‘The Flash’ And ‘Supergirl’ Stage A Fun Musical ‘Duet’

If you missed last night’s episode of The Flash, we suggest you go back and watch it right now! All the time travel shenanigans were left behind and instead we saw actors we love shine as talented singers.

It’s important to acknowledge first that The Flash has a massive advantage over other musical episodes of television. It hit all the high notes with laughs, heart, love, and tears.

Naturally, Supergirl’s National City “Scooby” gang were concerned about said “whammying”, so they crossed over to the alternate dimension that houses Flash and his Central City compatriots. He doesn’t do much-and, really, he’s more Teen Angel than Music Meister-but everything he does is laced with a theatrical panache that fits the tone of “Duet” seamlessly.

The “Duet” episode marked a Glee reunion for The Flash’s Grant Gustin, Supergirl’s Melissa Benoist, and Darren Criss. The three of them work together in probably the coolest fight The Flash has had all season.

Finally, it’s more than a little distracting that Barry and Kara have such better chemistry than Barry and Iris. Since they both love old-fashioned Hollywood musicals, that’s the form their new world takes.

The odd alien, or “Music Mesiter” as Barry dubs him (which is a dumb name, since he says that they could have been trapped in any kind of movie, not just a musical) isn’t a villain after all, he’s more of a Cupid, or an angel, or a deity. Barry and Kara then team up to figure out where they are. And we’re only just halfway through Season 1, mind you. She passes out and opens her eyes to a dream state where she is all dolled up and pushed onstage to sing.

Kara tries to help Cutter understand Tommy and suggests if he just listens, he’ll understand why Tommy hesitated to tell him the truth. Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist) ended her relationship with Mon-El (Chris Wood), after learning that he had been the prince of Daxam. Fortunately, “Runnin’ Home to You” was still to come, and it was both an excellent showcase for the leading man’s pipes and a lovely way to bring an end to the latest contrived bump in the road for Barry and Iris, as the boy who loved watching musicals with his late mother now proposes in song to the woman he’s loved for so long. Both essentially deny themselves love because they feel it gets in the way or is undeserved because people they care about get hurt; but these characters still have to let themselves live.

Where I get off the train a little bit, is that every TV musical lives or dies by the device it uses to get the cast singing and dancing. And, the Superman impression!

To return to the real world, Barry and Kara have to finish out their musical script with a tap-dancing duet about their super-friendship.

“Duet” brings back the fun loving side of The Flash that utilizes a lighthearted “villain” in Music Meister, to teach Kara and Barry a lesson that should clear their heads before facing their biggest challenges. This episode wasn’t bad by any means, and parts of it were really good.

Both characters knew it would happen eventually, but seeing Mon-El and Iris with somebody else (in this case, each other) is still a tough moment. However, it wasn’t quite as simple for Barry and Iris.

The Flash himself, Grant Gustin, agreed that he was glad to see Barry and Iris’ romance getting back on track in the musical extravaganza.

Of the two original songs – a closing number from the “La La Land” team and “Super Friends” by “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” star Rachel Bloom – “Super Friends” is the funnier, more entertaining song, though I suspect the closing number’s emotional significance will make a greater impact on regular viewers.

“Musicals have the power to make everything better”.

And since this episode is a passion project of The Flash executive producer_Andrew Kreisberg_ (a self-proclaimed musical lover), the episode is packed with references to classic musicals. The premise worked with the Music Meister having an agenda and following through to his conclusion.