Review: CW Elseworlds Crossover Part 1

I know I am over a week late in reviewing the three part CW crossover event Elseworlds but it took me a while to wrap my head around how I wanted to go about reviewing it.

Initially the thought was to review it all in one big post, covering all three episodes and creating a massive missive about all that happened.

But after attempts at doing that I realized that would be doing this crossover an injustice. Because this is flat-out, one of the best DC super-hero live action products to be done. It deserves to be looked at closely and have its beauty acknowledged.

For one,  it completely embraces its comic book roots. Unlike the Snyder-verse with its dour washed out tones, unlike Smallville and its 'no tights/no flights', this show wallows in its four color history. It plays out like 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' Lite, a sort of stripped down COIE. But for a comic nerd like me, there are so many nods, acknowledgements, and Easter Eggs sprinkled throughout that I couldn't help but be thoroughly impressed.

Next, it also leans into its own history. These are characters with years of their own stories. So to see Ollie and Barry call back to something that happened when they first crossed over 4 years ago showed me how important the internal continuity is.

Also, it is clear that these actors simply enjoy working with each other. There is tremendous chemistry throughout. I was actively rooting for them. And, no word of a lie (and you'll hear about it when I cover part three), I actually got chills once.

Then there is a spot on Batwoman performance and a Gotham I want to explore more.

And, perhaps most of all, we got a Superman and Lois that I can 100% get behind. This is the Lois and Clark I want. Perfect.

So get ready to hear me gush a bit. Onto Elseworlds ...

The crossover opens with how each of the shows last episode ended, with a peek at Earth 90 and the devastation there. Only the Flash of that world (dressed up in his 90s television outfit and played by 90s television Flash John Wesley Shipp) survived. He asks the Monitor why he destroyed this world before racing off to warn others.

We cut to Earth 1 where creepy psychiatrist John Deegan is giving a lecture about how his experiments in eugenics can be used to help patients feel super, to help them away from feeling inferior. The crowd mocks him as a 'Frankenstein' leaving him alone to sulk. I love Jeremy Davies as an actor. He always seems a little unsettled and frenetic which works great for Deegan. (I loved Davies in the Soderbergh Solaris!)

Out in the parking lot, who arrives but the Monitor. He gives Deegan the 'Book of Destiny', a way to rewrite the world's history. And he tells Deegan to think big. Suddenly world warping energy spills from the pages.

So right off the bat I have to tip my hat. That *is* the Monitor. No toning down of his wonky armor. No 'making it more real'. This is pure, off the pages, Monitor, right down to the mutton chops and head ridges.

And, of course, John Deegan turns out to be Dr. Destiny, no big surprise.

Now the non-comic reader doesn't know who the Monitor is. But I do. So when the next shot is red skies and lightning, I knew where we were headed. That was amazing!

Now Deegan's re-writes come into play as Ollie wakes up as Barry. It was funny to see him cringe at all the lovey-dovey stuff Iris coos at him. Given all the times Barry has messed up the timeline, I'm not surprised that Oliver's first guess is that the real Flash did something. That was a laugh out loud moment.

But business takes precedent. This Flash is called to Ivo labs to stop some criminals. And while he isn't used to his powers, Oliver is able to stop them with a lightning strike.

Again, it is the little things that made me smile here. The Flash saying the 'you failed this city' Arrow tagline and Cisco's being confused. The name drop of Ivo. And, of course, the inadvertent activation of Amazo (no surprise since we were at an Ivo facility).

At STAR Labs, Ollie is being hugged by the team (remember they think he is Barry). Iris brags about his abs. He realizes he needs to go talk to someone ... like 'Oliver Queen'.

In Star City, we see Barry reacting a little bit differently to the switcheroo. As usual, Barry is looking for the bright side. And maybe because he has lived through other time ripples, he seems to roll with it more. He is all giggles when he is able to throwdown with Diggle. He wonders if he needs help getting into the Arrow outfit. He even has fun doing reps in the gym. It is only when The Flash arrives and tells Barry that he was in bed with Iris that he realizes it has to end.

The two head to STAR Labs but when they tell the crew that they have been swapped with each other, the team doesn't believe them. And thinking that the heroes are a threat to themselves and others, they knock them out and throw them in the Pipeline.

Finally, inside the Pipeline, I get the answer to a question I have wondered since the Flash show's inception. Where are the toilets in the cells? Turns out they are hidden behind a panel the inmates can open.

But they hatch a plan. Flooding the toilet will short out the power dampeners. Then they can escape and head to Earth 38. Maybe Kara remembers who they are.

To get to the valve, Barry (as Ollie) dislocates his thumb. He is pretty angry about it. With the power off, Ollie (as Barry) can use his Flash powers to phase them out. He is pretty jazzed about it.

Acting like the other would made their powers and abilities more accessible. Hmmm ...

To get the device to send them to Earth 38, the real Barry talks to Iris and convinces her they have been swapped. Ahh ... the 'you are my lightning rod' line never fails.

We then head to Earth 38 where we hear 'Somebody Save Me!!!' ,the Smallville theme!

What says Crisis and time weirdness than a callback to the 90s!!

And on the Kent farm we see Clark, Kara, and .... LOIS!!!

Seems Clark and Lois had gone to Argo (we had heard that on the Supergirl show) but are back. Lois wants to write about it and talks about how at times she is compelled to write a story, this being one of them.

Bitsy Tulloch just oozes Lois-ness from her. And I love how Clark calls her the most famous, feared, and intrepid reporter on the planet. There is even something about how she is tinkering with the truck but clearly doesn't know what she is doing that worked for me, akin to her not being able to spell well in the Donner movies.

When Clark and Kara have some down time, he says he needs to share something with her ... hmmm ...

But before he can divulge, Barry and Ollie arrive and Kara can knows who is who. The new powers are a mystery, but one they can solve together.

There is this great moment when the two displaced heroes meet Superman for the first time and Ollie puffs out his chest to seem bigger. So awesome.

As a warmup to get used to each other's powers, the two restage the confrontation from the first crossover. In that episode, Ollie rigged cannons to shoot arrows into the Flash's back. Here, Barry as Arrow does the same thing. It is funny and continuity-perfect. I thought that moment was great.
As was Lois yelling for Barry to kick Ollie's ass.

It becomes clear that it is only when the two swapped heroes begin to act more like their real counterparts will they be able to use their powers effectively.

It is a small but wonderful moment right after when Supergirl says that they finally learned this lesson, one she could tell needed to happen.

Melissa Benoist puts on this gruff tone and imitates Ollie while almost giggling.

There are times I realize just how lucky I am as a Supergirl fan to have Melissa Benoist as the star. She is just amazing.

Meanwhile, on Earth 1, Cisco vibes an image of the Monitor and becomes scared. The red sky storms are worsening. And now Amazo is loose and has already defeated Elongated Man and Killer Frost. It is clear that maybe Barry and Oliver were telling the truth.

He vibes himself to Earth 38 and asks the heroes to return.

Superman decides to join in. He says to Cisco that he is a friend (AAHHH!!!!) and then does a classic shirt rip (AAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!).

Just fantastic.

There is a wonderful fight sequence where all the heroes need to team up to defeat Amazo. The Supers and the Flash hold the robot so it can't phase and then Barry (as Arrow) hits it with an arrow designed to turn of its OS.

It actually is a solid sequence with each hero getting a moment against this behemoth. For a TV show, the effects are  adequate. This really felt like the JLA movie I want to see!

With Amazo defeated, Clark returns to Earth-1. But Kara decides to stay and help out her friends.

Cisco uses his powers to vibe another image of the Monitor, this time with Deegan. Ollie, sporting some Jim Lee level skills, sketches what they saw. There in the background is the Wayne Tower. It is time for the crew to head to Gotham!

Whew ...

Lois! Amazo! Fun! Action! Crisis stuff!!!

Talk about an opening chapter .. and things only get better!