So, we’ve now seen the big Arrow/The Flash crossover for this season, which was also a backdoor pilot for Legends of Tomorrow (not counting the four or five other backdoor pilots for that show we’ve already seen). It was a pretty intense two hours of television and – I think I can say this without question – works far better as a superhero film than Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice will. Spoilers ahead!
1. The Hawks
This was our first extended look at Hawkman and Hawkgirl and, I have to say, they worked about as well as one could hope. The show dumbed down their origin to a manageable level, and combined a lot of the more interesting aspects of the characters over the past fifty or so years. Having Kendra not really in love with Carter is a nice nod to the early-00s incarnation, while the Egyptian legend is more or less in tact, but kept simple, which is something the Hawks origin rarely is.
If I have one complaint about the Hawks it is that Carter still seems a little bland, but so did Oliver when we first met him – the show has done a nice job making these characters seem heroic, and there was plenty to like about how the show presented both Hawks. I’m hoping that Legends of Tomorrow continues that trend.
Plus, if he’s halfway good, spin it off into a Hawkman/Atom series!
2. S.T.A.R. Labs – where frenemies hang!
The Jay and Harry relationship continues to be difficult, but this week went a long way into showing that Jay truly is a hero, even if Wells is critical of it. I think having Jay as a less perfect version of Barry is actually a really clever way to go about things – typically, the more experienced hero is the archetype the young turk looks up to. Here, Barry has already surpassed Jay in all areas but experience, and Wells continually reminds Jay of this.
But Jay’s heroism is something that the show is building organically, and gives us a different type of hero to root for here and there. I dig it
3. Pulling out all the stops
These episodes really pulled out all the stops – the League of Assassins, all of Team Arrow, all of Team Flash, the Hawks – and yet, it never really felt overblown. That’s my biggest praise I can give the Arrowverse – they keep adding to it, but they’ve done so by making the threats more and more serious, and by growing things in ways that make sense, even when they’re not exactly organic.
Hawkgirl is a great example – if she swung in with wings, wielding a mace, it might’ve felt like a cheap ploy. Instead, she’s built up organically, and so when Hawkman flies in that way, it feels earned.
4. Poor Cisco
Cisco – as I’ve said in the past – is our proxy on the show, which is why him discovering powers was such a powerful moment, because it was like we were getting powers, too (well, sort of). Similarly, Cisco having his heart broken hurts more than when it happens to Ollie or Barry – we can’t hope to be like them. But we can almost be Cisco, and so we can also be heartbroken.
5. The tone
What was interesting about this crossover is that the Flash crew went to Star City for their episode, and the Arrow crew came to Central City for theirs, so the tone of the episodes were a little off. Seeing Ollie do stuff during the daytime became an in-episode joke, but it really was a little jarring.
What was also interesting was that, despite it being the Arrow half, last night was all about Barry. I think that the crossover, more than anything, shows that Barry is the key to the ‘brightening’ of the world. The Hood/Arrow/Green Arrow was a force for good, but not a force for change. You don’t see Green Arrow action figures in that world, but you see Flash ones. It is not just because of Barry’s powers that last night they defeated Vandal Savage, but also because he inspired Caitlin and Wells and Cisco, who inspires Kendra, etc.
Continued belowLet’s talk about Vandal Savage for a second. I love how vaguely European he is. He is certainly from somewhere in Europe, but the show gives no indication that he’s anything but just continental. It felt very timeless, which is the point of course. I always like my Savage a little physically larger and a bit more charming, but let’s be real: who expected we’d ever see Vandal Savage on TV?
6. The depth chart is clear
In both episodes, Diggle has almost nothing to do, and I honestly forgot that Laurel was even there until she jumped out of the van and let out the least effective sonic scream of all time.
I think there is certainly a role for both of these folks in this universe, but I’m sick of having to bitch about their non-use each week. It is really pretty pathetic, there’s nothing at all for either to do. At least Thea gets put between Malcolm and Ollie – but really, what did either of them do this week?
And before I get a comment about how this was ‘bigger’ than they can handle, look how the Flash writers gave Caitlin a lot to do, even though she wasn’t trying to take down Vandal Savage herself. I don’t think the writers ever expected the show to grow in the way it did, and so they thought a whiny lawyer and a bodyguard would be enough to assist street level hero in a hood. But since the stakes have been raised, they need to be raised, too.
Tell me once that Laurel’s sonic scream did anything useful? Have her send it to Cisco and have him trick it out. What if Diggle got together with Felicity and designed a really useful weapon that could define him, the way the cold gun defines Captain Cold. It can be done – do it, writers!
7. Har har Avengers: Age of Ultron joke
I actually guffawed at the TV. It wasn’t a great (or even good) joke, but I’m a dad, corny jokes coarse through my veins, along with repressed anger and whiskey.
(In case you missed it, Felicity made a funny about seeing superheroes hiding out in a farm house before)
8. Time travel is a fickle lover
I love me some time travel – when she was a baby, the only song that would calm my daughter is if I sang the (instrumental) Quantum Leap theme song. My favorite film is Back to the Future – I’m a time travel junkie. So, I love the show playing with that trope.
Even more so, if you’re going to do this, you might as well do it large; no one cares if Barry time travels to avoid getting a parking ticket. Everyone cares if he time travels to save Ollie and co from MELTING. Now, I’ll say this: they telegraphed this too much. If they didn’t show him ghosting earlier, this would’ve been shocking. Or, at least, show it, but don’t really talk about it.
9. Ollie’s Son
His mom’s name is Sandra Hawke, his dad is Oliver, but his name isn’t Connor. Huh?
William is a cute kid, and one who seemingly will be a guest star over the next few seasons here and there, but don’t be shocked if he’s Willam Connor Hawke, and we see a time-traveling version of him on Legend of Tomorrow (well, not a time traveler, but an older version of him recruited to the fight).
This will obviously be a huge point of contention between Ollie and Felicity, too. This is the first time we’ve seen Ollie hiding something not because he’s protecting someone, but because he’s afraid. We’ll see how it all shakes out.
10. Oh Malcolm, you scamp!
So, was Malcolm always working with Savage, or was this just a convenient partnership to strike up. If he was working with Savage, that means that either he was banking on Savage to wipe out Thea and all the other heroes, or he really believed in them, and was just the contingency plan in case Savage got destroyed.
Now, spoiler alert, we know Vandal Savage is the big bad of Legend of Tomorrow, so don’t be surprised if Malcolm resurrects him somehow next week. But Malcolm is a fascinating character who I am so glad is still on the show in a meaningful way.
So, what did you kid think of the crossover? Let me know in the comments!
