Superhero Insider: Breaking down this year's Arrowverse crossover — and that epic tease

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.

A crossover, a crossover reject, and a new episode of Black Lightning stormed the Arrowverse this week to change reality and set up what’s bound to be an epic 2019. Naturally, we have to start with…

“Elseworlds”

It’s the annual crossover, folks! But this year, it wasn’t just about bringing Green Arrow, the Flash, and Supergirl together in one frame; DC went all out on welcoming more iconic characters into the fold, with Ruby Rose’s Kate Kane a.k.a. Batwoman taking center stage in the Arrow episode, Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) making her debut in Smallville alongside Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin), and a wealth of Easter eggs that expanded the universe to new, seemingly infinite possibilities. Speaking of “infinite,” “Elseworlds” ended with a tease to next year’s crossover: “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” So was the three-part crossover really just an extended trailer for a story line that’s been teased since the first season of The Flash? We debated that question on Superhero Insider this week (listen below), and dove into the highlights (and lowlights) of the effort. My personal highlight? That Remy Zero needle drop shouting out Smallville. All together now: Somebody saaaaaaaaave meeeeee….—Shirley Li

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow

While the rest of the Arrowverse was busy getting its crossover on, Legends of Tomorrow used its own broken reality to indulge its inner Community. Throughout the fall finale, Constantine and Charlie — the ones responsible for screwing everything up — encountered three different versions of the Legends, which meant three different and very specific parodies: the testosterone-heavy, A-Team-esque Custodian of Tomorrow; the Sirens of the Spacetime, a spoof of Charlie’s Angels; and finally the Puppets of Tomorrow, an homage to Fraggle Rock. All of them were very delightful, but the team being turned into puppets was by far the best because it was the most ridiculous and felt like something out of the irreverent animated series Teen Titans Go! —Chancellor Agard

Black Lightning

This week on Black Lightning, Jennifer Pierce continued to come into her own. She’s still on the run with Khalil, which freaks her parents out to no end. As we know from way back in the pilot episode, nothing gets Black Lightning angrier than the idea that his daughters are in danger. But while Jennifer and Anissa needed him back then to save them from the One Hundred at the Seahorse Motel, Jennifer can take care of herself now. Even with Khalil reeling from poison, Jennifer manages to take down Tobias’ new henchwoman Cutter, tie her up and torture her until she gives up the poison antidote, and then stomp on her face with a boot for good measure.

It’s awesome to see Jennifer’s powers develop (such as the way she uses her “mind palace” with Perenna to locate Cutter in the woods), especially now that we know she’s on her way to becoming a full-fledged superhero herself sometime in the near future. —Christian Holub

This week’s (other) crossover moments:

• Legends of Tomorrow‘s goofy time bureau agent Gary actually popped up in the Supergirl installment of “Elseworlds” as the bartender at the bar Evil Cisco runs.

Listen to Superhero Insider

Aside from talking all things DC and its infinite earths, we got a chance to delve into season 2 of Marvel’s Runaways‘ Ariela Barer, who stars on the Hulu series as dino whisperer Gert. Barer talks what it was like getting to put on her purple wig and glasses for a second year, and what we can expect from season 2, which drops in its entirety on Friday, Dec. 21, just in time for a Hulu holiday binge.

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.

Related links:

• Here’s what the 2019 Arrowverse crossover title means — and why it’s exciting
• Arrowverse EPs on Batwoman-Supergirl bond, ’90s Flash in ‘Elseworlds, Part 2’