Photo Credit: The CW
The Arrowverse has a strong week in the Hero Report, with all of the shows performing well.
It’s a breath of fresh air after the long streak of sub-par television from the CW. It’s too soon to say whether the shows will build off this momentum to finish off their season strongly.
Legends of Tomorrow
Legends of Tomorrow is quickly becoming the most consistent of all of the Arrowverse shows. “No Country For Old Dads” is another example of the show’s confidence in its storytelling. While Damien Darhk has felt a little underdeveloped thus far, this week really cements his place as a complex villain. Neal McDonough takes center stage playing two very different iterations of his character and proving why he was the best part of Arrow season four. Effectively playing a terrifying assassin from 1962 to his future self who identifies as a father, the Darhk family dynamic becomes just as interesting as the heroes.
Wally West officially joins the Waverider, and while it’s unclear if the series will be able to use his powers more effectively than The Flash, he’s still a nice addition. He immediately develops a strong bond with Sara, who encourages the young outsider to stick around despite a poor first impression.
Hero Report: A
Photo Credit: FOX
Lucifer
With each new episode of Lucifer, it feels as though the series is filling time with unnecessary episodes. “Infernal Guinea Pig” doesn’t really have any high stakes but it does offer up a bit of progress in Pierce’s storyline. His brother, Abel takes on a vessel of a woman named Bree which seems to be played for laughs? The whole Cain/Abel dynamic feels a bit drawn out at this point especially with the former’s gleeful reaction to finding out the latter is in Hell. Sure, the joke is that Abel is supposed to be a jerk but Cain still murdered him. How exactly does the reasoning here make any sense?
Luckily, Lucifer comes to his senses by the end of “Infernal Guinea Pig” which shows some promise for the upcoming episodes. Finally seeing Cain reason why he’s blameless in the death of his brother (sister?) seems to be a turning point for the anti-hero. This isn’t a great episode of Lucifer for Chloe, who got to have a lot of fun last week.
Hero Report: B-
Photo Credit: The CW
Flash
“Enter Flashtime” has some missteps but for the most part, it’s a solid hour for the scarlet speedster. At this point in the series, it’s best to just ignore the complicated history of the speed force because it becomes too confusing. Ultimately, it’s there to work as a plot device whenever it’s necessary to move a story forward. After a terrorist sets off a nuclear bomb, Barry is forced to figure out a solution to save everyone with Jesse Quick and Jay Garrick.
A big part of what makes this episode successful is the excellent directing by Gregory Smith. Some of his shots are visually stunning, and as per usual the cast is up to par with the emotional beats. The problem with “Enter Flashtime,” and The Flash, in general, is how inconsistent the writing is when it concerns Barry’s powers. He’s either too strong or underpowered depending on what the episode needs. Also, The Flash needs to pick a mythology with the speed force because it’s hard to look at it as anything more than a plot device.
Hero Report: B+
Photo Credit: The CW
Black Lightning
Black Lightning has stood out among the other CW shows because of it’s grounded nature. “Equinox: Book of Fate” is a fine episode but the ending will be make-or-break for a lot of viewers. The CW does not have a good track record trying to integrate a mystical villain into its superhero shows (just look at Arrow). Having LaLa come back from the dead with the spirit of Lawanda shooting straight into his heart could be a compelling set-up but that’s yet to be seen.
Most of the episode is dedicated to getting Lynn and Jefferson on board with Anissa’s decision to become a superhero. While the scenes are well-acted, they just feel like filler for the inevitable Pierce family team-up. However, the tense breakfast conversation between Jefferson and his two daughters highlight the best part of the series: family. With Jen most likely getting her powers sometime before the season ends, it’s nice to see the three of them arguing like a typical family.
Hero Report: B+
Photo Credit: The CW
Riverdale
After this week’s episode, there’s no doubt left that Riverdale has no idea what story it’s trying to tell this season. “The Hills Have Eyes” mainly centers around the core four going on a mountain retreat together at the encouragement of Hiram. Yes, Archie is in the inner mob circle now but it’s ludicrous to think that any father would want their teenage daughter alone with her boyfriend. Yet the group goes away where they take turns having sex for a couple of uncomfortable jokes. It’s like the series has completely forgotten that its protagonists are fifteen and sixteen years old, not young adults. Turns out the only reason Betty and Jughead are on the trip is that Hiram needs to prevent them from reporting his master plan in the Blue & Gold. Guess the battle lines have been drawn even after some home invasion bonding.
Elsewhere, Love, Simon gets an insane amount of advertisement time within the episode. It’s almost funny how much time is dedicated to speaking about the new movie. At least one good thing comes out of it: Cheryl finally coming out as bisexual. It opens up more storytelling ideas for her, but also sad that the show has lost all semblance of a plot outside of romantic relationships.
Hero Report: C-
Photo Credit: The CW
Arrow
Roy Harper is back! It’s amazing how much his return can improve Arrow and a sad reminder of the early days. “Doppelgänger” isn’t an amazing episode, but it’s such an improvement over the past few weeks that it doesn’t matter. Fake-Laurel manages to fool the public into believing she’s the “real” one which opens up some interesting possibilities. What the writer’s endgame is for her character could either be a good payoff or a big disappointment. With ratings sinking, hopefully, someone is listening to fans consistent request to see a more comics accurate version of Black Canary.
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However, the big storyline within “Doppelgänger” is Thea’s determination to save Roy. He’s been kidnapped by Diaz (who has yet to become a compelling villain), and Speedy comes out of retirement to be a hero. While Willa Holland still doesn’t get much to do, it’s still nice to see her doing anything at all. It’s been known for weeks that she’s leaving the show, hopefully, Arrow gives her the triumphant exit she deserves.
Hero Report: B
Photo Credit: FOX
Gotham
Last week’s midseason premiere was a such a good episode of Gotham that “A Dark Knight: A Beautiful Darkness” is a major letdown. This show loves teasing Batman and this week is capitalizing on the promise of the caped crusader is eventually coming. While it would be cool to see Batman make an appearance, it feels more like a plot device to get his character out of his teenage angst funk. Ivy sends him spiraling into a weird dream where he realizes he’s destined to become Gotham’s hero and shed his bratty personality. It’s a pretty terrible origin story to one of the greatest superheroes of all time but at least Bruce is finally trying to reconcile with Alfred.
Right now, Nygma is the most interesting part of Gotham even with the return of Jerome. He’s desperate to remain the good-hearted Ed and friends with Lee but his Riddler personality is beginning to break through. Knowing that he’ll eventually become a villain adds a tragic edge to his entire storyline. Turns out, the Riddler has secretly been keeping up the correspondence with Penguin while the latter is in jail. What exactly these two have up their sleeves is probably going to lead them into a violent confrontation with Sofia.
Hero Report: C+
Photo Credit: ABC
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
“The Real Deal” is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s one hundredth episode which is an achievement within itself. There’s a lot going on in this overstuffed hour, and it would have been better to double the run time for such a big event. Nevertheless, it’s still a solid episode for this season which has been one of the best yet. Exploring the team’s fears, “The Real Deal” takes the agents through a history of the show with some returning cast members.
Of course, the biggest payoff for long-time fans is the wedding between Simmons and Fitz. It’s amazing how well the ABC show managed to keep the information under wraps from photographers. After everything those two have been through, they deserved the best wedding possible. It’s also a great example of how a fictional relationship should progress (all of The CW shows should take notes), with the couple getting the happy ending they deserve. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. took the time to confirm Deke’s ancestry, when he makes a comment that Jemma’s veil looks like his grandmother’s. Jeff Ward has been a great addition to the cast, even if his relationship to the happy couple complicates his adventures in the past.
Hero Report- B+
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In a surprising flip, the FOX series had a down week while The CW showed some promise. With a strong Hero Report this week, there’s a glimmer of hope for the Arrowverse. As the seasons are winding down, all of the series need to finish on a strong note.
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