Crisis On Earth-X: Part One Thoughts & Highlights

"Crisis On Earth-X: Part One"

Well, here we are again, entering another one of the CW's geek out worthy annual crossover events within the Arrowverse franchise. The previous ensemble gathering involved our beloved heroes facing on an extraterrestrial threat with the Dominators while also interweaving a dramatic story about consequences via Barry's time traveling escapades. Now, and who would've guessed it, we have a story about Nazis invading from another Earth. That's right, I said it. Nazis from another Earth known as Earth-X invades Earth-1 during Barry and Irisis's wedding day, and if that wasn't a selling point already, this foreign threat comes with its own gallery of alternate super villains. Sounds crazy? Well, if you're a comic book reader, this is probably just a typical Monday. For the Arrowverse, this is fantastically profound...and I love it.

Introducing Earth-X

If the idea of seeing Nazi versions of the Green Arrow, Supergirl, and the Reverse Flash amongst other re-skinned characters catches your attention, this is an episode that definitely shouldn't be missed. First, let's get into the actual beginning of the episode. Our crossover starts us off right into Earth-X wasting no time in introducing the new planet in the now established multiverse. Conceptually, I loved just how extreme everything looked and felt with this world a from the red skies, raging lightning storms, and Nazi imagery plastered everywhere. Yes, the CGI could have been a tad bit tweaked here, but nothing worth ranting about. Although, I do wish that the studio could for once acquire a hefty visual FX budget considering the creativity that goes into these shows.

The highlight during this scene is of course our first character introduction being Dark Arrow (Earth-X's Arrow) who, aside from having a cool looking suit, was given a great villain debut taking out rebels Season 1 Oliver style. Then, with a surprising appearance, we have Earth-X's Guardian with new patriotic aesthetics on his armor invoking the American flag. What's great about their eventual fight scene is the sense of history that can be felt within this world regarding the rebels-nazis war and the inclusion of heroes/villains. By utilizing simple dialogue like "You're the best they could send?" and "Their are more like me.", you can imagine a long ongoing conflict between these two factions and their own individual special units being the familiar faces that we know. It's an interesting concept that I'd love to see explored deeply in the future.

It also helps that the fight choreography during their battle was pretty solid as was the noteworthy brutality and dramatic tension of Guardian's death. In just this brief interaction, audiences are able to piece together just how dangerous this universe appears to be for anyone on either side of the fence. With Dark Arrow then alluding to the Nazi's mission for eternal dominance prior to leading into an incredible crossover title card, I was happily able to boast that the Crisis on Earth-X crossover started off on a satisfying note.

Current Events In The Arrowverse

One of my favorite components of these crossovers is the inclusion of each show's current endeavors being briefly explored before the overarching story comes along. It reminds me of that fun special moment found within several comics to where our spotlight hero is off taking care of a side mission in the beginning of a story before getting into the major plot point. This year's crossover applies this concept in what is by far the most entertaining fashion yet. We're treated to a fantastic scene transitioning through the Arrowverse's many shows as Iris waits for wedding invite responses from the other heroes. Not only do we see each major character reacting to said invitations, but it's hilariously taking place in the middle of a mission or fight scene that's probably worthy of a weekly episode in of itself. Also, as icing on the cake, you gotta love the location title cards introducing each show.

First, we have Central City's Flash taking on King Shark which I honestly never thought I'd get to see this season. Sure, it's a very brief scene showing Barry getting tossed through a wall then delivering a speedy knock out to the giant meta. However, it's a few seconds of fan service that I very much enjoyed. It goes without saying that I'm a huge fan of the idea that we even get to see a character like King Shark in a live action comic book TV series. That being said, wasn't he locked up in A.R.G.U.S.? Someone's got some explaining to. As a matter of fact, if he's loose, can we assume that other potential Suicide Squad members are freely roaming around somewhere? Does the Thinker know about all of this? That's another topic for another time I supposed.

We then have Star City's Arrow taking on...ninjas? Did I miss something? As a big fan of the series, I was honestly scratching my head on whether these ninjas were League members (which would be a huge deal for them to just sideline for a gag) or members of Black Siren's group of mercenaries. Either way, it was a fun interaction scene between Oliver and Felicity talking about the wedding invitation as he beats the mess out of some unfortunate souls.

Continuing on to Legends, we see our band of misfits in the middle of a mission during 1183, England. We get a Robin Hood reference (which is ironic considering Oliver Queen's inclusion to the episode) followed by a decent action scene showing Sara continuing to be the spotlighted badass on the team amongst everyone else. It's important to note Mick's reaction to the wedding invitation statement during this scene where he says "Weddings are the worst.". This will come into play hilariously later on. Overall, this was a pretty fun scene going along the gag of prioritizing wedding plans in the middle of something life threatening. It actually fits in more with the tone of Legends than it does with the other series come to think of it.

Last but not least is National City's Supergirl, the actual series in which the crossover starts off with. I loved the idea of Supergirl fighting a Dominator which essentially acted as a visual reminder to the previous crossover. However, I couldn't help but wonder why it appeared in the first place. Yes, just like the other series, this was basically a side mission being used to introduce our characters in an exciting way, but the Dominators have such an interesting history with this universe. They're usually after something pretty significant, so I'm curious to know if this is but a simple cameo or something much deeper. Either way, it definitely works as a fun morsel of fan service to viewers of the previous crossover arc. Also, fun fact for non Supergirl fans, this isn't the first time that a Dominator has appeared on the show.

Aside from the cameo, the episode then transitions into a full on Supergirl episode for a moment continuing the story from last week where Kara had to accept Mon-El's new life. Yes, fans of The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow who may not be weekly viewers of the series are probably rolling their eyes at this point, but I actually enjoyed this scene. The relationship drama element on Supergirl can be sort of a hit and miss situation. Sometimes you get something that feels unnecessarily drawn out while other times you're strapped in for a genuinely touching or heart shattering moment. Here, you get a scene of two sisters who are basically soaking in the reality of their problems right before the wedding invitation gets brought up. Honestly, it's a much smoother transition to the crossover in comparison to last time.

Leading Up To The Wedding

As we draw closer to Barry and Iris's big day, we have what is surprisingly some of my favorite moments in the episode. I've talked about this during one of my favorite episodes of Arrow where I emphasized on the importance of "heroes in the mundane". We've gotten so used to seeing our costumed icons show their humanity through dramatic self reflecting moments that we forget the power of seeing simple human day-to-day activities: Peter Parker doing his laundry, Barry Allen binge watching Game of Thrones, Oliver Queen eating at a diner. These are the kind of moments that I admire quite a bit as it shows the reality that these are people with lives that aren't in a continuous loop of spectacle and tragedy. This is why I actually enjoyed the hair salon scene with Iris, Felicity, Caitlin, and Kara. It's just four women enjoying themselves talking about marriage and alluding to individual issues outside of the fantastical.

This can also be seen with Barry and Oliver's conversation about getting the girl in the end. It's cool to see that the writers are able to continue this conversation which goes back a year or two between these two. The idea of the hero, even after all of his/her troubles, being able to settle down in the midst of it all. At the risk of sounding like a broken record from the previous crossover episode review, you can feel a sense of history between these two characters given what they've experienced individually and together. It's refreshing and quite appropriate seeing Barry be the one that gives Oliver the superhero mentor speech here (which the two jokingly acknowledges) as it shows a sense of maturity for his character since their last encounter. I'd love to see more of these conversations outside of just crossover episodes.

Stepping into Legends territory, specifically following up on the Firestorm separation story, we see Cisco and Harry creating a formula for their situation. One of my favorite aspects of the Arrowverse is the fact that you have geniuses on every show being able to help out the neighboring crime fighting team every now and then. Sometimes these are done with offhand comments such as "I asked Cisco to upgrade your bow, Oliver" or "I had Felicity help me track down our meta" yet we never really get to see them in the same scene due to scheduling reasons. What's great about these crossovers is that we actually get to see them interact with each other which, in this case, actually adds on to a crucial story for Legends.

Jax splitting up Firestorm with Stein has been one of the bigger side stories for the season considering how far this dynamic duo has come since the Season 1 premiere. I found it surprising that we'd get such a major step up towards a conclusion on a Supergirl episode (despite it being part of a larger overarching story) than on Legends. This just proves yet again why it benefits significantly to have a grasp on all of these shows especially during crossovers. You simply never know what series might affect the other. Stein then talks to Caitlin about what he'll do after being finally separated and the normal life that he'd pursue. Again, emphasizing on the human side of things and stepping away from the supernatural. There's a decent chunk of this episode dedicated to that idea, so kudos to the writers for boldly hitting on it.

Speaking of the writing, this was something that I felt should be highly praised overall. Take away the Nazi invasion and multiverse clashing for a moment and soak in the fact that you have a massive ensemble of characters from different shows all shockingly given a satisfying amount of screen time. Even more importantly, these aren't just filled with quick funny one-liners or fan service dialogue exchanges, but actual scenes with weight. Kara's talk with Barry about being alone sums up her character's main conflict of the new season. Barry's conversation with Oliver about marrying Felicity is a huge deal as it shines upon a major dilemma in Oliver's current life which is then thrown right back into his face later on. All of this while still delivering on some genuinely fun, hilarious, and...well..."heated" character interactions.

Battle At The Wedding

Following a beautiful speech by Joe (the king of incredible speeches alongside Diggle), and a couple of awkwardly comedic and dramatic moments, we finally come to the main event, the wedding. Now, before we get to obvious geek out worthy bits, I honestly thought that the wedding alone was done rather well. From a production standpoint with the beautiful scenery, Melissa Benoist's standout singing performance (which I should have expected after the musical), and the idea of getting to see all of these characters come together for something nice for a change was all executed wonderfully.

Alright, now for the good stuff. From the moment Overgirl (Earth-X's Supergirl) disintegrates the pastor, it's strictly mind boggling spectacle from there on out. There are tons of incredible character moments scattered throughout this all-out battle scene, so let's break it down here via individual spotlights.

Kid Flash Moments

Not only do we see Wally saving civilians via super speed, knocking down Nazi soldiers, and catching one of Dark Arrow's arrows, but we also get a badass moment where he catches a bullet and tosses it back to a soldier's gun causing it to explode. It's by far the coolest superhero moment for the character yet. Strangely enough, it's given to us on Supergirl instead of The Flash. Either way, it's nice being able to get super excited for a Kid Flash scene for a change. Now the bar has been raised a tad bit for The Flash series to start offering up more standout superhero moments for the character.

Killer Frost Moments

Despite still not delivering a clear reason as to why having ice powers would suddenly turn a kind hearted soul (give or take a few tragedies) into a cold hearted criminal, I absolutely loved the way in which Killer Frost is utilized here. The moment Caitlin transforms, we get to see her fully unleash her powers in what I believe to be the best Killer Frost scene so far. Watching her form an ice blade around her arm prior to slashing through Nazi soldiers left and right was something that I never would have imagined seeing on a TV series. Leave it up to the crossovers to really show us how awesome these characters can be when they're able to fully let loose in a visually spectacular fashion.

Flash Moments

Barry also gets in on the action (although with less screen time than everyone else) as he catches a few bullets as well as causing one soldier to shoot down his own ally. It's fast (no pun intended), but still pretty amazing as a nice little tidbit to enjoy in the midst of all the visual eye candy taking place.

Cisco Moments

Given the least amount of action screen time is Cisco who breaches Oliver giving him an opportunity to ambush his Earth-X counterpart. This is one of those crowd pleasing fan service moments where one would find themselves jumping out of their seat like a little child. It's probably the most rewinded moment for myself personally.

Sara & Alex Vs. Prometheus

One of the easier to forget yet absolutely fantastic fight scenes (especially if you're an Arrow fan) shows the series' Season 5 villain make something of a return. This was another surprising character appearance alongside Guardian that positively caught me off guard. The fight choreography is great here (as with the majority of action scenes surrounding Caity Lotz) and it's nice getting to see these two kick ass ladies team up.

Oliver Vs. Dark Arrow

This was by far one of my favorite fights in the episode and one of my most anticipated. Yes, we've seen Oliver take on Merlin during Season 1 who is essentially his archery skilled match up. However, there's something intriguing about seeing Oliver having to take on someone from a completely different Earth who so happens to be his multiverse counterpart. Oliver has never faced such a foreign yet familiar threat making this fight really exciting. The highlights here aside from seeing these two be evenly matched in combat is the moment where Oliver shoots down his Dark Arrow's arrow from a distance. It's one of the cooler scenes where we get to see the vigilante's more than impressive accuracy when using his signature weapon.

Kara Vs. Overgirl

During the previous crossover, it was clear that Supergirl was the powerhouse figure on the team with no true competition except for Barry regarding speed. However, with the crossover, we got to see her meet her match quite literally as she faces off against her Earth-X counterpart. It's a pretty solid fight scene overall showing them flying around and matching up their heat vision and physical strength, but the standout moment definitely comes with Kara's "super clap". It's another one of those geek out worth bits that I never expected to see with Kara strongly slamming her hands together in order to create a energy wave pushing everyone back. By showing the glass shattering in the room and everyone staggering back, we get to see just how powerful and God-like Supergirl continues to be in this universe.

Overall Thoughts

With Cisco now being in a comatose state after the battle and our team of heroes being baffled by the whole experience, we find ourselves in an interesting pickle of a situation. I still can't believe that we're actually seeing a clash of Earths as our massive crossover event storyline. We truly are living in the Golden Age of live action comic book properties. Now that Earth-X's Prometheus is captured, I'm fascinated to see how Oliver's interrogation session will go down considering his connection with the Earth-1 version. If that's not enough to get the hype train going for Part 2, we finally get to see Earth-X's speedster villain make an appearance who so happen to be a version of Harrison Wells (Eobard Thawne?). There's definitely plenty of space for fun speculation here making this one of the best crossover cliffhangers yet.

The Crisis on Earth-X concept has thus far been the most ambitious of the annual events, and judging by the stellar action sequences, fun character interactions, and noteworthy writing overall, it definitely has the potential to be the most successful of the bunch. I look forward to seeing what the other series' segments will bring to the table as Supergirl, and I'm really happy to be able to say this, definitely kicked things off on a high note.

 Bonus Thoughts

Easter Eggs

1. Earth-X's Nazi Regime

So far we've only been given a quick glimpse into the Nazi dominated Earth-X, so the who's and why's are still up in the air. Is there a version of Adolph Hitler running missions with super villains? Perhaps another familiar face from the Arrowverse acting as commander of the Nazi regime? So many theories to go around, but I did admire the effort put into making Earth-X both look and feel like a completely foreign environment.

2. Overgirl

Arguably my most anticipated character design-wise, I was pretty hyped getting to see a full on evil version of Supergirl. The design of the suit looked fantastic, and although the mask looked a tiny bit bulky at times, I did like the overall menacing look that it conveyed. It'll be interesting to learn the backstory of this version of Kara and whether or not we get mention of another Krypton. Does Overman exist? Yikes!

3. Dark Arrow

Sporting the coolest looking re-design in my opinion is Dark Arrow who appears to work closely with Overgirl, Reverse Flash, and Prometheus. Aside from killing Earth-X's Guardian, it is through his scenes that we get a vague idea what the regime's goals are regarding Earth-1 and the rebel's technology. Overall, a solid villain introduction so far. 

4. The Reverse Flash

Ah yes, the million dollar question. Which Reverse Flash are we looking at here? Is this simply just another Earth's version that so happens to look like Harrison Wells or is there something much more fascinating and closely connecting to our own Earth that we'll soon find out. Either way, it's great to see Tom Cavanagh in the role again even if it's for a brief moment.

5. Prometheus

The fact that Prometheus is still fairly recent in the memories of Arrow fans considering his impactful dominance during the previous season, I was surprise to see him appear here as another multiverse counterpart. Is this Earth-X's Adrian Chase or are they currently keeping his identity hidden for a special reason? What will his interrogation uncover between him Oliver? So many questions to toss around with this one. Also, l found it interesting that they kept his attire almost completely unchanged.

6. Caitlin's Last Wedding

During Caitlin and Stein's reunion, the two briefly reminisces about Ronnie considering that they were both present during their wedding. It's little moments like these that I really admire the writers for including as it allows both the characters and viewers to take a stroll down memory lane for a bit. These are scenes dedicated to hardcore fans and are always welcomed in my book.

7. The Legends' Mind Wiping Device

Recently introduced to Season 3 of Legends is a Men In Black-like mind wiping device utilized by the Time Bureau. In a quick blink and you'll miss it explanation, Mick confirms that the Legends did indeed wiped the minds of everyone attending the wedding who saw the heroes reveal their identities by fighting.

8. Cisco's Fast Travel Device For Kara

The fact that Kara has access to Earth-1 at any given time utilizing the device that Cisco made for her during last year's crossover is baffling. The possibilities are endless with Supergirl being able to factor into the Flash or even Legends for an episode or two. Heck, if she showed up on Arrow, she'd end the entire wave of season villains in just one night.

9. Guardian's Shield

Standing right alongside Dark Arrow and Overgirl as far as great character re-designs is Guardian with his Captain America-like aesthetics. The shield having the stars and stripes painted on was a great touch and a nice visual statement towards fans as to what country the rebel faction is hailing. What other heroes will we see siding with the rebels with American symbolism on their suits? Citizen Steel is an easy option.

10. Oliver's Retractable Bow

I couldn't have been the only one who got immediately hyped when Oliver brought out the retractable bow during the battle at the church. It's one of those awesome hero moments where you'd never expect them to be geared up for a fight considering the nature of the situation then out of nowhere comes a cape and cowl.

11. Damien Darhk Namedrop

Felicity briefly mentions Damien Darhk's name stating to Oliver that his current fight with a group of ninjas is nothing in comparison. Although this could easily go over Arrow fans' head as a simple easter egg, Legends of Tomorrow viewers may see this as a reminder of one of the show's current villain returns. 

12. So, Who Is This Exactly?

Sorry guys, I got nothing for this one. Why is this random girl given a full scene with Barry as what I can only describe as a fangirl...well..."fangirling" out on Barry. Perhaps this gets highlighted during the course of the crossover. As for now, I got zero theories on this.

13. Spider-Man Reference

What's that? Another reference to Marvel comics in a CW DC show? That's right. Jax's Spider-man reference when talking to Stein about what his powers would entail after taking his formula follows another Spiderman reference and Hulk reference on The Flash this season.

14. Every Hero's Mode of Transportation

One of the cooler geek out worthy shots of the crossover shows our spotlight heroes from each series making their way to the wedding with their own unique mode of transportation. You have the Legends riding in on the Wave Rider, Oliver on his motorcycle, and Supergirl flying through Cisco's multiverse portal.

15. Opening Title Card & Music Transitions

During the title card presentation, you can see glimpses of scenes from all of the different series within the Arrowverse. This is accompanied by the different theme songs of each series transitioning to fit each sequence. It's definitely one of the cooler ideas ever delivered in this franchise artistically speaking. Speaking of music transitions, we get a brief moment to where Prometheus' theme from Season 5 of Arrow plays prior to his fight scene.

Funny Moments

1. Barry's Hilarious Reactions to Oliver

As the two get suited for the big day, Barry turns around to see Oliver dressed up and reacts with shock saying "Damn!". Later on in their conversation, Barry makes a speed pun to which Oliver walks off shaking his head. This leaves Barry alone calling out to him stating that he didn't react to his joke.

2. Alex's Hilariously Awkward Dilemma

After having a one night stand with Sara, Alex meets up with Kara late to the wedding complaining about how bright Earth-1 is and the lack of clouds. This then leads to an awkward reunion with Sara who nonchalantly brings up Alex falling out of bed to which Kara laughs at Alex's embarrassing secret. It's both a funny and adorable moment.

3. Mick Drinking & Sleeping During Important Moments

Whether it's Joe delivering a beautiful speech or Iris walking down the aisle, Mick only has his own personal priorities to attend to.

4. Mick's Awkward Reunion With Caitlin

Mick encounters Caitlin and asks "Didn't I try to kidnap you once?". This is a funny reference to his Season 1 criminal days being aligned with Captain Cold and trying to take down the Flash by any means.

5. Mick Wears Professor Stein's Robes

After watching over Jax, Stein turns around to find Mick wearing one of his robes.
Mick: "Professor, your daughter suggested that I don't walk around the house naked, so I found one of your dresses. You're out of milk."

6. Mick's Funny Connection With Barry

When trying to figure out whether or not he should sit on the groom or bride's side, Mick tells the usher "Considering I tried to kill the groom a couple times, it's best that I sit on the bride's side". 

7. Mick's Encounter With Police Chief David

When sitting next to Chief David, Mick exclaims that he hates cops followed by his hatred for lawyers once Cecile shows up.

8. Mick's Reaction To Killer Frost

In one of the most hilarious Mick reaction scenes, as Caitlin transforms into Killer Frost, Mick turns around in utter shock at her profound change of character. This causes him to stand up in excitement with his flamethrower once he sees her utilizing her powers

9. Kara Hovers When She Sleeps

Wait, has this always been a thing on Supergirl?

Episode Rating: 9/10

Barry Seal of Approval