Superhero Insider: Arrow and Black Lightning deliver major twists

Each week, we break down the biggest moments from Supergirl, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, and Arrow — both here and on SiriusXM’s EW Live every Friday during Superhero Insider.

This week, Arrow and Black Lightning threw audiences for a loop with major twists and revelations. Meanwhile, Legends of Tomorrow traveled back to the ’90s for a near-perfectly calibrated episode, and Iris (Candice Patton) had a superhero moment on The Flash. Here are the highlights:

Supergirl

Oh, Kara. Shouldn’t you know by now that if you’re going to write about someone, you should really read up as much as you can on them first? Who taught you journalism, Rita Skeeter? Supergirl sidelined its titular heroine this week to keep her away from the life- and power-sucking Jensen-as-Parasite, and though Kara had the right idea about fighting back with words, her coverage of Amadei Derros, an alien capable of healing others, led to Jensen nearly wiping out the aliens of National City. Worse, James Olsen has now been swayed to listen to what Ben has to say, which certainly doesn’t bode well for him. It’s an episode that delivered some thrills, but I think we’re overdue for Kara’s proper return to action. —Shirley Li

Arrow

How did we not see Talia al Ghul being the Demon coming? It was right there all along! Kudos to new Arrow showrunner Beth Schwartz, a.k.a. the Spoiler Police, for pulling off yet another cool reveal. While part of me wants to complain that Talia’s return further undercuts season 5’s explosive finale (so only the least important character died in the explosion?), I did like how “The Demon” used her. Having Talia return at this moment in Oliver’s journey created a nice parallel to what our hero went through in season 3 with Ra’s al Ghul. Oliver went through his own identity crisis in season 3 before defiantly declaring, “My name is Oliver Queen,” and his identity is currently under assault once again on Level Two. Thankfully, a team-up with Talia helps him remember who he is. —Chancellor Agard

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow

This week’s episode had an embarrassment of riches when it came to mining comedic and dramatic gold from unexpected pairings. Ray and Constantine’s Holmes-and-Watson act had me collapsing in giggles, but I was most surprised by how seamlessly the show integrated Charlie into the mix by having her talk to Mick. Of course Mick makes sense in hindsight, as the criminal on the ship who would understand where she’s coming from, and of course they’d bond over vodka and memories of prison. Not only were they excellent, but this hour also benefited from a well-told, well-balanced A-plot that focused on the Legends at a summer camp in 1995, where Ava’s insecurities about her non-childhood led to her and Sara’s strongest scene as a couple yet. I’m thrilled with how the show is handling their romance, and I’m psyched to see more of Charlie. —SL

The Flash

The Flash continues to impress me with its handling of the tension between Iris and Nora. In past seasons, the show would’ve found a way to make this about Barry, but instead it’s keeping the focus squarely on the two women. Furthermore, the writers have made a pretty unrelatable situation relatable by connecting Iris’ pain over the situation with Nora to her estranged relationship with his her mother, which made everything click into place emotionally for me. But the highlight of the episode, of course, was Iris’ superheroic leap of faith off a building to save a man she loved. It was probably the most awesome thing the show has done this season. —CA

Black Lightning

Where’s the body? That’s the question Black Lightning left me with this week. The episode opened with Gambi’s surprising and apparent death, and continued on under the pretense that he’s dead, but it never showed us a body. Like my colleague Christian, who recapped the episode, I’ve read enough superhero stories to know that someone isn’t dead until we see the body, and even then we can’t trust what we’re shown. That being said, in the moments when I did suspend my disbelief, I found myself incredibly moved by Cress Williams’ performance as Jefferson, who struggles to come to terms with Gambi’s passing, from his conversation with Inspector Henderson about how much he has sacrificed for this city to him crying while holding Gambi’s pocket watch. —CA

This week’s crossover moments:

• In an unexpected development, The Flash’s Gorilla Grodd made surprise cameo in the opening scene of this week’s Legacies.

Listen to Superhero Insider

Click below to listen to this week’s Superhero Insider, which airs every Friday at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET on SiriusXM’s Ch. 105, hosted by Kyle Anderson, Chancellor Agard, and Shirley Li.

Supergirl airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET; Arrow airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Legends of Tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET; and The Flash airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Black Lightning at 9 p.m. ET. on the CW.