The Flash season 8 kicks off on November 16, 2021, with a five-episode arc called "Armageddon," featuring the return of superheroes from several other CW superhero shows, but it's shaping up to be a lackluster event. The CW's "Arrowverse" is known for its yearly crossover events, where a continuing plotline moves from an episode of one show to an episode of the next show the following day, connecting in a multi-series arc of team-ups, cameos, and general super-hero fun. Unfortunately, this year's event doesn't have enough going for it, especially following the CW's last crossover. The unoriginal plot, repetitive character line-up, and the absence of Superman and Lois, the Arrowverse's strongest show, all point toward a very underwhelming affair.
This will be The CW's first crossover-style event since 2019's "Crisis on Infinite Earths," a five-episode spanning event based on the groundbreaking comic book of the same name. The crossover featured a roster of DC characters larger than any live-action DC comics adaptation has ever had, as well as many guest cameos from previous versions of DC properties, like Burt Ward, the 1960's Robin. The five episodes also contained a multitude of Easter eggs and references to the vast DC universe, and the event culminated in the merging of the Arrowverse's different earths, resulting in Earth-Prime, changing the nature of the entire franchise. Needless to say, the ambitious "Crisis on Infinite Earths" was an absolute success.
To follow up such a show-stopping crossover with "Armageddon" is a colossal letdown, primarily because of its lack of ambition. The synopsis released by The CW is nothing new; the characters set to make appearances are all standard choices that have been seen before; it's leaving out Superman and Lois Lane, despite the titular characters from Superman & Lois being the best show in the Arrowverse; and the crossover isn't a crossover at all. The five episodes all take place on The Flash, only getting the name "crossover" because it's bringing in characters from the other shows. Nothing announced about the event is exciting or new–it's all things that have been done before.
The CW's synopsis for "Armageddon" outlines the Flash needing his superhero friends' assistance to stop an alien threat. In 2016, The CW's three-episode crossover was entitled "Invasion," in which the Flash needed his superhero friends' assistance to stop an alien threat. It sounds familiar because it's the same storyline. Hopefully, there will be twists and turns in "Armageddon" that will make it distinct, but it's completely unoriginal and thoroughly unexciting from what's been revealed for the story. With the whole DC universe at its fingertips, The CW has no reason to repeat premises for its crossovers.
It's a similar story with the character lineup. The CW released a cast list for "Armageddon," and it's thoroughly underwhelming. It features the main cast of the Flash with other heroes that have all interacted in previous crossovers before, with the exception of this version of Batwoman, although Kate Kane was heavily involved in "Crisis on Infinite Earths." The exclusion of Superman and Lois Lane is also a huge mistake. Superman & Lois has been a breath of fresh air for the CW; the show gives the characters an emotional grounding and builds the action around it. The other CW shows, particularly The Flash, have lost track of the necessity of having emotionally grounded characters and would greatly benefit from Superman and Lois bringing in this lesson. It's a big disappointment to have such a barebones lineup for "Armageddon," especially after the plethora of characters and cameos in "Crisis on Infinite Earths."
Hopefully, this will be proven wrong, and The Flash's "Armageddon" event will do a lot with the little it's been given, making it a stellar follow-up to "Crisis on Infinite Earths." For now, however, there seems to be very little ambition and creativity driving the newest CW crossover-style event, which is a bad foreboding for The Flash's newest season.
The Flash season 8 premieres on November 16 on the CW.