Non-Spoiler Review: The Flash/Arrow: Heroes Join Forces

Topping the big crossover event between Arrow and The Flash from last year was no mean feat, but The Flash/Arrow: Heroes United manages to up the stakes, advancing both show’s stories and giving more of an introduction to Legends of Tomorrow with skill, grace, and plenty of the awesome action sequences we know and love.

On The Flash episode, Legends of Today, Cisco’s new girlfriend Kendra is threatened by a mysterious man known as Vandal Savage with apparent magical skills. Cisco goes to Barry for help, who in turn goes to Ollie and Team Arrow in Star City. Protecting Kendra becomes a lot more complicated when a man named Carter literally flies in to protect her, with information about why her life is in danger in the first place. Meanwhile, Harry has a plan to help Barry increase his speed and stop Zoom.

On Arrow, the story continues with Legends of Yesterday. Determined to protect Kendra and Carter, teams Arrow and Flash continue to work together to try and stop Vandal Savage. But even with both teams working together, can they really defeat someone that old and powerful?

With so many characters, including nine superheroes, it is not easy to select the episode VIPS. Everyone brought their A-game this week, and even those with only one or two scenes were worth remembering.

That being said, one of the obvious standouts was Casper Crump as Vandal Savage. The soon-to-be main villain on Legends of Tomorrow is wonderful in the role. Every moment he speaks is riveting. If this is what we can expect on Legends, we should all be thankful.

Also worth noting are Ciarra Reneé as Kendra/Hawkgirl and Falk Henstchel as Carter/Hawkman. Their chemistry is wonderful, they really make an amazing, if sometimes volatile team. In the Arrow half of the story, Stephen Amell has some of his finest moments. Guest star Anna Hopkins also does beautiful work.

But once again, the top honors must go to Carlos Valdes as Cisco, who is fantastic through both episodes. Allowing his feelings for Kendra to propel his storyline, Cisco’s heart shines brightly. Whether he is making his typical pop-culture references, talking about his experiences with becoming Vibe, or dealing with his feelings towards Kendra and Carter, Valdes once more shows why he is the one to watch.

There is a lot of story showcased in these two episodes, and all of it is handled with finesse. What could have come across as a hokey event, or back door pilot for Legends of Tomorrow is actually a finely tuned balancing act which propels all three stories forward. Do not miss a moment.