Pictured (L-R): Grant Gustin as The Flash and Keiynan Lonsdale as Kid Flash — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW
The Arrowverse had a lot in store for us this week, most importantly Wally West’s epic return to The Flash! Oh, how nice it was to have Kid Flash back in the mix.
Black Lightning concluded its third season with a pretty solid cliffhanger, leaving us to wonder what is in store for Freeland when the show returns in the fall. That Gravedigger is something else!
There’s plenty to talk about from this week’s Arrowverse shows, so let’s get to reviewing, and as always, remember: SPOILERS ahead!
Pictured (L-R): Ruby Rose as Kate Kane/Batwoman and Meagan Tandy as Sophie Moore — Photo: Katie Yu/The CW
Batwoman Episode 114: “Grinning from Ear to Ear”
It looks like the post-Crisis excitement for Batwoman has officially died down, at least when it comes to this week’s episode. I think we hit a roadblock and a lot of that has to do with the fact that we’re focusing too much on Sophie and Batwoman’s relationship, or whatever we want to call it.
It continues to baffle me that no one recognizes the vigilantes under those “masks.” I know these are just TV shows, but it’s stretching my suspension of disbelief. When Sophie kisses Batwoman, how can she not recognize her ex-girlfriend?
Apart from that, I’m also just not into this relationship. I feel like Sophie hasn’t been the best friend and wasn’t the best girlfriend to Kate, and I’m not sure she deserves to be with her. That’s my opinion, at least.
Kate was all into it until Luke reminded her that anyone she’s intimate with or brings into her life is going to have a target on their back. And I’m so glad he expresses this to her because it temporarily stops whatever was going on with Sophie, who was a little too heartbroken over the “breakup”.
I know I’m hating on Sophie a lot, but I do want to commend her ability to stand up to her mother, who drops by for a surprise visit. Up until now, Sophie has kept her sexuality a secret. Her mother visits to confront Sophie about separating from her husband. She takes this moment to reveal who she really is, and it’s sad to see her mother’s negative reaction. Kudos to Sophie for telling her truth; we’re proud of you!
This episode’s saving grace is the introduction of a new villain, one that connects to DC comics in a big way. At the start of the episode, we meet a young woman Duela Dent, aka the Joker’s Daughter in the comics. Now, you may be wondering, is she actually the Joker’s Daughter? At the beginning of the episode, she did carve a smile into her face, so there’s that.
However, in the context of the series, Duela Dent is Harvey Dent’s niece. Fun fact: she’s called herself almost every DC villain’s daughter in the comics — you know, like the Scarecrow’s Daughter, the Riddler’s Daughter, the Penguin’s Daughter, etc.
It suffices to say that she could easily be related to any of these characters because of her maniacal personality. She reminds me a lot of Harley Quinn, actually! Anyway, I think we ought to keep our eye on Duela because she is definitely going to keep things exciting. Let’s just be thankful that she made the episode worth watching!
Oh, and of course, the final minutes of the episode reveals that maybe, just maybe, Scarecrow might be the next villain to join Batwoman. We see a lot of familiar-looking toxic gases in the air, so let’s just go with the assumption that it is him because that’s pretty freaking exciting.
Thank goodness for the Arrowverse finally bringing in some of these classic DC villains, right?!
Grade: B-
Pictured (L-R): Jon Cryer as Lex Luthor and Melissa Benoist as Kara/Supergirl — Photo: Diyah Pera/The CW
Supergirl Episode 514: “The Bodyguard”
This week, Supergirl went from Kryptonian superhero to…bodyguard. It’s not the worst thing in the world to have her as your protector, but she certainly has better things she could be doing, just saying! I’m a bit let down, because Supergirl’s 100th episode had us all riding so high last week. Here, the excitement ratchets down a level. I know, I know, it’s harsh to except a series to keep the momentum going especially after hitting a milestone episode, but it just didn’t compare.
A lot of this season has been a metaphor for the dangers of advancing technology, aka Obsidian’s creepy contact lenses that place you in a way-too-realistic VR world. I’m pretty sure we’re headed that way in our reality, but Supergirl is trying to remind us of it any chance it gets.
Speaking of Obsidian, the VR contact lens is ready to launch and Andrea Rojas couldn’t be more excited. It’s finally happening for her, but her life hangs in the balance if she doesn’t stop it.
Meanwhile, Lena’s arc is getting progressively worse. I knew having Lex around would be detrimental for her, but ever since she learned Kara is Supergirl, she can’t help but feel rage. All that rage has turned into a thirst for revenge, and Lex is taking full advantage of that. It’s just a shame to see Lena lose all the fight in her to resist the bad side. She had been doing so well for so long, and now it’s all sort of falling apart. I hate when shows do that!
So, yeah, Supergirl was a bodyguard in this week’s episode. Lex appoints her as such for Andrea, his plan being to get the usual bodyguards away from her so he can get up to his usual villainous shenanigans.
And while we’re on that topic, he has Lena start testing Non Nocere on humans. As we know, the goal of this experiment is for humans to “do no harm,” which sounds great and all, but it completely backfires when it’s used on a prisoner named Steve who becomes extremely violet. Yes, it’s that Steve, the newspaper editor who hates Supergirl but loves Kara Danvers’ journalistic work. Funny how that works out.
So is Lena doing right or wrong here? I’d lean more towards wrong, because she’s letting her anger get the best of her, which has pushed her towards her evil brother.
Anyway, Lena tries to fix the inconsistencies with Non Nocere, which basically takes any negative feelings away from Steve, who just feels calm, collected and safe. He doesn’t feel the need to do anything horrible, because all those feelings have been taken away from him. This sounds pretty great, but it’s probably not going to be.
At the heart of this week’s episode is a widow seeking revenge against Obsidian for causing her husband’s death. He worked for Andrea but after stealing one of the prototypes, his addiction grew and eventually led to his death. His widow is trying to stop the launch, which Alex and J’onn figure out in the nick of time.
To be honest, the rest of the episode feels like it whizzes by at hyperspeed, and gives the viewers too much to process in a short amount of time. Supergirl tries to talk the widow down from wreaking havoc on the launch while Andrea (who has powers in a post-Crisis world, by the way), tries to convince the widow that Obsidian has helped people cope with trauma. It’s just her way of trying to help others.
Interestingly, that’s what Lena said, too.
I’m not sure what’s coming up in the episodes ahead, but everything seems to be all over the place. And Lex is growing more dangerous with every passing moment, with a manipulated Lena by his side.
This isn’t going to end well.
Grade: C
Pictured (L-R): Cress Williams as Black Lightning and China Anne McClain as Lightning — Photo: Bob Mahoney/The CW
Black Lightning Episode 316: “The Book of War: Chapter Three: Liberation”
And just like that, Black Lightning has ended its third season! It’s hard to believe we’ll be heading into a fourth season when the show returns. So much has happened, particularly with the Pierce family’s evolution into full-blown superheroes. It felt like we were never gonna get there, but we did!
The season 3 finale ended on a pretty epic cliffhanger, and I’m interested to see how it plays out next season. I just hope we don’t find ourselves stuck in a storyline that lasts too long and gets boring.
In any case, this finale picks up from the moment Jennifer tried to take on Gravedigger (foolish girl) and Papa Bear Black Lightning had to step in to save her. And while I’m so annoyed with Jennifer for this, the rescue effort brought on the coolest fight sequence we’ve seen on the show to date.
Gravedigger vs. Team Black Lightning! It was pretty cool between all the punches, throws, and vibrant colors we’ve come to associate with the show. But during the fight, Markovians take over Freeland and literally try to burn it to the ground with its citizens.
I want to commend Black Lightning for never wavering from its underlying message. The Black community of Freeland has always been a target of authorities, and been treated unfairly. We see just how bad this situation gets when the Markovians attack and it feels a bit too real. Especially when that reporter gets attacked, and the scene stays suspended on her body. It really gets you in the feels.
The Pierce family has had to defy all odds and grow with the obstacles they’ve had to face. We see this dynamic really evolve in the third season, especially with Jefferson. He’s always had a certain way of operating and dealing with things but with how horrible the A.S.A.’s hold has been on Freeland, Jefferson has to shift his perspective and morals to deal with them.
Better yet, Black Lightning as a whole has somehow managed to keep the story on a local level while maintaining a global perspective. The meta program in both Markovia and Freeland exists because of the A.S.A., which is essentially what brought Freeland to its knees.
But worry not! Odell, the A.S.A., and Markovia were handled in the season 3 finale, but that’s not to say the problems are over. Tobias and Gravedigger were a part of the cliffhanger, which means trouble is already brewing for season 4.
Grade: B-
Pictured: Keiynan Lonsdale as Wally West — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW
The Flash Episode 614: “Death of the Speed Force”
Nothing like Kid Flash reuniting with The Flash, right? The return of Wally West is the name of the game this week on The Flash, and it was just as sweet and action-packed as we would have wanted.
The Flash is one of my favorite characters in the DC Universe/Arrowverse, and while the show doesn’t always live up to the hype, this episode definitely kept me interested. And we were dealing with the death of the Speed Force, folks.
Wally returns to Central City not just out of love for his family, but because his zen mindset is telling him that something isn’t right. And he’s right! Back during the Crisis, Barry had to use Spectre’s powers to enter the Speed Force and save humanity. It was the only choice he had at the time, but it had some very severe consequences.
The Speed Force was infected. It’s dying, and so are the speedsters’ powers. After the two brothers hash out the fact that Barry didn’t say anything about the issues he was having and that the Speed Force is dying as a result of something Barry had to do, the episode moves forward.
Barry makes it into the Speed Force one last time and has to witness his mother dying again. Just in case you forgot, the Speed Force appears to Barry in the form of his mother, and with it infected, she takes her final breath right in front of him. Poor Barry, once was enough!
It breaks my heart when Wally says that he’s been able to see future generations via the Speed Force, which included his children and even Nora. But with the force gone, that future will never come, at least not in that way.
There aren’t any options left, but Barry realizes there may be one final card left to play: create their own Speed Force, something Thawne did with the negative Speed Force. Speaking of Thawne, he makes his return by taking over Nash’s body. And I have a feeling in the episodes to come, he’s going to make Team Flash’s lives very, very difficult.
Along with Wally West, Cisco finally returns as well. He’s traveled the world trying to see how the Crisis changed it, and hey, he even went to ATLANTIS. Don’t you just love a post-Crisis world and how everything is on one Earth now? I am a bit concerned over how Cisco’s character feels so out of place in this version of the Arrowverse. It almost feels like The Flash is planning his exit, and I don’t like that one bit.
And then, there’s the issue of Iris, who is stuck in the mirror, literally. No one realizes that the Iris with them in the real world is not the actual Iris. However, before Wally heads off again, he tells Joe to keep an eye on his sister; he did sense something is off, so hopefully there will be more traction on that front.
But for now, the evil Iris shot Cisco’s girlfriend, Kamila, with a mirror gun. Is she alive? Is she just in the mirror world? Ugh, I don’t know but things are about to get intense!
Grade: B+
Pictured: Caity Lotz as Sara Lance/White Canary — Photo: Dean Buscher/The CW
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Episode 507: “Mr. Parker’s Cul-De-Sac”
I’m a sucker for any DC’s Legends of Tomorrow episode. They’re always so creative and fun. This week, the series channels Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and brings back another Arrowverse character: Damien Darhk, who’s first instinct is to visit Nora. At first, he’s led to believe that Nora is a super evil sorceress engaged to Constantine. She didn’t want him to know that she was now a fairy godmother in love with Ray Palmer, who, by the way, planned a super-romantic proposal for her, but it was overshadowed by the return of her father.
This episode has a pretty serious tone, but there’s still plenty of room for humor as the ruse to fool Damien continues after Sarah and Ava show up to kill him. Instead, Nora has them pretend that they are her lackeys. The ruse doesn’t last for too long, especially after it’s revealed that they were hoping to strip Damien of his powers with a magical potion.
As expected, Damien reacts badly, but Nora talks him down. She reveals that she is with Ray now, and accidentally learns that he was going to propose after Ava starts choking on the engagement ring he had hidden in the chocolate mousse.
Side note: Ava is fighting with Sara because Sara got a job offer in Star City and didn’t mention it. Are these two going to leave the show, too? Please, don’t. We’re already losing Ray and Nora!
While Nora’s trying to deal with Damien, Ray is in charge of the little girl to whom Nora is fairy godmother. She uses one of her wishes to transport them to dinner at Constantine’s and another to be in a show just like Mister Rogers, where everyone has to hash out their problems. Plus side: we see Sara and Ava as puppets again!
On any other Arrowverse show, this kind of episode would be a hot mess. But for DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, it’s absolutely perfect. And guess what? It ends with Ray and Nora’s wedding! It’s the perfect setup before these characters leave the show for good. (Oh, how we’ll miss this real-life couple!)
I love that we saw a side of Damien Darhk that we haven’t quite before now. He’s happy to see Nora happy, and before the episode ends, he stabs himself with the Hell sword. Damien would rather go back to Hell then do what he was told as an Encore. I’m not crying, you’re crying!
And speaking of family, Mick learns that a Rebecca Silver hater/internet troll turns out to be his daughter with Ali, the girl he hooked up with at the high school reunion! Thanks to Zari, he tracks them down and realizes that he may have the capacity to be a father.
Don’t you all just love this show?
Grade: A-
The Arrowverse kept us on our toes this week, didn’t it? Between the Black Lightning season 3 finale and the returns of Wally West and Damien Darhk, we had plenty to be excited about.
And the tease of Eobard Thawne vs. The Flash next week promises to give us another epic battle between two old foes, and I can’t wait!
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