Verdict: The long-awaited Flash crossover lives up to the hype in a joyful episode that’s a delight from start to finish.

Review

In the past week, with the release of Batman v Superman, which divided critics and audiences alike with its dark, gritty and cerebral (or at least trying to be cerebral) take on superheroes, there’s been a bit of chatter surrounding the idea that superheroes should be fun. Most critics have lambasted BvS for missing out on a sense of fun, opting for a tone that’s so oppressively dour that it crushes whatever enjoyment could be found out of the source material, presenting two central heroes who both seem to resent their status as superheroes. Whether that’s a bad thing or not is besides the point – right or wrong, it’s created a huge debate/argument (depending on your corner of the internet) about fun superheroes. So, with that backdrop, it couldn’t have been a better time for the Supergirl/Flash crossover, featuring the two sunniest and most light-hearted live-action heroes in the DC pantheon.

Though it’s become a dirty word in some quarters, it’s hard to describe Worlds Finest as anything other than… well, really, really fun. We’ve been spoiled for choice with crossovers in this particular enclave that Greg Berlanti and co have carved out on CBS and the CW, but none of the previous crossovers quite benefit from the sheer ease with which the tones of The Flash and Supergirl mix. Unlike the Arrow crossovers, there’s no need to draw thematic contrasts between the personalities of the heroes – Barry Allen and Kara Danvers are cut from exactly the same cloth as superheroes who genuinely enjoy their powers, so Worlds Finest can dispense with the usual animosity and contrasting in favour of two very similar people instantly hitting it off.

A good superhero crossover needs a lot of things – a strong dynamic between the two heroes, plenty of meta-commentary on the nature of the other show, memorable quotes regarding these unfamiliar characters and fun action scenes that show the two heroes’ powers complementing each other in new ways. Worlds Finest has all of those factors in spades, but it’s worth concentrating first on the dynamic between Barry and Kara at its core. On a surface level, Grant Gustin and Melissa Benoist act like they’ve been on the same show for years – their chemistry is instantly, definitively established, to the point where the ease with which they bounce off each other begins to outstrip most of the character dynamics Kara has with Supergirl characters. Their enthusiasm at meeting a superhero/meeting an alien is infectious to watch (I don’t think I’ve smiled at this much at an episode of TV in quite a while), and it’s admirable for Worlds Finest to play this up because it’s a dynamic fuelled by the natural, intrinsic joy two superheroes would feel at discovering people like them with cool new powers. In short, Worlds Finest benefits hugely from presenting two superheroes who are just like you and me, grounded in a very human sense of excitability and enthusiasm as opposed to feeling cold, detached and aloof like… some other superheroes, who may have starred in a recent movie.

Dig deeper, though, and Barry’s presence works at a more substantial level than just being really adorable in every scene he shares with Kara. From the interviews given by the writers, it’s clear to see that this crossover was an idea cooked up relatively recently as opposed to something planned from the start, so it’s impressive to see how Worlds Finest effectively integrates Barry into Kara’s character arc, finding a place that only a veteran superhero could really fill within storylines that began well before his entrance. Barry’s pep talk scenes with Kara are rewarding viewing as a Flash viewer who’s seen Barry develop from a novice needing similar advice from Oliver to a fully-fledged superhero, but his sage advice helps to greatly push forward Kara’s journey, nudging her into a psychological state where she’s willing to accept the help of National City’s citizens at the end against Silver Banshee and Livewire. It means that Barry’s appearance doesn’t feel gratuitous and gimmicky (even if the gimmick here would probably have been enough), justifying his presence as the ideal mentor for Kara in a moment of need. Importantly, again, though these scenes deal with the dark topic of a city having abandoned Kara for actions she didn’t have full control over, this side of the Barry/Kara dynamic has a heart – despite the fact that they barely know each other, it’s two superheroes treating each other like friends and colleagues who can pool their experiences to help the other out. There’s plenty of dramatic value in superheroes squaring off, both physically and ideologically, but there’s still something to be said for a superhero dynamic based on friendship and mutual respect – a simple idea, yet a powerful one that fuels a great deal of Worlds Finest.

Barry isn’t in Worlds Finest as much as you’d expect, but the episode takes advantage of every scene he’s in for a funny sight gag or a bit of leaning on the fourth wall – take the moment where he proves his powers to James and Winn by giving everyone ice cream, or Cat Grant’s hilariously meta line about the group looking like the ‘attractive yet non-threatening racially diverse cast of a CW show’. There’s not a wasted scene featuring Barry here – and though some viewers might have wanted something a bit more substantial from his appearance than just one dramatic scene followed by a parade of gags and continuity nods, Worlds Finest gets away with it due to the sheer enthusiasm on display from the writers at this golden opportunity to slot Barry into a world where he fits perfectly. It’s not just Gustin and Benoist who are evidently enthusiastic about it all – everyone in the cast here, from Jeremy Jordan as he instantly forms a geeky bond with Barry to Mehcad Brooks, who nicely mixes genuine aggravation at Barry and Kara’s dynamic with played-up, comical jealousy. It’s almost a shame that Barry had to head back to his own universe, because he certainly slotted into Supergirl’s world in seamless fashion, quickly forging some very fun, unique dynamics with the cast that I’d like to see revisited if there are future crossovers.

Over on the villainous end of things, Worlds Finest offered a villainous team-up in the form of Silver Banshee and Livewire’s alliance. DC’s TV crossovers have rarely pulled out the stops in terms of fleshed out, compelling villains (remember Rainbow Raider?), so the two villains are evidently here to serve a relatively basic purpose; providing fodder for Barry and Kara to fight against. In that respect, they work just fine – and in an episode so full of joy that even the villains get to be fun, they’re enjoyable campy and melodramatic without pushing it too far to the point of breaking credulity. There wouldn’t be a whole lot else to say if Worlds Finest didn’t make the curious choice of extensively fleshing out the reason for Siobhan’s powers. In an episode that I’ve praised for its efficiency, Siobhan’s heritage discovery is the only truly extraneous part, mired in uninteresting mythology that’s at once overly convoluted and far too simplistic. When we have Barry Allen waiting in the wings, Siobhan’s search for her origins comes across as an unnecessary detour that only detracts from the material that viewers really want to see, so in some respects, that’s a bit of a fumble here.

Not content with offering a major crossover and a villain team-up, Worlds Finest also put the brakes on National City’s mistrust of Kara stemming from the Red Kryptonite incident. In some respects, this is a bit too rushed – the episode is already packed to the gills with characters and storylines, and it’s arguable that the animosity towards Kara needed another episode to simmer in order to really make the resolution feel earned. Nonetheless, the way it’s done here is laudable, and goes some way towards alleviating the slightly rushed pace of it all. It’s unapologetically cheesy, but the citizens’ protection of Kara and the firefighters stepping in is a heart-warming moment that encapsulates everything this show should stand for – an idealistic belief in the innate goodness of humanity and people’s willingness to sacrifice anything for each other if necessary. Supergirl has matured and developed as a show throughout the latter stages of its first season, but it’s still got a knack for moments that are deeply affecting and resonant at a very basic level, and Kara’s rescue is just one example of that.

Worlds Finest tops it all off with an intriguing, exciting cliffhanger to lead us nicely into the final two episodes of the season. It’s especially clever writing to place the activation of Myriad right as Kara finally has her big romantic moment with James – the completely unexpected collision of two storylines to create a moment that smartly plays with viewer expectations of an overdramatic reaction from James in order to seamlessly pivot from romantic drama to the big myth arc of the season. It’s too early to judge whether Non’s big plan has lived up to all the teasing throughout these recent episodes, but Myriad’s effects certainly look striking upon first look, with some very effectively chilling final shots of a zombified National City gormlessly marching in unison while Kara looks on, and there’s some really intriguing thematic ideas that the show can play with that stem from the idea of a city under Non’s control. And, typically, we have to wait two weeks to see how it all plays out!

For many, Worlds Finest will be welcome tonic after Batman v Superman – a light and unapologetically silly romp to cleanse the palate after the grittiness of that movie. For others who liked BvS, Worlds Finest should hopefully work just as well as a genuinely excellent episode in its own right, giving us the charming and light-hearted meeting between Kara and Barry that everyone wanted alongside a whole lot of sharp, hilarious one-liners and even a segment of the long-awaited race between Flash and Supergirl. It’s delightful fun for all 45 minutes, and I can only hope that this is the first of many similar crossovers.

Odds & Ends

• Cat Grant was on particular form here – I’ve already highlighted her CW jab, but her references to turning down hot yoga with Bernie Sanders, her advice to Kara to act like a lighthouse and her instant deduction that Barry is the Flash because someone that charming ‘could only be a Mormon or a superhero’ meant that this was a week for the ages for Supergirl’s secret weapon.
• No Alex and Hank this week, for obvious reasons – it makes sense storytelling-wise, but it’s a bit sad that Barry never got to meet the Martian Manhunter in his travels.
• Continuity references galore here – from the nods to a whole plethora of Arrowverse characters to Barry’s way to get home, which mirrors the way he threw the Reverse Flash back in time in ‘The Reverse-Flash Returns’.
• Kara’s reaction to getting ice-cream is the stuff GIFs were invented for, so I’m delighted to report that several dozen GIFs of that moment were swarming my Twitter timeline today.
• Non-watch – a brief cameo here at the end as he activates Myriad. Hopefully, in these final two episodes, he’ll become less of a Non-entity, and hopefully the final fight with him won’t be a Non-event. I’m here all day.
• As mentioned, we have yet another break to sit through until the next episode – but the show’s back on April 11 for the first of the final two episodes, self-explanatorily titled Myriad.