So, this week the CW held its first major four night, four show crossover. After weeks and weeks of hype fans were finally able to watch what they could only hope was a TV Justice League mini movie. The DCTV writers/creators decided to bring the three issue comic book series Invasion! to the small screen using it as the main concept for the crossover.
The base storyline for the crossover is that Barry Allen recruits Supergirl from her Earth (Earth 38 as we now know) to help team Flash, team Arrow and team Legends defeat the alien race called the Dominators. The Dominators have to go to Earth because of Barry Allen’s flashpoint/fixed flashpoint/new timeline mess. They demand he turn himself over to them or they will use their weapon to destroy all the metahumans on Earth.
You might be reading this thinking “that sounds like a great 4 episode event” and yes you would be right if half of that hadn’t happened in just the final episode on Legends of Tomorrow. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed the crossovers overall but it was clear scheduling and each shows season narrative took priority over the crossover fun. I get that not every fan of Flash watches Arrow and same for the other shows so they needed to not ignore what was happening in each seasons narrative however I think this would have been a way better crossover if they had treated it like a comic book mini series run and it existed on its own outside the actual seasons. I would have liked to have seen it act as more of a separate mini series of episodes that aired when they had the winter break acting as a kind of quick spinoff event.
Here are some quick highlights and lowlights from each of the four episodes!
Supergirl 2×08 – Medusa
Highlights
- Higher ratings because everyone who doesn’t usually watch tuned in to see Barry go to her Earth and get her.
- Solid midseason finale
- Mon-El continuing to shine as a great new addition to the show
Lowlights
- The crossover portion of Cisco and Barry arriving on the Earth to get her happens in the last few minutes of the episode and is recapped again on Flash the next night so you really didn’t need to watch it.
Flash 3×08 – Invasion!
Highlights
- Everyone coming together on screen.
- Everything the new Welles says is comedic gold.
- Supergirl meeting everyone for the first time and their reactions.
- Heatwave and Kara being the hilarious pairing you never knew you wanted on screen.
- Seeing the Dominators on the screen and the CGI not sucking!
- The warehouse acting as the main team up headquarters is made to look like the Hall of Justice!
- Learning what future Barry warned the Legends about which was that he can’t be trusted and everything is his fault. Classic Barry.
- Wally being adorable as always with his new powers.
Lowlights
- Nothing actually happens this episode to further the crossover plot.
- The majority of the episode was shown in all the promos released earlier in the week.
- Everyone hating on Barry and Cisco being super whiney!
- Dig being so mad Barry changed the timeline and now he has a son instead of a daughter.
- In true Batman V Superman and Civil War style the team is split up and end up fighting each other. Granted they are mind controlled it still felt a little overdone.
Arrow – 5×08 – Invasion!
Highlights
- Arrow reached its 100th episode, which just so happens to fall during the crossover.
- We get to see Diggle in an alternate universe as the Green Arrow and he’s still working with Felicity!
- There were some solid throwbacks to the better earlier season of Arrow.
- We got to see the Dominators space ship.
- Barry and Supergirl tag teamed what could have been considered a female cyborg.
Lowlights
- Nothing really advanced the Dominators plot because it spends most of the episode acting as the 100th
- Not enough Barry or Supergirl.
- The whole altered reality “what would have happened if….” Storyline has been done way too often and didn’t seem original.
Legend of Tomorrow – 2×07 – Invasion!
Highlights
- The whole episode was exactly what I wanted from this crossover event.
- There was more storyline about the Dominators and who they are in the first half of this episode than in the both Flash and Arrow combined.
- Felicity and Cisco teaming up to be the best comic relief.
- Cisco finally moving on and forgiving Barry. Yay no more whiney Cisco!
- The Justice League style team up against the Dominators.
- Cisco giving Kara a way to come back and communicate with them, which means more crossovers!
- Heatwave telling Kara “Hey Skirt! Call me” and her slightly terrified look.
Lowlights
- The fact that the best episode of the crossover took place on Legend of Tomorrow
- Oliver telling Supergirl to stay behind…ummm she’s legit your biggest weapon. Classic Oliver.
- The episode ended and I wasn’t ready for the crossover to be over when it just got so good.
Here’s hoping the Flash/ Supergirl musical crossover is everything we want and more! Still holding out that maybe the rumors will come true and Joss Whedon is going to direct it!
