The Flash Review: Crisis on Earth-X, Part 3 (Season 4 Episode 8)

Since this isn’t a typical episode of The Flash, it’s kind of hard to talk about it in the context of the rest of the season. After all, nothing really happens, at least as far as Season 4’s ongoing storylines are concerned.

That’s probably to be expected. This episode of The Flash is really just the third part of the four-episode “Crisis on Earth-X” story that’s crossing over all four of the CW’s DC superhero shows.

So it probably shouldn’t be too surprising that Barry Allen and the other folks from The Flash are little more than supporting characters in “their hour” of the crossover event. But it stings all the same.

One would think I’d have gotten over this already, since the major event that The Flash has been building to all season — Iris and Barry’s wedding — took place on a completely different show. (However, you’d be wrong about that. I’m not.)

Don’t get me wrong: I’m super into this four-show crossover idea. For the most part, “Crisis” has been a good time, full of great character moments, fun in-jokes, and amazing team fights. However, there’s really no reason the shows couldn’t have swapped nights and titles around until the big moments played out on their appropriate programs.

Instead, The Flash — the brightest, lightest show in the CW’s lineup — gets stuck with the darkest, grimmest chapter of the “Crisis” story thus far. As a result, it’s really easy to forget that this is even supposed to be an episode of The Flash at all.  Largely because it feels like it should be an hour of Arrow.

That doesn’t mean it’s a bad episode, however. But it also in no way feels like The Flash, so that makes it a bit weird to try and talk about it as a cohesive hour. I have no idea how this thing is going to play in a DVD boxset where this is the only episode of the four-part crossover present.

In short: They really weren’t kidding about the crossover being more integrated this year!

Most of “Crisis on Earth-X, Part Three” takes place on the titular Earth-X. Our heroes are trapped in what appears to be the Nazi planet’s version of a concentration camp.

Though the alternate universe Nazi storyline veers into the nonsensical at times, when it comes to actual plot specifics, the CW does deserve applause for not shying away from really depicting how absolutely repugnant and horrifying their ideology is.

Pointedly featuring the Jewish and gay prisoners marked for death alongside our Earth-1 heroes is both important and impactful. The moment in which Sara faces her father’s Nazi doppelgänger and proudly declares that she loves both men and women is unexpectedly moving. Representation matters, so much!

Sure, the specifics of the actual plot aren’t that great. It’s easy to get confused by the Earth-X Nazis’ motivations or their ultimate plan, if they even have one. But when the Arrowverse so actively undermines everything about them, firmly embraces Nazi-punching as a cathartic activity, and specifically empowers female and LGBT heroes to fight them, you pretty much have to just cheer.

On that note, one of the most interesting things about this particular episode is the introduction of Russell Tovey as Ray Terrill, a.k.a. superhero The Ray. He glows like a nightlight and ends up looking like something of a low budget version of the Rocketeer, but he’s charming, brave, and generally just extremely appealing.

That he turns out to be the boyfriend of Earth-X’s version of Leonard Snart is just the icing on top of an already very fantastic cake.

Wentworth Miller has appeared on the CW series many times, playing versions of his character that range from villain to hero to a man on a journey in between. He manages to give every version of Snart his own special spin, and the Earth-X incarnation is no different.

Here, as “Citizen Cold,” he gets to be more of an overt hero-type than usual — which is a nice change, particularly given the rumors that Miller may be about to hang up his fur parka in the Arrowverse for good, pretty soon.

This episode is a standard middle-of-the-story installment. As such, there’s a lot of set-up for the story’s finale, including the introduction of a temporal gateway to get everyone home.

Everything culminates in another big fight with the Nazis, as our Earth-1 heroes (plus Leo) battle for control of the gate, while The Flash and The Ray attempt to stop the Earth-X version of the Red Tornado from blowing it up and destroying their way home.

Hope everyone is ready to spend the rest of the season watching our respective hero teams have long conversations at Jitters or STAR Labs or some other prebuilt set, because the CW definitely spent all their FX money on this crossover!

It’s worth it, though. The Nazi facility combat scenes are interspersed with Ray and Barry’s race to stop Red Tornado, and it all looks fantastic. The fight and stunt coordinators on these shows all do some seriously incredible work.

The battle at the end of “Crisis on Earth-X, Part Three” ends with a cliffhanger that’s probably not shocking to anyone that reads casting notices, but is heartbreaking all the same.

That Stein getting shot carries so much emotional weight is a testament to all four shows and the relationships they’ve built between and amongst the characters on them. It’s why the crossovers work so well, regardless of whether their plot specifics make sense. (And it’s a lesson some other superhero franchises could probably stand to learn.)

Stray Thoughts:

• We’re three episodes into this thing, and I honestly cannot tell you how the original Eobard Thawne is part of this whole business.
• The fact that Iris and Felicity get to take active roles in both fighting Nazis saving their friends (despite their distinct lack of superpowers) is awesome.
• Weirdly aggressive Earth-X rebel leader Winn is so bizarre.
• Even though I barely watch Arrow anymore, I’ve always been a big Olicity shipper, and I absolutely loved that Oliver had to blow his cover because he couldn’t risk harming a girl who looked like Felicity. I am not made of stone.
• Caitlin got to do so much awesome stuff elsewhere in the crossover that I’m kind of bitter she ends up sidelined during her own series, which happens to be the one I review. Oh, well. Next time, I guess.

What did you think of this episode of The Flash? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Reviewer Rating:

User Rating:

 

The Flash airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW.

Follow us on Twitter @telltaleTV_

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!