The Green Arrow and The Flash face off against literal “ageless evil” in the form of Vandal Savage on this episode of The Flash. Vandal who’s after Cisco’s new love interest Kendra Saunders for reasons unknown to her is forced to turn to Team Arrow for help when Barry realizes that Vandal isn’t a metahuman–he’s something else entirely. Considering Kendra’s safety, Barry suggest they keep her in Star City until a way to stop Vandal is discovered. However once Vandal finds Kendra in Star City Green Arrow and Flash have an encounter with a villain they’re totally unprepared for.
The Positives
The Flash never skips a beat when it comes to an episode. I stay glued to the television from beginning to the end, afraid to miss something–anything. Very few shows have that ability to grab your attention like The Flash does. I love how we see a level of growth and comfort among Team Flash and Team Arrow. The banter between Cisco and Thea at the meeting between the two teams is pretty funny. At first I admit I was concerned it would be too much crowding of characters between Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Vandal, Jay and also the League of Assassins make an appearance. However everything was weighted just perfectly with nothing feeling forced “just cause” in the episode. The writers essentially tell three stories here: Kendra’s history, Vandal’s link between her and Carter, and then we get an introduction to a speed drug titled “Velocity 6” created by Caitlin and Dr. Wells. The way the writers seamlessly jump from one story to the next is great and that’s what kept me glued to the television–so much story.
The Negatives
The only negative I hate to even mention is the addition of Hawkman to the story. Now I’m not being negative on the character however I felt his introduction was too sudden. Maybe if he was the guy always in Jitters Café looking at Kendra or something it would’ve felt better. I guess with so many stories going on the writers didn’t feel the need to go in on his backstory at the time, but I certainly hope they do in the future. Carter and Kendra’s story is something I’d definitely like to see on television in the future, especially since it’s tied into the relationship with Vandal Savage so much.
The Verdict
I absolutely loved this episode! Whenever Oliver and Barry get together we know we’re in for laughing, drama, arguing but more importantly teamwork. This episode shows how connected these two shows are so well. Neither character oversteps the other at all, and the fight between Vandal and Green Arrow and Flash isn’t as one- sided as you may think it to be. Vandal shows himself to be a deadly opponent who doesn’t take threats seriously and is very focused on achieving his goals. I have to say that instead of being another Arrow or Flash villain Vandal stands out all on his own and this episode shows you that it’s well deserved.
