Arrow Arrow Season 5 Episode 8: "Invasion"

[Primal Slayer]

Laurel/Oliver are having some good chemistry goin on. If the writers didn't pit the two against each other since episode 1 they could've survived.

 

[Prison Mike]

This episode is pretty boring

 

[NotNickFury]

In hindsight, I'm not sure if both Barry and Kara were needed at the same time for some small time thing in Star City.

 

[Slade W]

Nice reference to Colin on his new show by Malcolm lol.

 

[Primal Slayer]

I can't believe that they waste 3hrs braiding Echos hair just to have him show up for 2 mins.

 

[flickchick85]

Not a regular Arrow viewer but having seen the first few seasons and tuning in now, based on this ep I'd have to say I think these newbies suuuuuuck.

Wish they'd given Barry and Kara someone more interesting to spend time with for this crossover.

 

[NotNickFury]

Not a regular Arrow viewer but having seen the first few seasons and tuning in now, based on this ep I'd have to say I think these newbies suuuuuuck.

Wish they'd given Barry and Kara someone more interesting to spend time with for this crossover.

Oddly enough, unlike Flash, there was almost no reason for Barry or Kara to appear if not just for the fact that the perp Team Arrow went after had an ability or power they couldn't deal with. In fact, The Flash episode briefly had Vigilante, a villain that's been causing mayhem in Star City right now, so it easily could have just been him and there'd be no need for Flash or Supergirl to stop by Star City.

This isn't allow of the new team, though one may be going rogue, but for the bulk of this season, they've been dealing with mostly normal people that don't have powers and have slowly gotten better, though they're still rough around the edges compared to Roy, Thea, and so on.

 

[Mike Murdock]

In hindsight, I'm not sure if both Barry and Kara were needed at the same time for some small time thing in Star City.

I think they wanted to give them some kind of meaningful role given that Ray and Sara had one.

Anyway, who could not have seen that they'd be in space?

 

[Slade W]

That was enjoyable, but one of the worst episodes of the season IMO. Like the Flash episode, there was so much important stuff that was rushed.

 

[flickchick85]

Oddly enough, unlike Flash, there was almost no reason for Barry or Kara to appear if not just for the fact that the perp Team Arrow went after had an ability or power they couldn't deal with. In fact, The Flash episode briefly had Vigilante, a villain that's been causing mayhem in Star City right now, so it easily could have just been him and there'd be no need for Flash or Supergirl to stop by Star City.

This isn't allow of the new team, though one may be going rogue, but for the bulk of this season, they've been dealing with mostly normal people that don't have powers and have slowly gotten better, though they're still rough around the edges compared to Roy, Thea, and so on.

They probably should have found some other way to include them. Like, I dunno, actively trying to rescue Team Arrow from a damn spaceship, instead of Felicity & Co. spending the entire episode just figuring out there WAS a spaceship. That seemed like it should've been obvious. And the cyborg chick was totally random.

 

[vantheman77]

I was right that the crossover took a backseat to the Arrow alternate reality stuff. This was skippable.

However I did liked that Oliver, Ray, Thea, Diggle, and Sara were in the alien ship and the Waverider.

I don't think Flash or Supergirl needed to be in this episode at all.

 

[NotNickFury]

Looks like there was some planning ahead so each episode, doesn't just end randomly and conclude that show's respective plot, but segues into the next part of the crossover. Part of me thought that Supergirl would have popped in to help the group, but at the same time, it makes sense that the Legends could show up as well. Though I hope in the Legends episode we get a scene that shows the Legends getting the message from the present. Heck, it could just pick up from where the last Legends episode ended as a flashback and then segue into the present.

I liked it good enough. It was no "Perchance to Dream," but far be it from me to compare this to Batman: the Animated Series and I like how Thea was reluctant to leave and didn't just jump on board from the start. Though of the returning characters we saw, I do wish we got some sort of reunion with her and Roy, but I suppose Malcolm will do since he's meant to be in Legends of Tomorrow soon.

Like Flash, I like how this was mostly Arrow-centered, but unlike The Flash, you really didn't need Kara and Barry both to deal with a small time threat. One of them, maybe, and I'm sure Ragman could have been of use. As rushed as the role call scene was in The Flash with Kara going through everyone, it was at least some introduction for Kara to this universe.

It took Wild Dog getting his butt handed to him to go from being antagonistic to a somewhat friend, but it would have been nice if Kara had at least seen the Arrow cave. Team Arrow wasn't particularly busy, but then, the Dominators didn't seem to be out in force in Star City compared to Central City.

 

[Slade W]

Some examples of stuff that was rushed IMO, is Oliver being scared and wanting to stay happy and be with Laurel despite him knowing something funny was going on, and then the next scene he was with Diggle and questioning things again.

Wildog being so strongly against Metas and Aliens and quickly changing his stance after being saved is another. It makes sense that he would change his mind after being saved, but the way everything happened so quickly was silly IMO. If he was that strongly against them, he would take more time before changing his stance.

The fight against all the villains should have been more drawn out and epic IMO. I also think him saying goodbye to Laurel should have been longer.

Maybe if I watch it again I will change my mind on those things, but the way these crossover are done is flawed IMO. There is too much going on and there is not enough time to do it as well as it should be. A 2hr movie could be so much better IMO.

 

[Primal Slayer]

I could've sworn that we saw Laurel down at the reception area in her wedding dress lol. When was this wedding suppose to take place? Was she just waiting around wondering if anyone would come get her?

 

[LoganGambit87]

loved this episode cant wait for legends now

 

[NotNickFury]

Some examples of stuff that was rushed IMO, is Oliver being scared and wanting to stay happy and be with Laurel despite him knowing something funny was going on, and then the next scene he was with Diggle and questioning things again.

Wildog being so strongly against Metas and Aliens and quickly changing his stance after being saved is another. It makes sense that he would change his mind after being saved, but the way everything happened so quickly was silly IMO. If he was that strongly against them, he would take more time before changing his stance.

Heck, even Mick didn't do a complete 180 when it came to Supergirl, but then, the mind control stuff happened not long after their back and forth, so there may not have been time for that.

But yeah, while these crossovers may be larger and scale than the other Flash/Arrow stuff we've had, I imagine there's stuff that had to be cut or scaled down for time. Were these longer episodes or a large TV movie, there'd be time for stuff like Kara getting used to Earth 1, Wild Dog and his take on metahumans, maybe Oliver and Kara having a talk, stuff like that.

 

[Web-Head]

That was really good, had a grin on my face for a lot of it. I had a feeling that wasn't Manu Bennett in the suit, but oh well.

It was nice to see the gang back together and a good reminder of seasons 1 and 2.

Also: I don't watch Legends so I thought that guy they saw after leaving space and entering onto the next space ship was Hal Jordan for a second, haha.

 

[flickchick85]

I'm not sure I want to see the Arrow creative team handling Supergirl ever again. This was like a caricature version of her, imo. Barry fared a little better, but not by much. It's a shame because I love the way the Flash creative team handles both Oliver and Kara.

 

[Web-Head]

I'm not sure I want to see the Arrow creative team handling Supergirl ever again. This was like a caricature version of her, imo. Barry fared a little better, but not by much. It's a shame because I love the way the Flash creative team handles both Oliver and Kara.

To be fair, she didn't have much screen time. But I get where you're coming from.

 

[Slade W]

I'm not sure I want to see the Arrow creative team handling Supergirl ever again. This was like a caricature version of her, imo. Barry fared a little better, but not by much. It's a shame because I love the way the Flash creative team handles both Oliver and Kara.

They would have been better off without them in the episode. They were just there because they had to be. They were given by far the least focus. The Arrow 100th having to be a crossover was bad timing.

 

[flickchick85]

To be fair, she didn't have much screen time.

Which made it even more ridiculous that she had TWO overly dramatic "Superhero landings!!!" in such a tiny amount of screentime, lol.

 

[Primal Slayer]

I'm not sure I want to see the Arrow creative team handling Supergirl ever again. This was like a caricature version of her, imo. Barry fared a little better, but not by much. It's a shame because I love the way the Flash creative team handles both Oliver and Kara.

They aren't exactly known for knowing how to handle comic characters so it isn't a surprise.

 

[flickchick85]

They aren't exactly known for knowing how to handle comic characters so it isn't a surprise.

No kidding, lol.

 

[Web-Head]

Which made it even more ridiculous that she had TWO overly dramatic "Superhero landings!!!" in such a tiny amount of screentime, lol.

You mean the reenactment of the Spider-Man Civil War scene?

* superhero landing* "Hey everyone"

 

[flickchick85]

You mean the reenactment of the Spider-Man Civil War scene?

* superhero landing* "Hey everyone"

Indeed.