Well in case you’ve been living under a rock, the CW shows just wrapped up their latest crossover. This was the largest one they’ve done so far with tons of character and alternate Earths and just all kinds of crazy stuff.
This episode of Arrow is part 4 of the crossover so if you’re lost you better catch up on the other three parts that were, Supergirl, Batwoman, and Flash. I will be writing this assuming you’ve seen them, so if you’re lost that’s why.
Photo Source: Arrow/ the CW
Episode description:
OLIVER HAS BECOME SOMETHING ELSE IN PART FOUR OF “CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS.” EPISODE PENNED BY MARV WOLFMAN & MARC GUGGENHEIM – Stuck in the Vanishing Point, the Paragons search for a way to escape. The futility of the situation is compounded by The Flash’s (guest star Grant Gustin) disappearance. However, hope appears in the form of Oliver (Stephen Amell), who reveals that he has become something else. Meanwhile, the origin stories for The Monitor (guest star LaMonica Garrett) and Anti-Monitor are revealed.
Glen Winter directed the episode written by Marv Wolfman & Marc Guggenheim
The episode opens with a flashback to the planet Maltus 10,000 years ago. We see a young Mar Novu and his wife experimenting with time travel. Mar Novu intends to travel to the dawn of time and watch the birth of the universe. Like you’d expect things go wrong and he travels to the anti-matter universe and meets the anti-matter version of himself, thus revealing the existence of his universe to the Anti-Monitor—comic books, huh?
Back to the present day, kinda. We catch up with the Paragons (Supergirl, Martian Manhunter, the Flash, Batwoman, Ryan Choi, White Canary, and Lex Luthor) they’ve been trapped at the Vanishing Point for months since the multiverse was destroyed. Ryan and Lex have spent most of their time working on a machine to send a message to the past or something or whatever— it doesn’t really matter. The Flash has been missing in the speed force since they got there and everyone has just been brooding.
At the same time outside of space and time (so, I guess not at the same time) Oliver is fulling understanding his powers as the Spectre. For an unknowable amount of time Oliver and the former Spectre, Jim Corrigan have been on Lian Yu training.
Back at the Vanishing Point, Barry pops out of the speed force and is all like “whoa, I can’t believe it’s only been like 5 minutes, I couldn’t get in the speed force.” But then everyone is like, “Barry, it’s been 6 months.” And Barry’s like, “whoa.” But then, Oliver pops up and is all like, “sup dudes, I’m the Spectre now and we’re going to stop the destruction of the multi-verse and stuff.
Oliver gives Barry’s speed a supercharge in order to get them off the Vanishing Point. Barry drops Kara, Ryan, and Lex off on Maltus to discourage Mar Novu from traveling back in time. After that, the Anti-Monitor attacks and Barry loses everyone else in the speed force. And honestly, this doesn’t really matter but leads to one incredible cameo. Yeah, so, everyone’s lost at different points in Oliver’s life which honestly doesn’t make sense but whatever. Oliver is tethering them all, so Barry can find them but before that, he ends up on the Earth belonging to Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen. That’s right the TV Flash and the movie Flash share a moment together on screen. And truthfully this was the best part of the episode. It was completely unexpected.
On Maltus, Lex ditches Kara and Ryan double-crosses everyone but it doesn’t matter because in the last moment Kara barges in and Mar Novu backs out on the time travel. Barry finishes up with Barry and gathers everyone else up in the Speed Force along with Lex, Kara, and Ryan. Barry and company arrive at the dawn of time to learn that no matter what the Anti-Monitor always leans of the multiverse, there is an infinite amount of Mar Novu’s to show him it.
Photo Source: Arrow/ the CW
So more of those shadow demon things are deployed upon the Paragons. The shadow demons explode in one hit like the putties from Power Rangers so, easy peasy. Oliver meanwhile is harnessing some mega light in the sky Spectre powers to battle the Anti-Monitor. Then the Paragons all hold hands and direct Lex’s ripped page of the Book of Destiny at the Anti-Monitor.
With the added power from the book, Oliver is able to destroy the Anti-Monitor and recreate the universe. Oliver dies for the second time this crossover in Barry and Sara’s arms.
Honestly, the final battle was a bit lackluster but this was a much better send-off for Oliver than his first death plus with the DCEU crossover, this was a solid episode but I’d be remiss if I didn’t say the Legends episode was my favorite.
One more thought, now that Oliver is really dead I’m not sure what the rest of the season will look like.
Catch Arrow Tuesday nights at 9pm on the CW.
