(Welcome to The Clock Tower, where we’ll break down the goings on of the The CW network’s Arrowverse. We’ll touch on things like themes, cultural impact, lead-ins to major events, ships, and more every other week! Warning: this Clock Tower is filled with spoilers. Proceed at your own risk.)

Hi Super Friends! We are literally sprinting toward Crisis on Infinite Earths at this point. For those who might not have noticed, Thanksgiving is right around the bend. Once that’s over, you’ve got a week off and then everything’s going down in ye olde Arrowverse! Here’s a look at where we sit this week.

Everyone’s A Lying Liar Who Lies

Y’all. So much lying this week. There have to have been sociopaths who were worse liars than Batwoman’s Sophie Moore. Girl’s out here looking her husband, her ex, the girl she’s meant to protect and probably her neighbor’s cat directly in their eyes and lying to them like it’s nothing. This week’s episode does make the character a bit more sympathetic, but having her tell her husband that she’s in love with him after the whole Kate situation was yuck city. Currently very much off Team Sophie.

Perhaps it’s because we’ve been able to spend much more time with her, but Supergirl’s Lena Luthor is a different story. Girl’s definitely got some sociopath vibes of her own going, and with the malicious intent to boot, but it’s much more interesting for the character not to go down the same path the rest of her family has. When she’s caught stealing Myriad (the mind control device created by Kara’s aunt, Astra, to control the people of Earth), Lena immediately comes clean. There’s no pain or remorse. She’s long put those emotions to bed while on her quest to stop humanity from torturing each other.

The lack of pain or remorse doesn’t mean that her speech isn’t without power, though. She reminded her former best friend that she hadn’t wanted any friends when she came to this city, but her walls were chipped away by Kara’s earnesty and warmth. Lena shared her experiences and her trauma, practically begging not to be betrayed again, and then she was. Supergirl’s betrayal coupled with the murder of her brother shattered the Lena Luthor we once knew. Thankfully, the Super Friends have a new member in their party: Kelly Olson.

Though Kelly doesn’t know Kara’s identity, she is there as a trauma expert. As she works through her own traumas, it’s my hope that Kelly will be the key in saving Lena before things go too far in the super villain direction.

Like Father Like Daughter

As Oliver and Mia’s relationship grows, I get more and more upset at how limited their time together will be. Hopefully, Canaries will take flight and result in more Mia and William. But the thought of not getting to see more of Stephen Amell and Kat McNamara’s exceptional father-daughter chemistry is heartbreaking.

Back in the day, during Arrow’s more unfortunate seasons, I used to joke that I couldn’t see a future where Oliver Queen got what he deserved for being such an unlearning wretch. Turns out a daughter who is exactly like him and a loving, beautifully complicated family is exactly what he had coming.

Alan, Barry Allen

“License to Elongate” was always going to be a fun episode. It’s filled to the brim with Bond references, but what really makes it shine is its sheer humanity. This week wasn’t about being The Flash or The Elongated Man. This week was about being Barry and Ralph, and it made me realize just how long it’d been since we’d really seen Barry.

The thing about Barry Allen is that he, at his core, just a big old goof. Getting to see Grant Gustin stretch those funny muscles some was a nice change of pace from all the doom and gloom surrounding the whole “about to run into his death” situation.

Fly Little Birdie

I’ve always been open with my distaste for Earth 1’s Laurel Lance despite my love for The Black Canary. There’s a whole list of reasons that were outside of Katie Cassidy’s control, but underneath all of that is the fact that she plays cranky, bitter anti-heroes better than she plays earnest. Enter Earth 2 Laurel, and a whole new age of interest for the character.

Last week, Laurel was given a task by The Monitor. If she betrayed Oliver Queen, he would revive her Earth. This week, she made the choice to remain a hero. There was even very little wrestling over the decision. Seeing her evolve from Black Siren to a woman worthy of the title Black Canary makes the idea of a Canaries spin off even more enticing.

Monitor Watch

This week was less about what The Monitor himself, and more about what his lackeys and adversaries were up to. Lyla Diggle found herself outed much earlier than she would have likes. After her poignant “if saving it means going back ot the person I used to be then what the hell’s the point,” line, Laurel was joined by a betrayed Oliver and John. Conversations about to be real uncomfortable in the Diggle household.

Then there’s Nash Wells. Our complicated, strange, dashing adventurer who is very clearly more than what he seems. He found himself in need of Allegra Garcia’s electromagnetic powers to break into The Monitor’s hideout. Strangely, breaking into The Monitor’s guest room isn’t what’s most interesting there?

Wells appears to have some sort of connection to Allegra, and it seems as if that connection may go beyond the typical doppelganger situation. Also, he just casually dropped the fact that Barry is The Flash, so she’s in on that little situation. Looks like Iris’ intern is going to have a bigger part to play in Crisis than we initially thought!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Okay, so some of these aren’t my favorite things. Some of them are downright infuriating. But they didn’t really have a spot in the rest of this Clock Tower, so you get them here.

  • On the good dad front, there’s a moment where Oliver thinks Mia’s going to die, and the look he gives the man who pulled the trigger harkens back to the darkest of Hood days.
  • I just really love Mary Hamilton and would like her to be protected at all costs.
  • Oliver Jonas Queen slipped in a shot about Felicity’s cooking and I have been laughing about it for an hour. “That tracks,” ha! Rude.
  • William and Mia had an Oliver and Felicity moment where he babbled and she gave him a simple “William”.
  • “I loved Mortal Kombat!” Barry.
  • I would die for Anatoli. A Russian mobster should not be a cinnamon roll, but here we are.

Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel

Batwoman and Supergirl are off next week! But that doesn’t mean we won’t have some Clock Tower goodies for you! Both The Flash and Arrow are on, helping us hit the ground running for Crisis on Infinite Earths. We’ll also have the previously promised look at The Monitor, The Anti-Monitor, and their messy little family.

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