Crisis part two picks up immediately after part one without missing a beat

It’s actually a little hard to remember where one episode technically ends and the next begins, because they feel so much like halves of the same whole. Although, Crisis did save the Earth-X Prometheus reveal for the technically Arrow portion, and for good reason – Earth-X’s Prometheus is none other than Tommy Merlyn, which won’t mean much to non-Arrow fans. For the rest of us, it was singularly shocking – no one expected Colin Donnell to show up, and his cameo was somehow kept under wraps! Unfortunately, Tommy’s a Nazi, so he’s not really Tommy. And he dies almost immediately after he is revealed. It’s a short-lived scene with a resounding effect – these are real Nazi’s, they aren’t playing games, and they are wearing the faces of our most beloved characters.

RELATED | Crisis on Earth X Roundtable Part One

Fan favorite couple Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Felicity continue to navigate their relationship – Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) is insistent that she doesn’t want to get married, but her continuous mentioning of her post-engagement accident last year has us thinking it’s not marriage she’s afraid of, but engagement. She’s irrationally afraid that something terrible will happen once she says yes – and who can blame her? Barry (Grant Gustin) and Iris (Candice Patton) are just as married and Oliver and Felicity (which is to say, they’re not) and they aren’t too happy about it – after all this Nazi nonsense is over, those two will be racing to tie the knot.

Most of the episode is spent in battle – the good guys versus the Nazis. There’s also way too much time devoted to the relationship between Nazi Oliver and Kara – as our Kara (Melissa Benoist) so eloquently put it, it’s gross! In the final moments of part two, the Nazis defeat our heroes (yikes) and kidnap Kara (double yikes), and then take the rest of the heroes to Earth-X, putting them in something that looks remarkably like a concentration camp (triple freaking yikes.)

In the spirit of crossing over, we’ve got a very special roundtable this week. We’ve got fans from all four shows here to discuss Crisis on Earth-X. Please welcome our Crossover Roundtable!

Natalie (@amellxwood) – Film student. Zealous Arrow fan. Olicity are the ones who light my way.

Fowsia (@iriswestallens) – The Flash fan. Lover of all things Iris West and Westallen.

Mia (@dreaminofspace) – Supergirl fan. Newly graduated scientist, huge nerd who loves all things superhero, space or supernatural.

Penny (@SAEBRfan)- Mom, wife, TV addict and avid reader. Huge fan of Arrow.

Alexandra (@karameltrash) – Supergirl enthusiast, professional overthinker, and tea connoisseur.

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1. This crossover really does feel like a four part movie. Do you prefer this format, or the more episodic format of last year?

Natalie (@amellxwood): I prefer this movie format more. The episodic format was fun when it was fewer shows and fewer characters. This new format allows us to really focus on the core characters on each show and give them a well rounded storyline over the four hours.

Fowsia (@iriswestallens): I actually prefer this format, especially as viewer of The Flash and only The Flash from the DCTV. It makes it a lot easier to watch.

Mia (@dreaminofspace): I prefer this movie-style format! It feels more cohesive and equally dispersed throughout each show and their characters. I like it.

Penny (@SAEBRfan):  Definitely this format. It flows together easier and makes viewing so much nicer. It also makes it easier to remember what happened.

Alexandra (@karameltrash): I honestly don’t really have a preference, as long as all the characters are getting meaningful storylines. I think the crossover flows better this year compared to last year, but I’m finding that there’s a bit too much focus on some characters and not enough on others. Then again, we’re only halfway through so it remains to be seen how the second half will play out.

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2. Tell us about your very favorite character in the entire Arrowverse – why do you love them?

Natalie: Felicity Smoak is hands down my very favorite character in the Arrowverse. Ever since her first episode in season 1 of Arrow, she worked her way into the hearts of so many fans (and Oliver’s) and she continues to be one of the most valuable aspects on the show.  She was only written for one episode and went on to become the female lead and an iconic female heroine for so many young women and girls to look up to.

Fowsia: Iris West (Allen) hands down. There are many reasons why I adore her, and if I told you all the reasons why, I’d be like Barry — writing 38 pages worth of love! But to keep it short, Iris is someone we can all relate to, as humans. She’s like a superhero without the “super.” But she’s a hero in her own right. The reason why I initially started watching the show is because of Candice Patton, and it’s been amazing seeing someone that looks like Iris,  as a black woman, get to have this status and be representative of who I am. She’s is someone women of color get to look to, and to see themselves. Iris’ unwavering belief in people and her selflessness are qualities I admire. She’s a woman who puts her own feelings aside for the good of others — literally, a whole city sometimes. She’s a hardworker, and fiercely loves those around her. She’s very intuitive, and she reminds people that you don’t need to have a degree in STEM to be intelligent — something the show loves to glorify. Let’s just say, I understand why Barry has loved Iris since he was 10!

Mia: Kara Danvers is my absolute favourite. I love her optimism, her kindness and her big heart that is SO human despite her not being human at all. I love that I can relate to her on a very deep level, I love that I can find strength within myself through watching her. This sounds so sappy, but Kara Danvers really does make me feel empowered and she gives me hope. She speaks up on what she believes, she stands her ground though everyone tries to tell her how to be and how to react in various situations. I want to be like her, basically.

Penny:  Oliver Queen. He has faced many, may difficult trials and has overcome them to become a better person. He’s human without any powers, but with flaws, and he still finds the courage to fight every day. Loyal, brave and he’s relatable.

Alexandra: My favorite character is definitely Kara Zor-El! Gosh, what isn’t there to love about her? She’s so selfless and pure of heart and is always thinking of others before herself, to the point where we’ve seen multiple times how she actually feels guilty about complaining about something. More than just her physical strength, she is amazingly strong mentally and emotionally as well. She’s gone through more than probably any other Arrowverse character, and yet she has remained a beacon of hope and has never allowed her own struggles to stop her from helping others. Not to mention that she’s a quirky and adorable little space puppy!

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3. Are you enjoying the storyline for your show’s characters?

Natalie: I am absolutely enjoying the storyline for Oliver & Felicity in the crossover. While their journey to marriage is immensely painful right now, once Felicity realizes marrying Oliver doesn’t mean she will lose him again and once Oliver realizes Felicity does love him as much as he loves her, the payoff will be so worth all of their heartache. And just another beautiful chapter of their love story.

Fowsia: I love Barry and Iris, and as an avid viewer of The Flash, I was ecstatic to see them get married. It was truly going to be a wedding “of the ages,” before it was interrupted. Tonight we only saw Supergirl and Arrow, and I was disappointed I didn’t get to see much of them — even from an objective standpoint, it felt like they were catering to other characters. I did love to see Iris get to crossover, and interact with other characters though. Hopefully The Flash and Legends’ portions satisfy me!

Mia: I’m definitely loving that Supergirl is getting a bigger role in this crossover. Last year my show only had like two minutes of the crossover within their episode and Kara didn’t get much focus on her in the three other episodes. This year, Kara (and even more importantly to me: Melissa) has a real storyline, a real purpose and, of course, a lot more screentime seeing as there are two Kara’s. The only thing I would change was to add a couple more characters from Supergirl. The other shows get to bring loads of characters. I would have loved to have Martian Manhunter (J’onn) and Winn as full participants.

Penny:  Yes, very much. Very emotional so far.

Alexandra: Yes and no. I love Alex’s storyline and the interactions that she’s had with Sara especially, cause I absolutely adore Sara. I also think it was important to see Alex’s reaction to her one-night-stand with Sara and how that went back to Maggie and the doubt that Alex has been struggling with after the breakup. On the other hand, I feel like I want more from Kara’s storyline. We got a few brief mentions of Mon-El and the feelings that she’s currently struggling with, but none of it was ever fleshed out. Kara always brushed it off and never went into much detail. The rest of Kara’s scenes were mostly fighting scenes (which were epic) or scenes where the focus was on Alex (i.e. outside the church and then inside Star Labs) so I hope this focus shifts more to Kara in the second half.

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4. What was the best moment in the crossover’s second episode?

Natalie: One of my favorite moments was seeing Stephen and Colin Donnell on screen again. While I completely detest the circumstances, it was nice to see them interact as actors again. Another scene that stood out was Oliver & Felicity’s heart to heart in Star Labs and seeing Felicity talk to Iris about the real reason why she is scared to marry Oliver. Girl friendships are rare in this verse and it was so refreshing to see Felicity lean on Iris.

Fowsia: Not going to lie, Arrow’s portion of the crossover is a blur to me — mostly because most of the episodes was filled with Nazis, even if they were getting beat up. So far, my favorite from that episode is Barry and Iris’ scene in the time vault. I loved their heart to heart about Barry’s fear and worry all rushing back, thinking about his mother’s death. Iris understood, even finishing his sentences. Even when their wedding was interrupted, both knew they had bigger things to worry about. That scene in particular was simply yet complex, and reminds me why I love the pairing. Second favorite is definitely the little moments between Iris and Felicity!

Mia: Hmmm… I think the best moment in my opinion was the end scene, with all our heroes chained up and Kara-X and Oliver-X explaining their plan. Alex – a mere human amongst super-powered people – being the one to shout in their faces to leave her sister alone, a subtle but powerful way of showing how protective Alex feels over her sister. And seeing Melissa in an evil role is always thrilling, because she does it so incredibly well.

Penny:  I can only pick one? *sigh*

Oliver telling Barry and Iris to cherish what they have, let it make them stronger and if they do, they’ll always find their way back to each other.

Alexandra: This is a pretty tough choice for me, but I’m actually going to have to go with the scene where Jax and Stein talk about Firestorm and what has been bothering Jax. This duo has grown on me so much and I think this conversation illustrated perfectly just how much they mean to each other. It was both heartwarming and heartwrenching to hear Jax admit that he didn’t want to lose Stein because he’d basically become like a father to him. After growing up without a father, Jax not only got to go on a grand superhero adventure, but he also found a “father” along the way. And knowing that Stein truly loves Jax like his own son to where he tried so hard to find a solution that would make him happy…gosh, my heart was hit with all the feels in that moment!

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5. Earth-X Kara and Oliver are married, what was your reaction to this reveal?

Natalie: GROSS. DISGUSTING. NOPE. I’m truly not going to hold back my feelings here. Seeing them romanticize and humanize Nazi’s is one of the most disgustingly incredulous things this show has ever done. These characters ARE NAZIS. They shouldn’t be depicted as capable of love when all they do is seek to destroy others. I really just wish they made evil versions of our heroes without adding the Nazi aspect.

Fowsia: I wasn’t shocked, mostly because of spoilers. I was less shocked about that reveal, but more shocked with the Nazi love story all together. I don’t think it was the writers’ intent to humanize them, but it felt very random. I don’t need to see Nazis in love.

Mia: Hahah, well, we know the CW loves their drama. I knew about this before the crossover aired (thanks, Twitter spoilers) and I had no big reaction to it. I think the story would have worked the same without it. But again, it wouldn’t be the Arrowverse without love drama. Marriage is like a huge thing in this crossover… Kara being upset Mon-El is married, Alex having cancelled her marriage to Maggie, Barry and Iris getting married, Felicity not wanting to get married to Oliver, Kara-X and Oliver-X being married. Whew!

Penny:  About the same as our Kara’s — “Eww. Gross.” No chemistry whatsoever. I assume the pairing is going to have a reason for existing in the conclusion of the crossover.

Alexandra: Initially? Disgust. And then the more I thought about it, I just realized how illogical it actually is for the characters, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it was simply done for dramatic shock value. Think about it, Overgirl (Evil Kara) basically thinks of herself as a god, given her powers. She lives on an Earth that is committed to driving out “weakness”. So logically, why would she be in a relationship with a mere mortal? Why not Reverse Flash? Why not another metahuman? Them being married wasn’t necessary at all, and based on the scenes they shared in this episode, it borders on the edge of trying to create sympathy for the two characters, which is a big fat no from me. I’m not here to feel sorry for Nazis.

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6. Do you think we’ll get a wedding before the end of this crossover?

Natalie: Oh, yes. We will definitely get a wedding before the end of the crossover and I’m willing to bet anything it’s more than one. 🙂 It’s something many fans across the whole Arrowverse have been waiting for.

Fowsia: I don’t think there will be a wedding (mostly from spoilers), but there will definitely be “tying the knot” happening with Barry and Iris. They deserve this after all that they have been through.

Mia: Yes, I think we’ll get to see Barry and Iris tie the knot before the crossover is over. Happy ending and all for this sweet couple, gotta have that!

Penny:  Yes, I do.

Alexandra: Well…[spoiler alert] I know for sure that we will two weddings in fact. Although they will be very strange, in my opinion….

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7. In the end of the episode, our heroes found themselves on Earth-X. How do you foresee them getting out of this one? Is it possible for this crossover to have a truly happy ending?

Natalie: Well, they’re our heroes and they are always capable of getting themselves out of impossible situations. I hope they escape and destroy Earth X for good because it is truly something that should not exist in any universe real or fictional. I think this crossover will be bittersweet. I think some loss might occur which will only help our heroes further realize the importance of having love present in their lives. It gives them something to fight for no matter the trials they are facing.

Fowsia: I’m sure after Cisco wakes up, he’ll play a huge part in getting them out of Earth X. I don’t think you can have a happy ending with Nazis involved, and I was always weary of this storyline. I hope that, in the end, Earth X will be no more, and the heroes save everyone trapped in concentration camps — whomever is under Nazi control. It wouldn’t be very heroic to just get the Nazis out of your Earth, and to leave everyone else in the dark.

Mia: A TRULY happy ending, I think not. Bittersweet. But more sweet than bitter. It’ll be interesting to watch the first post-crossover episode for each show, and see how much the events are brought up and how it will affect the future for each show. As for getting out of Earth-X… Cisco is gonna come out of his unconsciousness and vibe things up. He’ll bring in reinforcement. I believe in Cisco Ramon.

Penny:  I think they will need help from the remaining Arrow-verse members, maybe other good EarthX characters and the Waverider. To have a truly happy ending would be to destroy the bad element’s rule on EarthX (and a wedding).

Alexandra: [Spoiler alert] I think that Citizen Cold and other members of the Resistance on Earth-X will show up and help our heroes escape at the last minute. Our heroes will then continue to work with the Resistance to save Kara and anyone else that the Nazis have captured. I don’t think the ending will be “truly happy” unfortunately, but I do think it will be bittersweet.

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Final Verdict: The magnitude of this TV event is incredible – and it only gets better in part two!

The magic of the first part of the crossover continued in part two. There’s action, relationship drama, friendship, and the ass-kicking of Nazis! Really, what more could you want? Okay, so we could do without Nazi Kara and Nazi Oliver kissing. We could really really do without it. But other than that, we are loving this crossover. With our heroes captured on Earth-X and Vibe knocked unconscious, the table has been perfectly set for an action-packed second half.

We have to take a moment to discuss Stephen Amell and Melissa Benoist. Both of these actors are in nearly every scene, playing two extremely different characters, and doing a fantastic job. It’s actually incredible that they are still alive after the grueling hours they (and the rest of the cast) must’ve put in to make sure this crossover happened.

CRISIS ON EARTH X continues TONIGHT at 8/7c on THE CW.