6 Ups & 3 Downs From The Arrowverse In 2018 (So Far)

3. Outstanding Standalone Episodes

Ideally, we'd like to live in a world where our favourite TV shows stick to the season's main arc at all times and that none of the episodes divert into filler territory. But unfortunately, that isn't the case and the majority of network shows still produce a few fillers each year to fulfil the episode-count. However, when it comes to superhero television, filler episodes often translate to "villain-of-the-week". So, filler or not, if the episode has a good villain, it will likely be a good episode.

Thankfully this year brought us some incredible standalone episodes from the Arrowverse. When Legends of Tomorrow took a break from its time-travelling demon Mallus to focus on Zari's relationship with her teammates, we were treated to a hilarious yet heartfelt episode in which the newcomer was stuck in a time-loop and ended up bonding with the Legends. Arrow shifted the focus to its villain Ricardo Diaz for a single episode, allowing us to see his and Black Siren's escapades in Bludhaven. Unlike the rest of the season, it was gritty and violent and finally allowed us to understand Diaz's motivations.

But the standout single episode this year came from The Flash's "Enter Flashtime". The Scarlet Speedster was forced to forget about DeVoe and focus solely on the nuclear bomb that was activated in Central City. The whole episode took place over a few seconds as Barry utilised Flashtime to overcome the problem. Not only was it a refreshing change from the convoluted DeVoe arc, it also reminded us why The Flash still has the potential to be the best superhero show on TV. With real stakes and authentic drama, it ended up being one of the show's overall best episodes - highlighting that sometimes fillers can be even better than the primary storyline.