As the TV season wraps, here's where I stand on the Berlantiverse... · 12:45am Jun 5th, 2018
Arrow: I've yet to watch past the first episode of this, and I intend to binge it on Netflix one of these days.
The Flash: Dropped at the end of season 3, but picked back up mid-season 4 when the writing showed a dramatic improvement. Following season 4 has been a blast, and the hook for season 5 has me looking forward to next season.
Supergirl: Dropping as of season 3 due to the excessive use of the show as a political soapbox and editorial mouthpiece. That's not what I'm here for. I watch primetime superhero shows to get AWAY from all that. Otherwise I'd just leave Anderson Cooper on.
Legends of Tomorrow: Dropped it after season one, have seen no real incentive to get back into it.
Black Lightning: This right here? Is the most refreshing thing Berlanti has done in a while. Yes, it has the same mouthpiece/soapbox problems other Berlanti shows have (and with good reason as the cast of the show are actively living these issues, making it markedly easier to bear here). Plus, they somehow manage to NOT go as overboard with it as Supergirl does. More importantly, everything ELSE cool about this show: we have an older superhero coming out of retirement, his daughters gaining superpowers, a truly BADASS gang boss bad guy whose actor brings real charisma and menace to the role, and a 70s soul styling that gives Black Lightning a style and tone all its own and makes it stand out from the rest of the Berlantiverse. I eagerly look forward to season two.
Don't worry about Arrow. S1 & 2 are okay, S3 drags considerably, and then Olicity shippers run the show for a bit.
I totally understand why you dropped legends after season 1 but starting with season 2 the show dramatically improved. It got rid of the characters that didn't work (the Hawks) and started using villains that are actually good. It has become the funnest show in the BerlantiVerse and you are seriously missing out if you aren't watching it.
Arrow season 1 and 2 are good, 3 kind of wastes its villain, 4 has a fun villain but isn't super great, 5 is fantastic with a solid villain and 6 is unbelievably frustrating but still has enough good in there to keep me around for 7.
I've definitely lost interest in Supergirl but I will check out the end of the season cause it's still pretty good. But I dislike that they can't use Superman whenever they want, you can't keep doing end of the world plots without addressing why Superman isn't around. Season 2 fixed this by actually giving us a great Superman and I hate that they apparently aren't allowed to bring him back.
Actually surprised you liked season 4 of flash, it wasn't completly terrible but there was alot of moments where we are left asking "Why is Barry constantly making dumb decisions?".
Definitely agree about Black Lightning I am excited for season 2.
Really liked this years crossover it was amazing how they were able to balance so many characters not sure how they will top it in the future.
What about Gotham?
I have got to binge the arrow-verse someday.
4876493
Not part of this universe
I was honestly amazed at how good Black Lightning was. I had high hopes for it, but it somehow exceeded every expectation that I had. On the one hand, I want longer seasons just so I have more to watch. On the other hand, I realize having more to write with means more chance of the plot dragging. So I'm fine with shorter, 13 episode seasons if it means Jefferson and his daughters get more quality writing. only let down was that the dynamic with Jefferson and Lala wasn't kept around as long as I would have liked. But Tobias has stepped up to be a decent villain, so I have faith for the future.
4876505
I know. Just was asking if Moth might have watched Gotham at some point.
I really need to get back into watching prime time television......even if it's not on a TV set.
I'm still watching all of them because I'm a hopeless superhero fan, but I'm getting tired of when they have to have the heroes be complete morons to make the plot work. This is especially noticeable in Flash and now Legends since Kid Flash joined them, because they don't utilize the speedster's speed as well as they really should. There's multiple times where Barry just stands there like an idiot when he should have already done something to foil the bad guy and had time to spare because he's the freaking Flash.
4876533
I disagree with Wally, one of my favourite gags on Legends is how Wally instantly solves problems with his speed so he winds up being overconfident. But yeah Barry was an idiot in Season 4, the worst being when he allowed himself to be arrested when there were so many ways he could have handled the situation, the simplest being to simply get rid of the body and knife before the police entered. My favourite part was the judges speech declaring Barry a terrible person and more deserving to go to jail than anyone else, just terrible writing.
4876491
That has literally been the main problem with The Flash since season 1.
But season 4's writing got SO MUCH BETTER than the shitfest season 3 was, it's like
Trump and Obamanight and day.4876493
I'm WAY behind on Gotham. I've been meaning to get caught up, but I'm still stuck somewhere back in season 2 on Netflix. The main reason I'm behind is schedule conflicts--it always runs at the same time as something else I'd rather watch instead, and then I forget to watch it on demand or the episodes I need to watch aren't available on demand, and then it just snowballs until Netflix is my only option (and then I'm busy binging other stuff.)
4876533
See above. Zef and I both throw bitching fits every time Barry just STANDS THERE like an asshole when he could use his speed to get somebody NOT captured/killed/X-zoned.
4876561
I disagree; while I hated that judge, I saw and approved of what the writers were doing in that scene, and there ARE self-aggrandizing, egotistic, asshole judges who speechify while handing down court decisions to make themselves look like hot shit. It checks against actual things I have heard real judges say and do when sentencing defendants. Also, good, law-abiding people don't break the law by hiding evidence of a crime. And, well...see all of the above about Barry NEVER using his speed when it REALLY MATTERS in any case.
4876584
I get the idea but not only did Barry let himself get sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit it was for a crime that didn't even happen. He had no reason to go along with any of it when he could super speed away anything that proved he committed the crime or prove that a crime even occurred at all. It was a poorly written scenario that made no sense.
Legends got really good at Season 2. I really recommend giving it another chance whenever you’re able to.
4876518
oh. i have no idea then
4876584
It's not just the speedsters, or even just the super-powered heroes too. I can name a couple times where bad guys have gotten away for stupid reasons. Especially bad is any time a 'shoot them or let them get away' situation comes up. Bad enough they never think to shoot them in the knee or something to disable them. But there was at least one time this situation came up...and the hero's gun was supposed to be a STUN WEAPON, meaning there was no reason NOT to just shoot.
I'm still behind on Supergirl, Flash and Black Lightning, but I'll catch up soon. It's even worse with Arrow, but I'm not sure if I'm going to catch up on that... I haven't heard a lot of good things about it, on account of Falicity, although that might change now that Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle are leaving the show.
Man, I just love the Arrowverse.
I'm going to jump on the Legends bandwagon and recommend you at least watch season 3. Season 2 disappointed me, but 3 was...well, the finale was one of the most amazingly absurd things on television and that's all I'll say.
4876587
And don't forget the episode where Ralph had the perfect chance to kill DeVoe, but didn't because Barry told him not to because it was wrong for them to kill, despite him murdering like a bunch of bad guys in the past (though not as much as Oliver). Then DeVoe immediately possesses Ralph and is one step closer to his master plan. This teaches us the important lesson that Thou Shalt Not Kill is stupid and useless and you should always kill the bad guys.
Also, DeVoe's master plan was stupid, fitting considering he was going to make everyone on Earth into idiots. What's 'enlightening' about that?!
4876584
Is it any wonder that by now the Legends, probably the biggest screw-ups in the Berlantiverse, consider BARRY an even bigger fuck-up than them and rate reality-destroying disasters in measurements of 'Flashpoints?'
4876584
I just wondered what you think of Jerome?
4876769
To be fair the general rule for most Super Heroes isn't to not kill ever it's just to not kill in cold blood. Killing someone in self-defense or in the immediate defense of others is usually OK.
4877091
So Ralph sparing DeVoe and resulting in the deaths of many more people is fine because at least his hands are clean?
4877139
Yes because a belief that leaving an individual alive will result in even more deaths isn't justification for murder.
4877140
Tell that to all the people who DeVoe killed after stealing Ralph's body.
4877163
I'm not arguing with you, different people have different views. What you're talking about is what many an Anti-Hero believe in, that the ends ultimately justify the means. No matter how much good you might think will come from it murder is never right and most heroes believe no single individual has the right to determine who should live or die.
4877165
Right
The Flash took a serious leap in improvement once Season Four started. I loved it from start to finish.
I only watch Arrow when it's crossing over with the other shows. And based on what I've heard about the later seasons, I'm better off for that.
Supergirl… oh boy. I try to be an optimist, and I hope that the network gets its shit together with that show, because I really do not want to drop it. But if we get more episodes like last night's... Oi.
Black Lightning was awesome. Definitely the best of the bunch in terms of character and drama. ^_^
And Legends of Tomorrow has gotten so much better after that crappy first season, it's unbelievable. It's stopped trying to be a serious superhero show, and just completely embraces the absurdity of time-traveling superheroes and misfits, and it's glorious. Seriously, when the final battle of Season Three involves a giant magically-created Furby avatar beating a time demon to death in the Old West you have something special on your hands.
4877182
Yeah, last night's episode...needed to be reined in. I mean, I completely agree with the politics? But it was a bit heavy handed and frankly unnecessary in a prime time superhero drama. And Supergirl has been doing shit like that since season one, it's just that lately it's gotten completely out of hand.
As many have said, definitely give Legends of Tomorrow another chance. Series 1 was mediocre at best, but series 2 onward just goes all out with its premise and it's honestly quite glorious.