The Legends mourn their fallen. Earth X makes its final gambit and the surviving heroes pick up the pieces.

Yet again, this episode does twice what any normal hour of TV would do and yet again, it succeeds. The main plot is resolved with both another well designed fight and character grace notes galore as the two Earths go toe to toe. Olly having a shot at killing his counterpart but refusing to do so until the other man faces him, Barry letting Thawne go, Kara’s snarly ‘General, you care to step outside?’ All of them show us not just who these heroes are but who their counterparts aren’t. Men and women who make tough choices not easy ones. Men and women who put themselves between the weak and harm not between the weak and help. It’s heady stuff, mixing Nazi punching with some pleasingly chewy issues and a couple of lovely callbacks to the comics. That Crisis on Infinite Earths shout out in particular as well as the ‘Up, Up and away!’ In particular.

But what sticks here are the people and, in particular Victor Garber and Franz Drameh as Stein and Jax. Garber is one of the greatest actors of his generation and the simple, precise calm and strength he brings Stein here will rip your heart in two. His final scene could so easily have been overcooked. Instead it feels dignified and right. Better still, Drameh as Jax has the courage to absolutely lose control. He’s broken by his guilt and by the loss of his adoptive dad and seeing that honesty, and the way he battles through his grief, is intensely poignant and moving.

And then of course there are the weddings. Olly’s massively annoying huff about marriage at the top of the story is replaced by Felicity’s impulsive decision to go ahead. It feels about as in context but leads to both the amazingly sweet ending and the best Diggle cameo ever. It also rounds off the story on a much needed element of hope.

Verdict: Crisis on Earth X has been a high watermark for all four shows. Action packed, character driven and defined by the heroes at it’s core it’s never been less than impressive and ends on its strongest chapter. Great work. 9/10

Alasdair Stuart