Arrowverse General PREPARING FOR CRISIS: The COIE Watchlist

[Binker]

So this was something I was cooking up for myself because I haven't seen any of the Arrowverse shows with the exception of Supergirl (only a season and some change, so in the end, it doesn't cut it.)

This list concerns setting up CRISIS, the upcoming 2019/2020 DCTV Event; as such, it's a list that DOESN”T INVOVLE character or series arcs or other stories from shows, but only relates to the upcoming event only. The easiest direction would be to just watch the crossovers, but the event includes characters from these shows, as much as appeared in other shows, before any crossover or neither any crossover until CRISIS. Plus, the common POV of who these characters are may not reflect the CW versions, especially if you're someone who hasn't seen these shows (me for example). Hence where this list came from.

But along with this helping those like me, I feel some improvements are required. I may be missing an episode(s), I may not need certain episode(s). Only fans/viewers can help.

DCTVU/Arrowverse/Related Shows:
Flash (1990)
Smallville
Birds of Prey
Arrow
Flash (2014)
Constantine
Supergirl
Legends of Tomorrow
Black Lightning
Batwoman

List So Far:
Flash (1990) PILOT?
Birds of Prey PILOT/FINALE
Smallville FINALE
Arrow PILOT
Flash PILOT
Constantine PILOT?
Flash vs. Arrow: FLASH 0108 ARROW 0308
Arrow/Constantine: ARROW 0405
Heroes Join Forces: FLASH 0208 ARROW 0408
Supergirl PILOT
Legends of Tomorrow PILOT 1&2
Worlds Finest: SUPERGIRL 0118
Legends/Jonah Hex: LEGENDS 0111
Supergirl/Superman: SUPERGIRL 0201/02
Legends/JSA: LEGENDS 0201/02
Invasion!: FLASH 0308 ARROW 0508 LEGENDS 0207
Duet: FLASH 0317
Crisis on Earth-X: SUPERGIRL 0308 ARROW 0608 FLASH 0408 LEGENDS 0308
Legion of Superheroes: SUPERGIRL 0309-11
Legends meets Constantine: LEGENDS 0310
Black Lightning PILOT
Constantine joins Legends: LEGENDS 0407-08
Elseworlds: FLASH 0509 ARROW 0709 SUPERGIRL 0409
Superfriends/Elite: SUPERGIRL 0413
Possibly more pre-CRISIS
(Supergirl Season 5 and Batwoman Begins 10/6)

 

[famicommander]

Just quit your job, abandon your family and watch everything.

 

[Binker]

It ain't that important, nor am I insane, dude

 

[famicommander]

Perhaps you could also use your free time to learn to detect facetious humor.

 

[Dr.]

Methinks last year’s Elseworlds crossover is the only “homework” required.

 

[FunkMiller]

Perhaps you could also use your free time to learn to detect facetious humor.

Underrated post.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Methinks last year’s Elseworlds crossover is the only “homework” required.

I'm a 'crossovers only' guy, so I hope that's the case.

 

[Prison Mike]

You don’t even need to watch the current Arrowverse shows (let alone the other shows like Smallville, BOP, The Flash 1990) Just watch last years Elseworlds crossover and you’re caught up. It’s getting ridiculous with people putting out these lists of shows...I mean who has the time for all of this?

 

[famicommander]

You don’t even need to watch the current Arrowverse shows (let alone the other shows like Smallville, BOP, The Flash 1990) Just watch last years Elseworlds crossover and you’re caught up. It’s getting ridiculous with people putting out these lists of shows...I mean who has the time for all of this?

You have 40,000 posts on a comic book forum. Who are you to question how other people spend their leisure time?

 

[Binker]

I've decided to go along with my list because looking them up, I feel these will help me prepare for CRISIS, as the title of this thread says. Its your choice, your opinion, to do the same or feel the opposite, but I feel this will work for me as much as anyone else.

The questions I have is the addition of adding SUPERMAN RETURNS; should we add that, or no because of Routh playing KC Superman, who may/may not be the same Superman from that movie?

The other question: should we include Legion of Superheroes, JSA, etc to this?

And finally, what important Constantine episodes should I include from LoT?

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

The questions I have is the addition of adding SUPERMAN RETURNS; should we add that, or no because of Routh playing KC Superman, who may/may not be the same Superman from that movie?

Given Guggenheim's comment that left it kinda ambiguous as to whether or not KC Supes is SR Supes, I wouldn't have thought that SR would be necessary prep for this; maybe just a fun rewatch afterwards if you decide they are one and the same after watching Crisis.

Incidentally, although I only watch the crossovers, I appreciate the effort you've put into this. I'm sure there are those who will want their pre-Crisis prep to go a little deeper

 

[Binker]

Given Guggenheim's comment that left it kinda ambiguous as to whether or not KC Supes is SR Supes, I wouldn't have thought that SR would be necessary prep for this; maybe just a fun rewatch afterwards if you decide they are one and the same after watching Crisis.

Incidentally, although I only watch the crossovers, I appreciate the effort you've put into this. I'm sure there are those who will want their pre-Crisis prep to go a little deeper

Thanks. I just added Legion of Superheroes and Supergirl's Superfriends (as they fight The Elite).

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Thanks. I just added Legion of Superheroes and Supergirl's Superfriends (as they fight The Elite).

Are those episode titles, or separate shows?

 

[Binker]

Are those episode titles, or separate shows?

Sorry, Legion of Superheroes: SUPERGIRL 0309-11, Superfriends/Elite: SUPERGIRL 0413

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Sorry, Legion of Superheroes: SUPERGIRL 0309-11, Superfriends/Elite: SUPERGIRL 0413

Ah okay, thanks. Thought maybe they were shows that hadn't made it across the pond yet!

 

[famicommander]

Ah okay, thanks. Thought maybe they were shows that hadn't made it across the pond yet!

Officially we're at

Live action shows:
The Flash (1990)
Smallville
Birds of Prey
Arrow
The Flash (present)
Constantine
Supergirl
Legends of Tomorrow
Black Lightning
Batwoman

Animated Webseries/movies:
Vixen
Freedom Fighters: the Ray

Promotional webisodes:
Kara and the Chronicles of Krypton (Smallville)
The Oliver Queen Chronicles (Smallville)
The Chloe Chronicles (Smallville)
The Vengeance Chronicles (Smallville)
Justice and Doom (Smallville)
Blood Rush (Arrow)
The Chronicles of Cisco (The Flash)
Stretched Scenes (The Flash)

Potential additions

Due to Burt Ward:
Batman (1966 TV series)
Batman (1966 film)
Green Hornet (1966 TV series)
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusader (animated film)
Batman vs Two Face (animated film)

And we if Brandon Routh is playing his Superman Returns character, then:
Superman: the Movie
Superman II
Superman Returns

Superman Returns ignores Superman III, IV, and the Supergirl film so it wouldn't add those.

Then there is the animated series Deathstroke: Knights and Dragons. The series is coming but we don't know if it's Arrowverse yet.

And then we have the potential TV series starring Mia and the Canaries, if it gets a series order.

 

[C. Lee]

The questions I have is the addition of adding SUPERMAN RETURNS; should we add that, or no because of Routh playing KC Superman, who may/may not be the same Superman from that movie?

The other question: should we include Legion of Superheroes, JSA, etc to this?

And finally, what important Constantine episodes should I include from LoT?

It might be easier to watch the event, then figure out what episodes came before it that would enhance it, then watch everything again but in it's proper order. Of course by then, it won't just be a crossover event, but a crossover season.

 

[famicommander]

Maybe just use my watching order and read wiki summaries of all the episodes in the order, and watch the ones that seem most important to you?

 

[C. Lee]

Maybe just use my watching order and read wiki summaries of all the episodes in the order, and watch the ones that seem most important to you?

What I would theoretically want to do is....edit all the pertinent episodes together to make it one long story without the parts not needed.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

What I would theoretically want to do is....edit all the pertinent episodes together to make it one long story without the parts not needed.

That would be a really cool fan-edit. Certainly a challenge.

 

[C. Lee]

That would be a really cool fan-edit. Certainly a challenge.

I know there are regular guys out there who can do it. I have a fan edit of the Doc Savage movie that improves it 10 fold. I've seen exerpts from other fan edits that knocked my socks off....so I know that someone could do it.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

I know there are regular guys out there who can do it. I have a fan edit of the Doc Savage movie that improves it 10 fold. I've seen exerpts from other fan edits that knocked my socks off....so I know that someone could do it.

I know there are some clever people out there. I've got a Batman Forever fan-edit to watch some time (not the Red Book edition).

 

[Dark Raven]

So this was something I was cooking up for myself because I haven't seen any of the Arrowverse shows with the exception of Supergirl (only a season and some change, so in the end, it doesn't cut it.)

This list concerns setting up CRISIS, the upcoming 2019/2020 DCTV Event; as such, it's a list that DOESN”T INVOVLE character or series arcs or other stories from shows, but only relates to the upcoming event only. The easiest direction would be to just watch the crossovers, but the event includes characters from these shows, as much as appeared in other shows, before any crossover or neither any crossover until CRISIS. Plus, the common POV of who these characters are may not reflect the CW versions, especially if you're someone who hasn't seen these shows (me for example). Hence where this list came from.

But along with this helping those like me, I feel some improvements are required. I may be missing an episode(s), I may not need certain episode(s). Only fans/viewers can help.

DCTVU/Arrowverse/Related Shows:
Flash (1990)
Smallville
Birds of Prey
Arrow
Flash (2014)
Constantine
Supergirl
Legends of Tomorrow
Black Lightning
Batwoman

List So Far:
Flash (1990) PILOT?
Birds of Prey PILOT/FINALE
Smallville FINALE
Arrow PILOT
Flash PILOT
Constantine PILOT?
Flash vs. Arrow: FLASH 0108 ARROW 0308
Arrow/Constantine: ARROW 0405
Heroes Join Forces: FLASH 0208 ARROW 0408
Supergirl PILOT
Legends of Tomorrow PILOT 1&2
Worlds Finest: SUPERGIRL 0118
Legends/Jonah Hex: LEGENDS 0111
Supergirl/Superman: SUPERGIRL 0201/02
Legends/JSA: LEGENDS 0201/02
Invasion!: FLASH 0308 ARROW 0508 LEGENDS 0207
Duet: FLASH 0317
Crisis on Earth-X: SUPERGIRL 0308 ARROW 0608 FLASH 0408 LEGENDS 0308
Legion of Superheroes: SUPERGIRL 0309-11
Legends meets Constantine: LEGENDS 0310
Black Lightning PILOT
Constantine joins Legends: LEGENDS 0407-08
Elseworlds: FLASH 0509 ARROW 0709 SUPERGIRL 0409
Superfriends/Elite: SUPERGIRL 0413
Possibly more pre-CRISIS
(Supergirl Season 5 and Batwoman Begins 10/6)

Many of these are irrelevant to the crossover. You don't need to have seen some of these pilots or episodes.

For example, why do you need to see the Constantine pilot, or when Legends met Constantine? If you need to see them meeting him, then you would have to watch other Legends episodes of how so-and-so joined the team, because it's a rotating roster. The Legends team that would appear in Crisis would be a very different team to the Legends from season 1, 2 or 3. Although there's a designated episode he officially joins the team, he doesn't really just join them in one episode but over the course of several episodes.

Just take it as if Constantine is part of the current Legends team and he's just one of many members like anyone else, and you're good to go. You don't need to know all the backstory. Otherwise don't you need to know why Zari and Amaya or some variation of either them are on the team since they (or their variations) weren't there at the start? I bet those characters are meaningless to you.

The Arrow pilot is probably irrelevant too. He isn't even called Green Arrow, or even "Arrow" until a couple of seasons in. You would have to watch the whole of the first and second season otherwise to see the development where he's more like the character you see today. The pilot doesn't even show his origin (which is told through flashbacks throughout the subsequent seasons). The only reason to see the pilot is to appreciate the season 8 premiere, but if you weren't even going to watch that, then there's no point.

And why do you need to know Black Lightning's back story either? Just watching a pilot never really gives you enough development that they've even become the person they are several seasons on. If, for example, Thunder and Lightning were in crossover, then you wouldn't even see that from the pilot. That would mean you would have to watch the whole of the first and second season to really see that develop.

And Flash vs Arrow has absolutely no bearing on Crisis. So what if they had a bit of a fight? It's irrelevant. Same with many other episodes on your list. Flash meeting Kara is nothing, since they regularly meet anyway. None of the previous crossovers apart from Elseworlds are really important.

But equally you would be missing other episodes from the more recent seasons which you don't have on your list and don't deem relevant, but would actually be more relevant. For example, in the Flash, the crisis was only meant to happen in 2024, but by X-S changing the timeline last season, she moved it up to 2019. Also, other episodes of last season's Arrow you don't have on your list at all which specifically relate to it (eg the final episode of season 7 of Arrow).

Then there are people like Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh) who you'd need to see how he became the Atom if you're wanting to see the pilots (and presumably origins) of other characters. He didn't just become the Atom in one episode but over the course of several episodes in Arrow, and then later joined the Legends. And you'd have to see that to appreciate him as the Earth 1 counterpart to Kingdom Come Superman (also Brandon Routh) who himself is a counterpart to other Supermen. But are you really going to watch all of that?

And not to mention that 90s Flash (Jon Wesley Shipp) is also Earth 3 Jay Garrick who is also Earth 1 Henry Allen. You'd have to see all the episodes for that. But who has time for that?

So your best bet is to just watch the Crisis crossover. It won't be the complete picture, but unless you're going to watch the entirety of the other shows, or even just the current seasons of them, then you're always going to be missing key parts.

 

[Dark Raven]

Every Arrowverse Episode You Need To Watch Before Crisis On Infinite Earths

 

[Binker]

Many of these are irrelevant to the crossover. You don't need to have seen some of these pilots or episodes.

For example, why do you need to see the Constantine pilot, or when Legends met Constantine? If you need to see them meeting him, then you would have to watch other Legends episodes of how so-and-so joined the team, because it's a rotating roster. The Legends team that would appear in Crisis would be a very different team to the Legends from season 1, 2 or 3. Although there's a designated episode he officially joins the team, he doesn't really just join them in one episode but over the course of several episodes.

Just take it as if Constantine is part of the current Legends team and he's just one of many members like anyone else, and you're good to go. You don't need to know all the backstory. Otherwise don't you need to know why Zari and Amaya or some variation of either them are on the team since they (or their variations) weren't there at the start? I bet those characters are meaningless to you.

The Arrow pilot is probably irrelevant too. He isn't even called Green Arrow, or even "Arrow" until a couple of seasons in. You would have to watch the whole of the first and second season otherwise to see the development where he's more like the character you see today. The pilot doesn't even show his origin (which is told through flashbacks throughout the subsequent seasons). The only reason to see the pilot is to appreciate the season 8 premiere, but if you weren't even going to watch that, then there's no point.

And why do you need to know Black Lightning's back story either? Just watching a pilot never really gives you enough development that they've even become the person they are several seasons on. If, for example, Thunder and Lightning were in crossover, then you wouldn't even see that from the pilot. That would mean you would have to watch the whole of the first and second season to really see that develop.

And Flash vs Arrow has absolutely no bearing on Crisis. So what if they had a bit of a fight? It's irrelevant. Same with many other episodes on your list. Flash meeting Kara is nothing, since they regularly meet anyway. None of the previous crossovers apart from Elseworlds are really important.

But equally you would be missing other episodes from the more recent seasons which you don't have on your list and don't deem relevant, but would actually be more relevant. For example, in the Flash, the crisis was only meant to happen in 2024, but by X-S changing the timeline last season, she moved it up to 2019. Also, other episodes of last season's Arrow you don't have on your list at all which specifically relate to it (eg the final episode of season 7 of Arrow).

Then there are people like Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh) who you'd need to see how he became the Atom if you're wanting to see the pilots (and presumably origins) of other characters. He didn't just become the Atom in one episode but over the course of several episodes in Arrow, and then later joined the Legends. And you'd have to see that to appreciate him as the Earth 1 counterpart to Kingdom Come Superman (also Brandon Routh) who himself is a counterpart to other Supermen. But are you really going to watch all of that?

And not to mention that 90s Flash (Jon Wesley Shipp) is also Earth 3 Jay Garrick who is also Earth 1 Henry Allen. You'd have to see all the episodes for that. But who has time for that?

So your best bet is to just watch the Crisis crossover. It won't be the complete picture, but unless you're going to watch the entirety of the other shows, or even just the current seasons of them, then you're always going to be missing key parts.

I listed them bc of me, and I felt those were important in setting up Crisis and its characters. Not the show. So the pilot to Arrow makes sense if you want to learn the origin of Oliver in the Arrowverse for example.