The first part of the Flash/Arrow (the kids call it Flarrow) crossover, “Flash vs. Arrow”, is better than I thought it would be. It hangs on the Brainwashed and Crazy trope, and it’s supremely obvious in doing so. Basically, Rainbow Raider’s red eyes make Barry Allen angry. The Flash (2014) actually names the villain Rainbow Raider.

As a bonus, John Diggle is near a lantern. Even though Geoff Johns doesn’t write “Flash vs. Arrow”, the episode is one big elbow poke to the “emotional spectrum” concept he hung a near-decade of Green Lantern stories on. A character named John, a former military man, lantern…if you’re a fan of DC Entertainment’s television output, you already have Phil LaMarr’s voiceover in your head.

The name of tonight’s episode? “The Brave and the Bold”. (winks)

Seriously, “Flash vs. Arrow” is an hour of glorious, top-rank comic-book stupidity. I’m sure there are holes in the episode, yet it doesn’t matter. “Flash vs. Arrow” gives the audience what it promises. It’s as if Berlanti Productions says “we know exactly how absurd the superhero subgenre gets, and we play to that.” The last DC Entertainment show to do this is Teen Titans Go! Hell, Justice League Unlimited did what “Flash vs. Arrow” does at the drop of a batarang.

Speaking of aerodynamic weaponry, Nick Tarabay plays Digger Harkness tonight. Harkness is classic Flash rogue/Suicide Squad member Captain Boomerang, so Arrow threatens to continue the Flash/Arrow crossover fun…unless Arrow decides this is the night to be even more angst-filled than it usually is. There’s a reason I dropped Arrow live-tweets after six episodes.