The 12 Best Arrowverse Episodes of 2019

The dawn of a new year (and decade) is officially here, as people all throughout the world are celebrating the beginning of 2020. As you would probably expect, New Year’s Eve is inspiring some to look back on the year that was, especially within the realm of movies, TV, and other popular culture. While there was no shortage of comic book-inspired television this year, The CW’s Arrowverse of shows had a particularly monumental year. Throughout 2019, Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl gave audiences some epic stories, with new series Batwoman officially joining the fray this past fall. And with the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover hanging over the shows since it was first announced in December of 2018, fans have gotten to see some unexpected and genuinely awesome moments.

In honor of the new year, we thought we’d celebrate some of the Arrowverse’s most standout episodes from 2019. The plots range from heartbreaking character moments to epic mashups, with quite a lot of epic content in between. So, if you’re looking for something to rewatch in the new year (until “Crisis” returns on January 14th), read on for some recommendations.

(Disclaimer: Our list only covers the shows that were confirmed to be in the Arrowverse before the multiverse was expanded in “Crisis on Infinite Earths”, so other shows that aired this year like Black Lightning and Titans do not count.)

The Flash – “King Shark vs. Gorilla Grodd”

Even before the multiverse-shattering team-ups in “Crisis on Infinite Earths”, the fifteenth episode of The Flash‘s fifth season gave fans a long-awaited rivalry. As the title suggests, the episode dove into a battle between King Shark and Gorilla Grodd, and the surprising and heartfelt way that Team Flash played a role in that. Plus, the final battle between the two supersized characters was genuinely epic, and showcased just how great the show’s VFX team has been over the years.

Legends of Tomorrow – “Seance and Sensibility”

Legends of Tomorrow traversed all kinds of scenarios this year, but none were as ingenious and entertaining as “Seance and Sensibility”. The eleventh episode of Season 4 gave fans the Jane Austen/Bollywood mashup that they didn’t know they needed, while also expanding on the show’s core theme of love and family. At the same time, audiences got to see yet another example of Tala Ashe’s brilliant acting as Zari Tomaz, down to an earworm-worthy musical number.

Arrow – “Lost Canary”

With just a handful of episodes left until the series finale, Arrow spent much of 2019 bringing character arcs full circle. That got off to an entertaining and effective start with “Lost Canary”, the eighteenth episode of the seventh season. The episode confronted the journey of Earth-2 Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) head-on, and served as the emotional final step in her redemption and rebirth as Black Canary. In the process, the episode celebrated the sisterhood that Arrow’s female characters have forged both on and off the screen.

The Flash – “Godspeed”

“Godspeed”, the eighteenth episode of The Flash‘s fifth season, gave the fan-favorite series a lot of firsts. It was the first episode directed by series star Danielle Panabaker, while also diving deep into the future history of Nora-West Allen (Jessica Parker Kennedy), and bringing the live-action debut of Godspeed (B.D. Wong). The episode was emotional, unexpected, and genuinely entertaining, and showed that The Flash isn’t running out of steam anytime soon.

Supergirl – “The House of L”

Jon Cryer’s Lex Luthor was one of the most pleasant surprises to hit the Arrowverse this year, and Supergirl’s “The House of L” episode put that on full display. The installment chronicled what exactly Lex had been up to since being released from prison, and the impact his schemes had on Kara Danvers/Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) and Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath). The episode gave fans some long-awaited answers, some tour-de-force performances from Cryer and Benoist, and a tipping point for the events of the rest of the season.  

Arrow – “You Have Saved This City”

In many ways, “You Have Saved This City” almost felt like a fitting series finale for Arrow — until it didn’t. The season seven finale saw Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) and Team Arrow facing off against Emiko Queen and the Ninth Circle, as Oliver came to terms with his role in Central City. Just as Oliver and Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) attempted to start their new life together, The Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) came to collect on Oliver’s promise from “Elseworlds”, and the Arrowverse was forever changed.

Legends of Tomorrow – “Hey, World!”

To be honest, “Hey, World!” deserves a place on the list just for the few seconds of The Monitor eating popcorn. But outside of that, the episode distills so much of what makes Legends of Tomorrow great. The Season 4 finale had everything from a parody of the other Arrowverse shows to an emotional rendition of James Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James”. While Legends was missing in action from this fall’s programming, the finale certainly left things on a one-of-a-kind note.

Batwoman – “Mine Is a Long and Sad Tale”

Batwoman has established a lot of its side of Gotham in its first eight episodes, from complicated family dynamics to a rogue’s gallery of villains. But it was episode five, which backtracked to Elizabeth Kane/Alice’s (Rachel Skarsten) dark past, which established the series’ heart in the process. The episode provided a significant tipping point for Beth and Kate Kane/Batwoman’s (Ruby Rose) dynamic, and proved that Skarsten is one of the best actresses working on the Arrowverse right now.

Supergirl – “Tremors”

Many regard “Tremors” to be the best episode of Supergirl yet, and it’s easy to see why. The installment brought Kara and Lena’s complicated dynamic to a surprising and emotional breaking point, and the confrontation that ensued punched fans in the gut in the best way. While it remains to be seen what’s in store for Kara and Lena in a post-“Crisis” world, the events of “Tremors” definitely won’t be forgotten.

The Flash – “The Last Temptation of Barry Allen, Pt. 1”

Similarly, The Flash‘s seventh episode of this latest season brought some major emotional turmoil to the forefront, and created something beautiful in the process. After accidentally being infected by Ramsey Rosso’s (Sendhil Ramamurthy) Bloodwork virus, Barry Allen/The Flash (Grant Gustin) began to confront his future, and whether or not he really wanted to die in the coming “Crisis”. The end result was one of the best and most profound episodes The Flash has ever released.

Arrow – “Reset”

Essentially every episode of Arrow‘s eighth season could arguably make its way onto the list, but “Reset” quickly established itself in a whole new category. The episode saw Oliver and Laurel stuck in a never-ending time loop where Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne) is still alive, in a desperate attempt to determine how to escape it. What resulted from there was cathartic, earnest, and surprising, and honored some of the show’s earliest interpersonal relationships.

“Crisis on Infinite Earths”

It feels impossible to highlight this year in the Arrowverse without “Crisis on Infinite Earths” — or really, the first three installments, which aired across Supergirl, Batwoman, and The Flash earlier this month. Between the epic team-ups, the heartbreaking losses, and the murderer’s row of cameo appearances, there’s so much to love about what “Crisis” has brought thus far. We may only be three-fifths of the way through the event, but it’s already become something surprising and integral for DC fans.

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What was your favorite Arrowverse episode of 2019? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!