Jessie Robertson reviews the nineteenth episode of The Flash…
The Title says it all; but sometimes episodes like this can be very tedious to viewers. We all know who Harrison Wells is (or isn’t) at this point. We’re let in on the secret. We know more than our heroes, so having to watch them discover the secret could be an excuse in playing with our phones while it’s going on. This episode also made me ponder what Wells (Thawne) is up to; we see him go home, pour a drink; we know he’s losing power to his tachyon suit, but where does that leave him? Is he actively trying to get back to his time? Does he need Barry to be fully “speed-trained” to do that? How much longer can he use super-speed? These aren’t necessarily burning questions we want to know; I feel like, as we’re winding down to the conclusion of this season, there are questions being missed that need addressed to flesh out what Wells is actually up to all this time. Harrison Wells, the performance of Harrison Wells, I should say, is a fully formed three-dimensional character who is secretly fueling his own agenda while growing extremely fond of his team, but where does Eobard Thawne factor into this? Perhaps I’m jumping the gun, but these are details that if not revealed by season’s end, I feel like it’s an oversight in the writing this season.
We split up our heroes in two groups this week and while Joe and Cisco take a trip to Starling City to dig up any clues on what happened to Wells 15 years ago, they’re having much more fun in Central City where a shape-shifting meta-human is robbing banks. This is the style of story where you can really see the fundamental difference between The Flash and Arrow; if Everyman (Caitlin named one!) had been a villain on Arrow, he’d be holding Felicity at gunpoint while pretending to be her and it would be dark, and scary. On The Flash, this dude’s trying to cop a feel and make out! This was a great gag; Not-Barry being in Star Labs, talking to Iris and Caitlin, actually kissing Caitlin, and for a brief second, her kissing back, it’s fun stuff, and ties in perfectly to Dr. Wells not being Dr. Wells but someone else. I thought that would be a little bit more on the nose for the Star Labs crew but it doesn’t end up like that. I really loved that Wells took down our Everyman himself, and almost felt a bit deflated when he got away and Flash had to show off his fighting skills to put the villain down. Although, him changing into a little girl and screaming help was both frighteningly clever and scary creepy.
Eddie and Iris, oh, Eddie and Iris; don’t cross Iris West, as her giving Eddie the cold shoulder made me feel inferior sitting in my recliner! Eddie being framed makes perfect senses for the villain and it’s the perfect escape plan to have Iris let go of her anger at Eddie, giving Eddie a perfect way out by saying he’s now working with the Flash. The dire problems of last week seem to melt away a week later which can be frustrating, I believe, when following this show, but I guess that’s the nature of the CW beast. I had predicted earlier in the season that Barry would reveal his identity to Iris, stealing her away from Eddie and that would drive him to villainy. It sort of already happened, in the alternate timeline, so it’s still possible it goes down this way, but man, I can’t see any scenario where nice guy Eddie getting dumped like that doesn’t make Barry look like the douche, so still not sure if that’s happening or not.
Honestly, Joe and Cisco’s trek was fine, and mostly fun for their interactions with the Lances, namely Cisco making Laurel an improved Canary Cry (which I hope she busts out on Arrow) and Cisco bartering favors for a Comic-Con 8×10 with Laurel in Canary-wear! Now, that’s epic. I just don’t want to know what he’s going to do with that photo. Joe giving Quentin fatherly advice is another nice moment and interesting that Flash is being used to further story development in Arrow, when finding Wells’ decrepit corpse is just procedural here. Not the episode I was hoping for, where our Question at the top gets answered even more but a decent set up for what looks to be a crazy episode next week.
Other notes:
– Apparently, Coast City is rocking the best pizza in the area. And tell me we’re not going to meet Carol Ferris somewhere next season with as many times we’ve seen that billboard
– Cisco comes through for us with yet another Super Mario tee; Keep the streak alive, my good man.
– So, Eddie’s coming around on the Flash then? Good..to know
– Hannibal Bates, better known as Everyman here, was changed a bit to fit into network TV. In the comics, he can only change shape to someone if he’s eaten a piece of their flesh. Yea. Digest that for a minute. Come to think, I guess he would fit in perfectly on iZombie.
– How beaming was Laurel as Cisco was gushing about how cool Black Canary was? I don’t think we’ve seen her smile since season 1 of Arrow.
– I was loving Barry fumbling with Bate’s G-Ma’s needlepoint and frilly pillow – and dude was his Grandma? Some Norman Bates shit there.
– Wells and Joe’s brief conversation was yet another example of where you don’t if Wells is just playing the part or does he suspect something??? That’s why his character is so great! But he had a point: What did happen to Iris’ mother?
– The extra scene at the end is great fun for comic book geeks because it feels like Marvel’s extra scene at the end of their movies. But, we’ve went from quick snippet to major plot development as the gang finds Wells secret future hideout!
Jessie Robertson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnc360pUDRI&feature=player_embedded&list=PL18yMRIfoszFLSgML6ddazw180SXMvMz5
