One word: EPIC.
I probably had extremely high expectations before starting this blockbuster crossover event (needless to say, The CW has been promoting this since, like, forever) and it surprisingly exceeded my expectations. This was a truly mind-blowing episode.
Loving this crossover had a lot doing with my love for Arrow and its well-developed characters, and yet anyone can still enjoy this as a standalone Flash episode.
Undeniably, the most entertaining aspect of the hour was the Flash and Arrow’s fight. It was so compelling and amazing, I didn’t want it to end! We had never seen a dark Barry Allen before, and Grant Gustin played a raging Flash with pure perfection. Attacking Eddie while he was in the car with Iris (more on this one later) was just the start of it. I loved how he dragged him from one end of the street to the other, red-eyes and all, and then was attacked by the Arrow (who-else!).
The way that entire scene was choreographed was absolutely stunning (and I’m not usually one to complain about this kind of stuff). The episode didn’t rely heavily on special effects, but when necessary they were used incredibly well (like when the Flash trapped the Arrow in a circle of fire). Just reading that makes you want to see it again, doesn’t it? I know I can’t be the only one still playing that perfect scene in my head, and my only complaint is that I wish I could’ve seen it on the big screen. Truly phenomenal.
There wasn’t a single moment where the episode felt forced or just a ploy to get comic-book fans cheering; the entire hour flowed perfectly and was exciting from beginning to end. I didn’t even mind Iris here (except when she confessed that she had a crush on Oliver, sigh) because I loved how her involvement with Eddie and thus seeing a dark side of the Flash meant she’s not going to defend him anymore. This probably means we’ll see her calling him a vigilante soon, but haven’t we seen that storyline somewhere else already?
Speaking of which, how incredible was it to see Felicity and Diggle in STAR labs? And Oliver training Barry? And that woman Oliver bumps into—which, who for non-Arrow fans is his secret child’s mother! And the icing on the cake: Diggle and Cisco making bets on The Flash versus The Arrow. I never thought the dark and serious side of Arrow could work so well with the lighthearted Flash, but this was a very thrilling hour of television that is just the first part of a 2-hour crossover event.
Bring on part two, Arrow.
Speedy Arrows
– Amusing title sequence with The Flash being hit with an arrow.
– The episode started off with an intense robbery scene and a villain that can affect people by making them “whammy” with just his red eyes. Interesting that the episode didn’t reveal how the gang captured this guy in the end, but after that insane fight sequence between our two superheroes, that wasn’t even relevant anymore.
– There were so many quotes and one-liners in Part 1, it was hard to pick out the best ones!
– Oliver gives Barry a very sentimental speech about not being able to get “the girl” while looking at Iris and Felicity.
– Barry’s faceoff with Oliver about how he’s jealous of him for not having any superpowers was phenomenal.
– Hilarious scene with Felicity taking off her shirt when it catches on fire!
– Also hilarious: Diggle’s fascination with Barry’s speed.
– Loved Oliver being unsure of Harrison Wells. How did this guy even find out he’s The Arrow? You creepy little thing.
Central & Starling Quips
Barry: I was getting ready to make my move.
Oliver: What move, to the morgue?
Diggle: How fast do you think he can go to the bathroom after he’s eaten something?
Oliver: I read your friend Iris’ blog post on the Flash, and I visited all the crime scenes you fought at.
Barry: Don’t you sleep?
Caitlin: Since when do we have facial recognition software?
Felicity: Happy Hanukah.
Oliver: We can talk about you giving your enemies silly codenames later.
Barry: What, you mean like over coffee with Deathstroke and The Huntress?
Felicity: I’m glad I decided not to go braless.
Diggle: I had a cousin who got hit by lightning once. He just developed a stutter.
Conclusion
As epic and mind-blowing as expected, the first part of the crossover was truly a remarkable hour of television.
Chris Rating
A
Perfectly stated. I ADORED this crossover and I can't wait for part two tonight.
Everything from the one-liners to that astounding fight and the various character interactions were SPOT ON. They totally blew me away and exceeded my expectations. Wow. I hope they pull of a crossover once a year or at least for the big finales. Can you imagine the possibilities? Especially if Greg Berlanti's Supergirl pilot is apparently set in the same world as recently rumoured?
Oh and love the changes to the bits and quotes sections 😀
Seriously, endless possibilities! A Flash/Arrow/Supergirl crossover would be so damn entertaining. I'm kind of obsessed with Berlanti now.
This also really makes me want to see the Superman/Batman movie next year! I hope it's as epic as this was.