Guide to the Best CW Superhero Shows

If you’ve paid any attention to the CW fall 2016 schedule, you’ll notice a certain pattern. At this point, CW should rename the channel DC TV. Supergirl, Flash, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow add up to four different DC Comics based TV shows on one network—technically iZombie makes five, but since it doesn’t crossover with the other four, I’m leaving it out of this article.

Now if you're not like me and you have a life outside of television, you might not know everything going on with these shows; so here’s your guide on what to watch and why you should watch it.

Monday: Supergirl

Supergirl is the most unpredictable CW show of fall 2016, but not because of any plot device or character. Last season Supergirl aired on CBS, where its ratings were good but not great. CW is co-owned by both CBS and Warner Brothers; and CBS cut a deal with Warner Brothers to bring the Girl of Steel to CW. Now, what does the move mean for the show? Well first of all, it means the show will now be shot in Vancouver, making crossovers with the other DC shows significantly easier to coordinate. It has already been confirmed that there will be a four-way crossover at some point this season. The downside to the move is a reduced budget.

Now that might not necessarily be that bad; The Flash does a great job with its CW budget. While we will probably get less Martian Manhunter in his alien form, don’t expect the special effects quality to drop that sharply. The next thing that Supergirl fans should be excited for is the introduction of Superman. While Season 1 only gave us shadows of him or a shot of his boots, Season 2 has casted Tyler Hoechlin to play the Man of Steel. How they integrate Superman coupled with a strong Season 1 finale is enough to make it worth it to tune in Monday nights.

Watch Supergirl Here

Tuesday: The Flash

The Flash is almost unanimously considered the best of the CW core four. If you're going to watch any of the shows on this list, it should be The Flash. The Flash has arguably the strongest actors in the CW Universe and the most exciting narratives. This should be enough to get you excited for Season 3, but if somehow you’re still not pumped, there’s one more thing that you should keep in mind: Flashpoint.

Season 2 ended with Barry Allen going back in time and saving his mother, the woman who sparked his superhero origin. It’s confirmed that the first episode of Season 3 is titled "Flashpoint," but that is basically all we know. In the comics, Flashpoint is a story line that happens when Barry goes back in time and saves his mother. This causes a ripple effect and creates a new timeline, a timeline that has no Flash, Aquaman or Wonder Woman at war, Bruce Wayne’s father – Thomas – as Batman, and a missing Superman. CW obviously can’t recreate this exact story line due to character rights and whatnot, so it will be interesting to see how they handle it. Will Barry have his powers? Will Reverse Flash be alive? Will Oliver Queen be dead and his father Robert become the Green Arrow? These questions are going to keep me glued to my TV on Tuesdays.

Watch The Flash Here

Wednesday: Arrow 

Speaking of the Green Arrow, lets talk about what is now the most divisive of the CW shows: Arrow. Arrow was the first show of the DC TV empire, but has taken a sharp fall from grace. If you spoke to anyone about Arrow during Season 1 and 2 they would say how amazing the show is. Arrow started out as this incredibly dark and complex superhero show with amazing fight scenes and interesting plot twists… then Season 3 happened.

Before I tear into Arrow I have to say that some of the criticism it gets is unfair. During Season 3, the Arrow team was forced to add meta-humans in order to help launch The Flash; and in Season 4 they had to add magic to help launch Legends of Tomorrow. Arrow was at its best when Oliver was facing realistic human enemies with back-stories that tied back to his time on the Island. So when Arrow was forced to change its tone, it’s not entirely on the team.

However, Arrow is not completely blameless, and it does have its share of mistakes. The biggest criticism of the show is the shift from the dark origin story of Oliver Queen to the romance of Oliver and Felicity (coined by the internet as Olicity.) This drastic shift in tone has left many viewers upset, but that doesn’t compare to the rage expressed by the viewers when Arrow decided to kill off Laurel a.k.a The Black Canary. The largest complaint about this decision was how big of a role The Black Canary plays in the Arrow lore. When the show started, it was a faithful adaptation; but now, it is focused more on romance.

The ratings have steadily declined; but now the producers claim that Arrow is going back to basics, since they don’t need to help launch another show this season. Hopefully this direction will help bring back Arrow to the glory it once had.

Watch Arrow Here

Thursday: Legends of Tomorrow

We have now arrived at the final show on the list, and in my opinion, the most fun. Legends of Tomorrow is not the best written show; it has many plot holes in its central story around time travel. If you’re looking for a show where you can turn your brain off and enjoy, this is the show for you. But there is more to it than just robots and a flying man on fire (even though it’s cool to see every single time).

Legends of Tomorrow Season 1 ended with the Legends destroying the Oculus, the device that let the Time Masters manipulate time. The Legends are about to board the Waverider when Rex Tyler, better known as Hourman, (played by Patrick J. Adams) tells them if they get on the ship they will die and that he is a member of the Justice Society of America.

I think this show will have the biggest improvement from last season to this season. Last season had some clunky moments that came with figuring out how to fit all the characters together. Season 2 got rid of everyone’s least favorite characters, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and everyone's least favorite villain, Vandal Savage. Season 2 begins with the Legends taking over as the Guardians of Time. With the rumored addition of Stargirl, Commander Steel, Citizen Steel, Vixen and Obsidian, this season feels like a return to our childhood, where we would smash all of our action figures together and mimic being the superheroes of our dreams...

Watch Legends of Tomorrow Here