Welcome to the third and final installment of the superhero crossover review. Please keep in mind I don’t normally watch Legends of Tomorrow, so I might be confused about things that would make sense to a regular viewer.
We return to our heroes having just arrived back at the Hall of Justice… I mean S.T.A.R. Labs hangar, trying to figure out exactly why five non-meta heroes were abducted. What’s their solution? Kidnap an alien in return! (Are you sure about this idea?) But where to find one? Hey, remember that incident in 1951? The historian Nate does, and suggests they go back in time… to nab one… Uh, guys? Remember how upset you got over finding out Barry had messed up the timeline? Anyway…
So while the time travel crew get ready to head out, the new president’s going to need some backup. Kara’s ready and willing, but… suddenly Oliver has a random issue with having her around. This is what happens when you have an extremely powerful character, and you can’t really figure out what to do with them in your story. (Once again, I’m having flashbacks to Supernatural, and their struggle to create stories that include Castiel.)
One of the main plot points in this episode is Dr. Stein dealing with the existence of his daughter, who is by all accounts a wonderfully brilliant person in her own right, and whose expertise helps solve their issue with the Dominator invasion. But how is he supposed to act around her when he doesn’t remember her? Not only that, but how does he resolve his torn emotions over her existence? More on that later.
Back in 1951, we get a bit of humor from Felicity’s physical symptoms to time jumping. I’ve always loved Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity, and it’s nice to see the return of Felicity the Comedic Relief. I like how this also gives Felicity time to talk to Cisco about his issues with Barry. The “quick nab” of an alien to interrogate does not go as planned, and they all end up in a government facility. And guess what? They change the timeline, by letting that alien go! If there’s one thing good that comes out of this, it’s that Cisco learns what it means to inadvertently change time by trying to do the right thing.
Out to meet the president, Oliver’s team meets the guy that the 1951 team confronted, and we all learn that the current invasion is their fault, and that meta-humans, namely Barry Allen, are what they are there to eradicate because they’re seen as a future threat. Of course the Dominators know about Flashpoint, and of course this government guy knows it’s Barry behind the suit.
The ultimatum? Either Barry surrenders, or all the metahumans are eradicated. Not only that, but the device the Dominators have been building? Isn’t the most accurate. A percentage of non-meta humans will be taken out along with it. One thing I want to know, is how the aliens found out about Barry because of the team that went back in time. Did the aliens eavesdrop on Cisco and Felicity’s conversation?
But of course, Barry’s willing to turn himself over while everyone else has his back, finally all on the same page, forgiving him for his mistakes as they all realize they’ve had a hand in the current dilemma. It also doesn’t hurt that Dr. Stein and his daughter have found a way to make the Dominator Repellant work just in time for the alien attack.
We have our final showdown, with all of our heroes teaming up to fight the Dominators, while Barry makes sure the aliens are all tagged with the devices that will make them very uncomfortable. The battle offers a nice showcase of everyone’s skills, with the central, and possibly most important power, being Firestorm’s ability to transmute matter, which destroys the meta bomb.
With the Dominators defeated and sent packing, there’s a ceremony led by the new president, and a party in the Hall of… I mean hangar. There’s a cute moment where Ray makes a comment that Kara reminds him of his cousin, which is a nod to Brandon Routh’s 2006 portrayal of Superman. By the way, did Kara calling Barry and Oliver “Earth’s mightiest heroes” make anyone else cringe, since she basically referenced the Avengers?
Congratulations, apologies, forgiveness, and pats on the back are handed out like party favors (as well as an interdimensional toy that Cisco just whipped up in a jiffy for Kara.) Loose ends are tied up, except for the issue with Stein’s daughter, which is sure to come back to bite someone in the ass later on in Legends of Tomorrow, since he wants to keep the aberration a secret. How exactly does he plan to do that? Surely someone’s going to mention her help with the devices at some point… but anyway. The very last scene is a nice wrap-up where both Barry and Oliver realize that they can’t have normal lives, but what they gain in result is worth it.
Overall, it’s a great episode full of bad-assery, action, drama, and a hint of comedy. Even with the kind of obvious plot-progression choices that were made for the sake of the story, they make it work. I would call the crossover a successful endeavor, even with its flaws. When you have three different writing teams all trying to resolve characters, storylines, and plot into something workable, it’s not going to be perfect. I think they make up for it with the way they used the characters, and (for the most part) keep them true to themselves.
