Arrowverse crossover: The best of Crisis on Earth-X

The Arrowverse crossover of 2017 was the most ambitious yet. We made a list of our favorite moments, lines, and scenes from “Crisis on Earth-X”.

And that’s a wrap on 2017’s Arrowverse crossover. Spanning four shows and two nights, “Crisis on Earth-X” took our heroes on a wild adventure. It involved, among other things, Nazis from a parallel universe, multiple evil robots, an aborted wedding, a spontaneous double wedding, and a death. What more could you want from a superhero team-up?

In all honesty, I was nervous. For one, Nazi iconography and genre pulp are a dicey combination in even the most dexterous hands. Then, there was the sheer scale of it; the Legends of Tomorrow cast alone consists of eight super-powered characters. Not only did “Crisis on Earth-X” have to give every character a turn in the spotlight, but it had to maintain some semblance of momentum and focus.

The result was not perfect. “Part 1” and “Part 2” got saddled with a lot of exposition, whether that meant bringing all the characters together or introducing the plot. And I never really got over the discomfort of seeing the actors in Nazi uniforms. On the whole, though, the crossover was a rousing success. In addition to crafting a semi-coherent plot, the writers managed to incorporate plenty of banter and relationship-building. Also, the action was incredible.

So, because I’m in a good mood, I wanted to accentuate the positive. Here are just a few of the things I loved about “Crisis on Earth-X”:

Best episode

Monday’s episodes had their moments, but the crossover really found its groove in the second half. With all the pieces in place, it had room to breathe, playing with various character dynamics even as it amped up the tension. Although “Part 3” and “Part 4” are roughly even in quality, I have to give the latter the edge. “Crisis on Earth-X, Part 4” resolves the overarching external and internal conflicts with such finesse that you forget endings are supposed to be daunting. Thrilling and poignant, sprawling and intimate, it leaves us with a flourish.

Best in-show pairing

This one is no contest. Joined by a chemical and psychic connection, Jefferson “Jax” Jackson and Martin Stein have a relationship unlike any other. Personality-wise, they are polar opposites: a brash 24-year-old auto mechanic and a genteel 67-year-old physicist. Yet, over the course of Legends of Tomorrow, they have become soul mates. In addition to balancing out each other’s shortcomings (Jax’s recklessness, Stein’s egotism), they fill a lack in each other’s lives. Whereas Stein gives Jax the sense of direction that he long sought in the notion of his dead father, Jax awakens Stein to the world beyond his insulated academic life. They truly complete each other.

Even aside from its tragic conclusion, their arc in “Crisis on Earth-X” contains an abundance of wonderful Jax/Stein moments: the exchange of not-met glances when Cisco solves the Firestorm problem; Jax’s incredulous reaction to Stein’s “Spider-Man” idea; Jax telling Stein that he’s like a father; Stein telling Jax that he’s like a son; the way they look out for each other during the shootout, even though they are separated. Each moment simultaneously hints at what is to come and makes the inevitable that much more painful.

Best crossover pairing

If you told me earlier that Sara and Alex would meet and immediately hop into bed with each other, I would probably have groaned. Just because two characters are gay, it doesn’t mean they have to be attracted to each other. Yet, “Crisis on Earth-X” pulled it off with wit (“How’s your butt?”) and sensitivity.

Rather than simply brushing off the hook-up as a fun thing that happened, the show took time to explore its effect on the women. Whereas Sara has conducted dalliances across civilizations and centuries, Alex only recently accepted her sexuality and entered her first romantic relationship. It makes sense that she’d need time to process her experience. Their conversation about Maggie and Nyssa brought unexpected catharsis — one of several moments throughout the crossover that demonstrates the value of diversity. In an ideal world, it wouldn’t feel radical to see two queer women talk to each other on screen, but we don’t live in an ideal world.

Best action scene

You can’t go wrong here, honestly; pretty much every action sequence in “Crisis on Earth-X” is top-notch. The obvious choice would be the climactic battle, a dazzling marriage of blockbuster spectacle and character-driven storytelling that puts big-budget movies to shame. But I’m biased, so I choose the confrontation at the end of “Part 2”.

Following the tradition of Arrow, hand-to-hand combat dominates the sequence, with Firestorm zooming around in the background. What it lacks in scale, however, it more than makes up for in style. Director James Bamford captures all the intricately choreographed movements in smooth long takes, creating a sense of immediacy without ever sacrificing clarity, and controls the tempo with seamless cross-cutting. This is an ace operating at the peak of his abilities.

Best funny moment

“Crisis on Earth-X” didn’t have any jokes quite as clever as last year’s Brandon Routh Superman reference. But the Flash and Supergirl waiting impatiently while Arrow rides to the battlefield on a motorcycle is the kind of playful character beat that we crave from Arrowverse crossovers.

Best emotional moment

Again, Jax and Stein’s entire storyline was like a gut-punch in slow-motion, culminating with a death scene devastating in its dignity. In terms of sheer tear-jerking power, you can’t get any better than Victor Garber dispensing astrology-related wisdom in his comforting, sorrow-tinged voice: “In the scope of the cosmos, one’s life is but a blink of the eye.” I feel so grateful to have watched this astonishing actor on Legends of Tomorrow, and I am going to miss his presence so very much.

Best image

A few images caught my eye, from the low-angle shot of Oliver and Felicity in Jitters, separated by a burning candle, to the wide shot of the destruction after Oliver kills his Earth-X double. The one that made my jaw drop, though, is Joe watching the two Supergirls fight in the sky. Situated right behind Joe, the camera conveys the terrifying feeling of being a witness to violence beyond your comprehension.

Best entrance

While the whole team assembling to fight in “Part 4” is undeniably cool (Killer Frost in Frozone mode!), I’m partial to Nate coming to the rescue with the impeccably timed line, “Who needs an army when you have legends?” What can I say? I love my sassy time-traveling rogues.

Best reunion

As an Arrow loyalist, I can’t deny the rush of nostalgia that I got when Tommy was revealed as Earth-X’s Prometheus. Sure, it wasn’t exactly the heartwarming reunion of my dreams, but just seeing Stephen Amell and Colin Donnell share a scene again was a pleasure. Having Tommy-X commit suicide like Adrian Chase did is a nice touch.

Best kiss

Leonard Snart is bisexual and nothing else matters!

In all seriousness, I am stunned in the best way that, after all this time and hoping, they actually made it canon. Reader, I swooned. Also: hello, Russell Tovey. Barely a day goes by when I don’t wish Looking were still on the air.

Best doppelgänger

Winn as an obstinate, bearded rebel was bizarrely fun, but as far as the “Evil X’s” go, General Kara was the clear MVP. For starters, I always enjoy watching Melissa Benoist show off her acting range; her delivery of the line, “That’ll give me time to talk to … myself”, was exquisite. Story-wise, she provided the most compelling foil to her “good” counterpart, exploiting Kara’s fear of vulnerability and anxiety about her humanity. She’s basically like if the red kryptonite-infected Kara from “Falling” was also a Nazi and rocked black lipstick.

Best reaction to weird stuff happening

Zari upon seeing the Earth-X robot that shoots lasers (or something): “What the hell?”

Best line(s)

Ray Terrill: “You know I can’t say no when you look at me like that.”

Leonard Snart: “That is why I look at you like that.”

Random other things I loved:

The colorful, very comic book-y title card
Oliver sadly shaking his head when Barry makes a speed pun
Alex awkwardly rolling out of bed after her one-night stand with Sara
Melissa Benoist’s rendition of “Runnin’ Home to You”
Mick’s general attitude toward weddings
Blake Neely’s score, especially the use of the Prometheus cue, which never fails to send chills down my spine
Jax summing up the Earth-X invaders’ goal: “Make America Aryan again.”
Kara’s reaction to seeing Kara-X and Oliver-X kiss
Iris spinning listlessly in her swivel chair at Star Labs
Snart saying “golly” and calling Oliver “Ollie”
Oliver pretending to be his doppelgänger (sorry, I will never not be down with that trope)
When the Atom suit embiggens
The shot of Stein’s glasses
Cisco flying the Waverider
Jax’s speech at Stein’s funeral
“I’m a better human being just because I’ve loved you.”

What did everyone else think? Where does “Crisis on Earth-X” rank in terms of Arrowverse crossovers?

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