It’s a whole week of new premieres revolving around the heroes of the DC Universe and their shows on the CW. Which of these shows kicks off with a bang and which ones fail to hit the mark?
Over the course of the next couple of months, we’ll be looking at a selection of new and returning shows and giving you a quick breakdown of what is worth watching and what you should pass on. This week, we’re talking about Supergirl, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow.
Supergirl: “Girl of Steel”
After the loss of Mon-El, Kara has alienated herself from her friends and put her sole focus into being Supergirl. She faces a new threat that has a connection to someone close to her, but she has to learn that she’ll need to open up to her team if she wants to bring down the bad guys.
Typically, Supergirl hasn’t been my cup of tea. Even though this episode had a pretty slow start, it ended up being pretty fantastic, hitting on a lot potentially brilliant storylines, including what seems to be the season-long villain. While everything seemingly gets wrapped up perfectly by the end of the episode, the Season 3 premiere sets up the idea that Kara has trouble living a split life between her job as a reporter and being a superhero. It seemed like she was mere moments from abandoning being a regular civilian in the city. Hopefully, as this season progresses, this is something the show goes back to because it’s one of the most compelling parts of the episode.
Is it worth watching?: While it’s filled with the angst and emotion that CW is known for, this is a really strong opening episode, as long as you can get through the first 10 minutes.
Flash: “The Flash Reborn”
At the end of Season 3, Barry Allen stepped into the Speed Force in order to save Central City. Now, six months later, Kid Flash and Vibe are the new faces of the superhero scene, bringing down bad guys left and right. A mysterious flying samurai wants to face the Flash, but how can he if Barry is gone?
This was a fun opening episode for Season 4, up until the final act. Without spoiling too much, the episode goes pretty much where expected, but it’s interesting to see how the team dynamic has drastically changed with Barry gone. The majority of the problems with the episode stem from the third act wrapping up way too quickly, in a nice, tight package. This should have been a two-parter, but for some reason, this series shies away from doing that time and time again. Regardless, the season opener may have been a bit disappointing, but it was a fun ride.
Is it worth watching?: Longtime fans of the series will really enjoy this episode. Newcomers may feel a little lost, but regardless, it’s still enjoyable.
Legends of Tomorrow: “Aruba-Con”
Rip Hunter has created a new agency to monitor time and take care of any anachronisms. That means the original Legends of Tomorrow have been disbanded, against their wishes. However, Julius Caesar is loose in Aruba, and only the Legends can fix the problem, as the new time agency doesn’t believe them. However, per usual, the team messes up and has to clean up after themselves.
Legends of Tomorrow is easily the most entertaining of the shows this week. It’s a bit silly and the special effects tend to look a bit cheesy, but that’s all a part of the allure of the show. It exists in this larger CW/DC Universe, but it doesn’t shy away from it, including Wally West in this episode. It’s the only CW show that successfully embraces how outrageous it can be, like during a scene where Caesar rallies a bunch of frat bros on a beach. It’s weird, but it works. While all the CW/DC series are essentially team shows, Legends is the one that works the best, as each of the characters feels fully fleshed out, adding a wonderful dynamic to the episode.
Is it worth watching?: Even if these CW series aren’t for you, Legends of Tomorrow is a ton of fun and well worth your time. This season should be a blast as both Gorilla Grodd and John Constantine will appear.
We’ll be back in two weeks and talking about The Walking Dead, At Home With Amy Sedaris, and Stranger Things.
