - and Felicity only in Arrow.
Sam D I think parts one and two reflected their own shows for the most part. Part one, The Flash’s episode, had a lot of Team Flash dealing with the villain of the week with Barry and Oliver switching lives sprinkled in there. Then Arrow’s episode did sort of the same thing, with Team Arrow and Team Flash members holding up their end while Oliver, Barry, and Kara did their thing in Gotham. But strangely, in part three, we had hardly any of Supergirl’s typical elements and characters. While Barry and Oliver held their episodes fine, Kara didn’t get the chance to lead hers. It was all about Barry, Oliver, and Superman. The final part felt more like a movie, but as three parts put together, it didn’t feel like a cohesive narrative. It felt like another episode of Barry and Oliver having adventures together with other characters coming in and out, and then shoehorning in focuses on Superman and Batwoman here and there, giving them their own arcs which didn’t feel earned or warranted for a crossover that’s supposed to be about Barry, Oliver, and Kara.
PC So here’s where I’ll say that, while I at one point or another watched all three of these shows, I’m not watching any of them regularly right now. Not for any particular reason like a story or ‘ship direction I didn’t like, mostly because I fell behind and/or fell away. But I’ve been curious and excited about this year’s crossover from the jump because I have been a big fan of the Kate Kane Batwoman since she was introduced in the comics (more on her in a bit). That said, for me, this felt more like a movie split into three parts, with a consistent tone to its story versus separate vibes (heh) per show. And actually, the more series-centric subplots – the annoying new Wells on “The Flash,” Oliver and Felicity’s relationship angst on “Arrow,” etc. – were the least interesting aspects of the crossover for me, probably because I haven’t been living in those stories. As for the three leads, I thought they did a good job playing off each other and stepping up when they got their moment to shine.
NaomiAnna It felt like each show reflected its own really well and in even more polished form. The Flash was super funny- Stephen Amell was laugh out loud funny as Barry. Arrow was gritty and dark with Grant Gustin kicking major ass as Oliver Queen. Not to mention looking really hot and convincing taking on the role- and he has never been sexy to me- kinda cute like a button, but not sexy. Supergirl was all about heart and the Danvers’ sisters.
I felt like the lead guys were given the meatiest parts to play. Oliver and Barry got the fun switching-even Superman and Cisco got to play evil versions of themselves, but Kara was just sweet ole Kara through and through. Sigh….
BW The Flash felt the most like its own episode. This could have just been because it started the crossover, but I felt it was just a normal episode with some awesome guest stars. I think about how these episodes will translate when someone may binge watch them down the line whenever I watch these. This episode of the Flash would feel the least confusing to someone who did not know the Arrowverse did crossovers that may binge it in say 10 years.
EC For the most part, the crossover did feel just like a movie. It wasn't the smoothest movie, but I watched it without being caught up on a single Arrowverse show and was never confused. Kara, to me, was definitely an afterthought. I didn't feel that we learned anything new about her or saw her connection with any other character grow. She doesn't fit into this world...she's literally not part of it. While she certainly had a nice scene or two here and there bonding with Kate or Earth-1 Alex, she was largely forgettable. The coming Crisis could change that in a big way, but is it too late or is it even possible to make her mesh with the rest of the Arrowverse? We won't know until they try. Overall, the whole crossover was much more The Flash in tone and atmosphere than anything else.
MI I felt like each episode managed to maintain the vibe of their respective show, while simultaneously keeping the plot moving as one cohesive story. The Flash opened our crossover on a light-hearted and funny note, and then Arrow took things more dark and broody and Supergirl wrapped things up again on a complicated, but positive note.
DJ It did not flow like a movie, it was choppy and disjointed at parts. Per usual the Flash and Arrow episodes reflected their respective shows adequately, however as feared, in the Supergirl episode, Supergirl/Kara was pushed aside to feature Superman and then didn’t even get the closing scene in her own episode! As far as how each lead fared, again typically Barry and Oliver got the bulk of the screen time and Supergirl was pushed into the background or totally aside. She was not really needed in the crossover other than to serve as a babysitter for the squabbling Bickerson twins, Barry and Oliver and to introduce them to the third member of this crossover’s all-boys club – Superman.
EH I thought the whole thing flowed very well from episode to episode so it felt like a long movie - which I liked since I don’t regularly watch Supergirl but I watch Arrow and The Flash. It did feel like Oliver (with Barry’s team) were the stars overall for the 3-night event, but that makes sense considering Oliver is kind of the “boss” in general for all DC things, and Arrow started the entire CW DC universe.
Zandarl To be honest, it does come across a bit like a boy club, while I love the different dynamic between Barry and Oliver. The always seem to be the prime focus of these crossover events.
Prpleight Supergirl has and always will suffer from being in a different universe. My biggest issue, especially in the first crossover, was that Supergirl’s presence in the story has always felt like an afterthought. Here, I thought they way they wrote Supergirl in was completely organic to the story.
LM The crossover was completely dominated by the bromance. This didn't bother me as I only watch and review Arrow, so getting more Stephen Amell was fine with me. In fact, I very much enjoyed how much fun Amell was having getting to play Barry Allen - it was nice to get to see him do something else for a change! If I was a Supergirl fan, I can imagine being pretty disappointed, but I still think that they did a better job of including her than they have in the past.
Sam D There was definitely too much focus on Oliver and Barry this time around. Supergirl in the first crossover and this one felt like an afterthought, a side character Barry and Oliver go to when they need help. Part two had a good amount of the three of them together and showing their relationships to each other, but part one and part three completely dropped the ball on that. The second annual crossover was the best, in my opinion, because it really incorporated everyone equally, and it was a threat against all of them instead of just Barry and Oliver. But this one, because it’s like Guggenheim and the writers were so enamoured and obsessed with switching Barry and Oliver and seeing how they work as each other both ability-wise and personality-wise, everything and everyone else got dropped. Then with the addition of Superman and Batwoman, that just took away from our other important characters even more. Barry and Oliver’s relationship is important, but I wish Kara was more included in the conversations about their personal lives and struggles. She’s just there as extra firepower, which is disappointing. Then the supporting characters also don’t get their due, they are also just there to be either plot devices and help solve the problem, or the whole “Look at me and how I’ve been affected by the plot, isn’t it so interesting to see me with this completely different personality?” instead of them getting any meaningful moments or focus. The only exception to that is Alex, but that was only in part three, and it was with an Alex we don’t know and will probably never see again.
PC I guess I get where that criticism is coming from. As a function of the “body swap” story, Kara isn’t as directly affected as Oliver and Barry are. But do I think it hurt the crossover? Not really. The bromance beats with Oliver and Barry felt earned (my favorite being their talk after their Scarecrow gas-induced fights with the other’s arch-nemesis) and Kara got some great bonding moments with Clark, Kate Kane, and the alternate Alex. Also, one of my favorite small moments was a friendship beat with Barry and Kara – them breathlessly bumping fists after racing around the world to slow down time.
NaomiAnna I don’t feel like the bromance hurt the crossover but it’s kind of understood that Oliver feels he’s dark and Barry is light blah, blah, blah; They need a new angle for this friendship. I think they tried to lay the groundwork for a budding friendship between Kara and Kate Kane, so we’ll see if they can do it justice. Not sure if the Arrowverse can. However, I do think the opportunity to think outside of the box a bit was missed with Iris and Lois. At the very least (in the near future) we should get Kara telling Iris about her cousin marrying a fiery, dogged, and accomplished reporter that she can introduce her to.
BW This seems to be quite the hot-button issue in the fandom and I am on the side that never minds significant Barry and Oliver time. Their dynamic is one of the things that makes me come back to these crossovers every year. Whether it is grumpy Oliver trying to get Barry to pay attention, or Barry subtly telling his Star City friend that maybe some positivity wouldn’t hurt, I love it and I am here for it. This crossover was a treat in that regard because they walked in each other’s shoes and saw one another in a different light, which adds another layer onto their friendship.
EC Barry and Oliver were front and centre for most of this crossover. It was so enjoyable to watch them experience each other's lives, argue, and hash things out. Their bromance is the foundation for this shared universe, and I can't complain about the delightful results.
MI I have today, the Bromance was strong in this crossover. As a fan from the beginning of time, it’s nice to see Oliver get vulnerable with Barry and grow from their relationship. I thought it was really interesting to watch their relationship and view of one another change throughout the crossover. Unlike in years past, Kara is brought into the fold early on BUT the entire plot brings Barry and Oliver together. I honestly don’t think it hurt the crossover event, but moving forward there needs to be a better way of incorporating Supergirl into the plot. I know is hard because they are on different Earth's and Star City/Central City don’t typically deal with alien species…
DJ Yes, I do feel this has hurt the crossover. Barry and Oliver are good friends and have a good working relationship, they do NOT need to keep telling the same story in each crossover. In all fairness, there needs to be an all-female hero, kick-ass character crossover with Batwoman, Supergirl, Alex, Sara Lance, Ava, Zari and Killer Frost for balanced representation. Does anyone have Ali Adler’s phone number?
EH I hadn’t heard this criticism and I like the Barry/Oliver friendship - I thought the chemistry was great and was the main reason I watched. Watching them flip personalities is something that as a fan I’ve wanted to see for a while - especially Oliver being allowed to smile or even crack a joke. That being said, it did feel odd that Supergirl wasn’t included in the life-swap shenanigans, but it makes sense given that she had her own storyline going with Superman. Maybe next year the crossover will be more Supergirl-focused for a change of pace.
3. There were some great guest appearances, the original Flash, Superman and Lois Lane as well as the introduction of Batwoman, who was your favourite and why?
Zandarl Personally, it was Lois and Clark and on the Kent farm from Smallville, which I adored we even got the theme tune. It was nice to see John Wesley Shipp as Barry Allen from Earth 90 but he was terribly underused. Also, the big introduction of Batwoman was more like blink and you’ll miss it.
Prpleight Superman and Lois Lane. Since Superman was cast I’ve been a little disappointed that we haven’t seen him that much. I loved watching them together. They were just fun.
LM My favorite guest appearance? Always John Barrowman!
Sam D I liked all of them, but as a 1990s Flash fan, I have to say that was my favorite cameo. It was so awesome to see John Wesley Shipp but that suit back on and be Barry Allen again.
PC Because I’m going to talk about Batwoman a little later, I’ll skip her here. And I’m going to cheat further by saying my favorite appearance was Superman and Lois Lane as a pair. Tyler Hoechlin and Bitsie Tulloch really embodied what’s great about their characters separately – his aw-shucks-ness, her tenacity – and as a couple – impressive given it was their first time working together - without feeling caricaturish. And I like that this Lois and Clark felt modern, not locked in time like some versions have. I was so surprised when they revealed Lois got pregnant during frisky vacation sex, and that it happened before he proposed to her!
NaomiAnna Superman was my hands down favorite! Something about that black Superman suit and glyph!!
BW Superman took the cake for me in the guest star department. Tyler plays him with such a positive vibe and there is just something special when Superman is around. Whether he is a support for Kara or garnering some very hilarious reactions from her peers, I just love when he shows up. This time we got a glimpse of more of his world with Lois and of course, and a little wink-wink-nudge-nudge to Smallville!
EC How much did I love Lois and Clark?! To the moon and back and then around the Earth in opposite directions simultaneously so I could slow down time and enjoy them longer. I expected to like Bitsie Tulloch in the role well enough for a short cameo. But she was immediately the most charming, most fascinating new character we've met in a long time. I instantly believed in her and Tyler Hoechlin's chemistry and that there was this long, epic story of them that had come before. She was so dynamic that most other characters on all the Arrowverse shows now pale in comparison. Gosh, I love her so much. Even her shoutouts about wage discrepancy and journalism felt organic, in stark contrast to how Supergirl often fingerpaints such things. Just amazing work by Bitsie and great writing for her character. Tyler Hoechlin was great too, and I really liked Chyler Leigh's Earth-1 Alex too.
MI Am I allowed to say the Smallville theme song - and set? I’ve probably seen every episode of Smallville five times (if not more), and hearing the “Somebody saaaaave me” was an unexpected - and totally happy - surprise. It was a nice callback to the series that paved the way for Arrow and the rest to grace our screens today.
DJ There were some great guest appearances, some totally underused ones and some badly cast ones and some that were totally useless to the story. It was a joy to see John Wesley Shipp in his 90’s Flash costume but a shame that he was used so little. I love Tyler Hoechlin as Superman and he did a good job both as Superman and Evil Superman, however, I feel he was overused and overshadowed Supergirl. In regard to Lois Lane, I think the usually excellent CW casting agency misfired this time. Bitsy Tulloch is a wonderful actress, but she is no Lois Lane. I got absolutely no sense of the iconic character from her and saw very little chemistry between her and Hoechlin. If they were making specific choices for her to emulate previous Lois Lanes, I think they chose the wrong incarnation. And Mechad Brooks as Superman’s Worst Friend served absolutely no purpose and his character did nothing to further the story. Where CW’s casting agency did succeed was casting Ruby Rose as Batwoman, she captured her character perfectly and had wonderful chemistry in her scenes with Melissa Benoist.
EH I liked Superman - I think he did a great job and it was fun to see Kara interacting with her “more famous” cousin. Honestly, I didn’t love Lois Lane and thought the pregnancy/engagement was completely random and shoehorned in for some odd “crossover has to have an engagement” reason.
4. Ruby Rose was not the most popular choice for Batwoman, how do you think the character came across would you be interested in a series?
Zandarl I would like to see where they could take this character not enough was seen onscreen to form an opinion one way or another. Gotham being in crisis certainly gives plenty of material for a series so will see.
Prpleight I was pleasantly surprised by her performance. I did not like her performance in the latest XXS movie…and I have a tendency to have a negative reactor to performers whose hype has begun to annoy me. I’ll check out the new show. I was pleasantly surprised by her performance. I did not like her performance in the latest XXS movie…and I have a tendency to have a negative reactor to performers whose hype has begun to annoy me. I’ll check out the new show.
LM I was not overly impressed by Ruby Rose's performance, but I did like the introduction of Batwoman and thought she had good chemistry with Supergirl. Stunts don't really matter because we know with all that costuming, it's not really her anyway. I had no feelings about the casting one way or the other beforehand. I doubt that I would be interested in watching this as a series - but I could see it being popular.
Sam D I liked her more than I thought I would. I think she was great as Kate Kane but struggled more as Batwoman. She came off a little too stiff in the suit, but that’s probably because she hasn’t played her long enough to be comfortable with the character and doesn’t know her well enough yet or how she should play her. I love superhero shows in general and I’ll watch any, so I’d be down for a Batwoman show no matter what. And since we’re losing Gotham the TV show next year, I could definitely use a replacement. When it comes on, I’ll check it out, and if it holds up as well as the other CW shows it could be a hit.
PC I don’t think Ruby Rose is the greatest actress in the world, but she got kinda a stupid amount of flak when the announcement was made, in my opinion. Anyway, my first thought when she was cast was that she has an on-screen swagger that would work well for Kate, and that came through in her performance in the crossover, both in her civvies and in the Batwoman costume. And the scene where she first went to put on the suit (and trivia tidbit from the comics – I liked that she stores it in some kind of hollowed-out tree stump because her headquarters in the comics was (and might be again, you never known with comics) a building with a tree growing through it) put the biggest smile on my face. The costume looked great, very accurate to the comics, though they might have to make some adjustments to allow for more/better fight choreography. And yeah, I would definitely be here for a Batwoman series. There’s a lot of interesting backstories they could pull from the comics (particularly with her dad and her sister) and I was intrigued by the little tidbits about this world’s Gotham we got (i.e. the super-rich having armoured security guards taking them around, even during the day).
NaomiAnna The Batwoman/Kate Kane character wasn’t bad- (Didn’t love the wig- but then again CW shows aren’t known for their wig choices, are they?) I think I need to see a little more of her before I make a judgement about a series; I’d love to see her make appearances in Arrow for now though.
BW Honestly, I was not impressed and I was in the minority when she was cast and thought it was a decent choice. There was something very stiff in her delivery and her interactions with the other cast members didn’t make me want Batwoman or Kate to enter the Arrowverse fold. I will say that her fight scenes were good. Even if Ruby Rose’s character had knocked my socks off, I still would be against a Batwoman series because quite simply, enough is enough with the superhero shows on The CW.
EC It felt like there was almost no Batwoman in this crossover. I don't know if that was a reaction to the casting backlash or if all the Batwoman hype was to throw people off the scent of it being a Crisis setup....but I don't think there was enough of Kate Kane to make me excited for a spinoff. Especially with the heavy, heavy focus on "What happened to Bruce Wayne?" which would basically undermine Kate's entire story. There were for sure flickers of something interesting, but there was so little Kate or Batwoman that there's almost nothing to evaluate.
MI I thought she did a solid job. I didn’t have strong feelings either way when the casting news broke this summer, but I liked her character well enough. I thought Kate/Batwoman's dynamic with Kara/Supergirl was fun to watch (I got early Lena-Kara feels, anyone else?). I’m curious about her backstory - whatever did happen to Batman and how is she going to clean up the Gotham City we saw?? I’d definitely tune in to see where the writers want to go.
DJ I loved this character and would most definitely watch a series with her in it. This was my first time seeing anything Rose has done and thought she did a great job. Her first appearance had bad-ass written all over her. As mentioned in a previous question her scenes with Melissa Benoist as Kara and then later Supergirl were some of the best in the crossover. But, like John Wesley Shipp as the Flash, she was woefully underused.
EH I thought Batwoman was a cool addition to the CW DC library. Much like Arrow is serious and dark and Flash is fun and light, a Batwoman show would be a good dark show to pair with the lighter Supergirl.
5. On the whole, what were your thoughts on the crossover and the set up for next year with the Crisis on Infinite Earths? Marks out of 10
Zandarl Two main beefs this time around the Super’s were less than Super, given the fact Dr John Deegan had just been made newly Super he really shouldn’t have defeated Superman as easily. No, it took the human to defeat him!
The sidelining of Supergirl I said it earlier, she is the strongest, even Superman has left his earth in her hands yet she gets knocked down each week. Let her be the girl of steel and the lead of her own series. Another minor irritation was making Alex straight I heard the internet exploded with the sneak peek, thankfully it seemed it was her not being true to herself and not some reality wipe.
I did like the comment Kara made to Deegan about not taking on her superego. Unfortunately, this made a large focus on Superman rather than Supergirl in part 3 leaving fans annoyed.
The set up for the next crossover was nicely done and think they sidestepped the fact the Barry and Kara die with whatever deal Oliver struck but could it mean the end for the Green Arrow.
While it was entertaining, I found it lacking in some areas so 7 out of 10.
Prpleight For once it felt like a single story outline was written for the story. Or, I could easily believe that one person wrote all three scripts with an editing pass by the show specific writers. Elseworlds was my favorite of the crossover stories.
I am tickled pink that Crisis on Infinite Earths is going to happen. I think I still have the original issues.
9 out of 10
LM 7/10
I was more entertained than I thought that I would be. I really loved Amell as the Flash and the glee he took in the entire crossover. Making Barry go dark and brooding in order to channel Oliver felt like two seasons ago Oliver. Having a throwaway couple of lines to the trouble between Oliver and Felicity felt off. Not enough to satisfy Arrow viewers and out of place generally.
Carlos Valdes gets the best actor prize from me. He was terrific in all three, but really put on a completely different character for the Supergirl episode.
I thought that jamming the introduction of Batwoman into the Arrow episode just meant less of the Arrow characters for the crossover - which was disappointing. I get that they wanted to expose as many fans as possible to this new character, but it left me wanting some Rene and Laurel - never Dinah. An episode without Dinah will always be a win in my book...
The episode was a good set up to Crisis on Infinite Earths, but people should read the comics before they get too excited about this crossover. Lots of people will die if they are committed to following the comic storyline.
Sam D I’d give this crossover a 6/10. Out of the three we’ve had, this was my least favorite. But the one thing I loved about this crossover that we didn’t get in the other crossovers was the major superhero team up with The Flash, Green Arrow, Superman, and Supergirl. Those action sequences were awesome to watch, especially the first one against A.M.A.Z.O. But outside of that, the story and the structure of it as a whole weren’t great. Too much focus on Barry as Oliver and Oliver as Barry, their personal relationships, and not enough Supergirl. Superman’s and Batwoman’s stories also just didn’t mesh in well with the narrative. This honestly felt more like backdoor pilots to possible Superman and Batwoman shows more than a true crossover story. But with those introductions out of the way, I’m excited for Crisis on Infinite Earths. Hopefully, the focus will be much more on each of the characters, equally, and not just a lot of flashy easter eggs, fanservice, or showing off new characters.
PC I’d probably give it a 7 out of 10. “Bodyswap” stories as a trope aren’t my favorite. It might have also benefited from having another hour to let it breathe – they crammed a lot in, and it would have been fun to have seen Oliver and Barry spend more time in each other’s lives, trying to keep up the charade before they came together. And while I like Jeremy Davies, Deegan was kind of a weak Big Bad with a murky motivation. But there were a lot of little moments and winks that made the crossover super (heh) fun to watch. The “Smallville” theme song blaring on the soundtrack when they first cut to the Kent farm. Oliver puffing out his chest when he meets Clark. The nerdier members of the supporting casts debating whether the situation is more “Quantum Leap” than “Freaky Friday.” The trio getting arrested at the corner of Nolan and Burton. Batwoman and Supergirl’s “World’s Finest” conversation. Mitch Leery Flash thinking Diggle was John Stewart, a.k.a. Green Lantern. And the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” set-up was interesting – I liked LaMonica Garrett as the Monitor and mentioning and then changing Kara and Barry’s fates, given their deaths are such a big part of the comic storyline, was an interesting tease/twist. So yeah, 7 out of 10.
NaomiAnna Overall, I thought the crossover was okay. It was entertaining. I loved some parts- Stephen Amell as Flash, evil Superman, The Monitor, and other things. But some stuff was just meh: Oliver continuing to fight his darkness- yawn, Iris not being at STAR Labs when Barry came home- ridic. I am super psyched for Crisis though! The angst, the imminent battles, deaths, the tease of John Diggle as Green Lantern- I’m so in! 7/10
BW This crossover earned a solid 6/10 from me. It hit all the required beats that you may want and had plenty of fun Easter Eggs. The set up for next year was certainly interesting but I have learned to temper my excitement when it comes to these.
EC I would give this crossover 8 out 10. I loved most of the character-centric scenes. Amell and Gustin and Tulloch's performances were top notch. Barry's interactions with Iris were also great. The story itself had some inconsistencies though, and I'm not terribly interested in finding out what Oliver promised/sacrificed/bargained to save Barry and Kara. But it's a curious question mark. I'm not convinced that these shows can take their universe to the next level. Supergirl is up to here with aliens. The Flash is up to here with metas. And Arrow exists in a weird crime-heavy scene but with a wee bit of magic and metahumans. If worlds do collide, will it stick? Or will it just be a one-off with no real impact? Will there be a truly epic final, permanent awful death? Will the Crisis match up to the one so promisingly teased over and over again in the newspaper article? I feel that to make that Crisis count more work needs to be done to build bonds among the characters on different shows. Right now, though, it's still basically just Kara's friendship with Barry and Barry's friendship with Oliver holding everything together.
Another issue, Kara seems to basically be the exact same person she's always been. Again I"m not caught up on Supergirl, but I feel like season 1 Kara and season 4 Kara are identical. On the other hand, Barry and Oliver and most of the characters on their shows have evolved. The Flash wasting Tom Cavanagh is a whole 'nother debacle.
But overall a really delectable three episodes.
MI I think this crossover holds up a little stronger than last years big event. Perhaps it was because there were only three interconnected series to work with as opposed to the often more-difficult via timeline to incorporate Legends. This year, it didn’t feel as disjointed or independent as last years. I think the transition between episodes was fairly seamless and I liked that we had our lead characters together nearly the entire time. There was a lot going on in every episode and the complexity of each twist kept me focused all three hours. That being said, it was a lot to keep up with and not all of it felt equal among the three leads. My score: 8/10.
DJ Marks- 4 out of 10
Unfortunately, this crossover went just as I feared, Supergirl pushed aside for the Oliver/Barry show. In my opinion, aside from a handful of great moments, Elseworlds was the CW’s weakest, most lacklustre and poorly written crossover. At the risk of repeating a tweet I made about the episodes -Until the powers that be that oversee CW crossovers realize that Supergirl is an important and vital part of the CW DC universe and show her the respect she deserves we will continue to get the kind of crossovers like we just witnessed. It’s time to shatter the glass ceiling of the Crossover Good Ol’ Boys club!
Regarding the set up for next year’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, I think we all know that they cannot follow the canon story in which Supergirl dies but it will be intriguing to see how they do it. However, as long as the same crossover showrunners remain my fears are going to be the same, that although canon crisis has a strong Supergirl influence, these showrunners will somehow find a way to make it about Barry and most likely Oliver making a noble sacrifice.
Among the handful of great moments were the previously mentioned scenes between Kara/Supergirl and Kate Kane/Batwoman. However, the very best scene of the entire three-night crossover and perhaps one of the best scenes of the year, was the short 2-minute scene in Supergirl where a captured Kara tells alt-world Alex about “her” Alex. This was by far THE moment of the crossover. It was beautifully written and superbly acted by Melissa Benoist and Chyler Leigh. What these two can do with a scene is just amazing. In terms of quality and emotional impact, this scene, that reinforced the fact that the Danvers Sisters are the heart and core of Supergirl and essentially this crossover, and proved their bond expands beyond universes, was far superior to anything else the crossover offered.
EH I loved the crossover. Confession: It’s the first time I’ve ever actually watched all 3 episodes without fast forwarding through the plots I didn’t care about/storylines focused on characters I don’t regularly watch. Thought it was a really fun way to get everyone involved and keep viewers watching from week to week. 10/10!
So did you agree or disagree with us?
Was it to bromance based?
Did Batwoman impress you?
Please leave your thoughts in the comments below
