Supergirl: World's Finest

March 28, 2016 6:48 PM - Season 1, Episode 18

The Flash comes from an alternate universe and aids Kara in her battle against Silver Banshee and Livewire in exchange for her help getting home.
posted by oh yeah! (42 comments total)

I liked this so much I didn't remember to get mad again about Batman v Superman until it was over.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 7:02 PM on March 28, 2016 [4 favorites]

CBR - "Supergirl" and "The Flash" EPs 'Always Wanted' Crossover, Hope for Future "Arrow" Involvement
posted by oh yeah! at 7:03 PM on March 28, 2016

I don't watch either of these shows, but are they really from alternate universes?!
posted by crossoverman at 7:52 PM on March 28, 2016 [1 favorite]

Kara's reaction when Barry brought them ice cream was THE BEST.


And Siobhan? Don't pretend this didn't mostly all happen because of your shitty attitude towards everyone. There were so many choices you could have made before you got yourself fired for insubordination and wire fraud, and now you have a curse on you, and you have to dress like a member of one of the Jerry Only versions of The Misfits.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 7:54 PM on March 28, 2016 [7 favorites]

Hey, Shrieky and Sparky! Let's fight like women here! Well, I am outnumbered....

Things I loved:
* Winn's unabashed man crush on Barry and noticing just how similar the two of them really are and how cute that is.
* Barry and Kara's adorable geekiness. I would love to have tons of crossovers with these people because they all work together so cutely. Please bring him back or her back I don't care which they're all so cute.
* "I just wanted to talk to you about infinite earths." Is this a pickup line? Yes, yes it is.

Things I did not love:
* The anvils being thrown around about how everyone can see that Kara and James lurve each other.
* What the fuck is with the Irish Siobhan wearing full on Day of the Dead makeup? Voluntarily?
* It sure is easy to win back the hearts of the people of Central City with one blocking of a helicopter.
* Myriad as a total buzzkill turning everyone into marching Cybermen or something.
* The Smythes are apparently literally cursed to be assholes.

Regarding Cat:
OH WAIT, SURE, NOW SHE KNOWS BARRY IS THE FLASH. "He had to be a superhero or a Mormon." (Orgazmo!) Followed by an ominous pinching gesture at Kara about how she can spot anyone? WTF....I'd really prefer it if Cat was just pretending not to know at this point, I hope that is the case.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:57 PM on March 28, 2016 [1 favorite]

I don't watch either of these shows, but are they really from alternate universes?!

Yes - the CW shows (Arrow, The Flash, D.C.'s Legends of Tomorrow) are in one multiverse, and CBS's Supergirl is in another.

and you have to dress like a member of one of the Jerry Only versions of The Misfits.

That had to be one of the worst villain outfits they've made so far. Per the CBR article, they'd thought about bringing back Bizarro in addition to Banshee & Live Wire but it would have been too expensive, but it looked like they couldn't afford to do two villains either, what was that?

Loved every second of Barry/Kara, they were beyond adorable. Loved Winn/Barry. Was cringing in embarrassment at the whole 'National City citizenry rallies to protect Supergirl' sequence, it was just so on-the-nose. So, on the whole, loved it.
posted by oh yeah! at 8:02 PM on March 28, 2016

This was so good! Kara and Barry are completely adorable. I laughed out loud when Cat negged the name The Flash because it sounded like a guy who came out of alleys wearing a trench coat. And of COURSE she immediately recognized Siobhan as soon as the elevator doors opened.

What is with these shows containing the baddies in tiny clear rooms? They live 24 hours a day in a tiny glass room with a stool in it?
posted by the webmistress at 9:26 PM on March 28, 2016

We got all that and Perd Hapley too? What is this, my birthday?
posted by MrBadExample at 10:38 PM on March 28, 2016 [2 favorites]

The parts there to advance Supergirl's overarching plot were definitely a bit on the nose (although that did give us "I HATE HELICOPTERS!" so it wasn't all bad), but the sheer adorableness of Kara and Barry teaming up was so worth it.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 5:44 AM on March 29, 2016

Yeah, this was 70% adorkable, 30% annoying.

Even Cat got some great lines (I almost bought her relationship with Kira, not so much her relationship with her sons).

Do the DEO and Keystone City have security provided by the Keystone Cops?

The first half of the episode was full of laugh out loud moments ("you're attractive and diverse enough to be the cast of a CW drama", for example), the second was full of over-acting and bad crowd acting, and yet the fireman/Superman callback was top notch.

And I loved every scene with Barry and Kara, and Barry and Wynn.
Every scene with James... not so much.
posted by Mezentian at 6:12 AM on March 29, 2016

Regarding Cat:
OH WAIT, SURE, NOW SHE KNOWS BARRY IS THE FLASH.

There was probably a deleted scene where he unmasked.

* What the fuck is with the Irish Siobhan wearing full on Day of the Dead makeup? Voluntarily?

I read the first comic with Silver Banshee way back, and that's her look, basically.
As if it were whipped up in an abandoned factory using the clown make-up Livewire obviously had.

I don't watch either of these shows, but are they really from alternate universes?!

When two of the infinite earths really love each other.... (Yes. Flash is Earth One and Supergirl is... I'm not sure if DC has an Earth-S for Superman's Family, but I'm going to call this one Earth-S because, eh, Shazam can have Earth-F).
posted by Mezentian at 6:18 AM on March 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

Most importantly, re: the multiverse, what are they going to call the episode when Supergirl crosses over to Earth-1? "The Brave And The Bold" got used already, so.... "Elseworlds"? "Crisis On Two Earths"?
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 6:22 AM on March 29, 2016

This was everything I hoped it could be. Barry and Kara were adorable together (the ice cream thing!), Barry and Wynn were unexpectedly fun, Cat was good. The helicopter scene was melodramatic, but in a way these things are allowed to be. I had really high expectations for this, and I was not disappointed, which is a real achievement. I'm just sad that they're in separate universes,* because I want this to be the start of the Justice League.

*Although I am loving The Flash's alternate universe humor: "At least we both have Mariah Carey" "Senator Knowles?"
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 6:31 AM on March 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

So, in this world, jet fuel can't burn steel-framed buildings, and excessive speed doesn't melt icecream?
posted by Mezentian at 6:34 AM on March 29, 2016

The Flash and friction agree not to bother each other.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 6:39 AM on March 29, 2016 [7 favorites]

The Flash and friction agree not to bother each other.

So, in the Flashverse there's NOT a fraction too much friction?
posted by Mezentian at 7:05 AM on March 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

From io9's comments:
>> The Flash in DCCU needs to give everyone ice cream. Precedent has been set.
>I still can’t believe that this episode aired the Monday after Batman v Superman came out.
> My neck just aches thinking about the tonal whiplash, and I love it.
posted by Mezentian at 7:13 AM on March 29, 2016

Also, ice cream gif, which helped ease the loss of Kara/Alex/ice cream.
posted by Mezentian at 7:15 AM on March 29, 2016 [5 favorites]

I laughed this morning in the shower when I realized, still thinking about all the things I liked about this episode, that one of the things comics was often criticized for and often tried to self-correct poorly (complicated infinite Earths with different versions of heroes) is basically right now one of DC's biggest strengths (on TV at least).
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:13 AM on March 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

So, in this world, jet fuel can't burn steel-framed buildings, and excessive speed doesn't melt icecream?

But sweaters do catch fire.
posted by zarq at 8:24 AM on March 29, 2016

They live 24 hours a day in a tiny glass room with a stool in it?

In more ways than one amirite? A multiverse with infinite possibilities except nobody ever poops.

I honestly could not find one thing about this to dislike while it was happening, even Siobhan's moronic this-is-how-she-looks-in-the-comics-that's-why getup. Barry and Kara were so much fun together I just want them to cancel both their individual shows and have them together all the time. In both ways

I laughed this morning in the shower when I realized, still thinking about all the things I liked about this episode, that one of the things comics was often criticized for and often tried to self-correct poorly (complicated infinite Earths with different versions of heroes) is basically right now one of DC's biggest strengths (on TV at least).

I think continuity is a bugaboo that comics has probably regretted trying to seriously address since Crisis. I believe the hand-wavey other-universe thing was good enough for most people but a very loud minority drove them into action that is now a combination of sunk-cost fallacy and a diminished audience where the only people left reading comics are the folks who cared.
posted by phearlez at 8:24 AM on March 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

What if there's an episode where the Flash gang goes to a parallel world where bathrooms exist and they're all very confused?
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 9:17 AM on March 29, 2016 [4 favorites]

I think because this is a kid-friendly show, as well as the Flash, they don't bring up bowel movements if they can help it. I'm sure there's some hand-wavy logical explanation for these things if you really want to know, but if it's not character or plot related they're not going to explain it on screen.
posted by numaner at 10:11 AM on March 29, 2016

So Barry gave the National City police a means of locking up metahumans, but back on his earth Team Flash is still illegally detaining people in STAR Labs? Okay, I guess that makes sense on some alternate earth.

I am impressed with the fact they avoided the whole superheroes battling on first meeting until they decide to be allies trope.
posted by sardonyx at 10:24 AM on March 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

There was so much to love about this episode. Barry and Kara's mutual geekfest was, for me, the highlight of the whole thing.

Favorite scene:
Barry: "Imagine a version of Earth where the Nazis won World War II, an Earth where Kennedy was never assassinated..."
Winn: "One where all of us are evil."
Barry: "Been there. It sucks."
posted by Roger Pittman at 10:34 AM on March 29, 2016 [4 favorites]

So Barry gave the National City police a means of locking up metahumans, but back on his earth Team Flash is still illegally detaining people in STAR Labs?

Doesn't Iron Heights have a system for containing metahumans now? I thought they established that on The Flash early on this season (although I think they've used it inconsistently, some people definitely got put in the Pipeline this season).
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 10:42 AM on March 29, 2016

Yeah, I think the new rule on Iron Heights vs. Star Labs Basement is "Is something going to happen to the person that is plot-related in a later episode?" It would have been a lot harder for [Person from Flash] to [Do Something] to [Person in Captivity] is [Person] had been at Iron Heights.

(Comment redacted for Flash Season 2 spoilers.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:48 AM on March 29, 2016

If anybody else is already desperate for another crossover, here's some promising quotes:

Given the creative success of The Flash’s visit, producers are hopeful about more crossovers with their CW dramas, like Kara making a trip to the speedster’s show (“We would love that,” executive producer Greg Berlanti says) or a Flash villain’s doppelganger showing up on Supergirl (“We’ve just talked about that recently,” Berlanti reveals). And as EP Andrew Kreisberg notes, Legends of Tomorrow‘s time-traveling spaceship “can do and go anywhere,” even to different Earths.

posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 12:17 PM on March 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

Not sure how long this will be available but CBS has a version with commentary from executive producers Andrew Kreisberg and Greg Berlanti.
posted by plastic_animals at 6:09 PM on March 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

Kara's reaction when Barry brought them ice cream was THE BEST.

I want to hang out with her and geek out and watch Game of Thrones and eat ice cream and wear our pajamas and then maybe make out a little bit... but only in a respectful Bechdel test passing kind of way.
posted by Justinian at 8:08 PM on March 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'd like to see how the show handles a grimdark Arrow crossover since the Flash thing went so well. And White Canary would be great since I don't see her responding well to Kara's earnestness. But please god not the HawkPeople or the low-rent Doctor Who guy or Firestorm or whoever those dudes are.
posted by Justinian at 8:10 PM on March 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

Lurv this cartoon.

More Supergirl fan art on the artist's tumblr.
posted by Zed at 9:34 PM on March 29, 2016 [4 favorites]

"I think because this is a kid-friendly show, as well as the Flash, they don't bring up bowel movements if they can help it. I'm sure there's some hand-wavy logical explanation for these things if you really want to know, but if it's not character or plot related they're not going to explain it on screen."

On the one hand, do I really want to stare at a toilet in every glass cage in every episode? Not really.
On the other hand, can I stop myself from having thoughts about a lack of toilet in every glass cage in every episode? Apparently not.
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:21 PM on March 29, 2016 [3 favorites]

Also, nowhere to sleep comfortably. Nowhere to avoid the lights. Nothing to read. No other people to talk to. Also, how does fresh air get in there?

It reminds me of catching small creatures when I was a kid, and my Dad having to explain to me that I should poke some holes in the lid and maybe put some leaves in there.
posted by amtho at 4:16 AM on March 30, 2016 [2 favorites]

Many thanks to TheWhiteSkull for making the Jerry Orly Misfits reference so I didn't have to.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:19 AM on March 30, 2016

Also, nowhere to sleep comfortably. Nowhere to avoid the lights. Nothing to read. No other people to talk to. Also, how does fresh air get in there?

I'd like to think of it as not letting beings who have super powers and are evil be comfortable enough to devise some crazy plan to destroy things.

But I think I spot air vents in the prisons in these shows, so at least they're not dying from their own farts.

I wanna see this rated MA on Netflix or HBO and have them smear YOU CAN'T CONTAIN ME in feces on the glass. The reaction of the heroes would be priceless.
posted by numaner at 2:20 PM on March 30, 2016

I haven't watched this show before, but I checked it out because of all the buzz about the Flash crossover, and I thought it was pret-ty good! Also been wanting to check it out because Melissa Benoist is from Denver and actually went to the same high school as my girlfriend. I was a "Chasing Life" fan so was pleasantly surprised to see the beautiful Italia Ricci. And was Cat's comment about Norma Rae possibly a subtle shout-out to her former castmate on "Brothers and Sisters" - also produced by Greg Berlanti? The mind reels. I'm going back to watch from the beginning!
posted by Clustercuss at 2:54 PM on March 30, 2016

This was pretty much made out of anti-depressants; I don't remember the last time I watched an hour of television that was this much fun.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 5:59 PM on March 30, 2016 [5 favorites]

#perdlives
#perdgetsaround - He's in last week's episode of "The Catch".
posted by amtho at 3:27 AM on April 8, 2016

Loved it. My only objection was Banshee suddenly being able to punch Supergirl across the park - when did she get super-strength?
posted by DowBits at 8:54 PM on April 10, 2016

I feel like a Marvel show would have had a beat for that - like, Banshee would punch her, and then be a little bit surprised that she could do that. That's what rubs me wrong about DC stories in general. I keep seeing these little moments that would make them more grounded, more human, less cartoony.

The only problem is that Barry makes a way better boyfriend for Kara than anyone else would tho
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 3:11 PM on April 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

I am impressed with the fact they avoided the whole superheroes battling on first meeting until they decide to be allies trope.

Oh but they did battle at the beginning and the end of the episode. It's just that in good superhero universes, team-ups start with the heroes having some sort of "Oh yeah? Can you do this?" battle like a race.
posted by straight at 2:35 PM on May 3, 2016