Prepare Yourself for “Crisis on Infinite Earths” – Trailer Breakdown

Crisis on Infinite EarthsIt’s coming. In just a few days, the largest crossover in the history of the DCTV universe will bring together a ridiculous number of heroes to prepare for the end of existence. Get ready, everyone. “Crisis on Infinite Earths” premieres this Sunday, December 8.

Spread across four nights over two months (that’s right, this crossover won’t be finished in a week like usual, you’ll have to wait almost a month to find out how it ends), “Crisis on Infinite Earths” is undoubtedly the most ambitious crossover that the CW has ever attempted. The crossover has been an annual tradition since The Flash spun off from Arrow years ago, but has always varied in the number of shows involved. “Crisis on Infinite Earths” is a whole new ballgame. As Oliver says during their mission briefing: “We are going to need a bigger team.”

This year’s crossover includes five shows – Supergirl, Batwoman, The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow (though Black Lightning is appearing, it just won’t be on Black Lightning) – but will also feature other versions of familiar characters. (Is there such a thing as too many Supermen? I think not.) The CW is pulling out all the stops for this crossover, resulting in a somewhat bloated guest list that has me slightly worried there won’t be enough time to deal with the actual plot. But I’ve never been disappointed with one of these, and I hope this can live up to the hype that’s been building since “Elseworlds”.

The trailer for “Crisis on Infinite Earths” was released earlier today, and it does a good job of setting up expectations and hitting the appropriate tone. We are also given our first real glimpses of the alternate-Earth versions of Clark Kent (Tom Welling) and Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy). There is a lot of emphasis on Superman, which means that there will probably be some groundwork laid for the upcoming Superman & Lois, as well as on Oliver, which makes sense, as Arrow is ending this season and has only two episodes left after this event.

I enjoy the annual crossovers heartily (often it’s the only episode of each series I actually watch), but I feel like they need to work on upping the stakes. Yes, you have Harrison Wells (or perhaps Eobard Thawne? I’m not sure which guy that’s supposed to be) dramatically declaring that everything they’ve ever known is doomed, but knowing that four of the five shows involved are continuing past the crossover lessens the dramatic impact somewhat. It looks like we get some fakeouts (I suspect Kara thinks that Clark and Lois have died), and something is most likely going to happen to Oliver (and potentially some of the other Arrow regulars), but Kara, Kate, Barry, and (at least some of) the Legends are safe. There needs to be a little more tension in these events, especially after this year. How are they ever going to top “Crisis on Infinite Earths”?

Of course, the likely consequences of this event are bigger than just who lives and who dies. Worlds are literally being destroyed; surely the multiverse will be in shambles. It’s possible that instead of being in separate universes as they are now (well, Supergirl is), everyone could be shunted into the same universe. Won’t that throw things into disarray when these shows return?

The event runs Sunday, Dec. 8 at 8PM (Supergirl); Monday, Dec. 9 at 8PM (Batwoman); Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 8PM (The Flash); and Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 8PM (Arrow) and 9PM (Legends of Tomorrow).

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.


-

Read our policies before commenting.
Do not copy our content in whole to other websites. Linkbacks are encouraged.
Copyright © The Geekiary