Supergirl, Batwoman, The Flash - Crisis on Infinite Earths Part 1 - Review Roundtable: The Crisis Begins

This review was written by Aimee Hicks, Donna Cromeans, Ellys Cartin, Lisa Macklem, Naomi, Prpleight, and Zandarl.

Crisis on Infinite Earths unleashed its vast universe destroying story on audiences over three exciting nights. In the following article, we will dissect certain aspects of the episodes and give you our take on the first part of this epic event. After reading, please leave your own thoughts in the comments.

Supergirl: The first hour of Crisis certainly didn’t pull any punches. Deaths and destruction were plentiful throughout the hour. What was the most shocking event and why?

Aimee: I’d say, without question, the most shocking bit was Oliver (Stephen Amell)’s death. I wasn’t shocked that it happened, I think we all knew it was coming, but I was shocked at how soon it happened. I was not expecting them to kill him off in the first hour. Honestly, I really wish they hadn’t, simply because they have dedicated an unnecessary amount of time trying to resurrect him instead of trying to save the universe. With that said, it was shocking, but also a powerful scene when he said his goodbyes. This first hour overall was actually a really strong hour. I loved how they brought all the characters together and it really felt more like a big group effort than some past crossovers.

Donna: I think everyone knew Oliver was going to die in this crossover at some point. While it was unexpected that he dies at the end of the first hour, for me the more devastating and shocking event was Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) having to stand there and watch as Argo was destroyed. In one brief moment she was forced to relive the most traumatic event of her past, watching her homeworld destroyed, only this time she saw first hand there was no hope of anyone surviving. Her mother Alura (Erica Durance), Kal (Tyler Hoechlin), Lois (Bitsie Tulloch), and baby Jonathan were gone, for a time she was truly the last Kryptonian, her last living blood family gone. Benoist played this scene beautifully, tears welling in her eyes, she struggled to comprehend and believe that what she had seen had truly happened. Her shoulders drooped as the weight of events landed upon her. What gave her extra strength to face losing her blood family was the love and support she got from her Earth family or as some call it her space family. Alex (Chyler Leigh), put her hand on her sister’s shoulder, watching her with grave concern, while J’onn J’onzz (David Harewood) couldn’t bear to watch and turned his head away yet reached out to put his hand on her arm. They both knew the impact the event would have on Kara and tried to offer solace in the only way they knew, love.

Ellys: I was shocked that Baby Jonathan survived that trip through a wormhole with zero side effects. Seeing all the heroes gather gave me such a happy buzz, especially Kara and Kate (Ruby Rose) reuniting. The latter revealing her secret identity provided the perfect amount of levity. My favorite arc in this episode, though, was Oliver spending more time with Mia (Katherine McNamara) to officially pass the Green Arrow mantle. Nothing in the episode shocked me, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well everyone was incorporated. Additionally, the concluding action sequence with the group defending the quantum tower was fabulous.

Lisa: Clearly, for me, the most “shocking” death was Oliver’s. I was very unhappy that they killed him off in the first hour of the crossover and not even on his own show! Of course, he isn’t really, really dead yet, but I still felt that his death, alone, seemed rather pointless in the overall Crisis story arc. Yes. He died a hero, saving billions of lives, but I was really hoping to see Oliver have a bigger part to play in stopping the Crisis.

Naomi: The most shocking thing that happened for me was the destruction of Argo. Its destruction rattled Kara, but also made Clark feel extremely guilt-ridden over wanting to have a normal life. Listening to the two of them talk about the duties of a hero and the sacrifices necessary was so heartbreaking.

Prpleight:I didn’t expect them to destroy Supergirl’s Earth. Earth-38. I take that back, the wiping out of everyone aboard the Waverider was the last thing I expected.

Zandarl: Kara having lost so much losing her Mother and Argo in the blink of an eye was shocking. Her speech to Clark showed us she has the inner strength to continue despite all this (no surprise which Paragon she turns out to be in the next episode). However, it does make you wonder. How much more loss she can take? It also left it unclear at the end if any of her loved ones had survived something that wasn’t clarified until the third episode which was a little sloppy in my opinion. It is not surprising in the following episodes all the lose has deep ramifications for Kara.

Batwoman: This hour of the crossover had an overarching theme of right versus wrong. The hour showed our heroes grapple with what is the right thing to do in a myriad of scenarios. Mia, Barry (Grant Gustin), and Sara (Caity Lotz) had to grapple with resurrecting Oliver. Kara grappled with wanting to risk it all to use the Book of Destiny to try to bring back her Earth. Kate was forced to grapple with the fear of becoming evil like her Earth-99 cousin, Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) and what to do if she is eventually forced to use her newly acquired Kryptonite on Kara. They all also grappled with the revelation of the existence of the paragons. Of all these scenarios which do you think will produce the biggest ramification for the overall Arrowverse? What were your thoughts about the way this episode paired off the characters? What were your favorite cameos?

Aimee: Short term I think the biggest ramification will come from Mia, Barry, and Sara trying to resurrect Oliver. They now have a body, but no soul to inhabit it. That’s sure to play into the ending of this event and into the final episodes of Arrow. Long term I think Kate having the Kryptonite that she may one day have to use against Kara could have a major impact even though Kara gave her permission to hang onto it. When it comes time to use it the ramifications could be great especially since Kara and Kate are setup to be the de-facto super friends in the wake of Oliver’s death breaking up the Oliver and Barry dynamic. As for the way this episode paired off the characters, I really liked it. The episode allowed us to see new dynamics along with familiar ones. We got to see Barry and Sara team up with Mia to try to save Oliver. Though I will admit, the amount of time wasted on this endeavor has become annoying, but it is understandable that this group would do everything in their power to try to save him. My favorite of the groups was Kate and Kara. I have liked that friendship since the crossover last year. Rose and Benoist have a very strong dynamic and they just click in a very natural way. I really liked it when Kate defended her friend against her evil Earth-99 cousin Bruce. I look forward to watching that dynamic grow. Regarding cameos, the one I like the most from this hour was the one where they revisited Clark (Tom Welling) and Lois from Smallville. By far, hands down, my favorite cameo for this hour. The follow-up they wrote to this Clark and this Lois was so in-line with the story arc for both characters on their show that it just felt like a very natural progression. Overall, while I liked this hour, and it had some great points, in typical Batwoman fashion the story seemed a little bit disjointed. It might have been the weakest hour so far, but it was still a quality episode and did a lot to advance character arcs.

Donna: I think that the most obvious answer in terms of ramifications would be the existence of the paragons. In this episode, we aren’t shown their full purpose but knew the hope of humanity and the universe would ultimately fall to them. I was not a fan of using the Lazarus pit to resurrect Oliver at all. There had to have been a better way to do that, but I understand why they took this route. Photos had already been leaked showing the final battle with Oliver clearly involved. For that reason and others, it was loudly telegraphed that his “death” was not permanent and to be honest Barry’s sullen almost petulant behavior while grieving Oliver got on my nerves. Kara wanting to do whatever she could to bring her world back by using the Book of Destiny is not that unexpected. Though, it was interesting watching her struggle to try to fix things her superpowers couldn’t directly address. My favorite parts of this episode were Kate and Kara teaming up and meeting future Batman. As a long-time fan of Kevin Conroy, it was only fitting he plays an older, bitter Bruce Wayne. While others worried that Kate would use the Kryptonite she had for nefarious purposes (a nice contrasting parallel to the Supergirl/Lena (Katie McGrath) debate going on in Supergirl), I never wavered in my belief in Kate and even predicted that not only would she tell Supergirl she had it, but that also Supergirl would tell her to hold on to it for safekeeping and would trust Batwoman to know when or if she’d need to use it against her. This came to pass in one of the strongest moments in the third hour of the crossover. The scenario strongly reminded me of an episode of the animated Justice League where it was revealed that Batman had gathered ways to defeat every member of the League in the event they were ever comprised and became a threat. The pairing of Kate and Kara was everything we’d been teased it would be. We had gotten a glimpse of how dynamic the interaction between Batwoman and Supergirl was in last year’s Elseworlds, but, more importantly, the powerful connection between Rose and Benoist. This pairing just proved how strong that connection was, and they were a highlight of the episode. We were finally given a tease of that strong, self-assured Batwoman we’d met in Elseworlds but have struggled to see since her own series began. Although I’d not technically classify it as a cameo it was a thrill to see Brandon Routh don not only blue tights again as Superman, but also the bumbling style and glasses of Clark Kent.

Ellys: My heart grew three sizes when this episode gifted me with the Sara/Mia and Kara/Kate pairings. While resurrecting Oliver carries great significance for the Crisis crossover, I would wager that Kate meeting dark alternate-Earth Bruce Wayne will have the most severe long-term impact. Up to this point on Batwoman, Kate Kane hasn’t truly found her identity beyond trying to stop Alice (Rachel Skarsten)’s plans. The crossover showed us a radically different Kate, one who is more assertive and protective. One hopes that being confronted with this version of her cousin will motivate her to reevaluate her own goals for Gotham and Batwoman's role in those goals.

Lisa: I really enjoyed Caity Lotz in this episode – and the entire Crisis storyline so far. I can’t say that I was a big fan of having the characters pair off and all go running in different directions. That said, I really did enjoy the search for Superman. My favorite cameos for this episode were Tom Welling as Smallville Superman and Erica Durance as Lois and Brandon Routh as Superman AND Ray Palmer.

Naomi: I really enjoyed this episode because there was so much grey area. It was obvious that Bruce had become evil but thinking about how he became that way made his turn less cut and dry for me. He had experienced deep loss and held the belief that a super-being could be dangerous at some point. However wrong he was, there was some merit to his questions. I love how Kate stepped right into his place when faced with her distrust of Kara’s plan for the Book of Destiny. Kate and Kara’s relationship is one that I really want to see flourish even when the crossover ends. I was also digging the pairing of Lois and Iris (Candace Patton) - there must be a way for those two to find a great scoop in the near future. As for cameos - the Waverider voice of Leonard Snart (Wentworth Miller), Smallville’s finest, and the Paragon of Truth, Brandon Routh’s version of Superman. Man, it was great to see him as The Man of Steel. His chemistry with Lois was on fire! Sorry, Tyler!

Prpleight: I’m expecting Supergirl’s quest to restore at least one universe, to be the final chapter of this story, so that’s my pick for the event with the biggest ramification. My favorite pairing from Part 2 has got to be Rory (Dominic Purcell) and baby Jonathan. I knew he was going to be great with that kid. They were adorable to watch, especially since Earth-74 Rory was reading from his failed self-published romance novel. Second favorites were Iris and Lois.

Zandarl: So much was packed into this hour, 7 paragons and which no surprise are some of our heroes. Batwoman being courage and Supergirl being Hope gave us a nice yin and yang pairing. Each proving to be other’s voice of reason. Kate was reminded in seeing Earth-99’s Batman how easy it is to be consumed with hatred while fighting the darkness. Kara, having temptations of her own to use the Book of Destiny to bring back all those who were lost on her Earth regardless of the consequences, had them standing up for their beliefs to each other and each learning a valuable lesson. This episode also had them searching for the Supers giving us some fantastic cameos all of which I was excited to see. My favorite was a double up in characters for Routh bringing back his Superman alter ego. Who was another paragon having lost so much (arguably Kara and he could easily be each paragon)?

The Flash: Crisis has been building on The Flash since Season One. Has the execution of the storyline lived up to your expectations so far? Were you surprised Barry was the Paragon of Love? Speaking of love, West-Allen was shown more love than we've seen in a while. What did you think of these two? What about the "death of The Flash"? Did you see that coming? Should Black Lightning (Cress Williams) appear in the multiverse going forward? There were lots of cameos and Easter egg, which did you love?

Aimee: If I’m being completely honest, I’ve felt the whole Flash aspect of this event was so drawn out into the leadup and the resolution was so obvious that it did actually sort of live up to my expectations which were sort of low. I mean, nobody for a second thought they were going to kill the Flash that currently headlines the heir apparent show to lead the Arrowverse after Arrow officially ends in January. Had they been sneakier and set things up better, maybe, just maybe I would have been more surprised by the Flash they actually killed, but I wasn’t. Don’t get me wrong, just because I saw it coming doesn’t mean the whole “death of The Flash” scene wasn’t beautifully done. I just wasn’t surprised at all that it happened that way which is exactly what I expected going in. The only paragon that surprised me was the fact that Earth-38 Clark wasn’t a paragon. Barry being the Paragon of Love wasn’t in the least bit surprising since he arguably has one of the most stable relationships of any of the heroes headlining Arrowverse shows. And, yes, I know the powerful love that Oliver and Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) share, but they had far more bumps in the road than Barry and Iris. Had Oliver been alive he very well may have given Barry a challenge for that title, but in the light of what happened, Barry was the natural successor to that title. I have never watched a single episode of Black Lightning, but after seeing Jefferson (Cress Williams) in the crossover I’m definitely not opposed to him being a more active part of the Arrowverse. I really liked how Jefferson just naturally fit in with the group. As for my favorite cameo, this episode had three of my favorites, being the Lucifer (Tom Ellis), Huntress (Ashley Scott), and Oracle (Dina Meyer) cameos. The WB’s Birds of Prey to this day remains my favorite comic book show and in my opinion, it ended far too soon. It was simply just a little ahead of its time. It was amazing to see Huntress and hear Oracle again. I’m not really big on all these cancelled shows that have been returning lately, but I think a show like Birds of Prey that really was cut down in its prime and would do well in this time should be considered for a revival. I acknowledge that with the movie franchise being launched that’s highly unlikely, but that’s not to say that after the Crisis reset that they can’t incorporate them into a show like Batwoman for the occasional team-up. And as for Lucifer, I mean, that was perfect. It also got me really wanting to see Matt Ryan as Constantine show up on the final season of Lucifer to further explain what he did to help Maze (Lesley-Ann Brandt). Overall, this episode of the crossover was my favorite by far.

Donna: As far as the execution of the storyline involving the death/disappearance of The Flash, except for the gut-wrenching sacrifice of Earth 90’s Flash (John Wesley Shipp), which I had also predicted, and a throwback to the original Flash series with a clip that made me gasp out loud, I’ve found this part to be the weakest part of the crossover. In all honesty, this season of The Flash for me has been its weakest and I’m growing to dislike Barry’s poor me attitude. I’ve not watched Black Lightning, so I have no strong feelings one way or the other, however, based on what I’ve seen I’d say keep him in the Arrowverse. One quibble, I found his throwaway line about all the stories about Superman being true as if he’d not believed in Superman before when I want to remember about it being reported that Supergirl was referenced in an earlier episode or season of the show? Overall, the third hour was the strongest thus far in the crossover and yes, I called J’onn J’onzz/Martian Manhunter (David Harewood) being a Paragon. Kudos to the writers for taking the risks they took in destroying the universe and for also accomplishing something the writers of the Batwoman series haven’t been able to do all season and that’s find that strong, self-assured and assertive Batwoman that we met last year in Elseworlds, by having her face-off with Supergirl over the use of the Book of Destiny. Much like Supergirl’s sister, Alex, Kate was the voice of reason, using her head while Supergirl was thinking with her heart. That image of the two of them facing off over the book was iconic and one of my favorite moments from the episode. I have to say the cameos with Scott and Meyer from Birds of Prey were my favorite. I was such a fan of the show and wish there were some way to bring it back or perhaps introduce the characters into Batwoman as occasional guests. To be honest, yes, I was surprised that Barry was named the Paragon of Love. Oh, I knew they were going to name him one of the Paragons, I just didn’t expect it to be the Paragon of Love. And as much as I love the song Running Back to You, they beat it to death in this episode hence my growing disinterest in West-Allen.

Ellys: This episode soared. The Flash was my first Arrowverse show, and they earned this payoff to years of highs and lows. I’m not sure what the show is saying about the chaotic force of love, but Barry is certainly a character whose connection to his loved ones has led him to jeopardize humanity more than once. I loved the throwback to his “running home to you” scene with Iris. Their scenes together are often almost too sweet, but they just work for me. Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) and Cisco (Carlos Valdes) hugging it out one last time with Barry hit me hard, even knowing it wouldn’t be the end. This episode also had the best cameos with Lucifer (Tom Ellis), Barry Allen (John Wesley Shipp), and Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams). Barry and Jefferson’s conversation was one of the highlights for me. Allen’s death packed a gut punch I didn’t expect. And heaven knows Lucifer just fits in everywhere. The ending thrilled me. Nothing grills the stakes like stripping the conflict and protagonists down to the bare necessities.

Lisa: I have to say that I did see the death of Shipp’s Flash coming. Really the perfect way to save Barry. The best part was the old footage from the original series as Barry’s life flashes before his eyes. Loved the cameo of Ellis as Lucifer. While I don’t regularly watch The Flash anymore, seeing Valdes really made me realize how much I miss Cisco. Possibly my favorite part of this episode is the promise that Oliver will become the Spectre. He just might get to be the biggest hero of them all in Crisis!

Naomi: So, I was a little underwhelmed by the way this has played out. It’s been the albatross around Flash’s neck for years so it feels like the stakes should have been higher for our Barry Allen. I don’t mind that Earth-90 Flash sacrificed himself - I love that he did it and called Barry son while doing so. I think it had deep meaning for our Barry; it just seems like all the angst we had for years was for nothing. The West-Allen love story had chilled on its own show, so it was nice to see them return to form and remind us why they are one of DC’s most beloved couples. Barry as the Paragon of Love made sense when you factor in how much he loves Iris - he mentioned her a lot and his father in this episode. I could have seen him as another paragon but oh well…Black Lightning appearing in Crisis was on point! He and Flash have so much in common. I hope that he has a place with the rest of the heroes going forward-he certainly proved he belongs among them. Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Nuff said.

Prpleight: The Paragons were pretty well identified, so Barry’s identification as the Paragon of Love wasn’t a surprise. The moment our Barry said “...The Flash of Earth-90” I knew how they were going to keep from killing off our Barry. It was both sad and cool to see my first TV Flash get the hero’s moment that he got.

Zandarl: They certainly gave us every West-Allen love line they could in this episode. Giving Barry the title Paragon of Love was understandable as love for those around him, family and friends, is his driving force. However, the original Flash death and clip for the original series was pure gold in my opinion. I loved the fact Black Lightning made his multiverse appearance and played a key part but sadly it was all to brief when the wave hit. My favorite cameo of this episode was Lucifer, I kind of predicted it may have something to do with Oliver. Sometimes only a little devilish help will do.

Which performer do you think delivered the most memorable performance in the first part of Crisis? Why did their performance standout for you? What were their best scenes?

Aimee: I’m honestly surprised by who I have chosen for this. I have to go with Ruby Rose. I have been tough on her in the Review Roundtables for Batwoman. I couldn’t understand what happened to the Kate Kane that she portrayed during Elseworlds last year. Now I think I understand better, and it’s because of the writing. As odd as this sounds, the writers for others shows seem to understand Rose and Kate better than the writers on her own show. The Kate Kane that she is portraying in this crossover is the Kate Kane that we just aren’t getting on Batwoman. This Kate is bold and in charge and willing to stand face-to-face with Supergirl and challenge her for the greater good. This is the Kate we deserve on Batwoman and the Kate that Rose deserves to be able to portray every week. The way Kate is being written in this crossover is perfectly tailored to Rose’s strengths as an actress. She is clearly comfortable portraying Kate this way and totally in her element and it shows in her performances which are very strong and in charge. It could also be the co-stars she gets to work with. She just meshes with some people better than others and she has amazing chemistry with Benoist. Their chemistry and the way they show these two as friends gives me hope for them stepping in to eventually take over as the best friends tag-team of the Arrowverse.

Donna: There were many standout performers in these first three episodes. Audrey Marie Anderson has excelled as Lyla/Harbinger. Brandon Routh slipped back into his Superman persona with ease as Kingdom Come Superman. And if I may add here, Bitsie Tulloch as Lois Lane had more chemistry with this Superman than she does with her own. No offense to Tyler Hoechlin, who makes a fine Superman, I’ve just never been a fan of her casting as his Lois. Benoist as always was outstanding, and it is especially gratifying to see her get the meaty material and screen time she has so far instead of being side-lined for the Good Old Boys club in past crossovers. That was my greatest reservation going into this one. Amell has stepped up his game for this one as well. However, for me, hands down, the most memorable performer thus far has been Rose as Kate/Batwoman. Where has this Batwoman been????? Certainly not on her own show, which leads me to believe the weakness lay not in her performance but in her own show’s writing. With strong, well-written material this is the Batwoman we were first introduced to in Elseworlds and who had been hiding ever since. And in the third episode, they gave her some of her best scenes which proved she can go toe-to-toe with such outstanding performers as Jon Cryer (Lex) and Benoist. The scene where Kate convinces Kara not to use the Book of Destiny to restore her world was Rose’s finest moment at Kate/Batwoman. Then they follow that scene up with an equally powerful one where she offers Supergirl her confiscated Kryptonite and then is entrusted with it because quite simply Supergirl trusts Batwoman to use it wisely if/when she should ever need to. I’m already highly anticipating future crossovers between Supergirl and Batwoman simply because of the chemistry and ease Rose and Benoist share in working together. They will be a pure delight to watch in seasons to come.

Ellys: Rose and Benoist in the scene where Kate persuades Kara to not use the Book of Destiny. This is the beginning of an iconic friendship, and the moment where Kate told Kara she wouldn’t lose hope while Kara courageously trusted Kate to keep the Kryptonite... Good stuff! Stephen Amell in the purgatory scene where he recognizes Diggle and Mia. My heart!

Naomi: I enjoyed Rose’s performance the most in the first half of Crisis. As a newcomer to the multiverse, Kate stood her ground but also opened her heart to those around her. She also had some small but nuanced moments that made things funny - her moment when introducing herself to Lex, her face when she passed on the baby, and her face when Cisco told her to simmer down. I can’t wait to see how her character continues to shine.

Prpleight: None of the performances jumped out for me, which I think is a good thing. One of the issues I had with previous crossovers is that they didn’t feel like a single homogeneous story. The connections between the episodes felt tenuous. Those crossovers felt like they were thrown together to respond to fans asking if X would appear on Y’s show and not because there was a story to be told.

This crossover feels like the story is more important than some marketing stunt. I’m watching Crisis on Infinite Earths not Supergirl, Batwoman or The Flash. I am watching one homogeneous story and it’s a darned good one so far. The cameos were real treats, something we saw in the original comic book. At the time most of the books in the DC Universe did tie-in issues, so it was cool to get a tie-in from Black Lightning.

Zandarl: This is a tough question as each performer gave us just that little bit more than we have seen on previous crossovers. I am going to say Benoist. For once during a crossover, she was front and center rather than a bit player. As for best scenes, listed below are the ones that stuck in my mind. The Kara and Kal-El speech at the DEO; the departure in true heroic fashion of the Green Arrow and his death; the return to Smallville; the Superman vs Superman battle; Lois knocking out Lex; the passing of crying baby Jonathan; Batwoman and Supergirl face off; Black Lightening and original Flash saving the day; and Lucifer and Constantine calling his favor.

What are your final thoughts regarding this first part of Crisis? What are your predictions for what will happen during the conclusion airing in January?

Aimee: I went into this crossover concerned about how much of a mess this event was going to be. So I was pleasantly surprised when so far it’s been a very solid crossover. The first hour did a wonderful job of bringing the heroes together and setting up everything to come. The ending with Oliver’s death was surprising because of how early it happened in the crossover. The second episode was a bit all over the place in typical Batwoman style, but it had some really great moments. Even as the weakest episode of the crossover it was still a very solid hour. The third episode was actually the best so far. It had a lot of great character moments and led up to a great cliffhanger that left me anxiously wanting to know how it ends in January. As for what my predictions are, one thing we know for sure is that somehow the characters we have seen lost will in some fashion be resurrected. Some will likely remain lost forever, but we know at least the series regulars of each show will be back. I’m expecting some big epic showdowns between the Paragons and the Anti-Monitor. I expect some big character moments for the heroes. I have much higher expectations for this crossover now than I did coming in, so I hope my high expectations are met for the conclusion.

Donna: I had very low expectations going into this crossover primarily based on the treatment of my favorite character, Supergirl, in previous crossovers. My greatest fear was that once again she would be sidelined for another sequel of Barry and Oliver’s Excellent Adventures. Nothing pleases me more than to say I’ve been pleasantly surprised and even impressed by these three hours. The writers and producers have been able to translate the involved and complex story of the graphic novel of Crisis and integrate Arrowverse elements effectively. I can already anticipate how the resolution will affect shows going forward. I predict the most radical changes will occur in Arrow and Supergirl, resetting both shows by putting everyone on the same Earth. First, we must get back everyone we lost in that climactic cliffhanger. Supergirl cannot go into the biggest battle of her life without her sister Alex by her side. The CW Supergirl without the Danvers Sisters? Never! Arrow will have to adjust to Oliver’s demise, while I think Supergirl will be adjusting to fitting into a new world and in doing so perhaps cleaning up some dangling storylines like where in the world is Jeremiah Danvers? For example. However, I could be wrong, and our Paragons find a way to do some sort of reset and everyone gets their own worlds (albeit worlds that are somewhat changed by events) back. The production values and effects have been outstanding, so I suspect the penultimate battle with the Anti-Monitor is going to be something on an epic scale the likes of which we’ve not seen on network television. We are watching a true depiction of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey so there are more tests for our heroes before their journey in Crisis on Infinite Earths is over.

Ellys: Lex brought the Book of Destiny along, which effectively opens a myriad of possibilities, if the book works outside time and space. Based on Choi’s beard in the promo, the group will be stuck within the Vanishing Point for a while before Oliver arrives in his new form to guide their next steps. The final episodes will need to test our heroes as they never have been before, or all these eons of buildup will carry no weight. It’s not a prediction but rather a hope to say that I need at least two of the Arrowverse shows to be radically changed by Crisis.

Naomi: I enjoyed this first part of Crisis. It was pure entertainment and fan service out of this world. The cameos, Mick’s romance novels etc… I also liked seeing the older version of Oliver try to make peace with what he had done. I think that part is going to tie nicely into the ending of the Arrow series. That being said, I have no clue what’s going to happen, and I am totally okay with not knowing. What I am not okay with is having to wait so long to find out!

Prpleight: I loved it. The year or more prep time was felt in the script. In honor of the crossover, I have been re-reading the 1985 comic. I enjoyed the story choices in aligning the television universe with some of the iconic moments and characters from the comic. The only thing that took me out of the story was logic behind making Nash Pariah. The only prediction that I have is that Kara will find a way to get at least one Earth back.

Zandarl: It didn’t disappoint. Given the grand scale of the event, it did flow surprisingly well. I did wonder at first if the story would be lost in all the cameos that of which we were being made aware. We all knew the death of Oliver Queen was coming but it was still sad to lose the hero that started it all. What I did notice was a shift away from the bromance and more towards girl power with team-ups of Batwoman and Supergirl, and Iris and Lois. It would seem a Lois Lane is what you need to stop Lex Luthor. With no planets left and our paragons in limbo so to speak, I foresee some sort of time travel and use of the Book of Destiny to change what has already been written. Lex Luthor being the unpredictable wild card he is might be what the Anti-Monitor won’t see coming.

Be sure to check out our next roundtable in January for the conclusion of Crisis on Infinite Earths.