DC/Archie TV Roundup: Luthors Deliver Great TV, Arrow Gets Socially Conscious

While Marvel and DC battle to see who wins at the box office, it’s virtually inarguable that it's the latter who dominates the small screen. Now having taken over four nights of the week when it comes to prime time programming, serialized superhero storytelling has swiftly become a cornerstone in the lives of many a geek these days. And who could blame any of us? Twenty-some episodes afford more character development and make room for introductions of heroes and villains that you would never be able to see in a two-hour movie. Multiply those possibilities due to a handful of these shows now existing and we’re being treated to a Golden Age of Superhero TV that we hope doesn’t end any time soon. Given that, we've established this column with the intent to recap the most memorable moments in DC TV each week, analyzing all the unforgettable developments to occur on Gotham, Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, provided a new episode airs. Considering that only Supergirl and Arrow bore new offerings this week, we've decided to include special guest Riverdale in their place. Check it all out on the next page and be sure to comment down below letting us know what your favorite moment was from DC's - and Archie's - TV universes this week. 3) Geraldine Grundy, Exposed On A Thursday Was anyone else surprised that the Archie-Miss Grundy affair ended this early in the season? Well, I know I was. From the start, Riverdale showed us all that it wasn’t afraid to push the envelope and head in directions the comic books didn’t. And despite any fan backlash that may have occurred, this “Hot for Teacher” scenario was handled surprisingly well. Like I said, I was expecting things to go differently because I kind of got the impression that Archie’s dad was attracted to Grundy, but maybe it’s for the best that they didn’t go that route because getting sloppy seconds after your teenage son is a level of awkwardness this series may not want to achieve. But, then again, this is the same show that had everyone rushing to Urban Dictionary last week in order to find out what a “sticky maple” was. Long story short, Betty did some serious sleuthing and uncovered Grundy’s real ID and a gun in her car, foolishly getting her fingerprints on the latter (what if it had been used to shoot Mr. Burns?!). After learning the music teacher assumed a new identity to escape an abusive husband, it seemed like her and Archie were about to part on good terms before Archie’s dad and Betty’s mom got involved and, before you knew it, Grundy was forced to leave town in secret disgrace. 2) Meet The Luthors If you’re anything like me, you thought that the scenes shared between the Luthor family were among the most compelling ones that Smallville had to offer. So, you can imagine my delight when I saw Supergirl put its own stamp on that legacy, albeit having a somewhat different take. Seriously, I geeked out when they showed Lionel Luthor in the flashbacks (a character who was a Smallville creation, mind you), who lacked the flowing locks of John Glover and instead bore more resemblance to the traditional Lex. Speaking of Lex, he too was included in said flashbacks, albeit as child. Although we may never see an adult version of him on this show depending on what red tape may prevent it, we can at least count our blessings that he wasn’t the overly neurotic version portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg. In the present, the mother-daughter dynamic shared by Lena and Lillian made for some damn fine television, delivering what I believe to be the best episode since returning from the midseason hiatus. Add to that various Easter eggs such as Lex’s battlesuit and the Black Mercy, and you’re left with something that I will be coming back to once I buy the season on Blu-ray. 1) This Is Gun Control To Major Tom When “Spectre of the Gun” began with a viewer discretion disclaimer, I knew we were in for something that dealt with provocative material. As it turned out, I was correct because not only did Arrow tackle the gun control issue, but it did so by simultaneously dealing with a sensitive subject that's unfortunately prevalent in today’s society: Mass public shootings. There was just something about this particular episode that transcended the superhero genre, and that’s saying something given that this is a show about a non-powered urban vigilante. And when you found out the shooter was just an everyday Joe and not a supervillain with a fantastical origin story, it very much created a sense of realism. In addition to the producers approaching the issue from multiple angles, the episode inspired as only a superhero story can when Oliver Queen used words, not arrows, to diffuse the situation. As for the flashbacks, they finally fleshed out Wild Dog’s backstory and showed how his family life collapsed due to gun violence. It all tied nicely into the present storyline and made for one of the most powerful installments of Arrow in recent memory.