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, “Changing” (Nov. 14)
Ahead of CW’s four-show alien crossover event, Supergirl fights a different alien menace. An evil parasite worms possesses the CW’s Al Gore equivalent, draining the life of climate change deniers. Kara coping with Alex coming out works for drama, but doesn’t feel genuine to who Kara is. The James/Winn dynamic continues to be amazing, even with cheesy “Super Friends” lines. Mon-El’s moral ambiguity comes to a satisfying head, and his capture by CADMUS should take it to even more interesting heights. Guardian is pretty cool, though it may be Supergirl’s descent into the network’s Too Many Metas conundrum. I didn’t see J’onn lose any blood in that fight, but this White/Green Martian blood transfusion might be interesting later on. My only real qualm is that I wanted that little girl to totally crush that car.
SCORE: 9/10 Space Wolves
The Flash, “Shade” (Nov. 15)
The Flash takes a lot of time to examine the ensemble cast, and works really well. Caitlin finally feels interesting and distinct, addressing all the problems I’d had with her in the past. The progression of Joe’s relationship with Cecile works, as it gives Joe more to do. The budding love triangle with HR feels hokey, but can work for comedy. The show drops an unsubtle hint that Julian disappears as Alchemy (Savitar?) shows up. If Julian turns up to be the show’s new Jay Garrick, I will be so disappointed. However, the highlight of the episode is Wally West. His desire to get powers, paired with his ideals of being a hero, serve as phenomenal motivation. The show doesn’t spend too long rehashing the Joe/Wally tension, and even brings some nuance and self-awareness to Iris. The Flash puts the effort into making the supporting cast shine, and it works really well.
SCORE: 9/10 Handcuffs
Arrow, “Vigilante” (Nov. 16)
While Supergirl and Flash have stellar episodes, Arrow falls more on soap opera tropes. Once again, the supporting cast argues with Oliver for no good reason. Coming off the heels of discovering Arrow’s killer past, being okay with Vigilante makes zero sense. Vigilante is cool, aside from having the most basic codename imaginable. The send-off of Quentin to rehab is corny, and makes the arrowhead twist from last week pointless. Spartan’s cabin fever feels like a cheap trick, as does Wild Dog’s surprise birthday bash. The leader of the Skull Bois spent too much time talking about how he’s actually a good kid to feel sympathetic. Arrow also needs to get a clearer hold on this Oliver/Susan relationship. The twist of Artemis working with Prometheus cheapens the great character work we’d seen with her last week, making me even angrier at Arrow. However, since the season so far has been quite good, let’s hope this is a one-off flub.
SCORE: 6/10 Skull Masks
WEEKLY WIN TALLY:
Arrow: 2.5 Weeks
Supergirl: 2 Weeks
The Flash: 1.5 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!
