Supergirl "Worlds Finest" Review: Supergirl Meets The Flash

Coming off of a weekend where DC's attempt to combine their two most iconic characters on film, went very wrong, Supergirl started the week by showing exactly how good a superhero crossover can be when everyone involved understands the appeal of the situation. I'll admit, the idea of Supergirl and The Flash meeting up in "Worlds Finest," seemed exciting on paper, but I didn't expect it to really add up to much as a final product. I was happily wrong, for a number of reasons.

One of the biggest reasons the episode worked is that Grant Gustin and Melissa Benoist are such inherently likable actors. In a world of grim and brooding superhero movies/shows, The Flash and Supergirl are easily the two most optimistic depictions of superheros anywhere. Seeing as a lot of that optimism is owed in large part to each show's lead, watching the two occupy scenes together was effortlessly charming. Gustin pulled off Barry's excitement to show off in front of new friends, without coming across as smug, and Benoist was great at showing how giddy Kara was to have a super-powered peer with whom she could interact.

The writers were at the top of their game here, and that's what it takes for an episode like this to work. The episode established the presence of two villains, highlighted personal problems for Kara to solve both as a person and a superhero, introduced The Flash to Supergirl, gave both heroes a chance to show off their powers to each other, fit in two great fight scenes, and gave the characters plenty of time to just inhabit the same world in a fun way. Doing all of that in one episode requires a strong understanding of when to speed things up and when to slow them down. Funny enough, that sentiment is actually the main message behind the episode's plot.

Do I wish the episode were an hour longer? Sure, but given how unlikely this episode's existence was in the first place, I'm very happy with the end result. Here's hoping another crossover (maybe even one involving the Green Arrow) awaits us in the future.

Some other thoughts:

• The scene where Barry shows off his powers to Kara's friends by getting them all ice cream cones in the blink of an eye is probably the most iconic scene of the episode. If my Twitter feed is any indication, it was also the most popular scene among fans. 
• It was smart to introduce Kara to the Flash by having him save her life. From a story standpoint it allowed the episode to skip the whole "can I trust this person" plot that would have sucked up too much of the episode's time. Also it made for a nice "Who are you and why have I never heard of you?" moment for both characters. 
• The episode had a lot of fun showing how Barry was equally in awe of the fact that Kara was an alien, as she and her friends were of his explanation of the Multiverse. 
• Barry is used to being one among many scientists, but it was fun to see Winn nerd-out over having another scientific mind around to talk to. 
• Kat Grant's comment about Kara, Barry, Winn, and James looking like, "the attractive yet non-threatening racially-diverse cast of a CW show" was a particularly fun jab at Barry Allen's home network. The CW should have no problem laughing it off, seeing as they do genuinely put a greater focus on diversity than just about any other network except maybe ABC.