Team GATV Roundtable: Talking Arrow Season 6 So Far

What did you think of the crossover?

MELISSA: Loved it. By far the best crossover done between the shows. All four hours were packed with wonderful character interactions, fun team ups, and compelling personal journeys. There was so much to love, like Iris and Felicity, the two that came with no superpowers or combat skills, showing off their tremendous friendship while fighting to save the day.

Also there were Nazis, but the less said about that the better.

I watch all four shows, but even from many that don’t, I heard praise for the crossover pulling them into the emotional journey of characters they previously barely knew. Stein’s death in particular seemed to resonate with viewers. And why not? I know I was bawling.

I sincerely hope they use this season’s crossover with one continuous story as a model for all the coming years.

MATT: I enjoyed it and felt it was collectively stronger than last year’s crossover. It felt like four episodes of a single event rather than individual episodes of each series connected together. My only druthers were that they were limited by budget. Otherwise, I got more enjoyment out of the crossover than I did out of watching the big screen Justice League. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Justice League far more than I should have and than I anticipated. It’s an awful movie, though. And I’m impressed that the TV side was able to do so much more with their story. Though, Stein’s death, while dictated by real life circumstances, could’ve been handled with more finesse.

CRAIG: I get the social commentary of heroes vs. Nazis, and I loved the original “Crisis on Earth-X” story which I have in back issues, but seeing our heroes as Nazis is awkward. Not so awkward that I couldn’t enjoy the episodes; clearly these are “Elseworlds” versions of the characters, and I loved the opportunity to see people like Tommy and Eobard Thawne again. The first Barry and Iris wedding was beautiful. The death of Martin Stein turned me into a big baby. I’m amazed that these talented production teams can put things like this together, and in the end, they did it very successfully. I also loved seeing certain characters interacting who don’t normally get to interact. The only thing that I truly didn’t care for, in the end, was the wedding hijack.

And, like the rest of you, I loved that they made it all just one four-hour-long story. It’s going to be a pain to figure out what they will do for DVDs or streaming, but it was so cool to not necessarily feel like I’m watching “the Supergirl episode” or “the Legends of Tomorrow episode.” Kudos to the production team(s) for their accomplishments.

STEPHANIE: I could argue with myself about the political nature of this crossover for days, and I’m pretty sure I already have. Was it a great idea to do a storyline about Nazis in today’s political climate? Probably. But if we’re willing to accept that Laurel can be Black Siren and (spoiler!) Barry Allen can be Savitar, then Oliver and Kara can be crazy murderers as well.

Within each show’s hour, I’m impressed how they still managed to focus on that show’s core characters even if the episode itself didn’t feel like a normal episode of the series. Last season’s crossover included (what was essentially) two timelines on Arrow and time travel on Legends, but this crossover didn’t rely on the shows’ individual conceits and created what felt like a seamless and entertaining four hour movie.

What worked the most for this crossover were the simple, heart-filled character moments that they managed to incorporate into a huge, complex event, like Kara assuring Alex she’ll be okay, Sara standing up to the evil version of her father, Martin and Jax’s goodbye. Also, it’s always a joy seeing Wentworth Miller again, and I enjoyed the introduction of The Ray, both of whom I hope to see soon. And on the list of things I never thought I’d get and am beyond thrilled about, Melissa Benoist singing “Runnin’ Home to You” and my two favorite Arrow-verse characters, Alex Danvers and Sara Lance, meeting.