Arrow: “Bratva”

Jim’s Thoughts

“Bratva” didn’t offer any surprises until the end. The entire time Ollie and company were in Russia, I kept thinking, “How is no one going to find out about this and connect the dots?” When Ollie’s reporter girlfriend and her partner in snooping did that, I got my answer. There’s no telling how this will pan out, but it could be something a little different.

The bulk of the episode seemed to rehash a lot of the same things the show has been exploring all along. Diggle found himself in a position Oliver’s been in a hundred times, weighing a thirst for revenge against his humanity. There wasn’t a lot to build on. Dinah having a heart-to-heart with Oliver rang false because she’s been on the team for about a cup of coffee, and she’s plenty haunted by her own past.

Rory’s robes stopped a nuke. That is a thing that happened. Do you buy it? No, I don’t either. It’s actually a little reassuring he’ll be leaving the team for a bit, because he’s clearly powerful enough to not need anyone else.

I’m still waiting for some hint as to why Talia needs to be in the picture. Oliver’s past with the Bratva in Russia is looking like an aborted storyline, with the exception of it coming into play this week. I get that Talia is bringing him full circle to becoming a vigilante, but I have no idea why she would care. Her character in the comics certainly wouldn’t.

We need more than references to Prometheus at this point. It’s good that we closed off John’s legal troubles, but Prometheus is the main story. Let’s get back to it.

Kyle’s Take

Well, Arrow closed off John’s legal troubles last week when he was exonerated of all charges. “Bratva” was a pathetic excuse to keep General Walker relevant for one more week—looks like anyone can walk out of a federal prison’s front door—because Arrow needs to pad its number of episodes, and Diggle could make the decision not to kill Walker, proving Ollie right. It’s the same old, same old, only with Arrow shuffling its deck of characters. I wonder if Arrow writes its scripts using an Arrow character deck of cards. 52 cards and we still haven’t drawn into Thea or Prometheus.

We did see the last episode that will center on Diggle for a while, so I’m sure we’ll get back to Prometheus. Arrow’s so disjointed that I don’t know what is the main story this season. Ollie’s main story should be Prometheus and he is the title character, but Bratva continues to be a player, Arrow can’t drop its superfluous flashbacks, and there’s an argument to be made for another character taking over Ollie’s role as the lead. The trump card right now is Felicity.

I’m sure we’ll see plenty of Felicity and her abuse of stolen government documents. Who doesn’t have a flash drive filled with every nation’s secrets? Arrow wants to make Felicity the main character. Most of what Ollie does is Star City centric, while Felicity is worldwide.

I guess Ragman’s outfit can stop a nuke. Sure. That suit could’ve come in handy at Ravenrock. Arrow needed to depower Rory, so the show can tack on another five or six episodes, and his short exit should make room for returning characters. I can hear the character deck shuffling.

Like I said last week, Talia is another way for Arrow to hitch its wagon to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. Ra’s trained Bruce, so Talia must train Ollie. It makes no sense for her character, but it further links the two franchises. It’s pandering.

The only development I liked during “Bratva” was when Ollie’s new bed partner figured out he was the Green Arrow. The media getting ahold of Ollie’s secret identity could make for a nice twist, but it’s another story line that could dominate an entire season if Arrow didn’t try to jam every remnant of a story into its quiver. I’d like some clarity.

I’m sure we’ll get some clarity next week. Perhaps Arrow will get back to Prometheus, or maybe Felicity will overthrow a small, island nation.

Thanks for reading.

Flash: “Untouchable”

Jim’s Thoughts

This week’s episode of Flash still didn’t do much of anything to advance the main story with Savitar. That’s something Kyle and I have gigged the show for these last few weeks, so I have to mention it now. The key difference is this week managed to serve as filler without feeling quite so much like it.

Cisco’s “vibing” is still pretty loosely defined, and this week took advantage of the gray area to advance the plot, but it took focus of the episode away from the weaker areas. It was nice seeing some attention brought back to Caitlin and her inner struggle to control Killer Frost. It was also nice to see Julian get some screen time helping her accomplish that. It could have been much better executed, and I’m afraid they’re using that moment to pair the two off in yet another groaner of a romance angle, but for now, it was something different.

We got another Villain of the Week. I doubt he’ll figure back into the plot later, and he was forgettable enough I’m not sure I’d remember him anyway, but Wally did take the opportunity to learn to phase. If nothing else, there’s a tiny bit of development, and that’s something to hang a hat on.

Looking ahead, Flash is advertising a two-episode-event with Gorilla Grodd on Earth 2. What that says to me is more stalling to fill time, but going back to Gorilla Grodd and the comic book lore might at least entertain me enough to not mind.

Kyle’s Take

“Untouchable” may not feel as much like filler because it mentioned Flashpoint. I can’t speak for Jim but I still think Flash intends—or needs—to return to Flashpoint and resolve the issues caused from the event. And Flashpoint is where and when Cisco vibes.

Cisco “vibing” to a timeline that no longer exists causes viewers to leap into disbelief or into the Atlantic-sized gray miasma surrounding how his powers work, but it does advance the plot. I guess that’s something. But between Flash and Vibe the Flash has a reset button for any occasion.

Refocusing on Caitlin’s struggle to control Killer Frost was a nice touch, but Flash only did this to reestablish her as a potential villain. Still, it’s a nice change and she’s a character that needs more development and screen time. It’s always nice to see Tom Felton (Julian/Alchemy) get more screen time, but romance can’t be too far away between he and Caitlin and if that happens, it’d be a shame. The few episodes Caitlin struggled as Killer Frost were the only times she was seen without a romantic interest, so she might devolve from the two-trick pony she currently is back to a one-trick pony.

To be fair the villain of the week served a similar function in Flash as he did in the comic book. In the comic, Clive Yorkin was believed to have killed Iris Allen, but it turned out to be Reverse-Flash. In the TV show, Savitar (a stand-in for Reverse-Flash) will kill Iris Allen-West, but “Untouchable” suggests that it might be Yorkin. Spoiler alert: Yorkin isn’t Iris’s killer. Clive Yorkin was mostly forgettable in the comics so I’m not that choked up that he’s forgettable in the TV series. He’s no Mirror Master, Dr. Alchemy, or Grodd.

I like seeing Grodd, even if venturing into the comic lore is nothing more than misdirection. The plot’s going nowhere, but look at the shiny. My preference would’ve been Grodd being developed more and becoming the big bad this season, but perhaps Flash has future plans beyond making Grodd a fun distraction.

I’m not sure I agree with Flash’s reintroduction of Earth-2 Harrison Wells at this moment. More than Wally learning how to phase, the biggest development was Barry’s transition from mentee to mentor. It’s done in Flash’s typical heavy-handed fashion, but mentor is a role Barry—and to a point Cisco—has never had prior to this season. Bringing back Wells could disrupt that development. We may be looking at a one step forward, two steps back scenario, but I’ll yell at that bridge if or when we get to it.

Overall “Untouchable” had most of the problems Jim and I have been moaning about for weeks, but it was watchable. That’s a step in the right direction.

Thanks for reading.

Supergirl: “The Martian Chronicles”

Kyle’s Thoughts

Well, I messed up last week’s writeup. The title of last week’s Supergirl was “We Can Be Heroes.” This week’s episode is the real “The Martian Chronicles.” Sorry for any confusion; I’ve fixed the titles so we should be good. Bad Kyle. Let’s get to this week’s episode of Supergirl.

“The Martian Chronicles” continued Supergirl’s recent trend of solid episodes. My largest complaint—and it’s a minor one really—is that Supergirl whipped through a lot of story in short order. It could’ve taken its time with the moment when someone was a shapeshifting, white Martian spy, and the means with which the gang figures out who’s who was too quick and easy. But I liked that Supergirl went this direction. With how “The Martian Chronicles” ended I’m sure we’ll see more Martian stories.

Supergirl’s development of white Martians as antagonists is the closest thing the CW has come to its development of Deathstroke. Furthermore, the CW did a better job relating a Supergirl storyline to our nation’s climate in “The Martian Chronicles” than it did earlier this season in “Welcome to Earth.” M’gann struggles with who she is, what she did during wartime, and her culture. She’s proof that not all white Martians are killers, and that message could be applied to several groups of people today, whether it’s ethnicity, political affiliation, or religion. It’s a universal theme that should have relevance years in the future.

The romantic interests continue to evolve and change, and that’s why I don’t mind them on Supergirl. The CW doesn’t do a good job with romance. Jim and I have dinged all the CW superhero shows for bad romance, but Supergirl comes at the subject from different angles. Unrequited love, missed connections, social awkwardness, and sexual preference (in a non-sensationalistic way) are at home on Supergirl. It’s refreshing. It rings true, or at least truer than any other Arrowverse show (in terms of romance). My only gripe—and it’s another small one—is that “The Martian Chronicles” ended with a romantic note. This marks the second week in a row Supergirl ended with romance. It’s not bad, but I’d prefer if Supergirl varied its episodes’ punctuation.

I’m not sure what Supergirl’s endgame is this season. Since white Martians have been resolved, I’d imagine the Luthors are back in play. The Luthors could make a compelling big bad, but Supergirl must re-establish this arc before long. If next week’s episode is any indication, we could be in for a thrilling Luthor misadventure.

Thanks for reading.

Powerless: “Wayne or Lose”

Kyle’s Thoughts

Powerless is DC’s version of Marvel’s Damage Control, a comic focused on the people who clean up after superhero battles, and an answer to last year’s Deadpool. The individual parts of the cast are excellent, but they don’t add up to much in the show’s pilot “Wayne or Lose.”

The show roped me in with Danny Pudi (Community), Ron Funches (standup comedy), and Alan Tudyk (Firefly) in starring roles, but “Wayne or Lose” was nothing more than an Eighties comedy plot in the world of superheroes. A group of downtrodden misfits (Pudi, Funches, and Christina Kirk) lose their will to fight their oppressive boss Tudyk, who wants the group to fail so he can relocate to Gotham. Along comes a “we can do it” motivator Vanessa Hudgens to save everyone’s jobs.

Set that story at a university (with Tudyk as the dean) and you’ve got every 80s-college comedy. Change the characters to cops and you get Police Academy. The brand of comedy is stale, but there’s the superhero aspect too.

I liked Deadpool. I’m not sure if Deadpool marks critical mass for comic book themed shows. Universal monsters were as popular as superheroes once, until Abbot and Costello Meet movies, which lampooned the oversaturated genre, trumpeted the end of the era, but that’s a discussion for another time. Regardless of whether this is the beginning of the end for superhero movies or not, the first parody/satire is usually the most effective.

Powerless is no Deadpool. The “sorry, not sorry” brand of humor worked better coming from the Merc with a mouth. Making fun of a super powered jump while still showing a super powered jump provided a chuckle. Having six or seven characters connect the dots between Bruce Wayne and Batman but refusing to make the connection turns them into fools. It also questions the intelligence of everyone who doesn’t know Batman’s identity in the DC universe. Plus, the show’s name is Powerless, even though we see plenty of characters with powers.

I didn’t like the pilot, but the cast could turn this around. I want to see Funches, Tudyk, and Pudi succeed. I’m just not sure they’ll be able to turn Powerless around before I lose interest.

Thanks for reading.

Arrow: “Second Chances”

Jim’s Thoughts

I want to start off with some good things about “Second Chances,” but “things” is a plurality, and I’m not sure I can fill that quota. Let me just say that fans of DC Comics might be happy that we have a slightly more true-to-the-comics version of Black Canary, even if buying in means believing it’s raining “Dinahs” in the world.

Last week I mentioned these writers don’t know much about The Uniform Code of Military Justice, and I excused them because they aren’t writing a Tom Clancy novel. This week they pushed that forgiveness pretty far. Having Felicity hack the NSA, then get that flash drive from the “hacktivist” group was lazy. It’s not the UCMJ at this point that’s being ignored, it’s common sense. Does anyone really think a court (ANY court) would permit a defendant to be exonerated using hacked (illegally obtained) information from a government database? Simply being in possession of that flash drive wouldn’t just get Diggle’s lawyer disbarred, it’d make him Diggle’s cellmate. Also, generals being investigated for treason aren’t allowed to launch special forces missions to begin with, so the whole thing asks too much of me in suspending disbelief.

On the Felicity front, her entire subplot was unbearable, even by her standards. Seeing a fangirl ooze over her was hard to watch. The dialogue was unnatural and uninteresting. My only hope at this point is that Felicity will take her call to action to return to hacktivism and leave the show.

The story with the new Black Canary didn’t do much for me. Recruiting her went pretty much the same as recruiting all the others in the new team. There was nothing surprising about it, and there isn’t much to her character beyond angry/revenge-driven person that we’ve seen from almost everyone.

The Talia flashback didn’t offer much. I’m not sure why we’re supposed to believe Talia cares about Oliver taking up the role of vigilante. Maybe they’ll explain it, but I have my doubts.

This episode wasn’t a step back, but it didn’t do anything to advance the story of Prometheus. As with Flash, I get the feeling the writers are dragging their feet.

Kyle’s Take

“Second Chances” came off as a desperate attempt to recapture a little bit of Arrow’s, and even DC’s, glory days. I’m okay with the attempt but it reeked of desperation.

Felicity’s flashback episode was one of the most highly rated episodes a few seasons ago. This week’s Arrow resurrected her past life as a “hacktivist,” and it’s clear her backstory is meant to replace Diggle’s incarceration, no matter how ridiculous the conclusion to Diggle’s arc. Arrow wanted Diggle back on the team, recapturing a little of what made Arrow popular. Having Diggle in prison was doomed to fail. Arrow and the CW was never going to express the military court system effectively. It was done poorly. I’m not sure if it could’ve been handled worse, but how Diggle factors into the show going forward remains problematic. Will Felicity’s “hacktivism” suck the air from any other side stories? We’ll have to see.

The show also spikes in popularity whenever a popular, new hero is revealed or when a new Black Canary (or Siren) is announced. Enter a new Black Canary. Her origin is a paint-by-numbers new recruit story. The show already has a large cast—and I’m still not convinced some things will be undone after Flashpoint is resolved—so added new characters makes Arrow even more bloated. We haven’t seen the last of (Laurel) Katie Cassidy.

And then there’s the callback to one of the cinematic DC’s glory days: an Al’ Ghul training a vigilante. Arrow teased that Talia Al’ Ghul trained Ollie. That doesn’t sound like Ras Al’ Ghul (Talia’s daddy) training Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins at all.

Arrow’s regurgitating story lines from its—and DC cinema’s—glory days. It’s not necessarily bad, but it’s not original and I’m not sure how much tension can be achieved with numerous episodes ignoring Prometheus.

P.S. Jim’s reference of “it’s raining Dinahs” got me singing and dancing. It’s raining Dinahs. Hallelujah! It’s raining Dinahs. Hey, hey, hey!

Thanks for reading.

Flash: “Dead or Alive”

Jim’s Thoughts

There isn’t a lot to say about this week’s episode of Flash. It came across as filler. The main story didn’t see any progress but for the teaser at the end where Barry tells Wally he’ll be the one to save Iris. That doesn’t do anything to fight that feeling of the show dragging its feet Kyle and I addressed last week.

I could go on about Iris being dull, but is there anything more I can say? I will concede it was kind of nice seeing her say she wanted a role in the world larger than daughter, sister, or girlfriend, but talk is cheap. Considering next week’s preview seems to put her in the damsel in distress role again, I’m not confident in a meaningful progression for her.

If I can pick on one small thing here, it’ll be this: why would Gypsy refer to her powers as “vibing?” Isn’t that just Cisco’s word? It’s a nitpick, but I was genuinely annoyed by it. Unfortunately, the larger gripe is that Cisco’s moment in the spotlight boiled down to him having another crush. Once again, the CW hits the romance button.

The scene with Iris freaking Joe out about having a baby with Barry made for a decent bit of levity. I credit Jesse L. Martin’s performance for that.

Again, this was a filler episode, but it still managed to be a step-up from last week, and that should say something. Flash needs to get its act together or it risks a two-season-long slump to rival Arrow’s.

Kyle’s Take

The dog days of CW shows hit Flash early this year. Usually we get a couple of solid weeks, solidifying the main story arc, but this season Flash hit filler right after the break.

I’m not buying Iris’s leap of comparing herself to her mother; it’s another way to slap fans with the West family drama that caused last season to crawl. I agree that Iris hasn’t done anything beyond serve as a damsel in distress. I don’t want her to take over Team Flash like Felicity has taken over Team Arrow, but Iris needs to become the reporter who writes the future article about the Flash. Currently, she isn’t. I could—potentially—get somewhat invested with the showdown Flash wants to herald as the season finale if Iris was more integral.

Arrow and Flash could take notes from Supergirl’s romances. Cisco doesn’t need to crush on every woman in which he comes into contact. That goes for every other character in the Arrowverse. I’m not devoid a romantic bone, but romance doesn’t need to be a plot device that’s used whenever you need to pad an episode to forty minutes. Build a relationship between the characters in question and romance can bloom.

I agree with Jim’s nitpick. Word choice is key. I’d be okay with Gypsy referring to the powers she and Cisco share as “vibing” if she hinted that she knew the Cisco (Vibe) on her earth. While it’s possible she could develop that term independently from Cisco, it’s improbable. It’s not like Cisco has telepathy, flight, or super strength. Vibing is a unique term.

The scene Jim mentioned (about Iris freaking Joe out about having a baby with Barry) was saved by Jesse L. Martin. I had a chuckle at that moment, but Martin had little to work with from his fellow actors in that scene. Jesse L. Martin is a stand out.

It concerns me that Flash has dropped two less than stellar episodes after the holidays. I’m strapping myself in for a long winter.

Thanks for reading.

Supergirl: “We Can Be Heroes”

Kyle’s Thoughts

I’m grading “We Can Be Heroes” on a curve. As far as I can tell this week’s episode had some great developments, but only time will tell if Supergirl can deliver.

Let’s start with a minor gripe. I’ve said plenty of times before that I don’t like Jimmy Olsen as the Guardian. Supergirl wants to turn him into an ersatz-Batman and, to the show’s credit, it does a good job of differentiating the characters (from the ones they’re replacing) to make this budding superhero relationship fresh. Still, the Guardian detracts from J’onn J’onnz.

The episode’s name “The Martian Chronicles” shows this week’s focus: Martian Manhunter. I’m glad the show hasn’t forgotten J’onn exists, and the teaser we got near the end of this episode (minor spoiler) is that the white Martians are coming. Bring on the white Martians. Supergirl’s development of the white Martians as a threat is the closest thing the CW has done to set up a villain (or group of villains) since Deathstroke, and I loved Arrow’s Deathstroke story arc.

My only concern—and the biggest reason I’m grading Supergirl on a curve—is that I’m not sure if Supergirl has too many irons in the fire that the white Martians are a red herring and there’s another, under-developed villain to take their place as this season’s big bad. But I’ll yell at that bridge if we get to it. Until then, I’m going to enjoy the renewed focus on J’onn and the build up to what should be a fun showdown.

Livewire was also back this week. Livewire is to Supergirl what Captain Cold was to the Flash, so I’m not that thrilled to see her, but Supergirl presented a new wrinkle to Supergirl and Livewire’s relationship. I’m cautiously optimistic for where the show might take them.

“We Can Be Heroes” may have concluded with Mon-El proclaiming his deep like for Kara, but romance continues to take a backseat on Supergirl, and for that, I’m grateful. The CW has gone out of its way to make Maggie and Alex’s relationship look normal when compared with the rest of the network’s relationships: no sister swapping. I’m hoping Mon-El and Kara—and potentially M’Gann (Miss Martian) and J’onn (Martian Manhunter)—will follow their lead. So far, so good. Mon-El and Kara have been playing footsie for half a season and it took some time for Mon-El to express his feelings. The CW could devolve these relationships to its customary bed hopping, but again, I’ll yell at that bridge if we get to it.

I guess I have one other minor complaint: dialogue. CW shows aren’t the best example of good dialogue, and I tend to overlook most of those problems, but “We Can Be Heroes” had some cringeworthy moments. Characters fed us plot, moments were over-the-top and forced, and Livewire was her typical hokey self. Oddly enough, Supergirl’s dialogue worked best within the confines of its love interests. Mon-El and Kara were natural and appropriately awkward when Mon-El expressed himself and Kara didn’t reciprocate, and the bets Maggie and Alex made with each other where fun.

The dog days of CW shows (a month or two after the midseason break padded with filler) are around the corner, let’s hope Supergirl can maintain some of the momentum it’s gained over the past couple of weeks.

Thanks for reading.

Arrow: “Who Are You”

Jim’s Thoughts

Arrow’s return wasn’t as bad as Flash’s, but I think some of that is attributable to variety. There was plenty to pick on with “Who Are You.” Once again, Felicity is trying to be cute, and she’s allowed to take too much focus. If there was a good reason for her to be with the group when they confronted Black Siren and Prometheus, I didn’t catch it. All her presence did was give the writers a lazy excuse to distract Oliver and let Prometheus escape. As for her giving orders, I’m not buying it. Maybe you can argue that the group respects Felicity because she’s been the gentle hand coaching them through dealing with Oliver, but that doesn’t make her a field tactician.

Black Siren’s story went as expected. It feels like a cheat to keep Katie Cassidy (the actress) floating around and not technically “undoing” Laurel’s death, so it’s hard to take much interest there.

Diggle’s story is a little flat right now. The writers clearly don’t know much about the Uniform Code of Military Justice, but it’s the CW, not a Tom Clancy novel, and Dig’s story might be the most interesting thing going on right now, so I’ll forgive it.

Frankly, I’m just glad to see something happening on a CW show that isn’t driven by a romance angle. I’ve already had my fill of the many hump-buddies of Oliver and Felicity, so let’s start making Diggle a viable character again.

The recruits continue to be a weak spot here too. Wild Dog is becoming increasingly annoying, and it’s hard to believe in his potential when we’ve only ever seen him get his head handed to him. The same goes for the rest of the team. Curtis is supposed to be an Olympian, right? How is it that some kickboxing classes made Laurel into Black Canary, but being a world class athlete doesn’t mean Curtis can run without tripping over his own feet?

Here’s hoping the final confrontation with Prometheus pays off. The show seems to be stalling to drag that out, and the more that happens, the harder the let-down will be.

Kyle’s Take

Jim summed it up best with his first sentence, so I’ll paraphrase him. Arrow’s return wasn’t good, but at least it wasn’t this week’s Flash.

Arrow’s attempt to make Diggle a meaningful character is commendable, even if his story arc makes little sense, regarding military procedures. Arrow needs a story thread that isn’t driven by romance. I’ve had to watch Supergirl for my dose of a CW show devoid of bed hopping.

I don’t get why Wild Dog feels like he has the right to give Curtis a pep talk (about getting his butt kicked on the regular), when Wild Dog’s combat win percentage is close to Curtis’s. And why can’t Curtis kick butt? Arrow is more interested in making him a male version of Felicity that the show forgets he’s a world class athlete. Arrow’s lack of awareness comes off as insensitive to homosexuals, especially since Felicity, who kick boxes to stay in shape not take on baddies, got to deliver the knockout blow for this week’s villain. Move over, Felicity. That was Curtis’s win.

There really isn’t much left to say. I could find something good about this week’s Supergirl, Flash was dreadful, and Arrow had enough other things going on that it distracted its viewers from the fact that it suffers from the same huge problem as Flash. Both shows are dragging their feet to set up a big showdown. But Arrow’s more disappointing. It took its time with Deathstroke, giving that villain a slow boil that encompassed multiple seasons. I’d like to see any CW superhero show do that again, but I doubt Prometheus will last more than one season.

Wait. I can find something good about this week’s Arrow. I like this week’s episode title: “Who Are You.” I threw on The Who and jammed.

Thanks for reading.

Flash: “Borrowing Problems from the Future”

Jim’s Thoughts

Flash came back with a whimper, and all the same things are wrong here. Kyle and I have been beating the Flashpoint drum all season long, but this episode also doubled down on the Barry/Iris romance.

I could harp on these things some more, but I’d rather focus on areas I’ve covered less. The dialogue on CW shows is never much to brag about, but this week’s Flash tested my patience with the constant heart-to-hearts. If I hear one more time that “you can talk to me about anything, you know,” I might just pass out from boredom.

In the area of suspending disbelief, I can’t give this episode a pass. It’s just too convenient that Barry tracked down the info he needed when Cisco vibed him because every member of his circle made headline news on the day in question. It’s just lazy, especially when “Star Labs Museum Closes” makes headline news four months after no one went to its opening.

There’s more to pick on here, but I’ll cut to the chase. Flash committed the mortal sin no comic book/comic book movie/comic book show ever should. It was boring. Halfway through the season, I’m losing hope that they’ll right the ship.

Kyle’s Take

I agree with Jim, but I’d extend the mortal sin of “don’t be boring” to all forms of artistic expression, not just comic books.

Flash is losing me. “Borrowing Problems from the Future” illustrated the show’s mishandling of Flashpoint; it’s the main reason the episode was so boring. To be fair the episode’s title holds some truth. Flash is borrowing problems—in terms of storytelling—from the future. Flash has nothing new to say until after Barry has his showdown with Savitar or goes back in time.

The abundance of heart-to-heart talks grated on my nerves too. The CW loves to throw in heart-to-hearts, so I’ve made my peace with the volume. While I agree with Jim that this week’s episode had more than its fair share, my biggest issue is that some of the people involved with these conversations made no sense. Barry tells Wally he can come to him with anything. Really? I haven’t seen those two do much more than exchange pleasantries.

Every member of Team Flash had their share of awkward exchanges to the point where Dr. Alchemy’s poor social skills fits in with the group. That’s right, Alchemy is part of the team now because of Caitlin’s sudden friendship, or at least kinship, with the former villain. You said something you shouldn’t, Alchemy? Don’t worry. Everyone on the team said something that was out of character this week.

The scene where Cisco vibes rubbed me the wrong way too. Not only does each member of Team Flash make headlines, generating the parade route for Flash to crawl its way to Savitar, it’s a cheat for time travel. Barry isn’t technically time traveling, but he may as well be.

Oh, and since when can Cisco bring someone along when he vibes to a specific time and stay long enough for that someone to read a news ticker? And since when can Cisco time vibe in the first place? While Cisco has brought people over from different worlds (with help), he’s never time vibed, let along time vibe with a friend to a specific time and location. That scene’s existence is too convenient. Maybe someone power leveled their role-playing character over the break.

I could go on, but the big take away is that the Savitar showdown isn’t supposed to happen for four months. Four months. Are we supposed to wait four months for anything new to happen? I don’t know if I can make it four months.

Thanks for reading.

Supergirl: “Supergirl Lives”

Kyle’s Thoughts

Hi, guys. Long time, no talk.

Jim and I took our holiday break. We ate too much, and I’ve hoarded about 20-30 cartons of Southern Comfort Egg Nog. I know what you’re thinking, I’m sobering up, but Southern Comfort Egg Nog is non-alcoholic. Since it’s designed to have the liquor added to it, that egg nog is so thick and creamy. My mouth is watering; I may have just enough egg nog to white knuckle it to next holiday season. Enough about food and drink, let’s kick off the new year with a Supergirl write up.

“Supergirl Lives” had the usual highs and lows of a Supergirl episode (staying true to the character with some poor dialogue), but overall, it was an enjoyable 45 minutes. Kevin Smith directed this episode. I know a lot of comic book critics and fellow geeks are supposed to salivate over anything Kevin Smith—and I do enjoy plenty of his work (Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob)—but “Kevin Smith directed” isn’t a huge draw for me. To be fair, I try not to get starry eyed with any director.

Smith’s daughter Harley Quinn Smith also made an appearance, and she did a decent job as a damsel in distress prop. Wait. Isn’t Harley Quinn Smith supposed to be a baby or toddler? Is the Harley Quinn character over 20-years-old? Kevin Smith’s daughter is supposed to be the same age as my daughter. Wait. Season turned 19 today. Happy birthday, Season.

Okay. I’ll stay on track from now on. “Supergirl Lives” stays true to the Supergirl character. She’s the type of person who would run into a burning building (powers or not). That’s a welcome change from the DC cinematic universe, which gives us a reluctant Superman and Wonder Woman. Whether she can fly or not, Kara Danvers is a hero.

The dialogue was not as super. There were moments where Kara utters the words (and I’m paraphrasing), I’d be a hero with or without powers. That wasn’t on the nose dialogue, that was up the audience’s nose. You will absorb who Kara Danvers is, even if we must cram it in your head. But Supergirl—like most CW superhero shows—typically has spot on dialogue, so I’ll say again, the message is the right one for Supergirl. The show knows Kara.

I still don’t like Jimmy Olsen as a superhero. Fortunately, we aren’t subjected to a lot of the Guardian. It’s an also-ran plot line that does nothing for the show.

I do like how Supergirl has handled Alex and Maggie’s relationship up to this point, but “Supergirl Lives” dropped the ball a little. Alex and Maggie had a big spat that was turned into a smaller one; it was resolved too quickly for my taste. I’m not so sure Maggie would accept Alex with open arms after how she was treated, since she was concerned going into this relationship that Alex would act the way she acted this week. But I’ll give the writers a pass.

This week’s threat incorporated a lot of characters we’ve seen in the past, which was good, but it served to tie up some loose story threads and didn’t do a lot for the overall story arc. I’m not buying the aliens after Mon-El angle, but perhaps that’s because Supergirl hasn’t developed that angle as well as it could. I’m sure that’ll change in the next few weeks.

“Supergirl Lives” also uses the tired trope of a powerless Kryptonian subjected to red sunlight. It’s not bad, but I thought I should mention that it’s been done—a lot. Martian Manhunter couldn’t fly to Kara’s aid, because the planet had a toxic atmosphere to him and not to humans, which came off as another forced plot device. Again, I get why Supergirl did this, but it’s more than a little convenient. Or in this case purposefully inconvenient.

I know it sounds like I didn’t enjoy “Supergirl Lives,” but it was a solid episode if only for one thing: it shined a light on what makes Supergirl who she is. It can’t be overstated. Supergirl knows its main character, and it’s nice to see someone from the House of El portrayed like they’re from the House of El in a live-action show. Now if only the cinematic Kal-El will act more like Superman, we’d be set.

Happy belated new year and thanks for reading.