I realized that this crossover covers all four CWDCTVU shows, so I've started a separate discussion. I hope that is okay.
Thoughts on Parts One and Two (with some spoilers):
The Big Day arrives for Barry and Iris. Several people encounter trouble getting to town. Two guests are squabbling, while two others have a too-public debate about their relationship. One guest acts like a drunken obnoxious doof. Two others drink a little too much and wake up in bed together.
In short, it begins like every wedding ever—until the point where it resembles every superhero wedding ever, and Nazis, accompanied by alt-reality versions of some familiar heroes, crash the party at the most predictable point imaginable….
This crossover plays like an actual crossover comic movie, instead of linked episodes. We have DC’s traditional Crossover Event title, and some fun examples of superheroes coordinating their efforts and powers.
Mick Rory is the perfect obnoxious wedding guest, and provides laughs almost every moment he’s onscreen.
The encounter between Ollie and a certain villain seems a little off—until we learn the full truth.
I could have done with fewer CW musical scenes (Melissa Benoist notwithstanding), but at least the CW drama feels character-driven, and integrated with the story, rather than slathered on top of it.
The CW Earth-X combines Earth-X with Earth-3 and, of course, ignores questions like multiple doppelgangers would exist on an earth where the Nazis won World War II by nuking multiple cities.
Why does the episode treat the two key Nazi villains’ identities as a big reveal—twice? They can only be alt.Ollie and alt.Kara. We know that from the start, and the heroes, despite their frequent lapses of intelligence, should figure it out, too.
Behind-the-scenes and contractual issues can affect the story, and we have to accept that. Still, it seems odd that, with so many heroes, only the three leads turn up for the confrontation with the three major villains—and then they banter before going head to head. They’re like kids meeting to fight after school.
If you want to catch Kid Flash, don’t blink; however, the episode gives him a reason to disappear. But the combined teams seriously need help. Can we have an in-universe reason why Supergirl doesn’t call in her overpowered cousin to help, given what is at stake? It would be wrong, dramatically, but it should be explained. Cisco isn’t the only one who can open portals.
It’s great to see an actual DC Crisis tale on the screen, with the superpowered fight scenes we expect. Believe it or not, that was William Katt, star of The Greatest American Hero (and Carrie White’s doomed prom date) playing the Minister.
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Agreed 100% CK!
I don't want a steady diet of musicals, but a good one is *amazing*.
I do think that if you're going to do a musical episode of a regular non-musical show, you should have a good in-story for it. Buffy did, back in the day. And the Batman: The Brave & the Bold cartoon did a very nice job with its introduction of The Music Meister. But the Flash/Supergirl musical episode didn't manage that as well -- the Music Meister was changed into a Mxyzptlk figure, and the much of the music seemed incidental because it never got justified by the plot (IMO).
But I've had "Running Home to You" in my head since I heard Melissa Benoist sing it earlier this week.
I don't understand why they didn't just use Mxyzptlk in that episode.
Possibly because Mxyzptlk had just appeared on Supergirl about a week or two prior.
Afraid it's my fault, CK -- I just don't like musicals. I only mentioned it as a reference point about my enjoying Melissa Benoist singing at the wedding. I didn't mean to start anything!
I don't understand why they didn't use the Music Meister as originally created -- as a guy with mind control powers, but those powers have a side effect of making people sing and dance as they carry out his plans. When I heard he would be the villain, I thought it was a perfect choice...and then they threw out what made the character special.
Richard Willis said:
I don't understand why they didn't just use Mxyzptlk in that episode.
They re-ran the first half of "Crisis on Earth-X" last night -- that is, the Supergirl and Arrow episodes. Tonight they'll show the second half, that is The Flash and DC's Legends of Tomorrow.
Watching "Crisis on Earth-X" again, I realize I never commented on Parts 3 and 4. Let's remedy that ...
And there you have it!
That was fun reading, CK!
Great recap, CK! (And I love that Iris groused a bit about Felicity & Ollie piggybacking onto their wedding on the next episode of Flash.)
Thanks, guys!
I liked what Legends of Tomorrow did in its next episode. It brought back Young Martin Stein -- the one who became a father thanks to Professor Stein telling him to start paying attention to Clarissa or he'll lose her. The episode begins with Young Martin Stein buying the newest, hottest toy for his kid for Hanukkah. (Is that a thing? I always understood Hanukkah was not a major holiday, nor a big gift-giving occasion.)
Thanks to a time anomaly, the goofy doll becomes the god of a cult of Vikings who have taken over the world -- yes, really -- and there's a lot of shenanigans as the Legends try to undo this mess. Along the way, Jax tries to warn Young Martin Stein of his fate, giving him a note with instructions not to open it until Nov. 28, 2017.
Naturally, and rightfully, and wisely, Young Martin Stein destroys the note. Not only because you aren't supposed to know the future --
... but because he calculated that when 2017 rolls around for him, he'd be 67, and he figured that he would have lived a full life, and that's enough for him.
I hope there's some more Kleenex in that case ... !
I loved that episode. I think Legends has done really well this year in embracing its sillier side, and that doll (Conquer-Me Elmo?) is a great example of that.
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