Fan Fest News

News for Fans, By Fans!

‘The Flash’ Recap ‘Elseworlds, Pt. 1’

The Flash Recap ‘Elseworlds, Pt. 1’

It’s a case of life swap in the first episode of the three-part crossover event. Monitor has arrived on Earth-1 where he presents a reality-changing book to Dr. John Deegan, a psychologist in Gotham City. Deegan isn’t taken seriously in his field, believing that people with powers were just born lucky and wants to do something to level the playing field. With the book, Deegan is one who causes reality to change and Oliver and Barry to switch places. They retain their original bodies, but everyone around them believes that they are the other. Oliver now has super speed and has a bit of fun while learning how to be a speedster. Unfortunately, while stopping a robbery, he accidentally goes a little overboard with the lightning punch and gives life to a robot at Ivo Labs (more on that in a sec). Oliver then decides he needs to find Barry, who is with Diggle in the field and about to be killed. Oliver saves him, then the two head back to S.T.A.R. Labs to try and convince them that there is something seriously wrong.

'The Flash' Recap 'Elseworlds, Pt. 1'
The Flash/The CW

Still, Team Flash doesn’t really believe them. Iris drugs Oliver while Ralph knows Barry out. They lock them in the Pipeline. Oliver and Barry escape, each having to encompass their new personas in order to do so. Barry has the idea of traveling to a different earth in hope that whatever is happening hasn’t affected memories in a different universe. Iris catches them trying to escape, but Barry tells the story of their first meeting. She has a moment where she feels she is talking to the real Barry and lets them go. Barry and Oliver wind up in Smallville where Kara instantly recognizes them as who they are. Before heading back to their earth, they decide to train a little bit, but emotions run high and they have an argument (and Barry gets payback for Oliver shooting him the back four years ago). Later, Oliver apologizes, saying that he got angry watching Barry “abuse” the abilities he worked so hard to gain. He says that he channels all of his experience and hurt into the Green Arrow and that’s what makes him who he is. Barry says the same thing. All that he is, his family, his friends, his hope, that all goes into his speed and makes him faster. If they’re going to be successful, they’ll have to learn to be each other. Kara comes outside, saying thank goodness they finally reached that conclusion. They are interrupted by Cisco because…

The robot that Oliver accidentally supercharged is Amazo, and it can learn meta’s abilities and make them its own. They need Barry and Oliver to stop Amazo because it learned Cisco, Caitlin, and Ralph’s moves. Clark and Kara tag along for the ride and the four face off against the robot. After a massive super punch from Clark, they think they have won, but Amazo isn’t done yet. It scans them, learning all of their abilities. Barry comes up with an idea and has Oliver bait him into a trap with Kara and Clark. Oliver runs off and finally feels what Barry was talking about. He starts to enjoy the chase, smiling. Sherloque comes up with the idea of shutting the robot down, so Cisco and Caitlin built the tech to do it. Only problem is that the virus to override the system has to be inserted into Amazo. Cisco delivers it to Barry, attaching it to an arrow. Oliver leads Amazo back, Kara and Clark hold him down while Barry shoots the arrow. It strikes Amazo in the eye and his systems shut down.

'The Flash' Recap 'Elseworlds, Pt. 1'
The Flash/The CW

Kara decides to stick around until the situation can be resolved, but Clark goes back to Smallville. It was fun having him and Lois for just a bit. Cisco tells Barry and Oliver that he had a vibe of a man in mutton chops and there was something very menacing about him. They ask if he can show them what he saw. Cisco does so and they witness Monitor handing the book over to Deegan, but then, Monitor turns to the three and addresses him. He tells them that they can do nothing to stop what has already been set in motion. They should just give up now. Coming out of the vibe, Oliver quickly draws a photo of what they saw. Monitor is in Gotham City, so that’s where they’re going to have to go.

This was a solid start to the crossover and I’m excited to see how everything is going to play out with Monitor. It was fun having Barry and Oliver be each other and learn to fit the role of the hero. I was surprised by how unaccepting Team Flash was of the whole scenario. Considering all that’s happened, they should’ve been a bit more open to the idea, but I guess that’s just the book at work. This episode also created some tension between Iris and Barry as Barry fell into the role of Green Arrow. Oliver told him that he has to be a bit darker in order to wear the green, and Barry did just that when fighting Amazo. Iris is afraid that Barry will turn into Oliver. Barry will never slip into the guise. He has all the motivation to be that moody guy, but that’s not who Barry Allen is. Iris shouldn’t be worried about that. I think this whole thing is going to be a lesson for the two of them, more so Oliver, who is always quick to jump to the bad place. For the first time, he was actually having fun as a hero, and I think that’s going to carry back into Arrow‘s regular season.

‘Elseworlds’ continues tonight on Arrow, concluding Tuesday with Supergirl.