Knocking Point: Arrow Episode 608, "Crisis on Earth X, Part 2"

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Arrow Crisis on Earth X part 2
Team Flash

Picking up immediately where SUPERGIRL left off, CRISIS ON EARTH X continues!

With the Earth-X Prometheus locked away in the Pipeline, captured from the Nazi invasion of Barry and Iris's wedding, Team Arrow is rocked to its core to find out that, beneath the mask is Tommy Merlyn -- Oliver's former best friend, who is also dead.

Team Flash and the Legends deduce that these Nazis are not a time anachronism, but visitors from another Earth, although Professor Stein is hard-pressed to figure out which alternate Earth is run by Nazis. Apparently he's become an expert on alternate Earths while Jackson wasn't even aware of the multiverse. Fortunately Harrison Wells knows the Earth in question. It's designated Earth X because it's too vile and dystopian of a place to be afforded a number. (Why is it that all the other alternate Earths know about each other in depth and Earth 1 is still finding it all out?) So yes, there is indeed a 53rd Earth (Shades of The Question discovering the 32nd ice cream flavor!), and there the Nazis won World War II.

Even Tommy knows the Earth he is from is called Earth X as he gives Oliver his background. It's quite an emotional story, but all a ruse as Tommy declares that Earth 1 will fall because everyone is so weak and easily manipulated by sentiment. And he's not going to give any more information about their plans--something he ensures by swallowing a cyanide capsule.

Somewhere in Central City, Grüner Pfeil (Nazi Green Arrow) notices Tommy's signal die, indicating that he has died. Pfeil is joined by Overgirl (Nazi Supergirl) and the Reverse-Flash -- not an Earth X native but the actual Reverse-Flash from Earth 1 that never ever seems to die because of wibble-wobble timey-wimey stuff. The Pfeil and Reverse-Flash do not get along, and Overgirl has to intervene to keep them from killing each other. (Amell is really getting into being the angry villain in this crossover, and you can tell!)

Apparently the SuperNazis have two missions. The first, of course, is to conquer Earth 1. The second is to obtain a special prism, the purpose of which we will learn later.

But never mind that SuperNazis are trying to take over--Oliver and Felicity have couples issues! (Perhaps Iris can set them up with their counselor?) Seems that Oliver got all mushy at Barry and Iris's rehearsal dinner and proposed to Felicity--who turned him down. And Oliver is still trying to understand that. It all boils down to basically Felicity never wanting to get married at all, because the last time she got engaged, she got shot.

Team Flash and the Firestorm team are trying to find the Earth X-ers, and with Cisco unconscious and concussed from the last fight, they've lost their breaching specialist. But Stein and Jefferson also have personal feels to work out, as they've found the cure that will separate them from ever forming Firestorm again, allowing Stein to retire and stay home. But Jefferson has recriminations now--not about not having super powers, but about losing a surrogate father, never having known his own. Oh, the feels.

Speaking of feels, Alex Danvers is very confused, because of her one-night-stand with White Canary. She's very awkward around Sara now, and Kara tries to convince Alex that there's absolutely nothing wrong with having sex with a stranger. And while that goes on, we get even more feels with Iris and Felicity talking alone about her feelings for Oliver and the non-progress of their committed relationship.

Fortunately, the Nazis interrupt everything again with another break-in at Dayton Optical System (Steve Dayton of the Doom Patrol?), and we get a great scene with Supergirl and The Flash arriving on the scene, then waiting patiently for Green Arrow, who reminds them that super-speed is not one of his powers. The SuperNazis show up and confront the three heroes, throwing them for a loop when they unmask and reveal that the team is up against itself (or two-thirds of itself). Banter ensues, and it is revealed that Grüner Pfeil and Overgirl are married. Also, Green Arrow carries a kryptonite arrow!! How Batman is that! Even Supergirl is curious about this. "Why do you have a kryptonite arrow?" she asks. "In case an evil you ever showed up!" he retorts.

The wounded Overgirl, angry takes out her angry on a nearby building, distracting the heroes with a rescue mission while they make their getaway with their ill-gotten gains. Now, apparently, they can build a neutron bomb. But they have other plans.

Alex analyzes the blood on the kryptonite arrow and learns that Overgirl's cells are over-suffused with solar radiation. She's dying.

Thawne and Overgirl argue over what Oliver-X will do if choosing between saving Overgirl and conquering Earth. They're tracked down by the heroes, but Oliver-X isn't among them. That's because he's taking advantage of the nonexistent security at S.T.A.R. Labs to attack those left behind--Heat Wave and Killer Frost.

Harrison is the first to run into them and he manages to set off the alarm before he’s quickly taken down, as Mick orders Iris and Felicity to hide while he and Killer Frost go fight. It goes badly for the two, and when Oliver-X asks if anyone else wants to be a hero, new ones jump in – Mr. Terrific, Black Canary (who doesn’t use her cry, weirdly enough) and Wild Dog.

The SuperNazis have an ace in the hole themselves at the bigger battle: Metallo! The heroes are all taken down, and when they awaken they are bound and wearing electronic collars that inhibit their powers. (Even Oliver and Alex are wearing collars, despite having no powers.) But they also observe the reason why the SuperNazis are here: Overgirl is dying. And Oliver-X’s personal mission was to find Supergirl. He’s secured S.T.A.R. Labs because he’s going to need it for surgery. Supergirl is going to save Overgirl’s life. They plan to use the prism to create red sun radiation—so they can harvest Kara’s heart and transplant it into Overgirl! Oliver threatens to kill his Nazi doppelganger, but Oliver-X doesn’t believe him. Then Metallo blasts them all.

At S.T.A.R. Labs, Iris and Felicity discover the Nazis within S.T.A.R. labs. And our heroes awaken yet again—minus Supergirl—in a concentration camp.

They’re on Earth X!

 

 

Team Arrow

The Flash

Green Arrow

Iris West

Felicity Smoak

Killer Frost

Mr. Terrific

Vibe

Black Canary

Harrison Wells

...and Supergirl

Wild Dog

The LEGENDS OF TOMORROW!

White Canary

Firestorm

Heat Wave

Atom

Steel

Vixen

 

Grade: 
4.5 / 5.0