Mind Your Surroundings: Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and Other Superhero Universes

[SleepDeprived]

Um, those are old costumes of the BOP and, in particular, Huntress, right? Isn't Huntress' costume actually closer to the one on Arrow (more properly-designed than male gazey) now? Because, yikes at that comics costume design! She's basically wearing strips of cloth, with lots of skin exposed, and the artist seems to have been inspired by the BatNips of Clooney's old costume.

 

If true, I would be interested in a BOP movie, providing they cast it well and the script is good. I always did like Babs and would be happy to see her onscreen again.

[Primal Slayer]

Um, those are old costumes of the BOP and, in particular, Huntress, right? Isn't Huntress' costume actually closer to the one on Arrow (more properly-designed than male gazey) now? Because, yikes at that comics costume design! She's basically wearing strips of cloth, with lots of skin exposed, and the artist seems to have been inspired by the BatNips of Clooney's old costume.

 

If true, I would be interested in a BOP movie, providing they cast it well and the script is good. I always did like Babs and would be happy to see her onscreen again.

Luckily she got a revamped costume along the way

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/batman/images/c/cb/2147067-huntress_profile.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120118185032

[SleepDeprived]

^ Yeah. That one's better. That one I like.

[Starfish35]

Don't know where to put this. But saw that Jennifer Morrison will play Black Canary. From Superhero feed on Twitter.

That's a fan casting.

https://mobile.twitter.com/SuperheroFeed/status/660959921479880704

[BunsenBurner]

That's a fan casting.

https://mobile.twitter.com/SuperheroFeed/status/660959921479880704

Oops sorry.  My brother was raving about it because he can't stand her as an actress but liked that she was built right, not too skinny and has a believable body for BC.

[AyChihuahua]

Someone had the idea of the woman from Vikings as BC.  I am not a regular viewer, but I thought that was interesting.  She was not good as a recurring on Bones, but she's a real-life martial artist and I think she's quite good on Vikings.  Kathryn Winnick, I think?

[tv echo]

Wow, I'm shocked - here's a rare, negative review of the Supergirl pilot (*)...

 

A not so super start
CBS’s new superhero series, “Supergirl,” disappoints
by Kyle Canady | Nov 03 2015 | 2 hours ago
http://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2015/11/a-not-so-super-start

The show’s first episode was very mediocre and, Supergirl pales in comparison to CW’s superhero television series “Arrow” and “The Flash,”. In order to compete with the likes of these other DC superhero television shows, Supergirl is going to have to become a lot less predictable and far more moving.

 

(* I suppose you could dismiss this review as coming from a college newspaper .  However, I've read a lot of reviews and have found that the quality of the review does not necessarily depend on whether the source of the review is a professional media site, a fan site, or a college site, but on the author and how well he or she writes. Of course, whether you agree or disagree with what's said is another matter. I don't think the above article is the most well-written, but she does make some valid points, I thought.)

 

There's also this article...

 

The Creators Of 'Supergirl' Know That Title Is A Bit Misogynistic
Lauren Duca  Posted: 11/02/2015 01:37 PM EST | Edited: 11/02/2015 01:41 PM EST
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/supergirl-cbs-interview_5636aff6e4b063179912c176

In the pilot, Kara directly confronts the show's title, asking why she is not called "Superwoman." How did you decide to address certain elements of her comic book history, like her name or costume?
 

You know, Greg and I have had so much success with “Arrow” and “Flash” embracing what these things are instead of trying to turn them into something that they aren’t. There’s always a concern, whether it’s on the part of the studio or the network or even the public that these things are going to come off as silly or campy. But the success that we’ve had is that we’ve really embraced the DNA of these characters and the worlds that they live in.
 

With "Supergirl," I think it was even more of a challenge because you could look at some of these things as being very silly or misogynistic. For example, with the title, there was even some early talk of, you know, "Maybe we shouldn’t call it 'Supergirl.'" There are certain generational concerns, whether it’s the skirt or the name, but we thought rather than ignore it, that that was what the show itself was. It was a commentary on those things and actually having those discussions made the show much richer and deeper than just a superhero flying around and catching planes.

Edited November 3, 2015 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Comparisons made to Arrow (and Flash) in this review of the second episode of Supergirl...

As the lesson usually goes in comic books and in comic book shows, however, a hero is only as good as his or her team. So once James Olsen and Wynn find out the other knows Kara's secret too, a small time but more effective operation is set up to turn the tide. While it was certainly easy at times to compare Kara to Arrow's Felicity last week, this time it feels like more of an Arrow 'OTA' vibe, with James as a less combative Diggle and Wynn as the Felicity in this analogy -- although he still isn't making the kind of instant impression Felicity did.
*  *  *
The CW superhero empire that Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg helped launch is really as strong as it is because of their superhero teams, not just their titular heroes. If Berlanti and Kreisberg are taking those lessons to heart in Supergirl, and it certainly looks like they intend to, then the same winning formula should apply here too. Given that there is virtually no such things as secret identities among lead characters -- taking more of a page from the non-Iris parts of The Flash Season 1 than Arrow -- it certainly makes it easier to speed that process along.
*  *  *
... Between mysterious claims of actually being here to save Earth instead of destroying it, and an obviously heated family reunion with both words and fists, Astra and Benanti seem poised to be the Arrow equivalent to Season 1 Malcolm Merlyn and John Barrowman.

http://www.themovienetwork.com/review/supergirl-s1-e2-stronger-together

Edited November 3, 2015 by tv echo

[Starfish35]

Supergirl ratings took quite a tumble last night without TBBT lead-in, from a 3.1 to a 2.2. That still probably will make it one of CBS's top three shows this week, but I imagine after last week's numbers it's a bit of a disappointment.

http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/the-sked-monday-ratings-11-2-2015.html

Edited November 3, 2015 by Starfish35

[statsgirl]

Someone had the idea of the woman from Vikings as BC.  I am not a regular viewer, but I thought that was interesting.  She was not good as a recurring on Bones, but she's a real-life martial artist and I think she's quite good on Vikings.  Kathryn Winnick, I think?

That's her. It's interesting what a difference the right role makes for a person.  She played a patient on House in s3 (One Day, One Room) and the general feeling was that she can't act.

 

I quite liked Supergirl yesterday in spite of hating the Cat Grant character and finding the DEO a yawn.  I really wish that there would be no love triangle on the show but knowing AK, he's not going to be able to resist.

[Delphi]

I liked Supergirl last night. It's a very light show, but I watch it after Gotham airs and after I catch up on HTGAWM so honestly it's a very refreshing change to view.

[kismet]

No Landshark this week... just your usual Barry self-doubt fixed by a rousing speech & DADDY issues... except these ones are on Earth2!

 

Bleh these repetitive storylines are starting to get to me.

Edited November 4, 2015 by kismet

[Primal Slayer]

I am tired of E2 villain of the week and wasn't a fan of the Dr.Light surprise.

[apinknightmare]

The only reason E2 is okay in my book is because it brought forth the dorky stone fox that is Jay Garrick. 

Edited November 4, 2015 by apinknightmare

[kismet]

I'm just getting bored. But Jay Garrick is a really pleasant sight to watch. I wish we saw more of him. Before you know Caitlin picks up the huge anvil she dropped and becomes

evil

 

I think they brought Harry back too soon and he is basically just like E1 HW. I think the show is going to get themselves into a Malcolm predicament sooner rather than later. TPTB & a lot of the fans love MM, but his storyline pretzeled and compromised a lot of the integrity of s3.

[statsgirl]

Isn't it a bit soon for Caitlin to be kissing Jay Garrick?  Not that I blame her in the least.

 

So I guess that rules out the theory of Dr. Light as Felicity's father.

 

Jesse Martin has a ton of charm which is good because otherwise I don't think I could tolerate Joe West. He's a control freak and he wants to manipulate everyone but he'd be shocked if you accused him of it.

I

I don't get Iris.  I can see having some resentment about her mother leaving (although she should aim some at Joe for lying to her) but I don't get the whole "you had a son and if it's my father's then he'll never forgive you so go away and never come back".  First, why assume that the boy is Joe's son rather than the result of an affair she had as the marriage was breaking up?  At worst he's still her half-brother.  Second, wouldn't Joe rather know he has a son, even if he missed out on 20 years of his life?  How can she make that decision for him?  Maybe she is just Joe's daughter after all.

[BkWurm1]

I did enjoy Joe not stopping to ask questions and just shooting at Wells. 

 

About Caitlin, I wonder if it's her double from E2 that's evil. 

[kismet]

About Caitlin, I wonder if it's her double from E2 that's evil. 

Possibly. That way the show can have their cake and eat it too. Like when the Snowbarry kiss happened, but didn't really happen because of the shapeshifter. Either way the writing was pretty obvious & clunky in that scene.

 

Actually, that to me is one of my biggest complaints about the FLASH. They have all these in-script ways to write whatever they want and undo every story or character decision the next episode. Nobody (but mostly the writers) are ever really forced to deal with results of their choices, there is always a reset button and that's on a cellular level of the script. If ARROW has something happen, it can't be as easily undone. It can be explained, but not erased from the timeline or blamed on an AU.

[dtissagirl]

Jay Garrick imo is like trading seventeen times up from Cousin Amell, so: GET IT, CAITLIN.

[Carrie Ann]

Actually, that to me is one of my biggest complaints about the FLASH. They have all these in-script ways to write whatever they want and undo every story or character decision the next episode. Nobody (but mostly the writers) are ever really forced to deal with results of their choices, there is always a reset button and that's on a cellular level of the script.

 

This is my problem with The Flash too, but not just because of time-travel or E2. The show just doesn't care or doesn't bother to deal with emotions beyond a single episode. So Caitlyn is already moving on, even though we never actually saw her grief. Ditto for Iris re: her grief (and her anger), minus the moving on, but plus the completely-unconflicted pushing of Barry to date Patty. No one is mad at Barry for nearly ending the world and getting their loved ones killed--okay! Barry's dad leaves town as soon as he gets out of prison, single tear, bye! Cisco has been hiding something from the team for months, no one is concerned, okay! There are ZERO emotional stakes on this show, so I find it hard to give a damn. I'm grateful that's not (usually) the case on Arrow, and I hope it's not on LoT either.

 

That said, this was the first episode in a long time where something like that didn't actively piss me off, so yay!

[tarotx]

Flash is a good show (minus Caitin's way of breath talking) but I don't feel anything about the characters(except Barry but maybe only relating to Arrow characters?). I have no passion for the show. I just watch it, enjoy it while it's on and talk about it very sparingly.

This season all I think about is they are making Barry too powerful especially for crossovers to continue. He has his lighting bolt shooter and now he can run so fast creating multiple Flashes.

Barry should never lose. Perhaps he has too many male mentors clouding his thinking? And the ones last season didn't even try to persuade him to stay in the present preventing the singularity.

[statsgirl]

Unlike Arrow, which I get too passionate about, I don't feel anything for Flash either.  I watch, when I'm around and it's on but it's not something I read spoiler for or post about.

 

Another problem is that the more I get to know the Flash characters, the less I like them.  Joe and Iris are tainted by the "I know best what's good for you" (I liked Iris best with Eddie),and Cisco is becoming too much of a Gary Stu.  The actors themselves are very engaging and that's why I watch but the characters less and less so.

This is my problem with The Flash too, but not just because of time-travel or E2. The show just doesn't care or doesn't bother to deal with emotions beyond a single episode. So Caitlyn is already moving on, even though we never actually saw her grief. Ditto for Iris re: her grief (and her anger), minus the moving on, but plus the completely-unconflicted pushing of Barry to date Patty. No one is mad at Barry for nearly ending the world and getting their loved ones killed--okay! Barry's dad leaves town as soon as he gets out of prison, single tear, bye! Cisco has been hiding something from the team for months, no one is concerned, okay!

This is the Laurel problem on Arrow (as opposed to the Oliver problem where they beat everything he did wrong to death) so maybe it's an AK thing.  If it is, I hope Berlanti can stop it from infecting Supergirl too.

[Carrie Ann]

Yeah we've talked about the way Barry is over-celebrated on TF while Oliver is over-punished, but there's another sort of parallel/reversal there too, where on The Flash, only Barry's feelings matter. Sometimes it can feel like we only get Oliver's feelings on things and are left to guess at others' (Felicity's last season, as we've been discussing), but in general, the show is pretty clear that all characters are allowed their own feelings and motivations and reactions, and those can last for several episodes or even seasons (see: QL).

 

But on The Flash? Pretty much only Barry's feelings matter, and he's the only person allowed to feel and express the whole range of human emotion. Everyone else conveniently gets over their icky feelings--see Iris SO easily accepting that Joe told her her own mother was DEAD for her whole life, along with all the BS last year. On Arrow, if that happens, it's usually Oliver who is expected to just get over things and get with the new program. The only time I can really point to that someone else had a quick acceptance of something that could have dragged out was Thea learning the truth about Oliver last season. And in general, S3 was weaker on allowing characters to have proper emotional responses (the team's mourning of Oliver's death was completely botched), but I will choose to see that as an anomaly.

[statsgirl]

The team's reaction to Oliver's death was botched because Thea didn't know and they were trying to build up Black Canary and Atom so instead of Diggle and Felicity getting scenes, it was Diggle/Laurel and Felicity/Ray.  It seems like so many of the problems with s3 can be attributed to plot!

 

But yes, the way it's only about Barry on Flash is annoying. And if it's not about Barry, it's about Joe or Cisco or one of the other male characters. I swear, Stein got more time to mourn Ronnie than Caitlin did.

[tv echo]

This article is about Arrow and Flash setting up for LoT, and the author thinks Arrow has done a better job of setting up its LoT characters than the Flash...

 

The shared universe effect takes hold, for better or worse, on the CW
Benjamin Rosenstock  Tuesday, November 3, 2015 - 8:23pm
https://www.michigandaily.com/section/arts/tv-notebook-flash-and-arrow

[bmoore4026]

In case Supergirl gets cancelled, do you think they'll do like John Constantine and bring Kara (and Melissa Benoist for that matter) over to the CW shows for guest appearances.

 

Speaking of John Constantine, do you think they'll allow more toned down Vertigo characters to appear?  Like some members of The Sandman cast (Cain and Abel, The Corinthian, The Three Witches)?  What about The Endless themselves?  Would it be too complex with getting Neil Gaiman and the DC Comics higher up involved?

 

God, I've got so many questions!

[Morrigan2575]

I can't see Supergirl getting canceled just yet but it depends on where it stacks up against the rest of the CBS lineup.

[InsertWordHere]

Watching this week's Flash and it really is striking how much they build up Barry's skills while Arrow keeps minimizing Oliver's. Barry's faster and better than Earth-2's Flash, despite the fact that Jay's been doing it for longer, much like Oliver's on the same level as all these newer masks even though he's been doing it longer. Jay's at fault for not stopping Zoom in Earth-2 because he always runs away while Barry isn't blamed for letting Zoom into our world. Meanwhile, Oliver gets blamed for bringing all this trouble to Starling even though Starling was bad before he returned and the entire Glades would be destroyed if he hadn't stopped Malcolm. I don't even like Jay that much or dislike Barry but I can't helping feeling that if Earth 2 has a non-Oliver Queen Green Arrow and he showed up on Arrow, he would be written as completely superior to our Arrow. Speaking of, I really want to know what that world's Oliver is like. Is he the Green Arrow or did he die on the Gambit or is he still playboy Oliver? Given the other world's retro fashion, I'm hoping their Oliver Queen wears waistcoats. For reasons. 

[FurryFury]

I just really hate how The Flash shills Barry. I really hoped Jay could teach him something and would become a "Big Brother" figure. Nope. Barry's better because he's Barry. Everyone conveniently forgot how he endangered the whole world for a chance to bring his mother back.

[benteen]

Yeah we've talked about the way Barry is over-celebrated on TF while Oliver is over-punished, but there's another sort of parallel/reversal there too, where on The Flash, only Barry's feelings matter. Sometimes it can feel like we only get Oliver's feelings on things and are left to guess at others' (Felicity's last season, as we've been discussing), but in general, the show is pretty clear that all characters are allowed their own feelings and motivations and reactions, and those can last for several episodes or even seasons (see: QL).

 

But on The Flash? Pretty much only Barry's feelings matter, and he's the only person allowed to feel and express the whole range of human emotion. Everyone else conveniently gets over their icky feelings--see Iris SO easily accepting that Joe told her her own mother was DEAD for her whole life, along with all the BS last year. On Arrow, if that happens, it's usually Oliver who is expected to just get over things and get with the new program. The only time I can really point to that someone else had a quick acceptance of something that could have dragged out was Thea learning the truth about Oliver last season. And in general, S3 was weaker on allowing characters to have proper emotional responses (the team's mourning of Oliver's death was completely botched), but I will choose to see that as an anomaly.

 

Good lord, yes, on Barry's feelings.  The fact that he was allowed to travel back in time to save his mother, which not only would have affected the people around him but possibly destroyed the universe like he was entitled to do it because he's "such a hero" was an indication about how those around him are just enablers.

 

 

The people around Barry act like a cult sometimes, just doing whatever his whims dictate.  The kid gloves they treat him with is ridiculous.  Barry is DEFINITELY 100% responsible for this influx of Earth 2 villians becaue he thought playing Russian Roulette with the universe was acceptable because he misses his mommy.  Those around him are just as responsible for enabling him to do so.  Telling him that the Flash saved Central City is a joke because Barry was basically an arsonist who put out his own fire (with Enabler Firestorm's help) in the season finale.  And Barry deliberately set that fire.  But it was acceptable to him and his enablers because he misses his mommy.

Edited November 5, 2015 by benteen

[nksarmi]

Ok not to nitpick, but I actually thought it was Eddie erasing himself from the timeline that caused the singularity to open on Flash.  Like I thought that Barry made it back in time and everything was stable but then when Eddie killed himself to kill Thawne that opened the singularity.  The show hasn't really SAID that, but that did seem to be the sequence of events in the finale.

 

Plus I still don't see how Eddie killing himself didn't rewrite Earth 1's timeline as is.  Because once he died, he should have erased all that Thawne did when he came from the future, resetting everything over to the original timeline where Barry still became the Flash, Barry and Iris married, etc.... I just don't understand how the timeline continued unless Eddie is in fact still alive (over on Earth 2 perhaps?) and able to produce the child that will eventually lead to Thawne. 

[apinknightmare]

Eddie erasing himself from existence did cause the singularity, but IIRC the only reason he needed to do that is because Barry for whatever reason let Wells out of his cell at S.T.A.R. Labs.

[FurryFury]

Plus I still don't see how Eddie killing himself didn't rewrite Earth 1's timeline as is.  Because once he died, he should have erased all that Thawne did when he came from the future, resetting everything over to the original timeline where Barry still became the Flash, Barry and Iris married, etc.... I just don't understand how the timeline continued unless Eddie is in fact still alive (over on Earth 2 perhaps?) and able to produce the child that will eventually lead to Thawne

 

They just don't give a damn about the rules of time travel on this show, that's all. It's really annoying, too.

[benteen]

Barry going back in time is what set off the chain of events that led to the singularity (which the writers had Caitlin bizarrely not know about for some reason).  He did this even after he learned there was a chance it could result in the absolute destriction of everything.

[nksarmi]

Barry going back in time is what set off the chain of events that led to the singularity (which the writers had Caitlin bizarrely not know about for some reason).  He did this even after he learned there was a chance it could result in the absolute destriction of everything.

 

Ok that's true - I just thought that he succeeded in his mission but then Eddie dying set it off anyway. Of course, he still took the risk, which is selfish in and of itself, even if he did succeed.  But then Eddie's selfless act actually did cause the rift to open so the show runners aren't giving us morality lessons here. :)

 

I really think they should have made the singularity an accident - something Thawne knew could happen but didn't tell the team and they started the ball rolling before Stein figured out the possibility.  I'd rather think Barry was reckless in his youth and pain to save his mother (who a time traveler killed so there is a legit reason to say "this should have never happened") than that he is selfish enough to risk the world.  But whatever, I'm moving past that because I do enjoy Flash and mostly I like Barry as a character.

[benteen]

Ok that's true - I just thought that he succeeded in his mission but then Eddie dying set it off anyway. Of course, he still took the risk, which is selfish in and of itself, even if he did succeed.  But then Eddie's selfless act actually did cause the rift to open so the show runners aren't giving us morality lessons here. :)

 

I really think they should have made the singularity an accident - something Thawne knew could happen but didn't tell the team and they started the ball rolling before Stein figured out the possibility.  I'd rather think Barry was reckless in his youth and pain to save his mother (who a time traveler killed so there is a legit reason to say "this should have never happened") than that he is selfish enough to risk the world.  But whatever, I'm moving past that because I do enjoy Flash and mostly I like Barry as a character.

 

Totally agree.

[nksarmi]

And you know - now that I'm really distracted and thinking about this - Barry's entire argument should have been but he went to the past and changed things - I just want to FIX it.  Why would that be bad when he already messed things up but that's probably too much circular reasoning for what they were going for.

[tv echo]

Geoff Johns and Kevin Feige are included in THR's "Executive Tree"...

 

Secret Assistant Past: Hollywood Players Who Used to Fetch Coffee and Dry Cleaning
by Matthew Belloni and Lacey Rose  11/4/2015 9:15am PST
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/secret-assistant-past-hollywood-players-836276

Edited November 6, 2015 by tv echo

[Angel12d]

I finally watched the second episode of Supergirl and I'm finding it really cheesy and a bit cringey. It's a bit heavy handed on the 'you've always had the heart of a hero' stuff. It's good but not something I consider must watch TV.

 

Also I know it had amazing ratings but I actually can't see it lasting many seasons. No idea why. Just a feeling.

[statsgirl]

I think it depends on how CBS wants to brand itself.  Mostly it's got older guys detecting (the three NCIS's, Hawaii 50, Sherlock, the utterly horrible Blue Bloods) and sitcoms, mostly by Chuck Lorre.  (He's like the Greg Berlanti of sitcoms.)

 

If they want to make a play for a younger audience for their dramas, they'll give it some more chances.  Unlike Gotham or Constantine, it's a show the whole family can watch together.

Edited November 8, 2015 by statsgirl

[tv echo]

Is DC’s ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ Hurting Other Superhero Shows?
Nick Cannata-Bowman  November 07, 2015
http://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/is-dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-hurting-other-superhero-shows.html/?a=viewall

We’re at a point in the Flash/Arrow-verse where we’d rather Legends of Tomorrow just premiere already, so that the rest of the CW’s superheroes can move on to their own respective stories. Part of the beauty of a crossover universe is having its characters overlap when it seems natural. Right now, we’re seeing a bunch of stories rushed to completion by the need to have Legends established inside of the next couple months. It’s leading to a whole lot of clutter in comic book universes with enough of that to begin with. The sooner Legends of Tomorrow arrives the better. For now though, we’re stuck with the most drawn-out origin story this side of Gotham.

Edited November 8, 2015 by tv echo

[tv echo]

HOW THE FLASH MAY HAVE HELPED TURN ARROW INTO A MUCH BETTER SHOW IN SEASON 4

Posted on November 7, 2015 by Kelly Konda
http://weminoredinfilm.com/2015/11/07/how-the-flash-may-have-helped-turn-arrow-into-a-much-better-show-in-season-4/

And that’s what I hit upon when I was trying to pinpoint why I like Arrow season 4 so much better than Arrow season 3. It’s not just simply because it’s funnier and more adept at expanding the parameters of its universe. It’s also because it kind of seems like Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle looked over at what Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg are doing on The Flash and wondered how they could incorporate some of that without totally changing the show.
*  *  *
The Flash is all about fathers and sons, and now Supergirl is all about mothers and daughters and sisters. Where does that leave Arrow? Well, lately Arrow seems like it’s trying to catch up. Prior to this season, there was always a Commission Gordon-Batman relationship between Captain Lance and Oliver, and if there was any hint of it also containing a surrogate father-surrogate son component it was subtle. Screw that noise. Oliver has almost flat out told Captain Lance this season, “You are my father figure now. Please give me the approval I so desperately crave from you.”  And, actually, it’s kind of working for me so far.
*  *  *
Of course, this goes back to that recurring argument I used to have – Is this the Batman Begins show, or a family drama? The truth is that it has always been both, but the early goings of season four seem to have placed a Flash-like emphasis on family, be they blood-related or the workplace family that is Team Arrow, a group which now seems to include Captain Lance.
 

This might not be Flash mimicry. It might be a byproduct of the show reaching a point in its life cycle where there is no longer a need to care so much about secret identities....
*  *  *
Whatever the reason, Arrow’s fourth season seems like a looser show.  We can assume via the flash forward that gloomy face Oliver will return after losing someone close to him , but the journey getting there is shaping up to be a far more enjoyable ride than usual.

[wingster55]

LOT is hurting Flash way more. Introducing characters just to ship them off. (Or focusing on villains)

[kismet]

HOW THE FLASH MAY HAVE HELPED TURN ARROW INTO A MUCH BETTER SHOW IN SEASON 4

Posted on November 7, 2015 by Kelly Konda

http://weminoredinfilm.com/2015/11/07/how-the-flash-may-have-helped-turn-arrow-into-a-much-better-show-in-season-4/

I don't think the FLASH has any effect on Arrow s4. I think MG getting another show runner to balance the Story is what is making the difference. I also think the show finishing its Batman homage trilogy, has also made a difference.

[Morrigan2575]

I don't think the FLASH has any effect on Arrow s4. I think MG getting another show runner to balance the Story is what is making the difference. I also think the show finishing its Batman homage trilogy, has also made a difference.

I agree with this completely. I think having another show runner, especially one from a drama background (instead of comics) provides the balance that MG needs. In fact I think that's been the problem since S2 when GB started focusing on Flash.

I actually think Flash seems to be following Arrow almost mimicking Arrow's S1/2 storilInes especially when it comes to Iris.

[kismet]

Finally for to see the first 2 episodes of Supergirl,  I really liked the episodes. I thought they have a light dramedy feel to them. I also thought the length was perfect. Feel like the acting was good and the writing was good. I'm bummed that they have to call her Supergirl & not Superwoman (but I understand why), I also liked that they at least addressed it in story. I liked the dynamics they set-up. I also like that she is struggling and nobody is giving her a golden pass on a pedestal like they do in Flash. As of now they have found a happy medium and actually placed her on a proper learning curve.

 

I have no idea what they are doing with Laura Benanti's dual roles, but I'm glad we get to see more of her no matter what character she plays. I was sad to see her leave Nashville, but I think she is a good fit on Supergirl . I also enjoy Melissa Benoist. I don't find her character FS like at all. She has a similar professional wardrobe & glasses, but those are the only major similarities. I don't find their personalities alike at all. They might both bumble a bit, but that seems organic to both characters and not one copying the other. Surprisingly, I enjoy everyone of the ensemble on Supergirl which hasn't happened in awhile.

 

I do not see how they would be able to do crossovers just yet with the Flarrowverse, but I would probably enjoy it.

[statsgirl]

I don't know if they would be allowed to have characters cross over, but I could see Roy turning up in National City on his tour, or maybe they could connect Iris through her reporter functions.

 

Speaking of cities, what is National City supposed to be?  Gotham is New York, right?  And Metroplis is Toronto where Joe Shuster worked for the Daily Star.  But I can't figure out National City.

[Sakura12]

I think National City is in California. 

[bettername2come]

I thought Metropolis was supposed to be New York.

[wingster55]

I thought it was Chicago