S01.E08: Flash vs. Arrow

[Tara Ariano]

A crossover event that concludes on "Arrow" begins with Barry teaming with Oliver Queen to stop a meta-human who is using his ability to control people's emotions to rob banks. Meanwhile, Eddie tries to get a task force to stop the Flash; and Caitlin and Cisco deal with a new team in S.T.A.R. Labs.

[Enero]

Eddie was kind of sexy in the bedroom scene.

 

Loved Joe's WTF look when the Arrow showed up. And Dig's stunned look at Barry's speed. He was especially hilarious.

 

Loved Iris fangirling over Oliver's hotness. I'm so with her. I'd hit that too, whether I had a boyfriend or not.

 

 I thought Oliver/Arrow's advice to Barry was solid. He has speed, but he does need to be more strategic when taking on his adversaries. I didn't get why Felicity was so shocked when Wells figured out who the Arrow is. She (and Barry) were stupidly walking around Star Labs talking about Oliver this and Oliver that, if someone overheard those conversations it wouldn't take a genius to figure out that the Arrow is Oliver Queen.

 

I absolutely loved the fight scene! Oliver/Arrow is so bad-assed. He held his own against Barry/The Flash which was awesome.  Speaking of Oliver please don't tell me we're about to get a love child story with him on Arrow. Argh. I do NOT want to see that.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed all of Iris' scenes. We're finally seeing a little bit more of her personality and I like it.

 

This was by far the best episode of the season. Great episode.

[Shanna]

This episode had me cracking up multiple times.

Oliver and felicity are so not stealthy. I am amused that they show up in town together in public an then it's like "oh arrows identity is such a secret". Lol!

I don't care for the iris/ Barry storyline, but damn iris and cop guy in their bedroom scene! Iris wore lots of cute dresses too.

[Jediknight]

Oliver got to have some fun with his not wanting to call them metahumans, taking a shot at the names, and beating The Flash in training.  Amell was really enjoying this.

 

Had to love Diggle and Cisco together.  You also had to love Diggle's reactions to Barry.

 

This really was a fun episode, and we also got Ronnie and Connor's mother.

[bettername2come]

To quote the little kid at the end of The Incredibles: That was totally wicked!

 

Five minutes together and Flash already had Felicity's shirt off.  He really is the fastest man alive. And she flashed the Flash!

[Fabricationary]

RIP to that bright yellow light that inevitably shines over the Flash's shoulder to obscure his face from Iris when they have their not-so-secret rendezvous (for however long Iris decides to stay mad at the Flash, which I'm sure will only be an episode or two).   

Edited December 3, 2014 by Fabricationary

[AD35]

 

I absolutely loved the fight scene! Oliver/Arrow is so bad-assed. He held his own against Barry/The Flash which was awesome.

 

While I was watching that scene to me it almost felt like a preview of the upcoming Batman v. Superman movie, in that someone having to use their experience and skills against someone with superpowers.  Now that this week's metahuman is locked up (Star Labs must be seriously having Papa John's and Dominoes on speed dial), I'm looking forward to seeing Barry and Oliver team up in the next ep.

[SimoneS]

Awww, poor Barry. I felt for him. He went from a high thinking that Iris was dumping Eddie for The Flash to heartbreak when she dumped The Flash. Poor Iris. She looked so crushed by The Flash's behavior.

 

I don't watch the Arrow so most of the episode was "whatever," but I did enjoy the humor with the boomrang gone rogue and the guy who kept going on about how fast Barry was, particularly when he went to the bathroom. Hilarious.

[Lantern7]

This week: Barry gets a dose of Rageahol!

 

Nice appearance from the main members of Team Arrow (sorry, Roy). I liked how Diggle looked/felt out of place. And more Barrlicity for the proverbial win. One thing Felicity doesn't have in common with Chloe . . . impressive Chloevage. I can't blame Cisco for burning that image into his brain, though.

 

As jerky and as dime-store Batman that Ollie might have been, he had his points about Barry. And thanks to going after Rainbow Raider/Roy G. Bivolo alone (sorry, Cisco, gotta go with canon name here), Flash not only burned her bridge with Iris, he also has the CCPD gunning for him. Oliver's heart is in the right place, even if the rest of him isn't. While I'm thinking about it . . . is a woman a "baby mama" if she doesn't tell the daddy about the rugrat?

 

Yeah, this totally felt like a TV version of Batman/Superman, and it worked. Kudos to both casts for making it work. And I liked how Felicity inferred that she didn't have any women to talk to about geek stuff. . . talking to Laurel must be as effective as conversing with a brick wall.

 

Nice stinger. Interesting visual Ronnie now has. You think he might get into puffy sleeves soon?

 

Is this it for the show for this year? Or will there be a new episode next week?

[Xantar]

Speaking of Oliver please don't tell me we're about to get a love child story with him on Arrow. Argh. I do NOT want to see that.

 

 

I don't know if you already knew this, but the baby mama already made an appearance in a flashback on Arrow last season. 

 

By the way, they couldn't spare 30 seconds to show them actually capturing Prism or whatever his name is? That was rather abrupt. I would have liked to see how they actually got around his rage-inducing powers.

 

I was impressed by how many continuity callbacks this episode managed to pack in. Besides the baby mama, there was references to Arrow's killing days, Captain Cold and Cisco building the ice gun as a counter to Barry, the island where Oliver is keeping Deathstroke, Captain Boomerang, and (sigh) the murder of Black Canary. There was enough for the fans without making the show incoherent for people who haven't kept up.

[cambridgeguy]

 

By the way, they couldn't spare 30 seconds to show them actually capturing Prism or whatever his name is? That was rather abrupt. I would have liked to see how they actually got around his rage-inducing powers.

It looks like he needed to look his victims in the eye so Ollie could have easily knocked him out from a distance.  Likewise, if Barry wasn't so keen on engaging in superhero banter he can knock out most opponents before they have time to do anything.  Fortunately for Eddie even a raged up Barry isn't the type to skip out on some repartee. 

 

At least they're acknowledging how messed up Barry's flirting with Iris is when he's being the Flash.

[Writing Wrongs]

I loved Oliver's reaction to Wells:

"There's something not right about that guy."

 

Great fight between Barry and Oliver.

[ybrik]

Really loved the episode.

 

As gratuitous as it might have been, no problem with Felicity in her bra.

 

Liked all the relationships between the two shows casts. Diggle was great with his reactions and questions about Barry. Liked Felicity and Caitlin bonding over science loving girls (yes having to converse with Laurel must be hell for Felicity). Liked Iris and her interactions with Felicity and Oliver. Diggle, Cisco and Caitlin debating Arrow vs Flash was great as well. Overall I liked that Oliver felt lighter than usual this ep.

 

Wells is starting to show more of his darker side to people. He isn't hiding it as well anymore.

 

Agree that it is good that they are acknowledging that Barry hitting on Iris as the Flash is kind of messed up. I know he likes her but still not cool to be trying to cause problems with Iris and Eddie. That was kind of why I wasn't too heartbroken that Iris was upset with him at the end even if it was for a different reason.

 

Great fight between Arrow and Flash. Liked how the show has continued to show that Barry continues to rely too much on his powers to get him through situation and has problems against someone who has a gameplan ie Captain Cold and Arrow.

[bluebonnet]

Forgot all about Oliver's baby mama, so it was exciting to see that thread revived.  

 

My local cable company has the worst CW broadcast I've ever seen.  It's fuzzy, the picture size randomly changes throughout the episode, and I think it frequently fucks up with transitioning from commercials back to show because I have found that I missed some things when I go to watch online.  I think I'll just have to start watching all CW shows online because I'm sick of this shitty broadcast.  Anyway, did I miss something or was there any explanation on how they caught the metahuman? It seemed like it went straight from Barry/Oliver fight right into them locking up metahuman in that horrible prison.  Also curious if Team Arrow had anything to say about that prison.  It's so unbelievable that it's not been address.  It's horrifying, so inhumane.  It's this nasty dark spot in this really fun show and I find it harder and harder to watch with each episode.  I really would feel a lot better if we never saw the prison, makes it easier to forget our hero is complicit in this nasty thing.  

[foreverevolving]

Okay can we all agree that obviously Wells knew who the Arrow is when he talked with Felicity?

cause.. please.

Edited December 3, 2014 by foreverevolving

[catrice2]

It was not as exciting as I thought. I agree, they could have spared us the love child and gave us the  capture of the criminal.  Also, why don't they just take out a billboard with an ARROW pointing to who he is?  I can't keep up with how many people know his identity and Wells knowing is not a good thing.

 

Eddie is boring and Eddie and Iris together is snore inducing.   Rage Barry was just hard to watch.

 

Oliver giving relationship advice was painful, and the Iris being upset with the Flash was so predictable.

 

The "what other girls" was cute. I thought they had cast a love interest for Barry?  When will she start?

[benteen]

Great episode.  The first part of the crossover definitely lived up to its billing.  The fight between The Flash and Arrow was legitimately impressive and as stated, it was like a small-screen test run for Superman vs Batman.  Well done!

 

Was legitimately surprised to see Oliver's baby mama storyline pop up again in The Flash of all places.

 

So was the Meta Human captured off-screen?  My television picture froze on a CW logo and then all of a sudden the guy was in the prison.  I suppose he wasn't much of a fighter so it wouldn't have been much of a fight (and they probably used up most of their money on that fight) but it still felt abrupt as hell to me.

 

Good lord, Felicity doesn't know the meaning of the word stealth.  One minute she's telling Wells that she won't reveal the Arrow's identity and in the very next scene, she's calling Oliver by name inside Wells's building with Barry.  Well done there, Felicity...

 

Lots of good humor in this one and the developments with Eddie's investigation and Iris falling out with the Flash are intriguing.  Barry hitting on Iris as the Flash is wrong although Iris certainly isn't innocent in the flirting department where that is concerned.

[Shanna]

I was pretty irritated nobody thought to wear sunglasses. Especially since the bad guy was very obviously taking his off and on...

The prison thing doesn't bother me from a humanitarian point but it does require maintenance. Then again, they have a janitor who I guess is up on the secrets, why not a kitchen staff, etc. if so, I want one of those episodes about that crew in the periphery at some point.

I thought iris was actually a but unreasonable at the end. Did she not talk to her bf or dad about the guy who was inducing rage in random people? That's not Barry's fault.

[bluebonnet]

Okay can we all agree that obviously Wells knew who the Arrow is when he talked with Felicity?

cause.. please.

I don't think anyone would think otherwise.  The dude goes into his secret lair to look at future newspaper clippings.  It doesn't seem like it was ever in question that Wells knew, obviously he did.  

[Lady Calypso]

Nice crossover episode, much better than I thought it would be.

 

First off, Captain Singh! I like that guy, and I love how they casually referenced his sexuality without making it a big deal. I looked up that in the comics, he's secretly gay so for them to just come out right and say 'yeah, he's got a boyfriend, no biggie, now let's move on to more important matters' was nice. Sure, it's better if they didn't have to mention it, but I liked how they do it. What can I say? The CW hasn't been known for their gay characters; the last couple of years has been major progress for them.

 

I really liked how Iris dumped The Flash. I have to admit, it's refreshing that she had so much faith, but quickly lost it once she realized how dangerous he could be, not only to her but others around her. It works much better; I know she'll probably go back to him for help soon enough, but seeing her make such a strong choice was great. Even when The Flash explained why he got angry, she still rejected him. Poor Barry though; he was probably hoping Iris would fall for him, in one form or another, and she ends up dumping half of him. I guess karma's a bitch, Barry. You dumped Iris a few episodes ago, and now she's doing the same to you.

 

God, Felicity/Barry is still amazing to me. I love their friendship/flirtmance. They keep showing how they could be the most adorable couple ever, and they keep showing why it won't work. Of course, we also get to see slightly jealous Oliver and he's not so moody. Well, he's still Oliver with his advice to Barry to drop Iris like a hot potato. But I wonder if this might pave the way for Iris/Barry faster, so Oliver can stop his 'heroes can't get the girl' and he'll finally just accept his relationship with Felicity and move on. I actually would like Iris/Barry to get together eventually. I love Eddie, but I know he's either gonna turn out to be a villain, or he'll break up with Iris anyway. 

 

Of course Wells knows who The Arrow is. He's from the future, or at least has future knowledge, for god's sake! I could tell he was just toying with Felicity in their scene. "Oh yeah, I'll find out who he is....ok, figured it out!". Although, I guess there is a chance he didn't know before this episode...nahhh. I love love the not-so-subtle Batman reference.  And I love how Oliver picked up on Wells' creepiness after one or two conversations. Wells is not the most subtle guy out there. 

 

Oliver's baby mama drama? Nooooo. I was hoping to never ever ever hear about that, especially on The Flash, Diggle's reaction to Barry was superb. Now that is the kind of reaction I've been waiting for. I don't even care if his team didn't tell him. It made it that much better. Diggle may have been useless this episode, but he's got more screen time than all this season on Arrow. 

 

Caitlin/Felicity? So cute (and I love how Felicity's like 'yeah, I have no girls to talk to...except Laurel, but I hate her') and I do like that Wells and Joe teamed up. I imagine now that Joe knows who the Arrow is (and now knows his backstory), he'll lighten up...but only slightly. LOL at the Meta Human being very minimal. I get why they had him captured off screen. He's a relatively easy villain to capture. Just knock him out and you're good to go. 

 

And now to Barry's rage and the fight sequence. These shows will always impress me with the stunts and fight sequences. Barry's rage actually made sense. I liked seeing the slow build up and then the explosion. The fight sequence was seriously awesome, though. Oliver held on his own and it was very closely drawn. And Oliver was right about Barry relying on his speed. He knows more than Barry about being a hero/vigilante and he knows superspeed won't cut it. I'm not surprised Barry didn't notice the bows on the ground, aimed at his back. I think Barry does need more discipline and I wonder if we'll see him scouting out areas more and learning to think before acting. I did like the beginning sequence of Barry doing some good, though. It still shows us that he is a good guy, just doesn't really think much and can be dumb.

 

Firestorm's appearance was not too bad. If this is the last episode of the year, it's a good cliffhanger to leave on.

[Grammaeryn]

I really liked it but they put too much Arrow in my Flash. Get your minds out of the gutter! The moody darkness just needs to stay in Starling City while Barry can be exuberant and happy with his powers in Central City. I don't buy Oliver's BS about never getting the girl. Dude don't project your issues on this young guy!

[TwistedandBored]

I loved this episode.

 

Barry was depending too much on his powers and he needed a wake up call. I am glad Oliver pointed out to him that he needs more training. Barry should probably ask Joe to work with him some more afterwards. 

 

David Ramsey was awesome. His expressions whenever he sees Barry using his powers was just to die for. 

 

Eddie just makes me wonder whenever I look at him. Maybe it is his name that is making me suspicious of him all the time. Like I don't trust this guy. 

 

Loved Felicity bonding with both Iris and Caitlin. I also loved how excited her and Cisco were about discovering more about that Boomerang. 

 

Olicity are soo married! <3

 

 

And….

 

 

Firestorm!!!

 

[calliope1975]

My DVR lists

"The Man in the Yellow Suit"

for 12/9. Are titles spoilers? (just in case)

[Actionmage]

Hey, Barry? Ollie may have a special kind of waste elimination after all the speeded-up kidney punches you gave him and he doesn't heal like you do!

 

Still, Barry working of the horse tranq? Creepy and cool and very unnerving. Unlike Dig and his reactions to how Barry is now. I hope Cisco and John have more sense together. The are fun, and not afraid to back their guy all the way.

 

Joe and Wells agreeing on Oliver; isn't that one of the signs of the end times? *g* Seriously though, they were acting like Oliver as some punk from the 50s come to take their sweet high schooler out for a date! "Don't hang out with that boy! He's bad news!" "Whatever do you see in him?" :pearls clutched::  While Joe was correct in bringing up Ollie's body count, maybe trusting grown-ass Barry being able to assess friend from unstable murderer? Thanks Joe, and Barry? Welcome to Iris' world.

 

Speaking of the ladies, loved all three of them tonight! Caitlin could have slapped Barry silly ad no one would have blamed her, after the uncalled for Ronnie statement. That is how Caitlin rolls; she's not going to let you see that you hurt her, Barry. Even if you were altered briefly by Bivolo, you were mean and spiteful. Iris got a look at your ugly side, too. I like that she almost got you off the angry ledge on her own. Too bad Eddie was there too, for a few reasons. Iris calling a time out was smart and mature. Iris may be reviewing all Barry's acts to see if she missed anything earlier in her enthusiasm for The Flash, but when she decides to speak with him again? She could be awesomely still a cheerleader but a more pragmatic one. Felicity? So glad she and Caitlin are science girlfriends! Felicity is working on a different level of science than her guys, whereas Caitlin has the science snobbery of her guys. Barry needs to not do things like race folks around if they are catching fire! Big safety tip, Mr. Allen.

 

I told Ollie to shut up, when he was giving Barry romantic advice. Oliver is a good at the super-heroing stuff, but his personal life keeps smacking him around, largely due to his own actions/inactions. Consider the source, Barry. Just don't be a tool, as everyone and their dog chimed in tonight.

 

The bank robbery and surrounding chaos was appropriately chilling. A hand closing into a fist around a bank pen? Appropriately creepy. I do like that it was the breaking of the charity display by the bullet ( and maybe Barry) is what got these folks to slowly snap out of their "trance". 

 

The first "training" session with Ollie? Fun. It's not quite Bizarro World when Oliver makes valid points, but Barry- for all of his smarts- has consistently not used his brain in taking on villains. He is still punch-drunk, except when he took on Oliver. Vortex-ing the oxygen away from Oliver, the speed-boxing, the processing of the tranqilizer  faster, and the building running.  Oliver showed what he learned on the island, as well as the last two years in Starling. Feeling out Barry's fighting stye and using his other senses to try and anticipate where to hit Barry.

 

Wells? While Oliver is on his radar, the doctor is also on Oliver's. Potential confrontations down the line could be delicious!

 

I really want Joe to meet Quentin. Quentn is a captain/chief, but I think the two could be wonderful resources for one another, as well as their respective cities. Hey, they have Tockman and Boomerang in common already!

 

Even after the time elapsed, I am still excited for tomorrow night! Such good stuff!

[benteen]

I'll second wanting to see Joe meeting Quentin.  Maybe they do know each other already but definitely something I would want to see in a future crossover.

[Trini]

Well, that was fun! Loved seeing the Arrow team over here. And there was actually a lot of humor with them, that's lacking over on Arrow.

 

 

This episode had me cracking up multiple times.
...

Iris wore lots of cute dresses too.

I'm just now noticing the cute outfits they have her in. She did look good tonight.

 

By the way, they couldn't spare 30 seconds to show them actually capturing Prism or whatever his name is? That was rather abrupt. I would have liked to see how they actually got around his rage-inducing powers.

Obviously, the Barry/Oliver scenes were the priority, but it was really weird that they skipped it ENTIRELY. Not even some dialogue to explain.

 

Can't wait for part 2!

[Delphi]

Two things I hated:

The robbery scene, the teller ever so politely tells the metahuman that he shouldn't be allowed in the vault. Sir you're not allowed here in the vault. With bunches of dollars. No. You call the guard after hitting the silent alarm. Don't engage robbers.

I also think, in regards to evaporating the horse tranquilizer, that Barry is learning all the flash powers way too quick. It worked for the fight. But I don't want to watch a super hero who is so super I never have to worry.

Baby mama, but that's more of an arrow complaint.

Things I loved:

Team arrow, especially felicity and Dig.

Oliver's advice to Barry was actually spot on.

"happy Hanukkah", from felicity.

The fight scene between Oliver and Barry.

And I loved the banter between Oliver and Barry, and can't stop thinking about Huntress and Barry getting coffee.

[thuganomics85]

Pretty fun crossover.  There was plenty of fanservice and whatnot, but I did like that there was some movements in the story, and I do think Barry and crew are going to be changed a little bit, after these events.

 

First off, yes, I just loved seeing Ollie, Diggle, and Felicity get to let loose and be fun again, which has really been lacking on their respected show.  Diggle's reactions to Barry's powers was awesome.  You can tell that, out of everyone he's been through, this is one of the ones where his brain just had trouble processing it.  Poor guy look like he didn't know if he should be excited or terrified of Barry.  Barry/Ollie was about as awesome as expected.  They really have an almost sibling relationship.  Granted, in Ollie's case, I do think it's almost like he finds Barry to be his annoying younger brother, who never listens and won't shut up, but I do think he actually cares about him.  Stephen Amell and Grant Gustin though, just really work well together.

 

Glad Felicity got a lot of moments.  Really loved seeing more of her and Caitlin this time around, and them bonding over being the only women on their respected teams (unless we want to include Laurel).  And, anything having to do with Wells is always good in my book, so this was no difference.  Of course, he would figure out who Ollie was on his own, because he is Wells.

 

Oh, and of course, her getting her shirt burned off.  You did that on purpose, didn't you, Barry!

 

Interesting how both Joe and Wells were both so anti-Arrow at first.  Granted, if you are an outsider, it kind of makes sense why you would think Ollie was bad news, so I thought it made sense.  Still, it was hilarious seeing Wells be like this, when we know full well the body-count he's been racking up.

 

Liked seeing a Darker Flash this time, and all the harm he caused.  I did like that he acknowledge at the end that it wasn't all the power, and that he clearly has issues deep down he needs to work out.  Hurrah for self-awareness!  Joe really looked stunned by what he said to him; as did Catlin; and, damn, poor Eddie.  That was rough!  Really, I can see why Iris is cutting off ties for now.  It could have been even worse had Ollie not shown up.

 

Speaking of which, loved Flash vs. Arrow!  A lot of cool moves, and both of them had their moments of one-upping each other.  Still, despite what Cisco said, I do think Ollie more or less won.  Granted, I guess we'll never know, but it just felt like he was in the driver's seat, and would have came out on-top at some point.  Of course, he might have been crippled if Barry kept throwing those punches like that a few more times.

 

Only disappointments was the metahuman amounted to almost nothing (we didn't even see how he got captured), and feeling the need to bring back Ollie's baby mama drama into this.  Even if said baby mama is Berlin from Defiance.

 

Uh oh!  It's Firestorm!  Stephen's cousin is going to be unleashed on Central City!

 

Can't say much else.  It was fun!  Won't be against them doing it again, but not all the time.  Can't wait till tomorrow, where Barry and crew will hopefully lighten up the dour Arrow set.

Edited December 4, 2014 by thuganomics85

[statsgirl]

I really liked this episodes.  The lightness of The Flash with the gravitas of Arrow. I hope they do more cross-overs, it improves both shows.

 

I liked that both Joe and Wells didn't trust Oliver. That's realistic.

 

I really liked Barry's character development here. Something for those interested in character, something for those interested in the Flash vs Arrow fight scenes.

 

I wanted more of Diggle's reactions to the Flash.  They were funny and David Ramsey doesn't get to do nearly enough of that stuff on Arrow..

 

I thought Felicity telling Cisco and Caitlin that she and Barry were not an thing, and Barry going 'okay already' was funny.

 

We need more Felicity/Caitlin. There's lots of guy bonding on both shows but Iris and Caitlin don't know each other and Felicity is on a whole other show.

 

I like Caitlin telling Barry to stop trying to break up Iris and Eddie.  Poor Barry, his evil self succeeded in distancing Iris from him.  And poor Caitlin, getting closer to Barry (as a friend) and there's her fiance, just burning up close by.

 

Felicity re-framing Oliver's good-bye speech... "What Oliver meant to say is that he enjoyed working with you..." was the old Oliver and Felicity back again, finally..  Is that the 'they're so married' scene people were talking about?

 

I thought they spent to much time on the baby mama thing because I don't care.  I would have preferred to see how they caught Bivolo.

 

Trust Oliver to end the show on a depressing note.  "Guys like us don't get the girl."  Way to bring me down again, Ollie.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Only disappointments was the metahuman amounted to almost nothing (we didn't even see how he got captured), and feeling the need to bring back Ollie's baby mama drama into this.  Even if said baby mama is Berlin from Defiance.

 

I knew she looked familiar (she's awesome as Berlin on Defiance) -- but I don't remember her from previous episodes of Arrow.

 

Did the team ever determine who owns the boomerang ?

Edited December 3, 2014 by ottoDbusdriver

[futurechemist]

I was amused the show took a page from Warehouse 13 (which I loved) and kept saying that Barry had been "Whammied"

[Delphi]

I knew she looked familiar (she's awesome as Berlin on Defiance) -- but I don't remember her from previous episodes of Arrow.

She was only on one episode of Arrow. Last season, the episode where Moira is murdered. Seeing Red, I think it was called.

[quarks]

That was fun. 

 

Good things:

 

1. Yes! A developing but already solid friendship between Caitlin and Felicity, on shows that have really not been emphasizing girl friendships that much. Iris and Caitlin had that one scene together, and there's a few over on Arrow if you stretch the definition, or include Jean and Moira, but not many, so this was fun to see.  Caitlin/Felicity team ups for the win!

 

2. Diggle's reaction to Barry, and wondering about bathroom issues. Also Oliver's response to Diggle's wondering about bathroom issues.

 

3. Felicity having the foresight to wear a fireproof bra. At least, I'm assuming that's why the bra didn't burn up along with the rest of her clothing.

 

4. Iris has a list. Oliver Queen is on that list. Oliver Queen has amazing arms. Iris, I have never identified with you as much as I did in that moment.

 

5. Cisco's Star Wars moment. Hee.

 

6. Oliver training Barry, and pointedly pointing out Barry's weaknesses.

 

7. Barry, just a little while later, having to agree with Joe that just maybe Oliver has issues.

 

8. EPIC battle between Arrow and Flash, complete with Oliver bouncing up and down off buildings. I laughed.

 

9. Iris cutting things off with Flash after he attacked her boyfriend, metahuman induced or not.  Well done, Iris, even if I don't expect this will last long.

 

10. Oliver realizing that something is decidedly off with Wells.

 

11. Team Arrow and Team Flash fighting over who would win in a fight: Oliver or Barry. 

 

12. Boomerang!  "That was my fault." 

 

13. Oh, Oliver, trying to make us all sad by telling us heroes don't get the girl. Dude! Stop watching the DC movies and start watching the Marvel ones where they DO!

 

Questionable things:

 

1. Do clothes and other things only burn up once Barry has reached certain speeds, or after a certain length of time at certain speeds? Asking because he seems to be zipping around a lot without burning things up, and, well, much of Felicity's clothing wasn't burned up.

 

2. I am really, really, really trying to suspend my disbelief here, but with the van of glowing colors, a) how exactly did they assemble that in time, b) why wasn't Cisco there, c) how did they know WHICH colors would work, d) how did it....You know, I think I'm just going to have to admit that even for this show, that was ridiculous.

 

3. This probably belongs more over on Arrow's forum than here, but Oliver, just give up the secret identity already. You are absolutely no good at keeping it. Wells didn't even need future knowledge to figure that one out. 

 

4. So now that Wells, Caitlin, Cisco, Joe, Felicity, Diggle, Oliver and assorted metahumans all know Barry's secret, can we clue Iris in already? Thanks.

 

Bad things:

 

1. You can kill the baby mama storyline at anytime, shows.  Anytime. That entire screentime could have gone to showing up how Oliver and Barry teamed up to take down Evil Glowing Red Eyes Dude. Speaking of which....

 

2. Like others here, I'm sad that we missed seeing Oliver/Barry team up to take down this week's metahuman. I know, I know, lots of other stuff going on, but I felt cheated.  Hope we get some sort of team up tomorrow night to make up for that.

[Racj82]

Awww, poor Barry. I felt for him. He went from a high thinking that Iris was dumping Eddie for The Flash to heartbreak when she dumped The Flash. Poor Iris. She looked so crushed by The Flash's behavior.

I don't watch the Arrow so most of the episode was "whatever," but I did enjoy the humor with the boomrang gone rogue and the guy who kept going on about how fast Barry was, particularly when he went to the bathroom. Hilarious.

should be watching both, imo. Both are great shows.

[Trini]

 

7. Barry, just a little while later, having to agree with Joe that just maybe Oliver has issues.

Heh. Don't take it personally Barry. Oliver also shot an arrow into his own sidekick!

Edited December 3, 2014 by Trini

[statsgirl]

Did the team ever determine who owns the boomerang ?

Not that I saw. One minute they're "we're here about this mysterious boomerang, and the next it's "we caught your guy, bye now!"

 

That was fun. 

 

Good things:

 

3. Felicity having the foresight to wear a fireproof bra. At least, I'm assuming that's why the bra didn't burn up along with the rest of her clothing.

I'm all for bras that aren't polyester, but I think the answer to that is that the fire started with the friction between the air molecules and Felicity's shirt. The bra, not in contact with speeding air molecules, would have been safe.  (And now I'm thinking about the CGI of that scene.)

 

Speaking of fires, I wonder what's going to happen when Ronnie shows up.  Maybe Caitlin better starting thinking fireproof clothes of her own. 

[steelyis]

I am geeking out! This crossover was everything I hoped for and more! Well, almost... I wanted Dig and Joe to have a scene together, maybe talk about their kids or the crazy superheroes they work with.

 

The best parts, hands down, were Diggle suffering a bsod when Barry showed up and Flash vs. Arrow! Diggle needs his own episode again because DR is just too amazing to be wasted on the sidelines. And that fight! Hot damn, that fight was awesome! A thing of beauty! It was brutal and fast paced and exciting, I honestly didn't think the show would pull it off, but I was wrong.

 

Felicity and Caitlin bonding and working together was perfect (and lol at that Laurel shade!).

 

Iris was cute all over the place and smoking hot in that bedroom scene. I'm glad she said bye Felicia to Flash. I didn't care for Barry sabotaging Iris and Eddie's relationship. It made Barry look like a creep.

 

I also think Barry should have made an effort to go to Eddie as Flash and explain what happened. By going to Iris, who he didn't beat the holy shit out of, it shows he was more worried about losing her hero worship than making things right with the man he almost killed.

 

Love everything about Felicity in this episode--she was literally flawless!

 

Cisco, don't ever change, you giant nerd!

 

Even Ollie was good, if a bit dour, and he was surprisingly likable as Barry's Yoda.

 

If the Arrow/Flash crossover is as good as this one tomorrow is gonna fucking rock!

[benteen]

I knew she looked familiar (she's awesome as Berlin on Defiance) -- but I don't remember her from previous episodes of Arrow.

 

Did the team ever determine who owns the boomerang ?

 

No, they never did. 

 

Oliver's baby mama was in one scene last season and I think a lot of people didn't remember.  I had to run through names before I realized who she was.  Odd that that scene occurred on The Flash but it was a legitimate surprise and an advantage of a shared universe.

 

This episode was another example as to why Barry should have told Iris about his secret identity earlier...he definitely could have smoothed this whole situation over with her.  Though she would have had to keep the secret from Eddie and it might have revealed his feelings for her.

[BkWurm1]

Well that was a fun hour! 

 

I'm impressed how balanced the show felt.  It was jam packed with characters and yet I didn't feel like any of them were really shafted in lines or moments to shine.  We even had time for the Police Captain's lament about his man not letting him eat junk food.  Side note, personally I think the Captain agreed to the task force against the Flash mainly because he suspects that is who stole his burger. 

 

Now for a couple fanwanks!

 

1. Do clothes and other things only burn up once Barry has reached certain speeds, or after a certain length of time at certain speeds? Asking because he seems to be zipping around a lot without burning things up, and, well, much of Felicity's clothing wasn't burned up.

 

2. I am really, really, really trying to suspend my disbelief here, but with the van of glowing colors, a) how exactly did they assemble that in time, b) why wasn't Cisco there, c) how did they know WHICH colors would work, d) how did it....You know, I think I'm just going to have to admit that even for this show, that was ridiculous.

 

 

1)  I would think the kind of material/fabric would also make a difference to how easily it might go up in flames.  Stick to natural fibers Felicity.

 

Side note:  I guess Caitlin keeps a Star Labs sweatshirt on hand (maybe it gets cold that many levels underground) cause it fit Felicity like a glove so obviously not laying around for the boys to use. 

 

 

2)  Caitlin had a working theory early on when she was looking at the brain scans and Barry reporting seeing red confirmed it so it works for me that she worked out the color patterns already (the people affected still were affected in the scans) and as for the equipment, I assume they have everything when it comes to science type stuff at Star Labs.

 

Really looking forward to tomorrow night. 

[Jazzy24]

I liked this episode so much and I continue to love Barry.

When is Barry going to get a love interest I don't want him standing in the sidelines watching while Iris is off with Eddie enjoying a relationship.

And I don't watch Arrow but is Oliver always so depressing? I swear I didn't see that dude smile once and he just seemed so serious like WTF happened to him?

Edited December 3, 2014 by Jazzy24

[Latverian Diplomat]

Neither Prism nor Rainbow Raider fits a guy who only used one color/emotion in the episode. But I guess they needed to keep his powers and the narrative simple. ETA: And no explanation for why the accelerator explosion gave him those specific powers. I like to think he was just look at his Driver's License and thinking, "What kind of a name is Roy G. Bivolo? Rage at parents...building..." zap.

 

The comics have a hand-wavy explanation for why the Flash and the things or people he carries aren't harmed by friction, but I expect the show to just keep ignoring it. I'm fine with that. The thing with Felicity was clearly a light-hearted one-off.

 

Nice to see Barry do some speed tricks like vibrating that lock out and catching that arrow. Waiting to see him catch a bullet sometime soon.

 

Nice of Oliver to help out with the intimidation of that one guy, but rifling through his filing cabinet at super-speed would have been more Barry's style.

 

Loved that Oliver was on Iris' free pass list. 

Edited December 3, 2014 by Latverian Diplomat

[Trini]

I thought it was interesting that the things that Rage-Barry said about Oliver were things Barry was jealous about: handsome, rich, can-have-any-girl, weight-lifting Oliver.

 

------

Loved the crossover title card; I wonder what they'll do with Arrow's title card.

[Artsda]

Loved the episode, the fight scene, Diggie's reaction to Barry, just all the Oliver and Barry scenes. It was great.It's how crossovers should be done, natural and seamless. Everything and everyone fit together perfectly in their actions and character reaction.

[NumberCruncher]

And I don't watch Arrow but is Oliver always so depressing? I swear I didn't see that dude smile once and he just seemed so serious like WTF happened to him?

Oliver was shipwrecked for 5 years during which time he was tortured, watched many people he cared about die, and was later forced to be an assassin by A.R.G.U.S. He also watched his mom, dad, and best friend die right in front of him and his city was destroyed because he couldn't stop it from happening. He's pretty screwed up. Funny enough, he's actually better now than when he first returned home and was suffering from PTSD. He's definitely not as happy-go-lucky as Barry, but he's been through hell that Barry has yet to experience.

Loved this episode so much. I thought the bromance between Barry and Oliver was fantastic. I also adored that Caitlin and Felicity bonded as girlfriends. Diggle's reactions were hilarious--especially when his fries flew everywhere when Barry zoomed up.

Edited December 3, 2014 by NumberCruncher

[90 Day Pinochet]

 Diggle's reaction to Barry was superb. Now that is the kind of reaction I've been waiting for. I don't even care if his team didn't tell him. It made it that much better. Diggle may have been useless this episode, but he's got more screen time than all this season on Arrow. 

 

It was so refreshing to have Team Arrow in a setting that isn't dour 24/7. Dig has been so neglected this season that I really enjoyed that he got the best lines and gave the best line readings. Even Oliver got laugh lines this episode, while still being unsmiling enough to not lose too much esteem among the other DC wealthy orphans. This episode felt so confident and fresh that I wish more DC filmed properties escaped the gravitational pull of the Nolan Batmans.

[VCRTracking]

I'm still smiling hours later. That was A-W-E-S-O-M-E.

[VCRTracking]

I'm still smiling hours later. That was A-W-E-S-O-M-E.

[BkWurm1]

And I don't watch Arrow but is Oliver always so depressing? I swear I didn't see that dude smile once and he just seemed so serious like WTF happened to him?

 

Oliver was shipwrecked for 5 years during which time he was tortured, watched many people he cared about die, and was later forced to be an assassin by A.R.G.U.S. He also watched his mom, dad, and best friend die right in front of him and his city was destroyed because he couldn't stop it from happening. He's pretty screwed up. Funny enough, he's actually better now than when he first returned home and was suffering from PTSD. He's definitely not as happy-go-lucky as Barry, but he's been through hell that Barry has yet to experience.

 

 

 

 

This was Oliver being upbeat and his back story is actually even worse than the above description makes it sound.  Just the way his dad died should have screwed him up for life (that's a happy little gem that comes up I think in the very first episode) 

Edited December 3, 2014 by BkWurm1

[SleepDeprived]

That was a fantastic hour of television. Well worth brewing some caffeine after getting home incredibly late just to be able to finish watching. I was entertained throughout and couldn't seem to wipe the smile off my face in most scenes.

 

The much-hyped Arrow vs. Flash fight lived up to my expectations. That was really cool. I think I might give the edge to Oliver, though, since he was able to subdue Barry in a choke hold right before Joe and Wells got there with the discotheque remedy courtesy of the S.T.A.R. labs rave van.

 

I have been a bit bothered by Iris' hero worship and Barry using his alter ego to drive a wedge in Iris and Eddie's relationship these past few episodes. So, I'm really glad that Iris told the Flash off after he almost killed Eddie. Also, it's not cool that Iris will probably need to switch car insurance companies before the inevitable increase in premium due to that broken window and door damage. Girl would probably need to work double shifts to pay for the repairs/deductible. So, thanks a lot, Barry. Hopefully, Oliver Queen left a hefty tip. Oh wait, Oliver's poor now. Well, maybe Felicity tips well. She did get recently promoted to an executive position.

 

Cisco and Caitlin are adorable nerd puppies. I laughed at Cisco's enthusiasm with the boomerang and finding out the Arrow's secret identity. I do wonder who the other 149 people on his list of possible Arrows are, though. I loved Caitlin and Felicity's bonding moments. Female geniuses having scientific conversations FTW!

 

Dr. Wells was creepy, as usual. I have no idea if he really isn't Reverse Flash and is another character that time traveled in order to manipulate events to ensure that the future remains intact. I wonder if he really did meet Robert Queen like he told Oliver.

 

But, if I'm being honest, the reason why I loved this episode so much had more to do with the guest cast. Team Arrow! I loved Diggle's reactions to/musings about Barry's powers, Felicity's camaraderie with the whole cast of the Flash, and Oliver actually smiling/having coffee/being normal-ish around others. There was sassing and jokes and actual confiding with each other about stuff. I've missed those. I didn't, however, miss Oliver, the fail love advice guru, and his, obviously going to be a future plot point, baby mama drama.

 

So, is Ronnie going to be the metahuman in next week's episode? If he is, I hope they give him a better wig. His hair looked gross and stringy when he flamed-up. Although since he's, apparently, a hobo now, I guess that makes sense. Also, I thought

Captain Cold and Mick Rory

were going to be in this episode? They were shown in the promo for Flash vs. Arrow earlier this week.

[wayne67]

Things I found amusing

 

• Flash tearing through the city with a passenger whose shirt burst into flames.

 

• The brief Cisco Felicity interactions, having fun enjoying geeking out together.

 

• That the Flash got called out on his sloppy crime fighting.

 

• Rage Barry speechifying at Arrow and Joe. It revealed a lot about Barry's demons that he hides beneath a cheery face.

 

Things that bugged me.

 

• Barry keeps wearing normal clothes while tearing through the streets at super speeds. Wasn't that at least half the reason he has a silly red costume ?

 

• He manages to be late to training with super speed ?

 

• He ignored all criticism and endangered everyone around him because he wanted to show off for the 9th time in a row.

 

• The Flash/Barry apparently forgot that he told Iris he didn't want her reporting on the Flash because of endangerment and now he's all into it so he can flirt with his former foster sister who has a bf. Combined with the stalking and lying it grates.

 

• Barry and Joe seem completely blase about vigilantism, property damage, kidnapping and illegal imprisonment for law enforcement personnel.

 

• Cisco don't taunt the meta humans in the cage. Seriously creepy that he's so blase about death threats from super human criminals.
• The dangerous metahuman didn't even merit a take down scene.
• Arrow apparently can take superfast punches to the abs. Does he have body armor underneath his shirt ?

 

Semi Related thought

 

This show should modify the cautionary phrase used on comic book Sunspot to "Barry be careful you're fast not invincible."

Edited December 3, 2014 by wayne67