On Arrow Season 3 Episode 8, some of The Flash gang stopped by for the second hour of a crossover event. How were they incorporated? Was anything missing from the event? Should any characters make a move?

TV Fanatics Allison Nichols, Paul Dailly, Hank Otero, Carla Day and Carissa Pavlica discuss these questions and more on the Arrow Round Table. Join in the discussion!

How did the crossover event live up to expectations?

Allison: It did and exceeded them in my opinion. The writers did a great job of playing with characters we love in a new setting. They also gave everyone a reason or purpose for being there. Even though Cisco and Caitlin just wanted to see the Arrow cave, they were also useful in the case. It was nice the writers didn't just focus on the Flash characters during the Flash episode and vice versa. We need at least one full team crossover every season. It has to happen.

Paul: It was really good. I have been highly critical of The Flash, thus far. The show feels a bit tame and aimed at a younger audience than Arrow, but I really enjoyed seeing more of Barry. A lot of the time, crossover events seem forced, like publicity stunts, but not in this case. It showcased all of the characters really well.

Hank: The Flash episode lived up, but something was lacking in the Arrow portion. Perhaps I wasn't a fan of Boomerang, though he was cooler than I expected him to be. The episodes were far too standalone, the storylines didn't crossover enough which would have been great. I agree with Paul though, at least this didn't feel like a publicity stunt at all.

Carla: Overall, I enjoyed it, even though I had issues with both hours. I preferred The Flash hour to the Arrow hour because the characters felt better incorporated. The flashbacks to Hong Kong took away time that could have been better spent in Starling City. Like Hank mentioned, the two hours could have been better connected.

Carissa: I didn't mind the way the hours connected at all. Team Arrow was in Central City for the Boomerang case and just caught up with The Flash Team. Having their interest piqued, Caitlin and Cisco couldn't stay away from Starling City. It made sense to me. I agree with Carla about the Hong Kong flashbacks in Arrow. They're not working for me overall. I preferred The Flash and it's lighthearted approach to a dark topic better, but both were worthy.

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Who gave better advice, Oliver or Barry?

Allison: I don't like this question! I feel like the best personal advice came from Barry. He said things that Oliver really needed to hear. However, the best mask advice came from Oliver. He is trying to get Barry to play the game smarter and to hopefully prevent Barry from getting seriously injured or dying. I answered the question but I cheated a bit.

Paul: Barry, his character is obviously new to the superhero world, but I feel like he has been in it a lot longer.

Hank: I'm going to go with Oliver. His is the voice of experience and Barry can benefit from Ollie's little nuggets of advice. That's not to say Barry didn't hit Oliver with a couple of good ones, but overall I think Oliver won there.

Carla: They both helped each other, but Barry's words were more meaningful. Barry has a unique perspective and ability to remind Oliver of what it means to be a hero and of Oliver's new mission to do things differently than he did in Arrow Season 1. Oliver has experience to share with Barry, but Barry has his heart to share with Oliver. That's something special.

Carissa: Allison's answer was well said. both characters have their strengths and sharing it with their counterpart makes them a great duo.

If you could have one character from The Flash permanently reassigned to Arrow, who would it be and why?

Allison: I want to say Cisco just because Cisco and Diggle are my absolute favorite. They make a great pair. I would watch a spin off featuring the two of them. It could be a buddy cop show.

Paul: I agree with Henry and Alison. There is no one else that could really make the move easily to Arrow. I also agree with Carla that Arrow has a lot of characters already. It would be interesting if Cisco worked with Felicity. They'd have some of the most witty conversations on TV!

Hank: That's easy... and I have to agree with Allison; Cisco! He had some great lines and brought some much needed levity to the Arrow universe. Sign me up for a Diggle/Cisco buddy cop show!

Carla: There's no one I'd want from The Flash to join the Arrow team. Arrow already has plenty of series regulars and too many characters to fit into the story they're telling. I'm breaking the rules and answering in reverse. As much as I love Felicity on Arrow, she would be a great addition to The Flash. Plus, Felicity and Barry are always incredible together both on the job and personally.

Carissa: Cisco really brightened up the joint, didn't he? While maybe he wouldn't make the move all together, visiting more often to get Roy some buddy time would be appreciated. Let's use the nightclub for goodness sakes. Everything from Cisco's lips made so much sense!

ARGUS and the Suicide Squad managed to be featured but not overtake the episode. Would you like more interaction with them and Team Arrow?

Allison: I feel like Oliver being with Waller in Hong Kong warrants there to be more ARGUS involvement. I would love to see the Suicide Squad help out for another episode. However, while ARGUS being present in an episode changes things up a little bit, they don't seem to contribute much to the episode overall. They are just there.

Paul: I agree with Alison's views on Argus. It seemed like they were just there! If anything the could have been given much more presence, but I'm guessing we will see them again in a much bigger capacity. I would like a lot more interaction between them going forward.

Hank: Suicide Squad I'd like to see more of. I'm a bit bored of Amanda Waller at this point. The flashbacks this year are not working for me at all. In small doses both ARGUS and Suicide Squad work fine, wouldn't want too much of a good thing right?

Carla: ARGUS has either been over or under-utilized on Arrow. This occasional mention and involvement misses the boat for me, especially given the Hong Kong flashbacks (which I haven't found very informative). There's so much potential with Amanda Waller, ARGUS and Suicide Squad that a spin-off would be a good answer rather than squeezing them into Arrow.

Carissa: Amanda Waller has been found lacking. Is there a superhero for someone found in that state? It as if they want to make ARGUS and the Suicide Squad more important, but they don't fit naturally at this point. Lyla's position, what is it? To carry out Amanda's commands and be the intermediary for ARGUS and the Suicide Squad? She's like middle management. She needs to be promoted.

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Was there anything you would have liked to see during the crossover that you didn't?

Allison: I wanted Barry to zip around Diggle constantly just so I could see Diggle's reactions to it. Some Diggle and Barry one on one time would have been great.

Paul: I'd have liked to see a lot of Laurel. I hated her for so long. I felt she was so whiney. I didn't dig her Canary storyline at first, but it's becoming one of the best parts of the show for me.

Hank: As I mentioned at the top, probably more of a crossover storyline. While I understand they're two different shows, it would have been fun to follow the big bad of the week from one show over to the other. That's just a nitpick though, I really enjoyed the crossover event and I'm looking forward to the next one!

Carla: Since Felicity asked Caitlin for help with the Canary's murder, I hoped we'd get more information about Sara's death. That was a missed opportunity to delve into that story arc and bring The Flash viewers back to Arrow for more.

Carissa: Only the tiniest word about Sara appeared somewhat misplaced in the two hours. I'd have liked to see Laurel interact more with the light hearted bunch because she could use some light. A scene of everyone letting their hair down and dancing at Verdant. That's what I would have liked. Next time!

Here's a look ahead to Arrow Season 3 Episode 9, "The Climb."

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.