Well..... wasn’t this a dull week in the real world? It was a week devoid of all drama and controversy, a week where everyone all held hands to dance, sing and just get along with each other like we were all one and the same..... and then I woke up: worst mistake ever. If there was ever a week that needed some good escapism, this was it. Here’s how that went down in the Flarrowverse and it will CONTAIN SPOILERS....... but no alien writing resembling a coffee cup stain
STAR OF THE WEEK – Brandon Routh, Ray Palmer/ATOM
Routh has always been a good source of comic relief ever since debuting on Arrow but his efforts this week were his best for some time as he tries to be a badass outsider in the Leonard Snart image. It’s a polar opposite play to Ray’s regular boy scout persona and results are utterly hilarious as tries to “play it cool” as Mick’s new cold gun wielding partner.
Supergirl - S2E5: Crossfire –
What happened?
As Kara struggles to get Mon-El started in human society, she encounters a gang of criminals supplied with powerful alien weapons by Cadmus. After a moment of realization, James tries being a vigilante while Alex struggles with her feelings for Maggie.
What was good?
It was cheesy in places, but a lot of the fish-out-of-water comedy from Mon-El/Mike was genuinely funny and with good assists from Andrea Brooks’s (unReal) Miss Teschmacher swooning away over him. Their double taking faces in the copy room alone deserve some applause. Chris Wood looks set to become a great comedic asset for the show. It doesn’t get too repetitive with Mike coming across as a Tom Hanks Big style boy in a man’s body. The alien tech gang gave the episode a nice Rogues feel and all of the action and fight sequences made for good spectacle. The James Olsen vigilante arc rings a few warning bells (everyone on a superhero show becoming a hero) but actually proves quite rewarding. Firstly, this is not about James becoming a hero merely choosing to be one and the gradual progression works well from an inspirational moment of weakness to a failed first attempt (very Laurel Lance) and an ultimate resolution. It even taps into some classic Jimmy Olsen themes of aspiration as someone dealing with being the lesser member of a team, “My whole life I’ve been a sidekick”. It’s not too rushed and teaming him for Winn for a tech fix gives them both a good future arc. Speaking of Winn, his under-the-table moment with Lena was a surprising success with pair showing unexpected levels of chemistry.
What wasn’t so good?
Although the alien tech gang conjured images of The Rogues, they were nowhere close to matching them in terms of personality, and that was a real shame. Even if they were destined to be single episode, guest stars at least give the 3 members some differentiating qualities. The Alex/Maggie story was rather weak this episode. Firstly, by axing Maggie’s girlfriend after only revealing her last week, the show really feels like it’s rushing their relationship instead of letting Alex’s feelings develop. The awkward scenes between the ladies were good though, and in fairness Chyler Leigh was very convincing at showing Alex confused and conflicted over sexuality to the point of almost coming out.
Where is it going?
So James Olsen is moving towards the Guardian persona as shown in a few promotional shots. The character was a '40s Dc riff on Captain America as a shield carrying hero (we see James with a shield in this episode). Not an Olsen alias in the comics, instead known as James “Jim” Harper (who incidentally featured as an evil army colonel last season). Guardian has some history with Cadmus but it seems unlikely that will be featured here. Aside from being a great end bombshell the parental connection between Lena Luthor and the previously seen Cadmus doctor (played by Brenda Strong), it does confirm that she is in fact Lillian Luthor as everyone’s favourite L-word becomes a bigger part of the show. This could imply that Lena has some level of awareness regarding her mother’s work at Cadmus and her more benevolent/heroic acts may be directly targeted against her. The Black Box device scene with Winn shows that she is technologically minded. Maybe Lillian tried to recruit her? Either way, Lena could now become Kara and the team’s way into Cadmus? Cadmus is becoming a bigger feature and the newsroom responses of 2nd amendment requests for alien tech imply their long game is to turn the people of National City against aliens and achieve a banishment act rather than the current amnesty act: to beat Supergirl with the pen rather than the sword.
The Flash is on election hiatus (blame <insert the candidate you hate>)
Arrow - S5E6: So It Begins –
What happened?
The masked Prometheus starts making himself known to Oliver with a series of messages, some of which involving murder and surprising connections to Oliver’s past creating friction within the team. Thea discovers Quentin is not the former alcoholic he claimed to be and in teh flashbacks Oliver finally comes face to face with Kovar.
What was good?
Bringing Prometheus to the forefront of the story worked very well. I liked the slow taunting tactics designed to instil public fear as well as mess with Oliver’s head. It was an action-light episode but in that respect, it’s good to see the spotlight being given to Artemis, the least developed of all the recruits. Her subway train fight was decent and although it became plot relevant, showing her wounding Prometheus despite being outclassed does she show us that she’s progressing. The mystery and development aspects of the episode work well as the team try to figure out their new foe and the episode is surprisingly well paced. Sometimes going on about Oliver’s character evolution from killer to hero feels very forced but here it works well. It’s best sold by how shocked the recruits are over the news, that he literally isn’t that person anymore. We’ve waited weeks and it was worth it. Dolph Lundgren’s introduction as Kovar was brilliant. It was a superb combination of good dialogue, composure and sudden violence that almost makes him feel like Arrow’s take on a certain barbed wire bat skull basher. It immediately makes the flashbacks a more interesting story. I don’t think for second that Quentin Lance is Prometheus (at least consciously) but the ending of throwing that into suspicion was excellent because it was so genuinely unexpected. Seriously! On the “Who is Prometheus?” list, Quentin Lance was sitting somewhere between Felicity’s mom and Justin Bieber so fair play for a terrific curve ball.
What wasn’t so good?
The whole secrecy/”B-team” arc from the recruits just feels like back-tracking. It was featured heavily in the first few episodes, and now we want to see them gelling closer as a team and evolving rather than through spats like this. Plus, they’re argument is weak. They’re essentially pissed at Oliver for not giving them his entire life story; of course, there will be things they don’t know yet. They Mayor scenes feel very disposable this week. We could have done with more of Mayor Queen reacting to and being pressured by the events. Although it might come grow on me but right I’m really not feeling the musical theme they’ve given Prometheus. It just sounds like subpar video game scoring.
Where is it going?
It’s certainly been implied for a few episodes but this episode confirms the story is taking a full circle trip back to Season 1, and Oliver’s days as the “Killing as first option” Hood. So in that respect, we should expect other aspects of the main story to do the same as Oliver’s past comes back to haunt him after he’d seemingly moved on. As for the Prometheus/Quentin Lance bombshell, I think the real clue here is revealing that Quentin is still drinking and struggling with punctuality at work. He is being controlled by some means (mind control exists within Arrow) either hypnotic or narcotic into conducting actions as Prometheus and also being dosed with booze for an assumptive explanation of his memory loss. Or he hasn’t been involved at all but someone wants him to think he could be. Anyone could have replicated a simple arm cut (especially a trained killer) and left a throwing star on his table after he passed out from drinking. Maybe someone needs Quentin out of the way and is relying on his guilt and sense of morality to turn himself in as “the throwing star killer”? We can safely rule out DA Adrian Chase as next episode’s trailer confirms he will appear as his comics alias Vigilante. Therefore my top suspect would now be Felicity’s boyfriend, Detective Malone. He seemed too pleased that Felicity was working with The Green Arrow (like it was part of his plan) and are we seriously supposed to believe that a skilled detective wouldn’t notice when someone took evidence off his desk. Of course, that is assuming it’s just one person. Could this all be the product of some anti-Oliver Queen illuminati like organisation?
Legends of Tomorrow - S2E5: Compromised –
What happened?
In Washington 1987, the Legends must stop Damien Darhk blowing up the US & Russian presidents before they can sign the INF treaty (reducing their nuclear arsenals). Vixen and Nate seek help from the JSA’s training academy only to find times have changed while Martin Stein faces another run in with is younger self.
What was good?
All of the big '80s referencing was so much fun. From the Darhk and Thawne Miami Vice introduction to the Top Gun hallway walk (you know where that highway goes) and beyond it, both cast and writers have an absolute ball with the setting. There was a wonderful Watchmen feel to the JSA subplot from Vixen finding a Minute Men style photo of the '40s glory days to the idea of a defeated and depleted '80s team. Lance “Bishop” Henriksen is excellent as the old man Obsidian giving a great impression of a grizzled old hero….and of course, he’s freakin’ Lance Henriksen! The episode offers plenty of good action fights with Nate/Steel integrated much better this episode. Every single piece of Mick and Ray in this episode was an '80s smash it. From Ray’s Cold training (“You killed my beers”) to Mick eating a donut in the face of certain death the pairing did not disappoint. Were it not for the Top Gun sound-tracking, then Mick’s “don’t cross the steams” rule would have taken the film reference cake this week. Overall, the best thing about this episode is way it manages to achieve peak Legends fun levels while still covering plenty plot material.
What wasn’t so good?
I wasn’t impressed with the younger Martin Stein story in this episode. With so much going on, it really didn’t need to be there and despite some great laughs from both Stein’s (“Will someone please shut me up!”), it feels like an unnecessary rehash of last season’s superior take on the subject matter. The JSA academy, a top secret facility that apparently hasn’t changed its entrance code in over 40 years, but Vixen still knows it? They could have just let Vixen go to enter the code only for Nate to notice the door is ajar and saving themselves that embarrassment. Finally, there feels like some lost continuity from the season one episodes 4 & 5, which took place in 1986 Russia in another cold war story. So in this 1987 set episode the Russian military contingent maybe should have been aware of the Legends existence or at least given someone an off moment of recognition?
Where is it going?
The framing of this episode provides our most solid Legion of Doom material to date with Thawne offering partnership rather than just cooperation (episode 10 is now entitled “Legion of Doom” implying we’ll get the full assembly then). Their final time ship scene is more interesting for ramifications in the greater Arrowverse. Darhk talks about changing his Arrow Season 4 future and demise following Sara spilling the beans. Will we see that play out on Arrow? The ship itself also begs another question. Many will recognise its design from the Flash season 1 finale where it’s stated as being a Rip Hunter model. Could Thawne have taken this particular ship from Rip Hunter, and does that also mean Rip is his prisoner somewhere? Currently, Thawne’s master plan is some kind of McGuffin hunt. The fact that Sara and the team swipes this week’s mysterious little object will likely be setup for a future Legends Vs Legion encounter. Obsidian implies an end to the JSA following a prior dangerous mission. It seems highly likely that a future episode will see the team going to that time and place in an effort to save them, especially with vested parties like Nate and Vixen involved in the decision. That could even result in a transition for the team. If they save the JSA and it continues throughout history, the Legends may become (at least part of) this generation’s JSA line up. Also, it’s just been confirmed that following good performance, this season of legends will get 4 additional episodes taking it from 13 to 17.