2021 Arrowverse Roundup - Week 06

This week had the premiere of a brand new show featuring familiar characters, and had some serious character development and drama.

Below is a breakdown of all of the Arrowverse stuff that aired this week. It is part review, part speculation, part analysis, and part rambling. It is organized in the order they aired throughout the week, so feel free to scroll down to whatever ones you watch. If you want to get caught up, you can use my Arrowverse Viewing Order guide to help you navigate!

Batwoman - Episode 2.05 - Gore On Canvas

Batwoman dealt with an art heist today, and continue the mystery of Kate Kane's disappearance. A deep cuts Batman name was brought into the show - Jack Napier, which is an alias for The Joker. His art is connected Kate, and the mystery of that continues.

Alice is getting more backstory than usual. They have to give her more history outside of Kate now that Kate is gone. There was a very Lost-esque feel in her uncovering the mystery of her forgotten memories.

Sophie and Ryan are figuring each other out. While Sophie doesn't know that Ryan is Batwoman, Ryan holds a grudge against her, and all of the Crows. There might be a path where Sophie joins the Bat-Family and leaves the Crows. But it could go in many different directions. Still, it will be interesting to see if anything romantic happens between them. They both have exes still in the game and part of the story.

Another villain that Ryan has to deal with means that her Batwoman is quickly getting her own rogues gallery. A few of the villains have return potential so she is carving out a nice niche for herself.
 
Everyone has really strong stories this season, and they are all continuing quite nicely. It'll be interesting to see if they can keep this momentum up the whole season.
 
***

Black Lightning - Episode 4.03 - The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter Three

The Pierce family is irrevocably broken. I think I have said that before, but it still rings true. The wedge and the divide gets bigger and bigger every episode. It is heartbreaking to watch.

Tobias has been the villain since the very beginning, and is stepping his game up now that he knows the Pierce family secret. The culmination is going to be absolutely incredible when everything comes to a head before the show ends.

Anissa and Grace got married, but none of their family was there, driving home the point of how divided they are. Everyone is being reckless in their own way, and doing this without her family knowing is Anissa's way of being wreckless.

Jennifer is fighting the propaganda against her, and will dig herself into deeper trouble than she is already in. She is young and carefree, and that paired with how much power she has is going to meet a heartbreaking end.

Gambi is working for another company to get information on the weapons, but his relationship with the Pierce family is fractured. He still has their best interests at heart, but they don't think so.

Lynn is still experimenting with powers, which is drug addiction taken to the next level. She is also being courted and manipulated by Tobias, and she is going to think she can handle it, and she can't.

Jefferson found out about the Tobias thing and won't handle it well. He is already drinking more, and doing reckless things like joining illegal fight clubs and using his powers without his suit which will hurt him.

Each episode drives all these story points forward, and it is absolutely fascinating to see how it happens each time.

The show is going out with a bang and I cannot wait to see the rest of it.

***

Superman & Lois - Episode 1.01 - Pilot

 
 
It has been a hot minute since we had a Superman focused story. While Tyler Hoechlin and Bitsy Tulloch have appeared in the Arrowverse as Clark and Lois respectively, this is their first solo story. The pilot was one of the strongest in the entire Arrowverse (maybe the best since Arrow itself) and proves that Superman can work in today's world.

We've seen many iterations of the Lois and Clark story. But him as a family man dealing with children is a fresh take to put on the screen. The episode had the perfect balance of family drama and comic book Superman goodness.
 
The kids are compelling, and will have rich stories going forward. While the twist in regards to the powers was a little obvious, it still worked really well. Both kids are likeable and they will add a depth to the story that isn't there with other shows.
 
Tulloch has nailed Lois, but it looks like she is going to be put on the back burner quickly which is a shame. She needs as rich of stories as the rest of her family has. Hopefully it goes that way.
 
Putting the Kent family back into Smallville instead of Metropolis is also an interesting take. That will keep this show fresh and yet still offer some familiarity.
 
The reveal of an apparently alt-world Lex Luthor is an interesting one. While I hope Jon Cryer does appear in the series, a different take on it can be fun too.
 
The episode was great, the premise was strong, and the cast works. This show has a potential to run a long time, and hopefully they take advantage of its potential. 
 
***
Superman & Lois was the best episode of the week, but all 3 episodes were very strong. Next week, the Arrowverse's resident speedster and new face of the Arrowverse returns.

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