Letting the light in, “Arrow” crossover event does more than just set-up the “Legends” it establishes the legacy of Oliver Queen.
Now that Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) is no longer the only game in town, it’s not uncommon for Arrow to become a television event worthy of “must see TV” especially when it entails The Flash crossing over into the otherwise dismally dark world of the Green Arrow’s Star City, or Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) welcoming the Emerald Archer into Central City.
With the DC TV Universe expanding, it’s going to take Green Arrow, the Flash and their respective teammates, along with the newly introduced Hawkgirl (Ciara Renée) and Hawkman (Falk Hentschel) to take on one of the most sinister villains in DC Comics. Vandal Savage (Casper Crump) is gunning for the reincarnated souls of the Hawks and will stop at nothing to destroy Central City and Star City if he doesn’t get what he wants.
In “Legends of Yesterday” the second part of this season’s first Arrow/The Flash crossover event, Kendra and Carter return to Central City in an attempt to out live Vandal Savage’s attack, but when the Staff of Horus proves more powerful than anyone could have imagined, Savage success in not only killing Hawkgirl and Hawkman and insuring his immortality, he also destroys Central City and everyone in it.
The Flash is able to escape the blast, and “flashes” back in time returning to the instant that he and Green Arrow first plot with Dark Archer (John Barrowman) to stop Savage. Now knowing the outcome of that confrontation, Barry suggests that both he and Oliver come up with another plan to keep the Hawks alive and save Central City from total annihilation.
Barry also reveals to Oliver that he is indeed the father of Samantha’s young son William, and that perhaps keeping this a secret from Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) may not be a very good idea. (In the comics, Oliver has a son named Conner that inherits the mantle of Green Arrow and even ends up a member of the Justice League.) Now that Oliver knows the truth, he decides to tread more carefully and keeps the secret that he’s a father.
The episode also establishes more backstory about Kendra Saunders and Carter Hall, including how Savage is intertwined with them throughout history. Now that Barry has altered the outcome of their unsuccessful melee with their immortal foe, Kendra is able to help devise a new plan to stop Savage and it includes the discovery of “Nth Metal” — an alien element that will help them against the power released from the Staff of Horus.
Kendra (Ciara Renée) shows off her wings as she embraces her new role as Hawkgirl soon to become a part of the DC’s Legends of Tomorrow cast.
The combined might of Green Arrow, The Flash, Hawkgirl and Hawkman, along with “Teams Arrow and Flash” are able to (this time) stop Vandal Savage — exactly just like Dark Archer hoped they would. Certainly now that the foundation has been laid out, it looks like next month’s premiere of DC’s Legend of Tomorrow is shaping up to be one of the more exciting events of the mid-season.
These heroes are ready for their close-up! The Green Arrow (Stephen Amell) and The Flash (Grant Gustin) are flanked by a league of legends.
Crossover stunts are usually reserved for television shows that are in ratings peril, but we’re talking about a series of television series taking place in the DC Universe. If these universes didn’t interact as organically as Arrow and The Flash have, comic book fans wouldn’t be as interested in the upcoming Legends which will be a proper “team show” that promises to traverse the DC Multiverse.
With an ensemble cast that is rivaling that of HBO’s epic Game of Thrones so long as The CW doesn’t lose sight of continuing to develop that individual world of its main shows, and doesn’t take too many trips to the well, this could prove exactly what DC Comics fans have known along — superheroes in primetime are very cool!
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