I've seen a few television crossovers in my day; "Generator Rex and Ben 10: Heroes United", the odd meeting "Teen Titans Go" and "Young Justice", not to mention the constant stream of odd mashups Disney Channel offers. I think the largest television crossover I ever saw was "Wizards on Deck With Hannah Montana". (No, I'm not making that up. It's a thing). That special episode crossed the span of three shows.

However, CW's Arrowverse just topped that with a four-way crossover between "Arrow", "The Flash", "Legends of Tomorrow", and "Supergirl". Naturally, I was super excited to tune in and see how they'd pull it off. I even decided to live-blog my reactions as I went, encompassing them in this article, along with my final verdict. First up? The girl of steel herself.

Supergirl: "Medusa"

Now, granted, most of this episode revolves around "Supergirl"'s story arc and not the "Invasion!" storyline, but it's still technically part of the crossover, and I like to be thorough.

• One year you tell your mom you work for a top secret government agency, the next you come out as gay. Thanksgiving sucks when you’re Alex Danvers.
• I would date an alien if he brought me sunflowers . . . and pillow stuffing.
• “What is science?” Mon-El has never been so relatable.
• I’m actually not too annoyed with this love quadrangle, surprisingly. I’d be happy with whoever Kara ended up with at this point. Not that she needs a guy to be happy, but she is a legit princess and deserves a prince.
• Damn, Barry. Now you have to ruin Thanksgiving?
• TACHYONS ARE MAGIC!
• Plot twist: Lillian is actually a vampire.
• Winn, are you drunk?
• Kara, you’re about as sneaky as a monster truck playing AC/DC.
• Just let Lena run her company in peace.
• “You will do us justice?” Just say the word league already.
• WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME!!!!!! AND CADMUS HATES THAT YOU CAME!!!!!
• Mon-El, the key to getting girls is not hanging out at bars alone.
• Hank, you can’t disgrace the name of Cyborg like this.
• Poor Mon-El, always being the survivor of massacres.
• Yes, stay with Mon-El and bond.
• Ok, Thanksgiving sucks for Lena too.
• “No parent truly loves their children equally.” Wow. Competition with Lewis Snart for worst Arrowverse parent yet.
• I’m glad Lena’s not in on Cadmus’s plans.
• This looks like more fun than when I play Monopoly.
• “Do you like me . . . I mean, like me like me?” Back to middle school, eh?
• Mon-El’s awkward laugh when he denies his feelings.
• And now he’s about to cough up a lung. Glad to know I’m not the only one who feels like allergy-infested crud this time of the year.
• DID KRYPTONIANS DO ANYTHING BESIDES IGNORE THE APOCALYPSE AND CREATE WMDs?
• Okay, the robot assistant is officially useless. All he’s done so far is deny Kara information about Myriad, let Hank in, and now he’s attacking Kara. Although Clark is also to blame for putting the key to the Fortress of Solitude in such an obvious place. If Batman exists in this universe, he’s screwed.
• “Project Medusa.” And this, kids, is why we clear our browser history.
• BIOLOGICAL WARFARE IS NOT THE ANSWER!
• Maybe if Kara kisses Mon-El, he’ll wake up.
• Your secret agent lying skills always fail you at the worst time, Alex.
• Look, whether or not you support the LGBT community, this show depicts Alex and Maggie as real, three-dimensional people like anyone else. And that’s beautiful.
• No, Lex didn’t think his intentions were good. He always knew he was a dick.
• Why is the virus called Medusa? It doesn’t turn anyone to stone . . . I think. (Although Wonder Woman has an enemy of the same name).
• I need more of Kara rescuing guys and carrying them bridal style. That was a wonderful moment.
• Damn, Barry and Cisco, back at it again with the faulty breaches.
• What sort of idiot makes a virus without a cure? Further proof that most Kryptonians are too dumb to live.
• Lena shouldn’t be lashing out, but she makes some good points. I don’t want anyone slamming her for having the last name Luthor. Of course, she should also be listening to Kara, since she knows her adopted mother is just as twisted as Lex.
• Sleeping Beauty awakens.
• I love guys who go after strong women and appreciate them for their strength. That’s what makes Mon-El and Kara so amazing. Because he understands how powerful and courageous she is, and he LOVES it.
• No, Lena, don’t bargain with your evil mom. Please be bluffing. Just pull a Zhu Li and turn out to be investigating Cadmus from the inside, I beg of you.
• The future isn’t for the humans. It’s for the METAhumans, am I right?
• Don’t die, J’onn. You have so much to live for, and no one else can be a team dad like you.
• Aw, I want a rocket launcher for Christmas (you know, without a command to commit mass alien genocide).
• Hank called, he wants his body back . . .
• It’s like someone stuffed a white martian in a blender with Hunter Zolomon. I’ve never seen something so gloriously eldritch.
• Stop yelling that you’re Cyborg Superman, no one’s impressed (especially Cisco, who could come up with much better).
• LENA LUTHOR IS THE BOSS!
• I should be happy that the big bad appears to be out of commission, but that just means they’re going to make an epic comeback or there’s a secret, bigger bad lurking in the shadows.
• Aaand . . . I was right.
• Talking in unison is never a good thing in science fiction. It typically heralds evil.
• That was an astonishingly easy way to get rid of the White Martian DNA.
• Mon-El doesn’t remember the kiss? Oh, come on. Kara’s turning into Barry.
• Or maybe he does remember. Time will tell.
• “I could really use a good, old-fashioned murder right now.” That’s basically my aesthetic as a Gotham fan.
• It’s a good thing Barry didn’t crash Alex’s kiss.
• Oh, there you are, Barry.
• Best reunion ever. (Although, if Kara really thought the breaches were caused by Barry, why didn't she say something?)
• “‘Friend’ is a loose term. We work together.” Brutal, Vibe. But true.

All in all, a fairly decent episode, although probably not my favorite one of the season. I really want to see Kara’s reaction to finding out that James is Guardian and Winn is helping him. I’m sad we only got two minutes of Cisco and Barry, but I didn’t really expect to get a lot of them, so I’m okay with that. J’onn’s cure seemed a little far-fetched, but I’m used to miracle science on the Arrowverse, so it doesn’t bother me that much.

I’d say the only thing that really bothers me is Lena’s characterization. I’m not sure why she defended her mother to Kara initially, unless she had already come up with the scheme to betray Cadmus and needed to make it seem real. I also felt like it was out of character for Lillian to leave so much of her plan up to Lena to fulfill. For someone who’s supposed to be a smart villain, that’s an extremely dumb move.

As to what comes next for "Supergirl", I wonder if the aliens looking for Mon-El are as evil as they seem, secretly good, or just altogether neutral. It's possible that he was lying about being the prince's servant and is himself the prince (which would open up the possibilities of either a search party or lackeys of a usurper who want him dead).

Note: Barry must’ve felt hella awkward in the end. It was basically the equivalent of: “Hey, I crashed your universe with my friend (oh, right, you’re not friends with me anymore), ‘cause I kinda need your help taking down aliens, so yeah.

The Flash: "Invasion!"

• Great cold open. Oliver’s new codename should be Shade.
• Why on earth would you make Barry the leader?
• Hey, now Wally could supersonic-punch Barry! I’d pay to watch that.
• Cisco has fair claim to the Shade title.
• WHY MUST EVERYONE LIE IN THIS TEAM???
• Look, at least HR is trying to help. I mean, come on. How does anyone on this team make money besides Joe and Iris? At least if STAR Labs was open to the public, Caitlin, Cisco, and Barry might have legitimate jobs. (How do they pay rent right now? Did Eobard leave them a massive fortune?)
• Ah, the government lies about aliens. Truth in media.
• I SAW THE SHIPS COME FLYING IN, ON CHRISTMAS DAY, ON CHRISTMAS DAY!
• Wow. That guy on the history channel was right. Aliens really are the answer to everything.
• Did the Dominators take voice lessons from Zoom?
• I don’t trust the government to take on aliens, real life or not.
• Felicity Smoak, the only one to think through the pros and cons of a vigilante lifestyle.
• Oliver is the 100% done vigilante dad.
• Diggle, your life stopped being normal the second you met Oliver Queen.
• I love that Thea makes the decision to put aside her demons and suit up to take down aliens. Also, she should work out the marketing strategy for STAR Labs with HR. (And seriously, Eobard, did you buy the Hall of Justice on purpose?)
• Diggle’s reaction to his absurd life is the best part of all crossovers.
• Damn, Cisco. Back at it again with the brutal honesty.
• Oh, Mick. Always eating in the face of danger.
• Iris speaks the truth. Knowing Oliver is a vigilante does make him seem a lot more attractive.
• Oliver really is the dad, testing Barry to see how he handles responsibility. But maybe he could choose a better time to do that, ideally not in the middle of an alien invasion.
• Seriously, Barry needed to know what happened to Snart. I’m glad they showed that, even if it was really short.
• Did Iris steal Black Siren’s neck choker?
• Yes, Cisco. We are allowed to be mad at Barry, even though he’s a main character.
• Wow. Future Barry dropping truth bombs. Oliver is really struggling not to give Present Barry a lecture right now, I can just tell.
• “One sci-fi problem at a time,” said the man in the middle of a four-way superhero crossover.
• Lyla Diggle is a boss that even the president listens to.
• Are any of these old white politicians secretly aliens? I’m betting the passive-aggressive one is.
• THERE’S A COMMERCIAL PLAYING “THERE ARE NO STRINGS ON ME” AND IT’S GIVING ME SNART FEELS.
• Guys, just let Wally suit up.
• HR, it’s rude to eavesdrop.
• Aw, Wally, trying to bond with HR . . . or just talk him into training you. (Although I do like the point that they both feel like outsiders to Team Flash).
• Grandpa Stein is back to comfort Caitlin and I’m so happy.
• At least Stein is kinda happy to find out he has a daughter, even if it’s freaking him out. It’s too bad he had to brush her off to go fight the Dominators.
• Flashpoint is not the ideal pep talk for fighting aliens, I’m just sayin’.
• Wow. One man loses a daughter, another gains one.
• Sara, don’t act all high and mighty. You spent months trying to kill Darhk.
• That’s an interesting premise, to have Barry and Oliver sit out the big fight. I hope they talk about their lives over takeout. Their odd friendship is one of the things I love most about the team-ups. I wonder if Oliver still looks at Barry sometimes and sees him as that awkward, stuttering version he met three years ago.
• Mick, you’re making this team-up harder than it needs to be (and embarrassing Sara in the process).
• Now I’m betting the president’s an alien. (Ironic, given the current circumstances, eh?)
• Diggle, channeling his inner Admiral Ackbar.
• Ah, the good ol’ braille room. But are they back at STAR Labs or did Eobard also build one in the Hall of Justice? (I could see him doing it just to tick off the League).
• Note: the new reporter on the byline of the 2024 article, Julie Greer, is a Keystone News reporter featured briefly in comics.
• Oliver Queen’s best pep talk to date. I like that he points out that change and tragedy are constants of life, Flashpoint or not.
• Right, Cisco. Like you don’t hear Kill Bill sirens every time you look at Barry.
• Run, Wally, run.
• Don’t kid yourself, Barry. We all know that Wally is actually the fastest (before the New 52, at least).
• Joe, Wally swooping into save everyone wasn’t dumb. It was courageous.
• See, that’s the kinda guy HR is: he sees potential in people.
• Jax, stop insulting Mick. He has feelings, deep down.
• All aboard the mothership!

All in all, I was pretty satisfied with the episode, although I’m still annoyed that everyone’s so quick to bench Wally (except HR). I think the best thing about the entire story is the bond between Oliver and Barry, which has always fascinated me.

See, when they first meet, Oliver’s suspicious of Barry. Then he hears about his backstory, and he’s sympathetic, for a moment (before getting hostile again, when Felicity reveals his identity to Barry). And yet, by the end of the episode, Oliver asks “Where’s Barry?” in a way that makes you think he’s sad to see him go.

Fast forward to when Barry wakes up from his coma and later races over to Oliver for advice. Even though they barely know each other, Oliver’s happy to see him and doesn’t tell Barry to play it safe. He tells him to that he can be a light for Central City and encourages him to keep trying to be a hero.

The funny thing is that no matter how much Barry learns, he always has to step back a little when confronted with Oliver, because he’s the mentor, the guide. And Oliver, in this episode, is more than happy to give Barry advice, but he also pushes him into a position of authority. I think he did that to force Barry to grow. And even though Barry’s run as a leader of the Justice League team-up didn’t go so well, the experience taught him something that Oliver has learned a thousand times over: no one wants to follow a leader who keeps secrets.

Note: I think it's fair for Cisco to be giving Barry a hard time, even if it's a hard storyline to watch. You can't just have Cisco get over Dante's death (and Barry's indirect role in it) in one or two episodes. That's not how grief works.

Arrow: "Invasion!"

• Oh, another classic scene of Oliver running.
• I’ll try to go easy on the Laurel-bashing. But suffice it to say, I’m not fond of the way the writers created her character. The comic book version is much better.
• "We need to find "Oliver and Company", and I'm not talking about the cherished Disney animated movie starring Billy Joel."
• Cisco does have a bad habit of befriending people who turn out to be jerks. (As does the rest of Team Flash).
• Rene, throwing undeserved shade at metahumans doesn’t make you seem cool.
• Raiding alien tech? Genius and sneaky.
• Curtis, you shouldn’t be this excited over the alien invasion. I, however, am allowed to be, as I exist outside the show.
• Thea is a gift in any reality or timeline. And in the Queen family, we don’t say “I love you.” We say “Have this mystical rock.”
• I’ve missed these Queen family gatherings.
• That’s an awesome canary necklace. I want it (also, the design is the birds of prey logo).
• I guess Star City has a habit of backing Queens for mayor. Not sure if that’s a good thing.
• Right, Cisco. Like you of all people can call anyone out for quoting movies.
• It’s rare to see Quentin being this nice to Oliver (apart from the joke about shooting him), especially since he’s his future son-in-law in this reality.
• How did Oliver grow into a better man in this reality without the help of the island? Did he finally graduate from college?
• In a way, this feels a lot more true to the original Flashpoint comicbook storyline, where Barry’s memories of his old and new lives kept conflicting.
• The beloved fern returns to the Arrow Cave!
• Felicity and Diggle are always my BROTP.
• It’s true. Everyone knows Oliver’s name.
• Man, and Diggle hates waking up even more than I do.
• Wild Dog, are you a xenophobe now?
• Rene, your causality is faulty.
• I miss Moira Queen. I don’t care what she’s done, I still miss her.
• Sara, master of throwing knives and shade.
• Vibes! Vibes for everyone!
• I like how just talking with each other for a couple of minutes provides Diggle and Oliver with sudden clarity. Their friendship has always been a good constant of the show, ever since Diggle joined the Hood’s crusade back in season 1 (which is why I was a little annoyed when it was suffering at the beginning of season 4).
• The sound of Blake Neely’s "Supergirl" theme is majestic, as usual, as is The Flash motif.
• Tommy’s a doctor in this reality?
• You know something’s off when Malcolm’s being nice.
• In Ray Palmer’s ideal life, he’s still with Felicity. Interesting.
• This is even sadder for me than Barry saying goodbye to his parents in “Flashpoint.”
• No one gives motivational, crusade-joining speeches like Oliver.
• It’s sweet that Oliver wants her to be happy, but doesn’t he know that this isn’t the right way.
• I shouldn’t be surprised that Oliver knows the most about hallucinations. He’s had so many of them, dating back to season 2 (“Three Ghosts”).
• I really wish they could’ve gotten Manu Bennett for this episode. I really miss watching him play Slade.
• I wonder if it’s at all satisfying for Ray to shoot mirakaru soldiers as a form of vengeance for Anna. Or does it just make him feel worse about not being able to defeat them before?
• That’s my second favorite TV wedding dress, next to the one Barbara Kean wore in "Gotham" when she tried to kill Jim Gordon and Lee Thompkins.
• Yes, Laurel Lance deserved better. And not just a better romantic partner, but better characterization.
• It’s odd that the aliens reminded Oliver of all those pleasant memories before he left. OR were those all in his head?
• “For the Gentiles and those of us with a social life . . .”
• I love how Ray thinks of architecture as universal, whereas Oliver goes straight to weapons.
• Sara can fly a time ship, so I’d trust her to pilot an alien pod.
• Maybe if I drop out of college like the Queen siblings, I too can commandeer an alien escape pod (but something tells me my parents wouldn’t be in favor of that idea).
• Oh, the good old Legends theme makes an appearance.
• Nate, I have missed your quirky sense of humor. “Alien Gap.” Pricless.
• I wish we could see Gideon meet Diggle onscreen.
• Thea is quickly becoming one of the best parts of this crossover.

Honestly, I’m not quite sure what to make of this episode. I wouldn’t say I disliked it, but it definitely felt a little jarring every time we shifted from the dream reality to actual reality. I also wasn’t a fan of Rene’s sudden apprehension for anything weird or abnormal (which kinda came out of the blue, considering that he works with a man who controls a suit made of radioactive/magical RAGS).

This episode was supposed to go back to "Arrow"’s roots (being the 100th and all), but I didn’t feel like it did that all the way. The very fact that none of it was real made it harder to enjoy watching old characters onscreen (since we, as the audience, already knew they were doomed). And I since I was really hoping for a real glimpse of Slade and Tommy, rather than masks, references, or stock footage, I was kinda disappointed.

I will say that most "Arrow"-y thing it did was show that, like Barry, Oliver can’t dwell on what he lost. He has to move forward, as this episode reminds him. I like that even though seeing all the people he lost had to hurt, Oliver said it reminded him that there’s still more work to be done. I hope that shows as season 5 continues to explore his legacy.

I also think it’s interesting how excited Thea was to be back in the game in this episode and the last, even if she only joined up because it’s such a big fight. I wonder if participating in this team-up will make her miss Team Arrow and consider returning to it (not that she has to, as she’s doing a great job as Oliver’s chief of staff).

Note: Since this episode has gotten an extremely positive response from fans and critics alike, I'm thinking I need to give it a rewatch. I may have been a little distracted the first time around, with the live blogging and all.

Legends of Tomorrow: "Invasion!"

• It feels like Kara just got called to the principal’s office.
• Oliver, there is no normal. And benching Kara is not only a dick move, it’s a dumb move.
• Cisco and Felicity need to spend more time together. #Nerdfriendshipgoals
• It’s one thing for Barry not to remember his coworker. But Stein not remembering his daughter is a whole new level of awkward.
• Poor Felicity. I wonder why Cisco didn’t get affected much by the time jump. I’m just gonna guess it’s an unexplained perk of his powers.
• Nate’s suit is one of the few examples of a time where it makes sense for a superhero to expose their skin, since in his case it’s not a vulnerability, but technically his best weapon.
• Again, as much as it hurts to watch, it’s good that Cisco’s not forgiving Barry easily. This has to take time.
• SCREW YOU STEIN, SHE’S JUST AS REAL AS SARA DIGGLE USED TO BE.
• On a personal level, it hurts that Stein thinks of Lily as a mistake. I myself was an unplanned child, but that doesn’t mean I was a mistake or something to be fixed. It just meant I was unexpected. That’s not always a bad thing, you know.
• Foiled by the government again.
• Mick, you literally talked with an alien just a few episodes ago.
• Heroes vs government bureaucrats. This is an unexpected bonus.
• Wow, government dude. You been talkin’ to General Eiling much?
• I like that Cisco’s starting to realize he has to show compassion even when he’s not getting much back. This shows not only in his decision to rescue the Dominator, but in that he also rescued Mick (who helped kidnap him once).
• Alien pen pals. Yes, that’s all I need.
• How did the Dominators know about Flashpoint? I know it would’ve been in the minds of the Arrow team members they probed, but that was after they made the decision to attack. Was this another recon mission that turned into an attack after they got the information?
• You know, those ships aren’t exactly subtle.
• Stein, Caitlin lost her father and her mother hasn’t exactly been nurturing. You should listen to her when she says it’s important for parents to be there for their kids.
• How much does Lily know about Stein’s metahuman and time travel hobbies?
• Barry’s always on the edge of doing something terrible.
• “That’s actually pretty inspiring, up to the point where Mick compared us to a bunch of criminals.”
• YES. BRO RECONCILIATION. YES, GOOD. (Also, I’m surprised Cisco didn’t try to use the Waverider or its jump ship to save Dante).
• Sara, listing out her assassin resume.
• It’s weird that Oliver didn’t say anything to Vixen like “Hey, I know your granddaughter. Now I understand where she got the badass genes from.”
• Oliver, you could’ve said “Thank you” instead of just nodding. They both take the same amount of time.
• Cisco hanging out with Sara is cool. Now I just want to see Snart added into the mix.
• JUST CALL THEM THE JUSTICE LEAGUE, OK.
• Mick and Sara both checking out the president. Hilarious.
• YES! AN ALLUSION THE FACT THAT RAY PLAYED SUPERMAN ONCE! AMAZING!
• Wait, did you just make an Avengers’ reference, Kara?
• Crisis on Infinite Earths, guys. Just wait for it. (Or we could just get a Power Girl. That’d be nice too).
• Thank you, Cisco, for enabling future crossovers between Earth-1 and Earth-38.
• Steel-punch him in the face.
• YES, KARA, YOU TELL OFF THAT WALKING PERSONIFICATION OF WHITE MALE PRIVILEGE!
• Yes, Oliver and Sara. Without your affair, the Arrowverse wouldn’t have gotten jumpstarted.
• Diggle seems so proud of Sara and Barry for their weird adventures. It’s wonderful.
• I hope this bar is Saint and Sinners.
• YES, BARRY BEAT OLIVER IN “THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD”. CONFIRMED!
• “To things not being normal. To life being full.”

This episode was my favorite part of the crossover. It felt like just the right mix of "Arrow", "The Flash", and "Legends of Tomorrow", with a little bit of "Supergirl" sprinkled in. There were so many great things about it, especially all the acknowledgements of how crazy the Arrowverse has become (truth in media, as "Arrow" was originally meant to be a down-to-earth, more realistic superhero show).

My only quibble would be that, for a "Legends" episode, this segment didn't focus too much on the show's primary characters, but the truth is, I don't even care. It was just a wonderful ending.

All in all, I think when it comes to the big crossovers, I think "Invasion!" might be my favorite yet, just because it gives so much (although "Flash vs Arrow" and its counterpart "The Brave and the Bold" come in a close second). There's no end to fun interactions between characters and great easter eggs. I'm also glad that Cisco is starting to heal, but in a slow way.

I have to hand it to the CW. This crossover is something I plan on rewatching a lot. 10/10 vigilantes would recommend.