This series will be a brief, semi-comedic review of the CW superhero shows. You can check out last week’s review post here, or see the tally of winners below. The only shows discussed will be ‘Arrow’, ‘Flash’, and ‘Supergirl’. There WILL be some spoilers discussed, so only look at the reviews you’re up to date on!
Supergirl, “Crossfire” (Nov. 7)
Supergirl spends a majority of the episode teaching “Mike” how to act like an Earth human. Mike then spends the episode slacking off, hooking up, and eating Twizzlers. Alex’s lady cop crush has been broken up with by her girlfriend, who we’d only JUST met at the end of last episode. It feels like a ham-fisted intro into their budding relationship, but thankfully, it’s a minor plot line. Meanwhile, the James/Winn dynamic is golden, as James tries his hand at crimefighting. Their arguments feel genuine and well motivated, and isn’t overwhelming the main action. It’s hard to fully trust Lena Luthor, but the mother reveal wraps her into the conflict. The Space Gun Bandits are entertaining villains, though they do mirror the Snart Bros in mannerisms. No one seems worried about the cop car now forever floating in space. A very solid episode, with a few weak points based around trope-heavy CW soap operas of days past.
SCORE: 8/10 Space Guns
The Flash did not have an episode this week. Perhaps Barry is running back in time to change the election results. Get ready for Flashpoint 2: HR Wells is a speedster, Iris is dating Wally, and Barry has another CCPD partner, played by Rupert Grint.
Arrow, “So It Begins” (Nov. 9)
Oliver starts focusing on Prometheus, dealing with an odd cypher-puzzle of murders. The idea that Prometheus is a haunting figure from Oliver’s past is intriguing, though it doesn’t quite work this episode. What works beautifully is the A-Team dynamics, notably with actually funny Felicity dialogue. It’s telling that one of the strongest episodes this season sidelines the B-Team. The B-Team whining feels silly and overdone. That being said, the work done in characterizing Artemis this episode is phenomenal. Often times, CW seems to let their sidekicks – particularly ladies – go ignored outside of an episode or two. Artemis’s storyline doesn’t take over the episode, but is just enough to make her feel like a real person in the show. There’s no way Quentin is Prometheus, especially if he’s still a drunkard, but it sets up a great idea of roping in all of Oliver’s past to haunt him. The episode is a good balance of Oliver-centric action with good character dynamics, bringing the strengths of the CW superhero trailblazer to the front.
SCORE: 8.5/10 Old Arrowheads
WEEKLY WIN TALLY:
Arrow: 2.5 Weeks
Supergirl: 1.5 Weeks
The Flash: 1 Week
What show did you think won the week? Does Legends of Tomorrow take your vote? Do you think A.o.S. or Gotham outshines all the CW shows? Let us know in the comments below!
