Crisis on Earth-X: The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow Overview

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Previously, on Crisis on Earth-X

This review will serve as this week’s review of The Flash S4E8 and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow S3E8 so it’s a bit more detailed than my review of the first two parts.

The second half of the DCTV crossover kicked off with our heroes (and villains) on different Earths, and some even in a different time period.

Barry, Oliver, Sara, Alex, Stein, and Jax are in an Earth-X concentration camp while Dark Arrow and Eobard Thawne have taken over S.T.A.R. Labs to transplant Kara’s heart into Overgirl. Members of all of the teams — Cisco, Caitlin, Dinah (Juliana Harkavy), Rene (Rick Gonzalez), Wells, and Mick are locked in the pipeline. Iris and Felicity are also hiding in the labs, looking for an opportunity to free their friends. They send an S.O.S. to the Legends aboard the Waverider, but they’re not sure where in time they are and how long it might take for them to receive the message.

The captives on Earth-X are confronted by the man in charge of the camp, Sturmbannführer (Paul Blackthorne), who is disgusted to see his daughter’s Earth-1 doppelgånger (Sara) is also queer. He orders the execution of Sara, her friends, and a gay meta-human from Earth-1, Ray Terrill/The Ray (Russell Tovey). They’re rescued by Earth-X’s Leonard Snart (call him Leo), Citizen Cold (Wentworth Miller). He and Ray agree to help our heroes return home via a heavily guarded temporal gateway, but their resistance leader, Earth-X’s Winn Schott (Jeremy Jordan), wants to stick to their original plan to blow it up so that their führer, Dark Arrow, and Overgirl are unable to return.

Alex convinces Winn to give them an hour to get out, but goes back on his word before they make it and launches Red Tornado to take out the facility and any chance they have to return to Earth-1. While Barry and Ray take on Red Tornado, the rest breach the facility (using Oliver as a führer stand-in). Oliver’s cover is blown when Sturmbannführer tells him to kill Earth-X’s Felicity, a camp prisoner caught sneaking food to starving children. Still, they’re all able to make it through the gateway before Schott can destroy it, but Stein is shot in the escape fusing with Jax is the only thing keeping him alive when they get back home.

Iris and Felicity manage to free Kara after Felicity shuts off the power in the labs and encrypts them from being restored. They’re stopped by Metallo-X before they can get away, and Kara agrees to undergo the operation if Thawne will spare Felicity’s life and gives her permission to restore the power.

Thawne’s operation is once again stopped by Ray (Brandon Routh), shrunken down in order to stop the scalpel from cutting into Kara. With the help of the remaining Legends — Amaya (Maisie Richardson-Sellers), Nate (Nick Zano), and Zari (Tala Ashe) — the others are freed as well. They reunite with the Earth-1 escapees (including Ray and Leo) aboard the Waverider.

The final hour gets off to a heartbreaking start. Even after they separate, Stein’s wounds are beyond Gideon’s capabilities and they’re killing Jax as well. Stein convinces Jax to let him take the serum he made that would separate them permanently. This would save Jax, but leave Stein to die from his wounds. After a tearful goodbye, Martin Stein dies. Jax then goes to his home to tell Clarissa and Lily.

The Earth-X invaders are not out, and armed with their own army and Nazi Waverider, they prepare to invade Central City. Every suits up, including Curtis (Echo Kellum) for a final battle. In the end, Overgirl’s body explodes due to the overload of radiation and Kara barely makes it tossing her body into orbit before it does; Barry has an opportunity to kill Thawne, but lets him go instead; and Oliver, who has no such qualms about killing, puts an arrow in Dark Arrow’s heart.

There’s a lovely service held for Martin Stein and the heroes depart for their respective homes — except Leo, who decides to stay behind on Earth-1 for a bit.

Barry and Iris decide not to press fate any longer and opt for a very impromptu ceremony with Diggle officiating and Felicity and Oliver as their witnesses. As they’re about to be pronounced man and wife, Felicity interrupts and asks Diggle to also marry her and Oliver.

And I can’t fucking even.

Good 

This was a nearly flawless crossover event, leaps and bounds better than the first two. The story was tight — though a bit risky (Nazis? Really?) — and making it feel like a four-hour movie instead of watching four separate episodes of our separate shows served the story well. The effects were some of the best I’ve seen across the DCTV universe and they really nailed coming up with inventive ways for our heroes to combine their talents and powers. I was particularly impressed with how well Caitlin’s Killer Frost has command over her powers, and watching her create an ice bridge to slide her, Amaya, and Zari aboard the Nazi’s Waverider was awesome.

Wentworth Miller is just the best. Leo Snart was just as snarky as his Earth-1 counterpart, but it was a nice surprise to find he’s a more caring and optimistic guy. Also, kudos for allowing two openly gay actors (Miller and Tovey) portray openly gay superheroes who are also in love. It’s a shame Miller will soon be done with the role in all variations because he’s been one of the greatest highlights of this universe.

They also managed to skillfully incorporate the women who don’t have superpowers into the mix and allow them to be heroes as well. Iris and Felicity saving themselves repeatedly and Supergirl is so much better than having Felicity provide tech support and quirky one-liners and having Iris just be absent as they did in earlier crossovers.

I know they’re Nazis (and damn they went FULL FUCKING NAZI with these characters), but Dark Arrow and Overgirl were so much fun to watch and that’s mainly due to Melissa Benoist. I’m honestly considering upping my Supergirl viewing from casual to weekly. She’s such a talented actress and really sold this darker version of Kara.

The whole squad taking on Metallo-X was amazing as was the effects on Red Tornado.

Candice Patton and Grant Gustin acted their entire asses off reading their vows. They’re just so damn good in these roles.

Evil

I cannot believe they killed Stein. He was SO CLOSE to having a happy ending and the character didn’t deserve this. I would have much rather he had been allowed to just retire and teach his grandson to play chess. I’m also a little grossed out that they let a Jewish character be killed by Nazis.

And speaking of Nazis… I mean… I get it. Punching Nazis is hot right now — as it SHOULD BE (seriously, punch all the Nazis all the time) — but damn. Nazis. And they were legit Nazis. Overgirl was very happy to be White and blonde and Aryan. Those were actual words that left her mouth.

I honestly don’t know if I can type how fucking disturbed I am by this double wedding nonsense. It was so out-of-pocket, and just… bad. Who wrote that shit? Whose bright idea was it? In what fucking universe would another woman interrupt the “I now pronounce you” part to get married at another woman’s wedding? Unless this is their way of finally acknowledging Oliver and Felicity are both trash-ass individuals… and even then, I don’t like it. Full rant on tonight’s podcast.

Questions

What does Jax do now? Is he leaving? If so, can we get Wally on Legends? You know, a show that might actually use his and the actor’s considerable talents… please?

Why did Leo Snart stay behind? Is he going to try to help Mick through the grieving process of losing Stein? Lord knows Mick doesn’t do feelings well. I don’t care why he’s around; I’m just glad we get more Wentworth Miller.

Leave your brief thoughts on parts 3 and 4 below or on our Facebook post for this review, and we’ll read them on tonight’s podcast.