Jessie Robertson reviews part 2 of The CW’s DC crossover event Elseworlds…
Remember, the Wi-Fi password is Alfred!
The Good:
– I liked tonight’s intro better than the normal Arrow intro!
– So tonight’s episode was all about Gotham City; it looks and feels more like an audition for a new show than an important piece of the puzzle; just placing Deegan in Arkham Asylum gives you the motive to be here, but other than that, it’s a short pilot. That being said, there was a lot to like. Batman and Batman lore has an inherit interesting quality to it that can hook you but I like their gumption to try something different with it. Batman is gone, has been for years (along with Bruce Wayne) and as Oliver tells Barry, “The Batman is a myth.” That is, until they find a Bat-Signal. Gotham is a dead town, taking over by the super wealthy and super criminal.
– Once in Arkham, it feels more like Easter than Christmas with all these eggs laying around! A nurse saying Frost would fit right in here, seeing both Clayface and Riddler’s cells (along with a short riddle on the wall) finding Victor Fries Freeze Gun and Scarecrow’s Fear Gas are all amazing little tidbits that put you right inside the world. Was that goon with the golden mask a member of the Court of Owls? Who knows – but what is true, is Batwoman, in action, was balls out amazing. She looked fantastic and ripped directly from the pages of a comic book. Don’t forget Bane’s mask chilling in plain sight!
– Speaking of plain sight, Shakespeare’s bust from the Batman ’66 show??? These guys were having a blast designing this show and there’s probably a ton more I missed!
– The duality of Oliver and Barry continues to play the large part in this crossover; but I realized in this episode, Barry sort of losing it a bit in the Oliver persona seems to really be giving Oliver some perspective. It didn’t surprise me one bit Team Arrow lied to Felicity when she showed up; it’s their MO! But I was surprised no one made a joke of it, like in Part 1.
– Caitlin had one small scene where she tries to make Felicity feel better and I realized, my God, if we all only had a friend like Caitlin in our lives!!
The Cool But Questionable:
– Did they do enough with Gotham to make it enough to see a show? I mean, a really awful, gratuitous show named Gotham is ending this year; can we go back with an all new version? Ruby Rose certainly looked the part and the action was fantastic but besides just being good ole’ corrupt Gotham City, not a lot really drew you in.
– Batwoman and Supergirl immediately seem to have a connection but you could almost write that cheesy World’s Finest crack at the end.
– Ugh….this crossover was not strong enough to keep Felicity’s bizarre turn out of it’s mouth from this season. Why was that whole group of people, some of which she hasn’t seen since last year’s crossover speaking openly about her marriage and the state of her love with her husband? It felt so on the nose I wish I couldn’t smell anymore.
– The “b” plot was way less exciting on this show than on Flash….until John Wesley Shipp showed up.
– Let’s hope there’s way more for Supergirl to do on her episode tomorrow night as this crossover is strictly about Barry & Oliver
– The Oliver speaking as Barry speech felt way cornier than Barry’s to Iris last night; let’s hope that snapped some things back into reality over in Star City.
– Please tell me that’s not it of John Wesley Shipp!!!
Pretty good episode tonight, a lot of window dressing but I was biting on a lot of it. I love the idea Monitor presented as the over-arching plot and again, I keep saying it, this is a comic book come to life. Rating: 8/10
Best Moment of the night:
“I could never compare myself to a total badass like the Batman” – Barry as he slowly turns and flashes the shittiest little brother smile at Oliver! Priceless!!
Jessie Roberton
