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The 4-night Invasion! crossover has come to an exciting conclusion. There were plenty of thrills and awesome character moments throughout. However, what stands out most is what the final few minutes mean for the Arrowverse going forward. Before touching on that, let’s take a look at the episode itself as a whole.
Legends of Tomorrow picks up not too far from where Arrow’s episode ends. Immediately, we encounter our first problem: where’s Thea? Oliver thanks Nate for “helping [him] get his sister home.” Fair enough. But why? Wasn’t Thea the one who despite putting away her hood and bow said she was returning to the field for aliens? That moment in The Flash was brilliant, and now it’s kind of undermined by her sitting out for reasons unknown. Perhaps the weight of seeing her parents in the Dominator-induced dream world took a toll on her. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean she couldn’t appear at all. Maybe budget got in the way… it’s possible, but an explanation would have been nice.
Another troubling instance, that does receive exposition, is Oliver’s putting Supergirl on the sideline. Going back to The Flash episode, again — wasn’t Ollie frustrated with everyone putting Barry on the bench after the Flashpoint reveal? Does his uncertainty and desire to regain normalcy trump everyone else’s frustration with the Speedster? At least, he acknowledges he’s wrong. This is more than likely a choice in regards to saving budget costs. Supergirl’s appearance at the faux-President meet up scene would have certainly been a costly one.
As White Canary, Green Arrow, Atom, and Flash head off to meet with the President, Nate takes Cisco and Felicity aboard the Waverider with Mick and Amya. Their plan? Travel to the first siting of the Dominators in the ’50s to gather intel about the aliens’ plans. This is where the show starts feeling like a Legends episode, while also maintaining its crossover status. The story effortlessly hops between Ollie’s present-day crew and the Legends-Flash team, giving us dual insight into what’s going on.
Most exciting of the time-travelling scenes are Felicity and Cisco nerding out together, which includes them hilariously quoting a Ciara and Missy Elliot song. These bits of the episode are awesome, but feel rushed, as little of the familiar down time is offered. However, because it’s a crossover, the need to speed things along is completely understandable. Though, I have to admit I was left wanting more. This episode and Arrow’s could have benefited from an additional five to ten minutes of run time.
As all of the above is taking shape, Stein and Caitlin are hard at work on a way to defeat the aliens. But they hit a snag; they need someone with expertise in nano-technology. Unfortunately, Dr. Palmer is out attending to other matters. These few moments formally introduce us to Professor Stein’s daughter, who received her PhD from MIT… brilliant is an understatement. Stein’s left questioning whether or not he should fix the “aberration,” essentially erasing her from existence. News of the actress being a recurring member of the cast indicates Stein will indeed do the right thing.
As they come up with a way to stop the invasion, flawless team work once again comes into play. The Waverider, piloted by Sara, takes to the skies. Barry and Kara work to administer the nano-tech that hinders the Dominators’ advancement. Meanwhile, a ground crew puts in incredible work. The action is awesome, Supergirl saves Oliver, of course, and victory swiftly comes to the Earth’s mightiest world’s finest heroes.
Now on to the final moments. Kara encourages the new POTUS to get going on the formation of a DEO-like force. Cisco gives the Girl of Steel a device that allows her to open a breach to Earth-1. She’ll be able to hop over whenever she feels the need. We’re guessing her first need will be of a musical nature… The Legends say goodbye to everyone, culminating in a touching scene between Sara and Ollie. To think, this all started with those two getting on a boat.
Finally the Invasion! crossover concludes with Barry and Oliver having a drink together. As they note, when not fighting a formidable foe, they don’t too often spend time together. It’s an unfortunate realization, made even more unfortunate by the fact that no one else participates in the occasion. Perhaps the next crossover will allow for a more intimate celebration between the Arrowverse heroes. Maybe we’ll also see what the S.T.A.R. Labs crew does with the hopefully soon to be dubbed Hall of Justice.
Images: The CW
Opening New Opportunities
The 4-night ‘Invasion!’ crossover concludes in awesome fashion. There are a few missed opportunities, but ultimately even more are opened for future crossovers.
