The CW is a breeding ground for hugely successful shows, whether that be series of the past, or current huge hits on the network.
Fans of Gossip Girl, Arrow, The Flash, Riverdale, The Vampire Diaries, and all other sorts of shows have flocked to the broadcaster time and time again for their fix of addictive and compelling viewing.
Though the writers who bring such shows to fruition are undoubtedly talented, there are a number of glaring plot holes running throughout CW shows that we just cannot ignore.
They’re picked up time and again by viewers, but are rarely ever addressed in the actual shows. It’s a shame, as the plethora of series have every opportunity to become some of the best on the small screen, but these gaping gaps in their narrative don’t allow them to get to that next level.
While some can be brushed under the carpet, there are others that will stick with us forever. Those are the plot holes we’ll be taking a look at today, making our way through the likes of Star City, Riverdale, Central City, the Upper East Side and other iconic locations from our favorite TV shows.
Here are the 20 Huge Plot Holes In CW Shows That Even True Fans Can’t Unsee!
Riverdale: The Black Hood
When season 2 of Riverdale kicked off, it seemed the entire run would revolve around the Black Hood.
So, when the reveal of the villain came in the mid-season finale, it was all a bit of an anti-climax.
Especially when Archie’s (KJ Apa) initial first look of the criminal saw him hone in on the piercing green eyes, but the reveal of the school janitor Mr. Svenson saw him apparently wrong in his description.
Now, the most obvious reasoning for this is of course that this Black Hood reveal was all part of a fake out.
We’ll likely see the true reveal before season 2 has run its course, but the very fact that most of the characters in Riverdale are willing to accept Mr. Svenson was the Big Bad all along is a little tricky to wrap ones head around.
The Flash: Killer Frost’s Evil Intent
Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker) is one of the nicest members of S.T.A.R. Labs in The Flash, so when we saw her villainous side come out with alternate universe version of the character, Killer Frost, we were all sat waiting for some incredible story about why she’d become such a jaded and nasty character.
After all, there were plenty of other meta-humans who had gained powers but used them for good, rather than evil.
Unfortunately, an explanation never came and audiences were left scratching their heads as to why Caitlin had turned out so bad.
Of course, having literal cold powers could do a lot to somebody’s mind, but it would be nice to see writers come up with a bit of backstory as to why Killer Frost is so willing to take down the world’s heroes.
Arrow: Oliver Queen’s Relationship With Amanda Waller
Amanda Waller (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) has proven to be a huge thorn in the side of Team Arrow, both in flashbacks and the present day.
So, when it was revealed that Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) had a history with the Suicide Squad founder, viewers were puzzled as to why he wouldn’t provide Diggle (David Ramsey) or the rest of his team with any intel as to how the woman works.
Though she’s no longer a part of the show – most likely because of Viola Davis’ portrayal of the character in the unofficially titled DC Extended Universe – this is still something that stings a few seasons on from Amanda’s exit.
If she’s ever to make a miraculous return, it would be nice to see some more background brought to her relationship with Ollie, and in particular why he’s so anxious about sharing info about her with his friends.
Legends Of Tomorrow: Time Travel Rules Change
You have to be a little bit fickle if you’re a fan of all of the shows that make up the Arrowverse, and that’s never more apparent than when you’re watching Legends of Tomorrow.
Operating under a unique set of time travel rules, they’re not restricted by the barriers that Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and his friends seem to come up against in their own crime fighting adventures.
It’s true that there’s no pre-determined set list of rules for time travel, but there have been plenty of opportunities in the past to change the world for good.
Team Flash wouldn’t go through with them however, as they’d make too big of a change in the world. That only seems to be the case in Legends of Tomorrow when it serves the story.
Some changes can be made, and some can’t, but there’s never an overarching reason why.
Black Lightning: Why Not Suspect Jefferson?
Back at the start of Black Lightning, the chaos and destruction ramped up to a thousand immediately. Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) was forced right back into the world of being a superhero when his daughters were abducted by members of violent criminal gang, The 100.
Despite the group holding a number of girls and using them as ladies of the night, Jefferson only decided to jump back into his crime fighting gear when his own family was in danger.
It’s a point that was brought up by one of the mothers of the other victims in the series’ second episode, so why exactly wasn’t Jefferson immediately suspected to be Black Lightning?
With an incredibly similar frame and look to the hero, you’d think more people would have caught on to his secret identity by now…
The 100: Science Never Adds Up
There are a number of reasons The 100 doesn’t make sense in its entirety, and they constantly plague the fan base that have stuck with the series since the beginning.
When it comes to the science behind the dystopian world we’re watching the characters traverse, it seems to be all over the place.
Radiation poisoning for example seems to affect some animals and humans in completely different ways to others, despite them coming from the same area.
One of the biggest gaps in the narrative came around season 4, when audiences realized that even though some incredibly advanced scientific equipment was being used for evaluating levels of radiation, nobody detected that the nuclear reactors across the planet were melting down.
It would have been seen far in advance and takes down pretty much the entire plot of the show.
Supernatural: The Reapers Intentions
When the Reapers made their debut in Supernatural, they looked to be one of the most interesting additions to the series for some time.
Making appearances throughout the years, they’re definitely one of the most prominent creatures that the show has ever seen, but that doesn’t mean they ever really make sense.
Now, we know intentions change for most people and beings quite often, but the Reapers are so all over the place that we never really know which version of the characters we’re going to get.
At one moment they were around only to take away individuals for Death. Then at another, they were able to be possessed by demons.
Then they were angels. It’s all very confusing for audiences, but at least there’s always a surprise when they pop back up again.
Smallville: Whatever Happened To Doomsday?
Doomsday is supposed to be one of the most powerful villains to come from DC Comics, but looking back on his representation on Smallville, you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise.
Taken out by Chloe (Allison Mack) and Clark (Tom Welling), the monster was supposed to be buried so far underground that he would never again be able to make his way to the surface.
The only problem here for viewers is that this is never really confirmed or committed to.
Writers were probably hedging their bets, mulling over the idea of bringing the villain back in future episodes.
Having Doomsday underground also helped set up other storylines, but again, with no official conversation taking place in the series, audiences were left scratching their heads.
It was all a bit of a mess.
Gossip Girl: Unknown Identity
The world was left officially shooketh when Gossip Girl revealed “Lonely Boy” Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley) to be the mastermind behind the Upper East Side’s favorite gossip website.
Appearing in every single episode of the series, Dan was one of the characters who of course was in most scenes of the show, meaning that when the latest gossip hit Gossip Girl’s website, there’s no way he could have uploaded it.
Looking back, the funniest moments were when Dan was alone in his house and still pretended to look shocked whenever a new Gossip Girl update came through about him or one of his classmates.
Why would he bother to act surprised about something that he had written up?
Something tells us writers didn’t decide on their final ‘Gossip Girl’ until the last minute.
Arrow: Oliver Shouldn’t Be Alive
Remember back in season 3 when Oliver’s biggest problem was Ra’s al Ghul (Matt Nable), and the pair went up against one another in a fight on top of a huge mountain?
Oliver was stabbed straight through the stomach by Ra’s, before being kicked off the side of the cliff and smashing into the ground below.
There is not a single way the character could have survived this fall – even with the help of a Lazarus Pit.
His body would likely have been so mangled, with infections setting in quickly, that he would have succumbed to his injuries in minutes, if not instantly.
Of course, Arrow writers weren’t about to destroy off their lead character and allow somebody else to take up the Green Arrow mantle permanently, but it’s still something that sticks in the throat of fans.
Supernatural: What About The Men Of Letters?
When the Winchester brothers Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) discovered a bunker left behind by the Men of Letters, they came to realize their grandfather was actually a member of the group, meaning they had a link with the society.
With a whole wealth of new information at their disposal, the siblings could have gone from simple Hunters to something much more.
For some reason however, the pair decided they’d use the bunker just once.
It’s one of the strangest additions to bring to the show and never really utilize.
It makes the Winchesters look stupid, but after all of the trials and tribulations they’ve been through, we know they’re anything but. Hopefully the bunker can make a return in the near future.
The Vampire Diaries: Does Older Mean Stronger?
Throughout The Vampire Diaries, characters would consistently make a point out of older vampires being stronger and more powerful than younger members of their species.
Whenever this came into play during fights and vicious battles however, the younger blood suckers would often overpower the elderly members of the vamp society.
While we imagine enough planning and strategy would allow a younger vamp to get the upper hand, that’s not what happened in the majority of sequences we saw.
Writers weren’t thinking about the long game when they said older vampires being stronger was canon, and the series would have made a heck of a lot more sense if this is something that never came into play.
It’s something we now even see in spin-off CW series, The Originals.
iZombie: A Strange Relationship
Back in the first season of iZombie, viewers met a police chief who had fallen victim to the zombie disease.
Living with his human wife however, he managed to keep his condition a secret from his loved one. The only problem here is just how easily the zombie infection spreads, according to absolutely everything else we’ve seen in the series.
If they were ever affectionate with one another following his transformation, you’d think she’d be infected, too.
Still, there’s every opportunity that he grew distant following his zombie change. Forcing viewers to believe that his wife wouldn’t be even a little bit suspicious however is a stretch too far. She wasn’t dumb by any means.
When will shows such as this one learn to be consistent?
Supergirl: Where Is Bizarro?
Created by Maxwell Lord, the female version of Bizarro that debuted in Supergirl allowed for one of the most emotional and touching story arcs the series has seen to-date.
Unable to find her own identity, Bizarro’s body began to break down and her life was in danger.
Later put in stasis to save her, we haven’t seen anything of her since.
As one of the most interesting characters to come from the show, Bizarro is certainly somebody who deserves following up at some point.
She’s been mentioned in passing, but what are showrunners going to do with her? Will she be in stasis forever, or is there a cure being worked on so she can eventually live out her days? This is something that needs addressing ASAP.
Legends Of Tomorrow: Vandal’s Ashes
Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman) is certainly one of the most engaging characters the Arrowverse has ever seen, but when he decided to take a scoop of Vandal Savage’s (Casper Crump) ashes and keep them for himself, audiences were left wondering exactly why.
Yes, he may have been preparing to bring him back in the future, but no full explanation was ever given. With Barrowman now officially out of the Arrowverse, we imagine it’s not something we’ll be finding out any time soon.
Moments such as this one are clearly put in with intent to follow up in the future, so to know that we’ll likely now never see this plot come to fruition really stings.
Still, who’s to say Barrowman won’t be making a shock triumphant comeback alongside Savage at some point? We’ll watch on in hope.
Supernatural: Where’s Kevin Tran’s Ghost?
When Kevin Tran (Osric Chau) passed away on Supernatural, viewers were sad to see him go. Incredibly useful in his interactions with the Winchester siblings, it was a shame to see him wiped out, but he was brought back as a ghost in the series’ ninth season.
Returning home to live with his mother under very odd circumstances, audiences got excited about the possibility of him being back full time. Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be.
Following a short story arc, he would go once more, and this time for good. We haven’t seen anything of Kevin since, and so we have no idea what has happened to his ghost.
Did he make his way to Heaven, or is he still enjoying home life with his mother? Maybe one day we’ll finally find out…
Supergirl: Why Not Ask For Superman’s Help?
Bringing Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) into Supergirl was always going to be a dangerous move.
There was a chance he would steal the spotlight from his cousin completely, which is why writers have decided to keep him away from the action more than allowing him to jump right in whenever Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist) needs a helping hand.
What that does, however, is open up a huge plot hole as to why he’s just sitting on the sidelines.
This is the Man of Steel– one of the most powerful superheroes the world has ever seen.
Would he really be so blasé about leaving the world to burn, and allowing Kara to struggle through her missions unaided? We don’t think so, but that’s what we’re forced to accept as viewers.
Arrow: How Are Oliver And Laurel Friends?
Oliver and Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) come from hugely different backgrounds. Ollie has lived through a life of privilege, whilst Laurel’s parents lived more of a “normal” life.
Ollie’s school life has been all over the place, with Arrow never really cementing a proper time frame down for his years in education. He’s said to have been in and out of school and college, whilst Laurel clearly went and worked to get to where she is today.
We imagine, because of the difference in class, that the pair never shared a classroom.
So how exactly do Ollie and Laurel know one another?
One line in Arrow suggested they were childhood sweethearts, but all of the evidence points to them not knowing one another until their late teen/young adult years. Whatever the case may be, something just does not add up.
Supergirl: Where Is Silver Banshee?
The first season of Supergirl was certainly all over the place, but one of the most interesting stories came about when Siobhan Smythe (Italia Ricci) made her debut.
Originally a regular member of society, the young woman would fall down the rabbit hole of becoming a villain, eventually turning into Silver Banshee, and becoming a huge fan-favorite amongst viewers.
Banshee’s story is that she would be cursed with gaining revenge against those who had wronged her - in this story’s case, Kara, as she lost her job to her under Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart) - but obviously, she has been unsuccessful in bringing Kara down.
So where exactly is she? Why isn’t she doing everything she can to rid herself of her family curse and take Supergirl out? Ricci’s busy schedule probably brought this storyline to a screeching halt.
Arrowverse: Terrible Disguises
Goodness me, Kara Danvers has taken off her glasses and let her hair down and so she couldn’t possibly be that identical version of her that flies through the city calling herself Supergirl.
That’s the logic viewers are expected to agree with when looking at most of the heroes making their way through the Arrowverse; just take a look at Oliver Queen’s earliest costumes, Sara Lance as White Canary, and some of the other crime fighters.
In fact, Barry Allen’s The Flash is probably the best disguised hero, and even he can be identified if you look at him for long enough.
To be fair, this isn’t just a problem with The CW’s shows, but with a lot of DC heroes in general. Superman has always been laughed at because of his terrible disguise, but at this point, we just have to accept the ignorance of DC’s civilians as canon.
Can you think of any other massive plot holes in The CW? Let us know in the comments!
