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The ARROWVERSE (Flash, Arrow, Supergirl, Legends,etc)

So, saw Supergirl and, without spoiling, not only does John Cryer's Lex Luthor make up for Superman IV, but I'd go so far as to say it makes up for Batman V Superman. ;)
 
I agree.  Cryer brought the right balance of menace, madness and mastermind.

Easily superior to whatever it was Eisenberg was trying to do.

Cryer's Luthor will be present for the remainder of the season, with the season finale entitled "The Quest for Peace".  :D

The surprise reveal that a certain secondary character, who has been floating around the background for 2 seasons, was actually a spy for Luthor this whole time brought me a smile.   Though am I really to believe the producers were planning the long con all this time, or it was just fortunate happenstance that DC lifted their embargo on Lex?

Regardless, it was a wonderful reveal.

How much of the other subplots these past seasons will also turn out to be the manipulations of Lex?
 
bionicbob said:
How much of the other subplots these past seasons will also turn out to be the manipulations of Lex?
Click to expand...

Would be a great way to bring resolution to the "Maxwell Lord is in control of the Myriad mind control device from the season 1 finale" plot thread that was just dropped once the show jumped from CBS to CW.
 
Supergirl - "The House of L"

Jon Cryer delivers delicious comic booky villainy!  This is the most comic book live action version of Lex Luthor ever done, and the show is better for it.  Cryer steals every scene.

Alexander Luthor.
Alex Danvers.

Alex.  The show steals the Martha Moment and does it sooooo much better. 

The Red Daughter storyline finally kicks off and I wonder if it is leading to President Lex for season five?

All in all, Supergirl is soaring high!  :D  But will it stumble on its landing as it has in past seasons?
 
ARROW returned this week and sort of did their versions of Birds of Prey, with all the Canaries teaming up -- Laurel-2, Sara, Dinah and Felicity -- some nice action sequences and closure on Laurel-2's storyline.  An above average episode due to the great scenes between Laurel-2 and Sara, though it does feel like the writers are beginning the tidying/wrapping up process for the final season.

Meanwhile on LEGENDS, last week's return episode was sort of bland by Legends standards... the Nixon storyline brought a few chuckles, while Nate and Hanks' short live reconciliation was sweet...

Though this week's episode was a return to over the top fun madness.... Hank's funeral and a seance, Jane Austin and Bollywood... over all a very fun episode, even if it did not stick to the landing... the reveal of Project Hades was utterly WTF disappointing!  

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRYPZFiH-jk[/video]
 
FLASH's return last night was really FUN.  Lots of Silver Age Comic Book style storytelling.
Basically it was the Secret Origin of XS... with tons of enjoyable nods back to the series pilot episode.
The Godspeed costume looked amazing!  DB Wong providing the appropriate menacing villain voice.
As usual, when it comes to Thawne, Barry goes off the rails.
And again, some key tidbits about the coming CRISIS aftermath.
Solid episode for me.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd_5FUI3Li8[/video]
 
I thought this was really well fan edited and hit all the right emotional buttons....

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djQ4JLNzBJo[/video]
 
It's official, BATWOMAN has been given a series order by the CW...

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzNYUWX2eYY[/video]

No specific details yet, but I am guessing it will be a mid-season premiere taking over ARROW'S slot once it finishes it's 10 episode final season run.

All the Arrowverse shows are racing towards the season finishing line, Arrow has one episode left, while I think Flash, Legends and Supergirl have 2.

It's been an interesting season, each show with it's own strengths and weaknesses.  Legends probably remains the most consistently goofy fun, though they crossed ridiculous line a few too many times this season even by Legends standards.  Flash still remains my personal fave, a pretty even season though lacking in any true stand out moments.  In someways, Arrow is the opposite of Flash, with many, many stand out moments tied together by an underwhelming unifying arc.  Supergirl has really upped its game this last quarter, and it will be interesting to see if it can finally stick to its landing.

:D
 
ARROW -- Season Seven Finale "You Have Saved This City"

It's mid-May, so Star City is once again under attack, both in the present and in the future.  Nice to know some things never change.
Directed by James Bamford, thus the fight and stunt work is amazeballs as per usual.

Much like the entire season, the finale had some very good, even powerful, moments but the actual arc resolution was very underwhelming.  Arrow has always struggled with it's large cast, more so than any other Arrowverse show, and the introduction of the Flash Forwards this season did not help matters.   Story is not allowed to breath, plot is not allowed to develop.... everything happens at an accelerated rate, and too often, off screen and resolved with awkward exposition.

Thus, the rapid fire cutting back and forth to the present and future, undermined the full impact and power of both story arcs.  

The Good:
--Stephen Amell.  How much he has evolved as an actor since season one is incredible.  He has delivered one powerhouse performance after another all season long, and this finale was no different.   And while many fans dislike the Olicity, the chemistry he has with Rickards is undeniable, and that final scene they had together was a tearjerker.
--the producers surprising had some money left in the budget, as there were some very cool (by CW standards) FX work 
--nice reunion of many past characters including Bronze Tiger and Laurel-2
--The closing of the circle of family violence, and Ollie's forgiveness of Emiko was a strong moment and Shimooka gave a solid closing performance
--The resolution of the Flash Forward and the rise of the next generation of heroes was enjoyable.  And the final goodbye between Felicity and her children, and her exit from the series, was very well executed.
--A very meta scene where Ollie talks about his legacy and the heroes that will replace him -- very clearly a tribute to the Arrowverse franchise that Amell helped launch :)
--That final 10 minutes redeemed the entire episode for me.  Ollie and Felicity have a brief and well deserved happy ending, until the consequences of Ollie's Elsewords promise to the Monitor comes knocking at his door.

The Bad:
--the standard annual super villain attack on the city... though there was one horrific sequence where innocents were disfigured and killed, overall this season's city attack felt smaller and run of the mill. 
--The Ninth Circle... ominously teased all season, they never truly gelled or became clearly defined, and felt like pale interchangeable imitations of past supervillain groups like HIVE and the League with an endless supply of disposable bland costumed henchmen.
--while Emiko played the vengeful half-sister part well, the whole leader of the Ninth Circle was never properly developed, thus it was hard to accept her as this season's evil mastermind.
--the whole season long riff between the Police/City and the vigilantes was never properly dealt with and was seemly resolved off screen?

Final Thoughts:

--this episode played more like a series finale than a season closer
--Emiko had so much potential, her final fate, while touching, was predictable and wasted
--While present day Team Arrow celebrate their victory saving the city, it some how feels hollow as we know from the Flash Forwards that vigilantes still become reviled/outlawed and Star City becomes a segregated, walled city.
--the small tv budget really becomes apparent in the Flash Forwards final, as the staging/geography is bad
--and what was the point of the Flash Forwards?  Other than showing the legacy of Oliver and Company (I love that movie lol), the storyline had zero impact on the present day narrative and stole precious screen time from our heroes.  I can only guess the producers are playing the Long Game and it will all tie into the big CRISIS crossover next season?
--as I said before, this season had many good moments and nice stand alone episodes, every present day character got a moment to briefly shine in this season but the unifying Big Bad arc never truly satisfies.  

My rating:  (edit... after more thinking....)
Season Seven is a 6/10, the season final was a 5/10 but the Flash Forwards 4/10;  though those last 10 minutes were 10 out of 10 for me.

:D
 
...more thoughts on Arrow season seven....

Last year, when it was announced Arrow would be getting a new showrunner, I commented something to the effect that a change in showrunners on a long running series can sometimes revitalize a show, though usually it is the death knell for a series...

So I gotta wonder if the uncohesive narrative this year was due to the inexperience of a new series coordinator?  As I really do not know what the overall theme or message of this season was supposed to be?

--the Slabside arc was excellent 
--the Archer program was a bad idea right from the beginning... as soon as you build something that powerful you have to disable it or there is no challenge for your heroes.  Plus, it stretches credibility that this program would still be so revolutionary 20 years in the future???
--the tease and set up for the new Suicide Squad was good, but once you got to the actual episode the Squad was treated as secondary and quickly sidelined never to be heard of again.... a complete waste.
--Adrian Paul as Dante... a fantastic reveal, then utterly neutered and wasted.
--Laurel-2 redemption arc was just okay
--Ninth Circle is suppose to be a centuries old, omni-powerful, secret organization... they are supposed to be so scary and dangerous that it will force Felicity into hiding with her child for 20 years... the series completely failed in this aspect.

I am dwelling on this way too much LOL

But before I close this topic, my ranking of the Arrow seasons:

1.) (BEST)  Season Two... Deathstroke!
2.)  Season One... origins and world building
3.)  Season Five ... Prometheus and the monster in us all.
4.)  Season Four... Damian Darhk.... the best moustache twirling villain ever!
5.)  Season Three... a miscast Ra's al Ghul
6.)  Season Six... Cayden James and Richardo Diaz
7.)  (WORST)  Season Seven....  I guess Emiko was the Big Bad?  

okay, time to shake off this negative karma and go watch the season finale of THE FLASH.... :D
 
THE FLASH -- Season Five Finale "Legacy"

Bob's two guidelines to enjoying The Flash...
1.  Barry and Team Flash are only as smart or powerful as the particular episode plot demands.
2.  Time Travel rules fluctuate as the particular episode plot demands.
:p
Actually, that second rule was ironed out a bit this season, as the show finally explained how Thawne can and does exist when timelines are altered.   Apparently his powers come from the Dark Side... umm, oops, I mean his powers come from the Negative Speed Force, which makes him immune to timeline changes and allows him to remember all timelines.  Niffy power, eh?   But it does all makes sense so long as you do not think too long or hard on it.

Season Five as a whole was a well constructed, even toned, mostly entertaining season.  No where near the greatness of seasons one and two, and it lacked any true memorable WOW moments, but each week's adventure was still reliable popcorn entertainment for me.  And this is due mostly to the amazing cast dynamic of this show.  I love these characters!

...general thoughts...

--Cicada-2 was easily the least developed Big Bad of any Flash season, thankfully we had Thawne to pick up the slack
--Elongated Man was nicely developed and proved himself to be a master sleuth... the closing shot of him looking at his future comic book wife's file was a nice nod to fans
--Killer Frost's family arc was decent if predictable.  Looks like Cisco created her a new costume for next season.
--the Meta Cure plot was an interesting wrinkle to the mythos and added some nice discussion... also it was surprising to see how many Central City citizens now have powers due to the Dark Matter explosion and never turned into heroes or villains, they just stayed regular people trying to live their lives
--the show has been telegraphing Vibe's departure since the beginning of the season, so Vibe taking the cure was not a surprise.  Whether this means Cisco is leaving the show or not was unclear, but if he is, that last shot of him walking down the hallway and the smile he gives is absolutely wonderfully priceless.
--Goodbye Sherloque.... Tom Cavanagh can make any character likeable!
--Team Flash vs the Reverse Flash was pure comic book goodness!!!
--Thawne proves once again he truly is a ruthless, selfish bastard.

--Nora.  Yes, I cried.   :cry:

--and a closing tease for CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS.

So an average season, with a much above average season finale.

My rating:
Season Five as a whole ranks a 7 out of 10.
But the season five finale was a solid 9/10!!!

The series gets a new showrunner for season six...
https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/the-flash-showrunner-season-6-1203161476/

Please, please... PUH-LEASE do not follow in the footsteps of Arrow season seven!  :angel:
 
bionicbob said:
Actually, that second rule was ironed out a bit this season, as the show finally explained how Thawne can and does exist when timelines are altered.   Apparently his powers come from the Dark Side... umm, oops, I mean his powers come from the Negative Speed Force, which makes him immune to timeline changes and allows him to remember all timelines.  Niffy power, eh?   But it does all makes sense so long as you do not think too long or hard on it.
Click to expand...

Okay, but have they yet bothered to explain why he so despises Barry in the first place?! ;)
 
Actually yes...sort of... kind of...?  :rolleyes:

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6T35Tj5OIs[/video]


It was purposely vague.  Plus Thawne loves to twist the truth.
Hopefully next season they will finally give Thawne an origin episode.
 
^ Yeah, that's not what I call a dramatically compelling character motivation, especially for a villain in his fifth season. My $0.02. ;)
 
Gaith said:
^ Yeah, that's not what I call a dramatically compelling character motivation, especially for a villain in his fifth season. My $0.02. ;)
Click to expand...

Cavanagh plays Thawne so deliciously evil and steals every second he is on screen, that it really doesn't bother me.  Plus, when done right, some villains work better for me when they do not have a definitive origin.  Probably why I have zero interest in the upcoming JOKER movie.

...fleeting Flash thoughts....

--the season 5 Flash costume, while the most comic accurate costume yet, it does seem to pose some production challenges... while the new spandex suit looks amazing on Gustin (compared to how horrific it looked on Amell lol) it clearly has to be shot and lit from specific angles to look its best, particularly the helmet... as some angles it looks awesome, but others it makes Gustin's head look bulbous and too big for his body... bobble head Flash...LOL.   Also by the end of the season, there were lots of shots of where the spandex material looks stretched out and sagging around the neck area.  So I curious if the suit will be tweaked or replaced next season.

--speaking of costumes... the Godspeed costume looked freaking amazing!!!!  And since we know costumes are damn expensive to make on a tv budget, I am predicting Godspeed will a recurring role in season six.

...and in other Arrowverse news, the BATWOMAN synopsis has been released...

Kate Kane (Ruby Rose) never planned to be Gotham’s new vigilante. Three years after Batman mysteriously disappeared, Gotham is a city in despair. Without the Caped Crusader, the Gotham City Police Department was overrun and outgunned by criminal gangs. Enter Jacob Kane (Dougray Scott) and his military-grade Crows Private Security, which now protects the city with omnipresent firepower and militia. Years before, Jacob’s first wife and daughter were killed in the crossfire of Gotham crime. He sent his only surviving daughter, Kate Kane, away from Gotham for her safety.
After a dishonorable discharge from military school and years of brutal survival training, Kate returns home when the Alice in Wonderland gang targets her father and his security firm, by kidnapping his best Crow officer Sophie Moore (Meagan Tandy). Although remarried to wealthy socialite Catherine Hamilton-Kane (Elizabeth Anweis), who bankrolls the Crows, Jacob is still struggling with the family he lost, while keeping Kate –– the daughter he still has –– at a distance. But Kate is a woman who’s done asking for permission. In order to help her family and her city, she’ll have to become the one thing her father loathes –– a dark knight vigilante.
With the help of her compassionate stepsister, Mary (Nicole Kang), and the crafty Luke Fox (Camrus Johnson), the son of Wayne Enterprises’ tech guru Lucius Fox, Kate Kane continues the legacy of her missing cousin, Bruce Wayne, as Batwoman. Still holding a flame for her ex-girlfriend, Sophie, Kate uses everything in her power to combat the dark machinations of the psychotic Alice (Rachel Skarsten), who’s always somewhere slipping between sane and insane. Armed with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind, Kate soars through the shadowed streets of Gotham as Batwoman. But don’t call her a hero yet. In a city desperate for a savior, she must first overcome her own demons before embracing the call to be Gotham’s symbol of hope.
Click to expand...
 
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