Season 5 Episode 9 “The Monitor sends Harbinger to gather the worlds’ greatest heroes – Supergirl, The Flash, Green Arrow, Batwoman, White Canary, The Atom and Superman- in preparation for the impending Crisis. With their worlds in imminent danger, the superheroes suit up for battle while J’onn and Alex recruit Lena to help them find a way to save the people of Earth-38.”
What I Liked?
1. The opening of the episode is a monologue from The Monitor, explaining the realities of each world and the beginning of the Universe, We get to see different worlds skies turning red, we see the 1989 Batman world, we go back to Earth-X and see The Ray, We also get to see Burt Ward on Earth-66 but the biggest world we got to see was Earth-9 why is this the biggest, well because we got to see a couple of Titans, Jason Todd and Hank.
2. The Anti-Matter reaches Argo-City and is destroying that world, Clark and Lois and Kara’s mother send baby Jonathan away from Argo in a ship just like Kal-El’s origins. Supergirl and the DEO can do nothing but watch as Argo-City is wiped out.
3. Harbinger recruits the heroes from different worlds and brings them to the DEO on Earth-38, She recruits Oliver and Mia, Flash, Batwoman, The Atom, Sara Lance and got Clark and Lois from Argo just before it’s destruction. Batwoman punches Harbinger because she took her before one of Alice’s minions could talk but the punch doesn’t affect Harbinger.
4. Brainiac tracks the course of the pod carrying baby Jonathan, Brainiac finds out it went through a portal to Earth-16 but it also went to the year 2046… Star City… yes we get to see old man Oliver from that Legends episode (nice plot hole fix) so Sara, Brainy and Lois head there to get Jonathan.
Sara and old man Oliver speak about Sara dying on the Gambit, This scene was so important for the Oliver/Sara history, Sara tells Oliver that on any Earth he’s a good man and leaves.
5. Barry speaks to Oliver about the future newspaper and that The Monitor confirmed that Barry has to die in this Crisis so this angers Barry which he goes and speaks to The Monitor about the deal he made back in the Elseworlds crossover, Kara and Barry survive while Oliver dies.
6. Green Arrow, Mia, Batwoman and The Atom defends the tower which is slowing the Anti-Matter, the shadow demons keep coming, after the wave of shadow demons the tower breaks so Superman and Supergirl use their heatvision to restart it but they pass out from the energy they used.
What I Disliked?
1. While I understand Oliver passing the mantle of Green Arrow down to Mia, I personally think if Oliver Queen does in fact die his legacy and the Green Arrow should become just that a legacy and give Mia her own idenity as a hero.
2. The entire world is on the brink of annihilation and Lena can’t do anything but give Alex attitude and just was a bitch the entire episode, Lena was so annoying this episode.
Favourite Moment
The Monitor arrives on the battlefield and starts teleporting the heroes to make them regroup for upcoming battles that lie ahead, Oliver asks The Monitor if the world is evacuated yet and The Monitor says no so Oliver disables The Monitor and is the only one left to go up against the shadow demons, Oliver and The Monitor teleport to the heroes on Earth-1 with Oliver badly injured because he stayed behind and sacrificed himself to save people, The Monitor tells the heroes that 3 billion people got saved because of their efforts but 1 billion alone survived because Oliver stood his ground until his last breath. Oliver tells Barry and Kara they don’t need to die and that they need to win this fight, he says his goodbyes to Mia… Oliver Queen dies.
Standout Character
I think this is a pretty obvious answer but Oliver Queen gets the standout vote this episode simply because he was a true leader, fought until his very end and saved 1 billion people alone. Stephen Amell showed so much emotion in his goodbye to Barry and Kara and Mia.
The Verdict
What a way to kick off the 5 part crossover? The Anti-Monitor is no joke, he is relentless. The action was great, the dialogue was incredible and emotional. The cameos from past and present DC characters was fantastic to see, we found out what Earth the Titans are on. What happens now that the Green Arrow is no more? Bring on part 2!
Rating: 10/10
