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The Flash season 4, episode 8 review: Crisis on Earth-X, Part 3

By Thomas Seavey

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The Crisis continues as The Flash and friends find some unexpected help on Earth-X. Cisco, Caitlin, and Wells are stuck in the pipeline and Iris and Felicity must save Kara from Eobard Thane and Overgirl.

The Flash, Green Arrow, White Canary, Jackson and Stein, Heatwave and Alex are all stuck in an Earth-X concentration camp. They encounter a prisoner who was taken captive for not following Nazi heterosexual protocol. “It’s round-up time” as the nazi-doppelganger of Quinton Lance enter the pen. He gathers up the heroes and prisoner they spoke to, taking them to the edge of a mass grave. Herr Lance prepares a firing squad but is foiled when Earth-X’s Captain Cold shows up.

Captain Cold rescues the heroes and their plus one, who is revealed to also have powers. Cold X and ‘Ray’ takes the heroes to their headquarters. The Ray is revealed to be from Earth-1 and the team meets the X-Doppelganger of Winn Schott (the general of the resistance). General Schott is unsympathetic to the Earth-1 heroes’ plight, as he wants to destroy the Nazi gateway while its high command is on Earth-1. Alex pleads their case to Schott, but he remains unconvinced. Stein and Jackson have a conversation about their relationship.

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Following Alex’s failed attempt to win over Winn-X, Sara gives Alex an awkward pep talk. Meanwhile, Cold-X talks with Ray about supporting the Earth-1 heroes and they decide to help. They share a tender kiss before they tell the other the news. The Team hatches a plan, which involves Oliver-1 posing as Arrow-X/Fuhrer to get access to the Nazi Gateway Facility. Schott begrudgingly gives them some time to execute their plan.

Herr Lance receives Oliver in the Nazi command center. In order to maintain his disguise, Oliver gives the order to send a Nazi Waverider thru the gateway. Herr Lance then brings a prisoner in (Felicity’s Doppelganger) for Oliver to execute. Of course, Oliver breaks character and takes out Herr Lance and the Nazis in the room. The scuffle damages the Gateway control center and Schott has decided to go back on his word, he unleashes the resistance’s secret weapon to destroy the Gateway (The Red Tornado). It’s time to call an audible.

While The Ray and the Flash go to intercept Red Tornado, the Earth-1 team (with Cold-X) make their way thru a swath of Nazis to access the backup power of the Gateway. Stein and Jackson split in order to turn the Gateway back on and the Nazi cavalry rolls through. The Ray and The Flash’s initial attempt to stop Red Tornado is unsuccessful. Stein manages to return power to the Gateway, but is shot.

Meanwhile, on Earth-1 (The B-Story)

The secondary plot dealt with Iris and Felicity attempting to save Kara from the clutches of Eobard, Overgirl and Arrow-X. The Felicity and Iris muster all over their skills and manage to pull Kara from the clutches of evil, but are foiled when Metallo surprises them at the elevator. Eobard almost kills Felicity, whose encryption prevents him from turning the power back on (restoring the Red Sun lamps needed for surgery on Kara). Kara stops Eobard and convinces Felicity to give him the password to the grid. Kara, Iris, and Felicity close out the episode held captive by the Earth-X high command.

Letters from Earth-X

  • Wow, the opening “Crisis” title card was just fun and it really gets me in the crossover mood.
  • The arrival of Captain Cold pumped me up even more for this crossover. I’ll always welcome Wentworth Miller in the Arrowverse, and his Earth-X Captain Cold is a fun twist on the character.
  • I felt the scene between Jackson and Stein genuinely compelling. Stein referring to Jackson as his son felt well deserved, and I got into the moment.
  • The kiss between The Ray and Cold-X was tasteful, and felt like a great FU to Nazi ideology.
  • Eobard’s mention of his fight with the Man of Steel in the future was fun, either as a throwaway reference or a tease for the future
  • I loved the Red Tornado appearance as well as the whole Red Tornado fight sequence.
  • Despite telegraphing the demise of Professor Stein, I was still moved by his shooting. The relationship between Stein and Jackson is one of the most compelling on Legends for me.

Next: 50 greatest super heroes in comic book history

Make sure to keep an eye out for a review of Part 4, which should be up following the conclusion of this kicking’ crossover.

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