There’s no denying the DC Universe gets a lot brighter and cheerier when The Flash and Supergirl are the heroes saving the day, and the two characters already look like they’ll make great partners who dish out ass-whoopings as well as grins on the upcoming crossover episode. That whole experience will have an effect on Barry when he returns to Central City, and it probably won’t surprise you to learn that the results will be of the positive variety. Here’s how star Grant Gustin explains it.
Barry’s kind of going through it, as he does towards the end of the season, and it’s heavy and he’s been kind of down and this event — which doesn’t read at all in The Flash script as affecting Barry — because he’s gone and he’s on Supergirl. When he comes back, it really ended up affecting my mood on that episode of Flash and kind of changed the arc for Barry for the next couple episodes. It helped give him some confidence knowing he had this other ally out there. He just came back with a more positive outlook than I would’ve expected him to after breaking the dimensional barrier and disappearing for a full day.
Spoiler warning from here on out for those not caught up on The Flash.
“Trajectory” gave Barry a lot to think about, and none of it was very good for his mood. Not only did he learn that someone could be made faster than him just from a simple injection of a decidedly non-simple speed formula – not to mention deader than him – he and the rest of the S.T.A.R. Labs squad learn through some bad Vibe-rations that Jay Garrick is Zoom. Gustin had previously teased fans with Barry’s negative reaction to hearing this news, and it was seen in the show by his fast dash to a secluded area where he could scream. But it looks like all he needed was a dimensional breach and an adventure with a lovely alien. Advice for all to follow!
It’s actually encouraging that his Supergirl trip will bring Barry back around to happiness and the enjoyment of helping people. This dude has gone through the wringer when it comes to his family, his friends, his enemies and everything else in his life, and his car would probably break if he had to drive one. But there’s nothing inherently fun about watching Barry or Grant Gustin touch down upon the more upset end of the emotional spectrum, so I’m all for getting him to a place where he’ll react to harsh moments with sarcasm and dismissal rather than grimaces and wails.
Though Supergirl Melissa Benoist and Grant Gustin were both on Glee, Gustin told Variety that he didn’t think they ever actually made eye contact. This is a better first team-up anyway, as they will spend the episode taking on the villains Silver Banshee and Livewire, with the former revealing herself for the first time and the latter returning after appearing earlier in the season. If there are pop song musical sequences, so be it.
Will all these positive feelings lead to more crossovers in future seasons of the DC shows? Time, and possibly time travel, will tell. The crossover episode will air Monday, March 28, on CBS at 8 p.m. ET. The Flash airs Tuesday nights on The CW.
