‘Supergirl’ Season 3, Episode 8 RECAP & REVIEW: ‘Crisis on Earth X – Part 1’

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Image credit: The CW

While technically not a Supergirl episode, this review will focus on the first part of DC’s four-way crossover. Alex and Kara travel to Earth 1 as a way to get their minds off of Maggie and Mon El, Alex has an interesting hook-up, and Nazis crash Barry and Iris’ wedding. Speaking of Nazis, the crossover features the story of Earth X and how it came to be. Basically, on this Earth, the Nazis won World War II, and there are evil versions of Supergirl (aka Overgirl), Green Arrow and The Flash.

Earth X also involves black skies, red lightning and swastika banners everywhere. Honestly, the whole Nazi thing is completely overdone in superhero lore, so I have no idea why this crossover has to even go near it. On Earth X, a masked archer (who, let’s be real, we know is evil Oliver) is killing a bunch of people, including what seems to be an Earth X version of Guardian (RIP). Thankfully this Earth only lasts for a week, huh?

Obviously this episode is going to be focused on setting the scene for the rest of the crossover, which it does for all of our favourite DCTV heroes. Iris complains to Barry that not enough people have RSVP’d to their wedding, Felicity and Oliver decide that “of course they’re going”, the Legends are also on their way, and Alex and Kara are using the wedding as a way to get over their own depression.

Image credit: The CW

Iris, Felicity, Caitlin and Kara are getting their nails done, and everyone is excited to meet Alex. There’s also a mention of Felicity and Oliver being the next to walk down the aisle, which is just really big foreshadowing, basically. Cutting to Barry and Oliver trying on suits, where Barry has apparently written 38 pages of vows. That’s commitment, my friend. They’re talking about happy endings, which is kind of depressing considering this is the Supergirl episode and nobody on Supergirl is remotely happy at the moment.

If you’re caught up on Legends, you know that Victor Garber is on his way out of the show, and Jax and Stein are trying to find a way to separate Firestorm. Back at STAR Labs, it seems that Cisco has created a solution, which eventually, should allow Jax to continue on with the Legends. The conclusion to that story is a crucial part of the crossover. Caitlin and Stein also have an adorable chat, which makes his exit a whole lot sadder.

At the rehearsal dinner, Alex meets Sara, and as soon as Alex reveals that she recently broke up with a woman, it’s pretty obvious where that interaction is heading. And it does head in that direction. Multiple times, apparently. It’s an experience that Alex needs to have, due to things that happen later on, but Sara and Alex are a nice friendship that comes out of the crossover. Kara and Barry also get to talking about Mon El and how Kara thinks she’s meant to be alone, and wow, this episode is really just depressing, isn’t it?

Joe makes his obligatory sappy dad speech, and afterwards, Oliver decides he wants to propose to Felicity right there. Who does that at somebody else’s rehearsal dinner? Really, Oliver. But Felicity says no, which is probably the right move for now. We see a nice montage of everyone waking up the next day, and Alex’s awkward run-in with Sara and Kara outside the church. Barry meets a waitress who may or may not be his daughter from the future, Dawn Allen, and Iris walks down the aisle to Kara singing.

Image credit: The CW

Just as the wedding is getting started, a bunch of masked soldiers burst through the door to the church. Turns out they’re Nazis, but their intentions remain unclear at this stage. This results in an epic church fight with every hero getting their chance to shine. Supergirl has met her match in Overgirl, as they crash through the roof and fight above the church. Supergirl manages to defeat her, but the Nazi Green Arrow makes everyone retreat before the fight is won.

Iris and Barry reunite at STAR Labs, Cisco is out with a concussion, Jax and Sara bring in one of the Nazis they captured, and Mick wipes the minds of all the civilians at the wedding. Honestly, they’re awfully calm about the whole situation, which I guess makes sense considering all the craziness these people have had to deal with for years. Oliver decides to be the one to deal with their Nazi prisoner, but we don’t see the result of that until the next episode.

At the end of the episode, Overgirl and the evil Green Arrow finally unmask themselves as, obviously, the evil versions of Kara and Oliver, while the evil Flash happens to be Wells/Reverse Flash. While I’m not too fond of the whole ‘using Nazis as a plot’ thing that seems to be a trend lately, this episode is a well-paced set up for the rest of the crossover, which continues with episodes of Arrow, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. There’s only one Supergirl episode left before we hit the mid-season break, and since it’s titled ‘Reign’, we know it’s going to be good.

THE REEL SCORE: 8/10

Next up, the mid-season finale…