This Week in DCTV 11/10
Welcome to This Week in DCTV, where the Twisted Cape examines, breaks down, and gives a quick review of all the original shows that DC has released this week. This will run weekly and start on Sunday and end on Saturday, so we catch everything on the CW, Fox, and the DC Universe streaming service. We will eventually be incorporating all of it, including the content from other networks, like Syfy. We’ll also include an average on the week to help determine whether the week was a success. Keep in mind there will be spoilers on a regular basis so read on at your own risk.
Weekly Score (Out of 5) – 3.5/5
Short week this week, with 2 of the shows on break due to Election Day. The Twist of the Week for this week is the constant inclusion of Beebo (Yeah, that's him below) on the DCCW. Titans and Legends continue to be standouts, while the other two shows gain some ground.
The CW
Supergirl - 3/5 – “Ahimsa”
Supergirl is stuck in a suit of armor protecting her from the Kryptonite in the atmosphere. Alex and J’onn carry the majority of the episode centered on hatred. SPOILERS – It seems like this week was light on Melissa Benoist, likely due to her working on the crossover. Meanwhile, J’onn meets Manchester Black in search of his fiancée, Fiona. This storyline would have helped a couple of earlier episodes, especially if Manchester Black is going to stick around. His turn to a bad guy would feel more natural if he was more present in earlier episodes. J’onn is attempting to balance his rage against the vow he made to his father. To me, anything involving Martian Manhunter is fun. Alex is dealing with the weight of her new position which is taking an emotional toll on her. All the while, Agent Liberty and the Graves siblings abduct aliens to use in a terror plot. This gets foiled and the Graves siblings end up dead at the hands of one of the aliens they abduct. Agent Liberty begins a new plot in his anti-alien agenda. Finally, Guardian gets involved, despite his legal troubles and it winds up backfiring in the public court of opinion. Overall, this episode took a step in the right direction, but small contributions from the lead actually hurts the show. Looking forward to the Red Son adaptation which keeps being hinted at. Quick note, the Beebo reference is hilarious.
Arrow – 3.5/5 – “Level Two”
Oliver gets down to Level 2 and deals with a new authority. Dinah and Rene have some friction, while Felicity has an unexpected team up. SPOILERS – Similar to Supergirl, Arrow seems to be suffering without it’s lead, again probably due to Elseworlds. Fortunately, we get a little more with Ollie in this episode. Also, this episode features one of Stephen Amell’s best acting performances. Dinah and Rene continue to butt heads over the new Green Arrow (The running theory [you’ll get the pun soon] is that this GA is Barry Allen from Elseworlds), but eventually come to an understanding in Quentin’s memory regarding this new vigilante. This at times feels forced, especially when Dinah arrests Rene. Felicity continues her strange turn as she teams up with Laurel to get answers from her captive, The Silencer. She escapes, but as Felicity intended. Laurel is starting to come into her own combining some of the likeability of this Earth’s dead Laurel, with Earth X’s badass Laurel. The flashforwards continue, but paint a bleak version of the future of Star City. I’m curious what the endgame is here, especially since this is the only way we see Roy. Better episode overall, but again a lack of your star’s presence hurts the show. At least here, he turns in a really good performance in limited time. Yes, this episode also features a Beebo reference which is even more enjoyable than the one on Supergirl.
Legends of Tomorrow - 4/5 – “Dancing Queen”
Ray falls in with a punk band on a mission, landing him in a precarious position. Constantine explores on his own, and Nate continues his stint at the Time Bureau. SPOILERS – The team goes in search of a “Mythtery” at a punk show, and Ray inadvertently drives the band away from a scuffle started by Constantine and Mick. Ray falls in with the band and discovers a shapeshifter, who is eventually captured by the team, but not before Constantine takes away her powers when she has Amaya’s face. This story had some pretty good humor to it, but also there was quite a bit of an empathetic pull. Constantine pulls away after the fight with Mick and goes to a pub where he spends time with his mom, who died in childbirth. It was nice to get this additional layer of the newest Legend. If you weren’t previously exposed to this character on his own show or from his appearances on Arrow, you likely didn’t know much about him. Finally, Nate and Gary bond as “Time Bros” in the prehistoric era, with Gary bringing back a plant that they have to kill. This episode confirmed my previous suspicions that Gary is at least bisexual, which is a nice turn. Another solid episode of this show.
DC Universe
Titans – 4/5 – “Together”
While being hunted, 4 strangers begin to work together and form the basis of a team. SPOILERS – I have to say, this show has yet to truly disappoint me. This episode largely focuses on the team being “Together,” which is a recurring theme and is also the Titans battlecry. Kory, Dick, Gar, and Rachel find a place to lay low, as well as discover what each other can do, except for Dick. They really begin to bond as the Nuclear Family closes in on Dick’s location. The Nuclear Family gets a new Dad as they continue their hunt. This group was perfectly cast as they manage to be completely devoid of emotion in a terrifying, uncomfortable way. Gar and Rachel have a bit of a spark between them, while Dick and Kory completely hook up. The Nuclear Family shows up and we’re treated to one of the best action sequences this show has offered, specifically where Dick is concerned. The Nuclear Family is subdued and Dick gets a lead to follow up on. It proves to be too much for him, but he’s rescued by the new Robin, Jason Todd. Very good episode, but a couple of things keep it from obtaining a better score. First, we need concrete answers about why people are hunting Rachel outside of a potential doomsday scenario. Second, the writers/directors need to determine whether Dick should be likeable or not. He walks a line, despite in the source material being one of the most likeable possible people.