The Flash vs Arrow - in a league of their own

[Tonguez]

The Flash/Arrow crossover was a long awaited event and it did not fail to please. I was somewhat surprised that they ran as two separate self continued episodes of their respective shows rather than a single unified mini-movie and while I smiled gleefully at both outings I have to admit that watching the Brave and the Bold (Arrow) highlighted some of the flaws in The Flash vs Arrow. Although given that the boomerang served as the tie across the two episodes perhaps considering The Flash vs Arrow as just the set up to the real action featured in The Arrow is the right way to go.

The villain Prism/Rainbow Raider was nothing more than a plot device who doesn't even get the dignity of being caught, before being shown locked up in the Pipe. He just serves to set up the Flash vs Arrow showdown which was the guts of the episode. They even have the respective teams having a geek debate over who is going to win, which works as a nod to fans.

Now the fight set up of the Flash getting whammied because he didn't case the scene was acceptable - and used for character development since much of the show was the Arrow training The Flash- but the resolve with the disco lights was just too comic-book lame. Nonetheless it was all forgiven because the fight choreography and the character development was so very very impressive.
Even the opening monologue of gooey "feels" was forgiven as it served to contrast with the end so well.

We did get to see another montage of Flash 'deeds' as well as a few new Flash powers - like vibrating poison out of his system. Arrow showing up brought a wide smile to Barrys face but was to the chagrin of both Joe and Wells. Joe because of the Arrow being a murdering, torturing vigilante (whereas The Flash is a hero?) and Wells because The Arrow is an unknown - at least until he figures out Arrows true identity and smugly announces it to Felicity. Diggles amazement at the Flash "your fast" is amusing too, and Caitlin and Cisco even play their role as fans very well.
Indeed the gleeful lightness of Star labs team is well contrasted to the more serious and skilled nature of Team Arrow and that of course is the recurring theme Meta-Speed vs Skill and Experience.

Eddie also gets highlighted in his concern about his girlfriend obsessing over the Flash and so spends the episode getting the Anti-Flash taskforce set up, which really gets steam when the Flash goes evil- rage-eyes on him, which also gets Iris to tell Flash to leave her alone.

and of course the other BIG highlight was Firestorm!!!


I'm not going to go into the Arrows 'Brave and the Bold' which carried on the theme set up in The Flash vs Arrow, had a real villain (the best so far) and was the superior story.

 

[Crothian]

I really enjoyed the episodes. I think Prism not getting caught on screen was a mistake but there was a lot of important scenes and I imagine they had to make some tough choices on what to include.

I didn't like showing the Flash doing something bad so that the police will set up a task force to deal with him. That's over played with superheroes.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

...and it is more in keeping with other supers. It doesn't mesh well with the Flash's canon or overall character. It just seems gratuitous. I'm not saying it was an inappropriate reaction given the interplay of all the characters involved, but rather that the whole foundation of it is somewhat flawed. The unrequited love triangle which gives Barry's personal life a bit of drama is just...forced to me.

Alas, I forgot to set my DVR to record the Arrow episode- I don't watch the show- but I'll catch it eventually.

 

[fanboy2000]

FWIW, Arrow is on hulu.com for free. I suspect it's also on demand, depending on your cable package.

I much preferred 'The Brave and the Bold' to The Flash vs. Arrow. Mostly because I was't a fan of the whole idea of the Flash being mind controlled or whammied so he fights Arrow. I hate that trope. Also, Arrow did Captain Boomerang justice. I'm not a huge fan going dark and gritty with dumb super villains, but Captain Boomerang's back story and motivations were interesting and didn't feel like the dumb grim and gritty of the 90s.

 

[Ryujin]

"Comic book lame" works just fine when we're talking about comic book heroes

I quite enjoyed both shows. The optimism vs. realism theme was also a good contrast.

 

[Tonguez]

"Comic book lame" works just fine when we're talking about comic book heroes

I quite enjoyed both shows. The optimism vs. realism theme was also a good contrast.

lol yeah Comic book lame is good in a comic book or an animated series and would even be good in the older campier days of the 60's, 70's and 80's. Perhaps I've become too spoilt with this new era of CGI and gritty action. Indeed my view seems to echo the the discussion in the Brave and the Bold wherein the crews were talking about how dealing with Metahumans made it all seem less real than the dark gritty streets of Arrow-town.

I like that these writers and producers understand the geek market they're writing for and give us vicarious surrogates - who wants to be Cisco?....

 

[WayneLigon]

I like that these writers and producers understand the geek market they're writing for and give as vicarious surrogates - who wants to be Cisco?....

I really enjoy his enthusiasm I'm really hoping he eventually becomes Vibe.

 

[Scott DeWar]

Arrow is on netflix too.