Everything’s fine and the universe is saved! Well… mostly. Kinda.

As a Legends episode this is less a season premiere and more an excited and hurriedly scribbled list of fun callbacks. We get Beebo, meta jokes about the crossover, Ray and Ryan and Wells being science nerds and Sara and Barry and Kara struggling with their feelings and the fact they all suddenly live on the same Earth

Oh yes. They went there. And brought there back.

That frantic enthusiasm leads to basically all the moments that work. The team taking down GhostBeebo and Marv freaking Wolfman getting to say hi to the characters in the final part of the TV version of the story he wrote were by far the standouts. Not just because they were fun but because they emphasize that things have actually changed. Freeland, Sarkovia, CatCo, all of it is now in one place. That leads to some great comedy too, especially Melissa Benoist’s Increasingly annoyed confusion in the early scenes and Cress Williams’ delivery of ‘Oh. It’s like THAT.’

But where the episode truly motors is on the emotional side of things. The first time we see Team Arrow, silent and with tear streaked faces will break your heart. John’s guilt-ridden plea especially. Later, Sarah has a similar moment where she realizes Oliver really is dead. Then there’s Barry who not only cements the changes and forms the Justice League but makes sure there’s a seat at the table for their fallen friend. Fans of a certain age are going to be crying happy tears at the last shot. Others, much sooner.

It doesn’t always work. Like I say it’s a bad Legends episode for everyone but Sara and Ray and the episode does seem to tread water a little after the Beebo fight. Plus, there’s a weird beat towards the end which seems to hint Kara wants to heroically sacrifice herself in the final battle that just doesn’t land at all..

Verdict: Get past that and this isn’t just a great end to a great crossover but the start of something new and genuinely exciting. 8/10

Alasdair Stuart