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10 worst mistakes the Arrowverse ever made, ranked

The Arrowverse entertained us for a decade but it didn't always get things right. What were some of its biggest missteps?

By Michael Patterson

Supergirl -- "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One" -- Image Number: SPG509c_0115r.jpg -- Pictured (L-R): Grant Gustin as The Flash, Melissa Benoist as Kara/Supergirl, Tyler Hoechlin as Clark Kent/Superman, Ruby Rose as Kate Kane/Batwoman and Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer/Atom -- Photo: Dean Buscher/The CW -- © 2019 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Supergirl -- "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One" -- Image Number: SPG509c_0115r.jpg -- Pictured (L-R): Grant Gustin as The Flash, Melissa Benoist as Kara/Supergirl, Tyler Hoechlin as Clark Kent/Superman, Ruby Rose as Kate Kane/Batwoman and Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer/Atom -- Photo: Dean Buscher/The CW -- © 2019 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved. /
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The Flash, Arrowverse
The Flash -- “A New World, Part Four” -- Image Number: FLA913c_0034r -- Pictured (L-R): Jon Cor as Chillblaine and Danielle Panabaker as Khione -- Photo: Katie Yu/The CW -- © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved. /

6. Too much reliance on Teams

Before we dive into this point, you should know that we're not referring to DC's Legends of Tomorrow here. That was an ensemble show focused on a group of superheroes that balanced its main characters incredibly well. The other Arrowverse shows, however, were not, and the refusal to acknowledge that resulted in all of them struggling at some point or another.

We get it; if you're a major superhero, there is safety in numbers so of course it makes sense to expand your team with trusted allies who will have your back and help you keep the streets of your city safe. But that doesn't mean that your own show has to become all about them, and the team you have built (it's called The Flash, not Team Flash).

There are many issues with making a solo superhero series all about a team instead. Not only does it create the need for more ambitious threats that only a team could take down, it makes the titular hero look incredibly weak in the process. How many times did Oliver Queen have to be rescued by a hero who was half the vigilante that he was? How many times did Barry Allen find himself incapable of defeating characters he could have taken down with his eyes shut all for the sake of making the plot all about Team Flash? And then there's Supergirl; the most powerful being on the planet who somehow always needed assistance from others whose powers weren't in the same league as hers.

What's worse is that it overpopulates the cast and results in half-baked, uninteresting supporting characters who stick around for no reason other than to be a part of the team. Remember Chester and Allegra on The Flash? What about Khione, whose existence in season 9 accomplished nothing? And let's not forget Cecile, who went from a grounded, fun DA to an overpowered empath who could inexplicably fly all because she wanted to be a superhero.

Don't get us wrong, we love a partnership between heroes. The Flash and Kid Flash made a great team, as did Green Arrow and Arsenal, but the overreliance on full teams consisting of different-powered heroes and underdeveloped supporting characters dragged each of the Arrowverse shows down. The Flash's final season is the perfect example of everything wrong with it, and it's no surprise that the best seasons of almost all of these shows are their earlier ones - all of which focus solely on the titular superhero.

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