Spoilers Been working on an Arrowverse "viewing order"...

[Skywalker]

This thread could have potential spoilers for a number of shows, so I'm marking it just to be safe.

So, I watched the first season of Arrow back during the summer after it aired, but I hadn't had time to keep up with it or its spinoffs again until recently. Since I'm weird about this kind of stuff, I wanted to watch through everything "in order" (well, as close to "in order" as I can get, anyway) and I was hoping you guys might be able to help me refine it. I've already got the bulk of the work done, putting down every episode and highlighting the crossovers that I'm aware of. My biggest issue right now is some episodes are better if they're watched immediately back to back, like if they're multipart storylines but the episode titles don't reflect that. I've done a little bit of research and moved things around a bit already, but since I haven't actually seen anything past Arrow S1 yet I obviously don't know how right or wrong I am.

What I'm hoping for help here is if you guys could let me know which episodes in each show might work better if viewed back to back instead of watching one episode of Arrow, then one of The Flash, etc. That way important Arrow storylines aren't interrupted by a random Flash or Legends of Tomorrow ep, and vice versa. Rows that are marked red instead of black, and have bolded episode titles, are either crossover episodes or episodes that serve to introduce future shows (i.e. The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow.) I didn't include the Arrow S3 episodes in which Ray Palmer appeared because A) that would be like half of the season and B) I don't think those were really intended to be "backdoor pilots" at the time.

I also included Vixen since Stephen Amell and Grant Gustin appeared in several episodes as their respective characters, NBC's short-lived Constantine because Matt Ryan's John Constantine appeared this season on Arrow, and Supergirl after learning that...

Spoiler: Supergirl

Grant Gustin will be appearing in a crossover episode later this season.

If you guys think one or the other or both shouldn't be included, feel free to let me know.

Anyway, here's a view-only link to the Google Sheet I've put together (still a work in progress, obviously): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...QKBxlUbymCS6GLBSkbkqE/edit?pref=2&pli=1#gid=0

Thanks in advance for any help you guys can offer!

 

[Commander Richard]

Wow, that's pretty thorough. You put a lot of work into that.

 

[Skywalker]

It actually went way faster than I expected it to. The most time-consuming part was looking up the episode names and adding them all in. I modeled it after a similar Google Sheet I found that someone did for a Buffy/Angel viewing order. (Check it out: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...-1rFd18JFsRWCnzYzlpEQ/edit?pref=2&pli=1#gid=0) Difference there is the episodes they highlighted are just ones that really need to be watched back to back, not crossovers like I did on my list.

You started all of the current Arrowverse discussion threads going on, so I assume you're up to date on the shows. Does it look like my episode placements are accurate? Am I missing any multipart stories or crossovers?

 

[Commander Richard]

According to Marc Guggenheim, Vixen takes place around Arrow 3x16. Source.

Also, try to watch Supergirl episodes 11, 12 and 13 back to back. So far it doesn't look like it matters matter where you put them in relation to the Arrow and Flash episodes that take place around that time just so long as you watch them in succession.

 

[Skywalker]

According to Marc Guggenheim, Vixen takes place around Arrow 3x16. Source.

Also, try to watch Supergirl episodes 11, 12 and 13 back to back. So far it doesn't look like it matters matter where you put them in relation to the Arrow and Flash episodes that take place around that time just so long as you watch them in succession.

Done. Yeah, when it comes to less important standalone episodes I've just been trying to alternate back and forth between shows, one at a time, as best as possible. Usually I have The Flash first because it aired before Arrow, but now I might put Supergirl first because it airs on Monday, followed by The Flash on Tuesday, then Arrow on Wednesday and Legends of Tomorrow on Thursday.

As for Vixen, I remember reading that they wrote the first six episodes while they were filming Arrow 3.15, so I thought putting them between that and 3.14 would work. But after skimming the premises for 3.16 and 3.17, it sounds like a decent amount of time could have passed between those two episodes, where Vixen can fit in.

 

[Phoenix219]

Supergirl doesn't matter at all... it takes place in a different Earth of the Multiverse.

 

[Skywalker]

I know, but it's from the same production team, so I figured why not. I included Constantine and that was done by a totally different group of people.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Where's the 90s Flash?

 

[Christopher]

Supergirl doesn't matter at all... it takes place in a different Earth of the Multiverse.

For the most part, no, there's no need to keep viewing order straight. But there is a crossover coming up, so it makes sense to include it.

Where's the 90s Flash?

Way, way, way above the top of the list.

 

[JD]

I can't help but wonder now if the put they '90s Flash series up on CWSeed because they knew they were going to tie it into the modern show.

 

[dahj]

^^
The much more likely explanation is they put it there so they would have more stuff on there

 

[Phoenix219]

I'm just mad there wasn't one clip from Smallville in that trip thru the multiverse.

But yeah, as long as you're up to date on Supergirl by the time a crossover happens, its the only thing that *will* matter, because there is nothing else to remotely line up. Supergirl basically exists in a vacuum at this point.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

I'm just mad there wasn't one clip from Smallville in that trip thru the multiverse.

There is still a return trip...

 

[Christopher]

Supergirl basically exists in a vacuum at this point.

But she can hold her breath a really long time...

 

[Phoenix219]

There is still a return trip...

I'm actually hoping that they can get Tom Welling to play Superman in the Supergirl show....in my own personal headcanon, the second half of Smallville didn't happen (anything that has to do with the fake Justice League or the SV supergirl or oliver.) It still makes a great origin story for Clark

Kind of like how Superman Returns replaces 3 and 4, the Supergirl show should loosely follow Smallville. Alternate universes and all, anyways.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

If that means we'll get Erica Durance as Lois Lane?

 

[Christopher]

I'm actually hoping that they can get Tom Welling to play Superman in the Supergirl show....in my own personal headcanon, the second half of Smallville didn't happen (anything that has to do with the fake Justice League or the SV supergirl or oliver.) It still makes a great origin story for Clark

Not only do I think Welling would be a mediocre Superman at best (and given his adamant refusal to wear the costume at all in the series, I'd be amazed if he were any more willing now), but I don't think Smallville made a good origin story for Clark at all. He spent 7 years just sulking around on the farm and showing no interest in becoming a hero. He grew up in a town insanely polluted by kryptonite, which means trace amounts of it would've permeated the soil and the water and the air, meaning he'd probably be dying of super-leukemia by now.

Plus there are things even in the early years of Smallville that are incompatible with Supergirl, like the idea of kryptonite creating superpowered humans (if that were so, the whole DEO would be "meteor freaks" by now).

 

[Skywalker]

I'm just mad there wasn't one clip from Smallville in that trip thru the multiverse.

But yeah, as long as you're up to date on Supergirl by the time a crossover happens, its the only thing that *will* matter, because there is nothing else to remotely line up. Supergirl basically exists in a vacuum at this point.

Something I find interesting (though not in a good way) is how Supergirl's ratings have dropped off quite a bit from the premiere numbers. CBS ordered 20 episodes, but if for some reason they decide not to renew it for a season two, what does everyone think the chances are that the CW might pick it up?

 

[Christopher]

Something I find interesting (though not in a good way) is how Supergirl's ratings have dropped off quite a bit from the premiere numbers.

The premiere numbers were so exceptionally high that it was never expected to keep up that level. So the post-premiere drop needs to be discounted. It's not a drop from good to terrible, but from amazingly huge to good. It's the ratings since then that the network has been paying attention to, and they've been holding fairly steady.

 

[Phoenix219]

I would be beyond happy if they could splice all the GOOD stuff from smallville into the history of Supergirl, and ignore what they don't want, rather like Ash vs Evil Dead ignored parts of the trilogy.

The race-change of Jimmy even works, considering Clark's smallville trio of friends.

When Clark is txting Kara on SG, I can totally hear Tom's voice reciting the lines.