'Arrow' Recap: 'Crisis on Earth-X, Part 2'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

You know I have to admit, I’m really enjoying how the CW is handling this year’s Superhero crossover event. Because by squeezing it into two nights, the painful wait that came with last year’s Dominator-themed crossover is greatly reduced, allowing for fans everywhere to get their action fix and the answers they so desire in prompt fashion and that’s precisely what Arrow brought to the table in ‘Crisis on Earth-X, Part 2’; plenty of answers to our burning questions from ‘Part 1’ and holy cow, lots and lots of action.
 
Now when it comes to the answers we’ve been seeking, well the story wasted no time in getting those to us since we learned that the mysterious Nazis in question hail from a fifty-third Earth in the multiverse known only as Earth-X. On this world, the Third Reich developed the Atom Bomb first and used it liberally to take over the planet and unfortunately for the other Earths out there, it would seem they now have their sights set on taking over every planet in the multiverse, and in order to do that, they need a few things from our world.
 
First and foremost, they’re hunting for a device known as ‘The Prism’ and it would seem this little do-dad will allow the Reich to build some incredible weapons as they begin their push into other worlds and they also need Kara. Because Earth-X’s super champion, who calls herself Overgirl and landed in the Fatherland when she arrived on Earth-X from Krypton, is dying thanks to a supercharge from flying too close to the sun and after one hell of a super fight, the forces of evil are successful in snagging the Prism and capturing just about every last one of our heroes before dragging them to the horror that is Earth-X.
 
But in addition to the action and adventure and groovy moments in-between, there was still some heart to be found in this episode as well. Because Oliver and Felicity were dealing with the revelation Ms. Smoak dropped on Olly in the last episode in that, she doesn’t ever want to marry him because she feels that their current arrangement is absolutely perfect and it was heartbreaking to see these two long time lovers reach a powerful impasse in their relationship at an equally tough time and I am curious to see as to whether or not they will manage to resolve this mess by the end of the crossover.
 
In the end however, this was quite the powerhouse episode of Arrow. There was just so much action and adventure to be found in this tale and it was a refreshing little change of pace since these stories focus on the characters over anything else, which by the way, is a wonderful thing. Either way, what I appreciated most about this particular tale, is the fact that it raised the stakes through and through and I’m dying to know exactly how our group of heroes will be able to escape captivity and regain their powers on Earth-X and alas, we will have to wait until later tonight to see how this incredible crossover wraps up on The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. Until next time.    

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