We’re heading into the annual Arrowverse crossover! Our intrepid team of CW reviewers have joined up to bring us reviews of the latest from Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow:
Supergirl — Season 4 Episode 11 — ‘Blood Memory’
After a stellar season so far, Supergirl’s “Blood Memory” just wasn’t up to par. I absolutely hate to say that because everything about this season thus far has been so completely fresh. The character arcs along with real world political parallels have been brilliant. Unfortunately, this week’s episode falls flat as we concentrate on Nia’s family, her powers, and gamma ray steroid using frat boys. The episode tries to be clever a few times with some foreshadowing in Nia’s dreams but the connections just don’t ever really flow. Everything from Nia’s mom’s death from a random spider bite to some less than impressive acting were all a let down. Some of the dialogue this episode was absolutely atrocious.
Thankfully, series regulars Chyler Leigh, Melissa Benoist, and Jesse Rath save the episode near the end. Alex (my absolute fave) becomes aware that something is wrong with her. (As she was previously mind wiped on the Kara/Supergirl connection) unable to pinpoint what exactly is going on, scene stealer, Brainey and now Detective Jon Jones convince her she is okay. The new dynamic between Supergirl and Alex is really heartbreaking to see play out, but what a great new dynamic these two actresses have. Alex slowly takes on more of the Col. Haley type role in telling Supergirl not to get in her way. Afterwards, she goes home to be comforted by her sister, Kara. This is good writing. Supergirl will take a short break, but this was not the episode to leave us hanging on. However, there’s no doubt in my mind the show will be back on track in a few weeks with some new characters in tow.
-Rob Crowther IV
Arrow – Season 7, Episode 11 – ‘Past Sins’
“Past Sins” felt in many ways like a filler episode, but it was redeemed in the emotional journey Oliver goes through. Nothing of consequence happened in this episode. Even Oliver’s conversation with Emiko, seemingly promised by last week’s closing seconds, was literally postponed to a later time so as to make sure this episode served no purpose than to pad out the CW’s borderline inhumane 24 episode season. Which is not to say Emiko’s reluctance to talk to Oliver is unwarranted, but it was like this episode had a full on allergy to relevance.
Still, it was nice to finally have closure about Dave Hackett, the man Oliver’s father murdered on the life raft. Sam Hackett’s introduction as a villain felt organic and relied more on character than comic book conventions. His MO of weaponizing circuitry was needlessly complex, but I suppose if it was just a guy with guns it wouldn’t need the Green Arrow’s help to solve. I don’t want to come down too hard on the episode, though, because Oliver’s arc through it was easily its strongest attribute. If nothing else, “Past Sins” showcased how much Stephen Amell has improved as an actor when the role demands serious self-reckoning. But having Sam as an antagonist allowed Oliver to move forward both as a person and as an officer in the public’s eyes.
The best moment of the episode, however, went to Curtis Holt at A.R.G.U.S. Standing up for the rights of the detained Curtis found a way to use a VR simulation extract the necessary information about Dante out of Diaz and simultaneously rip him out of his smug sense of unearned superiority. John sums it up perfectly, “I have been waiting a long time for someone to wipe the smirk off of Diaz’s face.” It never felt like Curtis was actually dead, and watching Diaz finally lose a round with Team Arrow with no strings attached felt long overdue.
-Matt Gilbert
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsHM32263JM
The Flash – Season 5, Episode 12 – ‘Memorabilia’
Unlike Arrow, “Memorabilia” cannot be fairly classified as filler…if only because it drags the overarching plot forward by the smallest of margins. What started as an apparent promise of revealing more of Nora’s secrets turned into repetition of ones we already know (that she is working with Eobard Thawne) and the possibllity that Nora may not be as interesting a character as she once appeared. Maybe it’s unfair to put so much of the remaining season on this one episode’s shoulders, but it is starting to feel as though Cicada cannot carry a 24 episode season without some major padding.
This episode saw Nora go into Cicada’s niece, Grace’s mind to attempt to wake her from her coma and Barry and Iris go into Nora’s mind when she gets stuck there. Nora’s method of avoiding her parents see her memories turned into a guarantee that they would, but fortunately they skipped everything that was important. What we did see was childhood Nora’s perception of her mother after Barry disappears as well as the reality challenging that perception. The latter was a nice moment offering satisfying payoff for Nora’s tricky relationship with her mother since the beginning of the season.
In Grace’s mind, the only pertinent information gleaned from this episode is that Grace is as much a ball of evil as her uncle is. On the one hand, she stops being a device to motivate and manipulate the surrounding characters. On the other hand, ugh. If the goal was to make me dislike her, mission accomplished. The less we have to see this meta-hating child this season the better.
Finally, Ralph triggers not one but two breakthroughs for Cisco. One for his developing of a meta human cure, the other for breaking him out of his shell and back into the dating sphere. He meets a friendly bartender and simultaneously discovers the missing component in making his cure work. The episode’s stinger indicating Barry will use the cure on Cicada will undoubtedly create an ethical conflict for Cisco, but I’m more curious in if anyone is thinking about using it on Barry.
-Matt Gilbert
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbYMdKrk60c
