The Flash Review – “Fast Enough” S1E23

“Fast Enough” was The Flash’s season 1 finale, and it did not disappoint. While the first half of the episode was a bit slow, the final half picked up pace and through a bunch of curveballs. Read on for pros, cons, and Easter Eggs.

Pros:

Harrison Wells’ speeches: Gah! The evil, evil man has the best speeches. At the beginning when he and Barry talk, Harrison tells Barry he hates him in any future. They are “enemies, rivals, opposites, reversals of one another.” His dialogue is pretty great, but better than the dialogue is Tom Cavanagh’s delivery is absolutely perfect. At one point he says to Cisco, “A great and honorable destiny awaits you now.” If you think about it, that line is really formal and over-the-top, but Cavanagh’s delivery brought the line to the modern era and seemed super badass.

All the feelings: While The Flash is a really emotional show, this episode was understandably emotive. Saying goodbye to the life Barry knows would be incredibly hard. Cisco was visibly upset about the possibility of never knowing Barry. And Joe. Joe gets my heartstrings every time. He is the perfect dad, and he had great lines about what it means to be a parent. When Barry is about to run to the past and calls Joe “Dad”, I got tears in my eyes.

Cisco Vibes: Cisco approaches Wells and admits that Wells killed him in an alternate universe. Before we were just supposed to believe this as a miracle. But now we, and Cisco, know that he was able to see the alternate universe because he can see through the vibrations of time and space. Ehrmergerhd! Nerd spasm!

Eddie comes around: Eddie was pretty mean about the newspaper byline reading Iris West-Allen. After his talk with Dr. Stein, Eddie realizes that he can make a choice about his future, something most of the other people in their group cannot do. His speech to Iris repeated a lot of what Dr. Stein said to him, and made me root for Eddie to get the girl. Sorry, Barry.

The first twist: This is a good time to stop reading this review if you haven’t seen the episode because HERE BE SPOILERS: Barry didn’t save his mom?! I honestly did NOT see that coming. At all. Why did he tell himself not to do it? I know we will be going back to that in the series because it was too important to not investigate. This is the first reason I loved this episode. The twists are great.

Barry vs. the Reverse Flash: The fight itself was eh, but when Barry came flying through the wormhole and punched a hole through the time machine Thawne/Wells was sitting in, I was blown away at the effects. Plus, that was one hell of a punch.

The second twist: SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER: Eddie kills himself to rid the world of Eobard Thawne? Holy shit, that is commitment to “serving and protecting.” And totally unexpected.

The final scene: The effects for the black hole were really cool. Barry’s eyes flashing lightning, the way he was running by bouncing off objects inside the black hole, and the damage being done to Earth below were all some of the biggest budget stuff The Flash has been able to pull off. The cliffhanger of Barry running in a freaking black hole is also enough to keep me on the edge of my seat all summer long. How are we supposed to wait for the fall season with that big of a question?!

The score: I don’t know why, but the music resonated with me a little more this episode. It had a good Danny Elfman vibe, and I like it.

Cons:

No alternate plans from team Flash: Barry’s team just accepts that Thawne/Wells will not screw with the blackhole/wormhole/ time travel plan? They don’t create a backup ever. Don’t scientists always have a plan Z? Especially if one possibility of Barry running into the wormhole is death?

The Wedding: I understand why Ronnie and Caitlin’s wedding was rushed, but the whole scene felt a little like filler. Plus, they don’t have parents? What’s up with that?

Mach 2: Caitlin makes a pretty big deal about Barry not being able to run at Mach 2, but when it comes time, he easily makes the speed. It just seems a little quick.

The Time Machine: How can Cisco build a time machine? And how come they didn’t send Barry back in the time machine instead? So many questions!

Easter Eggs:

Eobard Thawne, born 2151: I don’t know what is happening in DC Comics specifically in that year, but according to Eobard, he is born 136 years from now, which puts his birth year at 2151. He speaks so eloquently! Maybe this means that future generations will be smarter than text speak?

Big Belly Burger: The restaurant chain has been brought up a few times in the show, but this time it was more noticeable. Wells/Thawne asks for it, and then later he is seen drinking out of a Big Belly Burger cup. The chain first appeared in Superman #441 and is a LexCorp subsidiary.

Cisco is Vibe: Cisco finally finds out he was also affected by the particle accelerator explosion. In the New52, Cisco Ramon is introduced as a meta-human who has the ability to find interdimensional breaches, making him a serious threat to The Flash. But don’t worry; Cisco is still a good guy.

One minute, fifty-two seconds: Barry finds out he only has 1:52 to save his mom and get back to this dimension before the world gets sucked into a black hole. DC sure does love 52.

Barry’s Speed Force: Barry is able to see his past, present, and future all at once when he runs through the wormhole. As he was running, there were a ton of tidbits.

• We get our first glimpse of Danielle Panabaker as Killer Frost and goddamn, I cannot wait for that to happen again.
• There is a shot outside of The Flash museum that gets built in the future.
• We get a quick scene of Barry in Iron Heights as an inmate. Perhaps this is from an alternate universe?
• The last scene in this running sequence before Barry gets to his childhood home is from Legends of Tomorrow, and we get a really good look of Caity Lotz as White Canary.

Rip Hunter: When Wells/Thawne sees the time machine Cisco built for him, he notes that Rip Hunter would be proud. Rip Hunter is a time-traveler who made his comic debut in Showcase #20 in 1959. In later adaptations, Rip Hunter builds himself a Time-Sphere. The machine Cisco built is a giant sphere, so this reference coincides well. Additionally, in Legends of Tomorrow, the man who brings all the heroes and villains together is Rip Hunter, who will be played by Arthur Darvill.

Jay Garrick: While Barry is in the wormhole, Jay Garrick’s original metal Flash cap comes flying through STAR Labs.

Hawkgirl: -There is a flash (teehee) of a pretty woman looking to the sky when the blackhole forms That pretty woman is Hawkgirl, and will play her in Legends of Tomorrow.

Predictions:

The Ring Costume: Cisco asks Thawne/Wells how he got his costume in his ring. While we may not ever have an answer for that, I think maybe Ray Palmer will contribute to that since he is now the only one who knows how to miniaturize things. Also, I predict Ray Palmer will be resurrected * wink *.

Quote of the Week:

When Ronnie goes to touch the time machine, Cisco says “Ronnie, I love you, but this is a time machine; not a bookshelf from IKEA.”

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Hush Comics gives “Fast Enough” an A for giving us a really compelling and familiar story, but changing it enough to keep viewers on their toes.

We cannot wait for next season!

All images belong to The CW and DC Entertainment. They are credited to Cate Cameron and Diyah Pera.

The Flash Review – “Rogue Air” S1E22

Pros:

Harrison Wells’ Voice Over: The opening scene was SO good! I loved Wells’ voice over about getting back everything he has lost. He is still evil, but in a small way, I do feel bad for the guy. Plus, his speeches are some of the best in the series. In the mean time, everyone looking at pictures of those they have lost, made it seem like he was just part of our rag-tag team of heroes. We know that’s not the case, but I like the writing here.

Wells’ Spinning Sorcery: It was a neat touch that the wheelchair that Wells was actually the source of his power. In a battery! That you can’t buy from Radio Shack (FYI, Joe, you can’t buy anything from Radio Shack anymore)

Iris was sorta smart this time: Iris saved Caitlin from Peek-A-Boo’s leg. Then she was upfront with Eddie over his fear of their marriage not happening because he “saw the future”. The thing about the future is that you can change it, and Iris knows that.

Eddie Thawne, Professional Shade Thrower: Eddie is saved, and seems cool with Barry not finding him. But he is upset at Iris because he can’t see what has been in front him the whole time. When he throws shade at Iris, he also gives some MAJOR side eye. It was pretty funny.

It’s from the fuuuuttuuuuurrrrrre: When Cisco discovers the tube that is charging the particle accelerator, the group tells him to turn it off. His response was classic. There is no power button on this thing… “It’s from the fuuuuttuuuuurrrrrre.”

Meta-Human Fight!: I thought all the effects from the five meta-humans were pretty neat. I particularly like the tiny weather in Weather Wizard’s hand. Also, Peek-A-Boo leaving after seeing all the chaos was exactly how I would react.

I’m a criminal: When Barry finds out about Captain Cold’s sabotage, Cold tells Barry that he is a liar and a criminal. Barry should just be mad at himself. That was just about the best thing Captain Cold has said.

The crossover: Ronnie and Ollie finally show up and help Barry kick some Reverse Flash butt. The slo-mo and effects were AWESOME! And they got the bad guy, so that felt pretty good, too.

Commentary on the Penal system and the Legal system: Joe had some great moments this episode. He was constantly there to tell the group (mostly Barry) when they were wrong. But reading between the lines, there was a lot about how police treat people, how police are treated, and how inmates are treated. Joe makes it clear he doesn’t like how STAR Labs never rehabilitated the meta-humans they house. Caitlin chalks this up to being “too busy.” Then Joe and Barry argue about what police can and cannot do. While Barry claims they are protected and can therefore get away with anything, Joe tells him that cops have to follow rules, and breaking them is no different than what criminals do. Barry says this is different. I don’t know if I am reading too much into the conversation, but this seems really important for the state of our country currently. Could The Flash be the best political show out there? I don’t know, but this was pretty damn good.

Cons:

Locksmith: The employees of STAR Labs (how are they getting paid?!) don’t ever lock the doors. Shocker… Harrison Wells has been in this super high tech building the whole time and you never knew! Surprise… here comes Leonard Snart through the front door. I lock my car when it is in the garage; I’m sure STAR Labs can think of something to keep the bad guys out.

Joe always grabbing his gun: Joe grabbed his gun when Wells and Snart were both in STAR Labs. You really think your little pistol will stop a guy faster than Barry and another guy with a freeze ray? No. No it will not.

Finding Eddie: It’s really hard to believe that Barry never found Eddie BELOW THE PRISON IN STAR LABS. I mean it’s right there. I don’t know. I just think it’s silly. Also, Iris looking around the room and only finding the engagement ring was dumbing down females to “Oooohhhh, Shiny!’

Wentworth Miller: I know we say this every time, but his acting is so bad as Leonard Snart. It’s really hard to watch.

Barry’s terrible plan: Why would Leonard Snart not lie? Also, how could he stop the meta-humans anymore than what Barry could do? Involving him at all, other than to give his sister a nickname, and releasing the meta-humans, seemed really unnecessary.

Destroying the evidence: Barry destroys all the evidence about Captain Cold at his request. How would Cold know if the computer evidence at CCPD was gone? He wouldn’t. Also, Barry brings physical evidence and Cold’s sister shoots it with her gold gun before they even check. Barry could easily have lied and said that he destroyed it all. But we know that Barry is a terrible liar, so there is that.

The Sabotage: How did Captain Cold and Golden Glider sabotage the prison break? They didn’t seem to have a lot of time, or smarts for that matter.

Easter Eggs:

Address Labels: Iris and Eddie’s address was:

203-2320 Western Ave.
Central City, USA 74912

I think it is funny that there is no state. Also, 74912 is not a real zip code in the good ole U.S. of A.

Scarlet Speedster: Leonard Snart address Barry as such when they meet at the bar. The only gripe I have with this is that the only other time “Scarlet Speedster” has been mentioned is from the newspaper in the future.

What was on the paper?: I don’t know if this is really an Easter Egg, but when Barry asks Leonard to help, Leonard writes what he wants in return on a paper. Barry declines. We never find out what Leonard originally wanted as payment. I am very curious if this will play out in the future.

Ferris Air shut down: Captain Cold notes that Ferris Air is shut down, and Barry tells him it is because a Test Pilot disappeared. Hello Hal Jordon reference!!

Golden Glider: After some serious flirting, Captain Cold’s sister finally is crowned with her moniker by Cisco: Golden Glider.

The Costume Ring: Harrison Wells shows Barry his ring, and then his costume flies out of it and Wells runs into the ring. How cool! Also, it is a direct reference to Barry’s costume ring in the comics.

Predictions:

Meta-Human Shield: Wells may not have factored in the meta-human prison break into his plan, but that doesn’t mean he won’t use them against Barry in the future. Especially if it means protecting himself by putting his “army” on the front lines to distract The Flash.

Flashpoint: I didn’t really get the sense we were there yet until the preview for nex

Line of the Week:

When Cisco realizes that the Golden Glider actually does like him, he says “Really not enjoying being one of the good guys this week.” Ha!

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Hush Comics gives “Rogue Air” a B for delivering some of the best special effects the show has had, getting some sympathy points for Wells, and Joe being the best dad on TV, but for a lame plan and Captain Cold’s terrible acting.

All images belong to The CW and DC Entertainment. They are credited to Dean Buscher and Diyah Pera.

The Flash Review – “Grodd Lives” S1E21

Gorilla Grodd is in the house, you guys! We’ve been waiting for this initial showdown ever since the pilot aired. Eobard Thawne continues his descent from the alias of Harrison Wells, while Caitlin and Cisco learn how to function without a mentor. All the while, Iris learns how to make an episode all about her.

Pros:

Alternate narrative: Like last week’s Arrow, The Flash begins with a different introduction of our hero. This time, it’s Iris who gives the nifty little spiel. It works really well given the circumstances, and it’s just about the only positive thing Iris brings to the entire episode.

Cisco and Caitlin at play: With Wells out of the picture, and no drama to distract them from each other, these genius scientists are a joy to watch interact with each other. No looming bad guy scientist to tell them their jokes are stupid or dampen the mood means Caitlin and Cisco’s personalities can run free. Wells’ absence (and lack of pointers) also means that Cisco will have to be more resourceful with his gadgetry. Remember, the first rule of Mechanical Engineering: never waste good tech.

The movie references: Cisco is usually on point with his film references during each episode, but this was an All-Star performance right here. From Jurassic Park to King Kong, he hits it on the nose each time. It might have come off as excessive to a lot of viewers, but it was the nice, nerdy supplement to all the mush going on with Iris. Cisco is a nerd’s nerd, and we all love him for it.

Good Grodd almighty: Grodd is terrifying. He’s completely CGI’ed, which was to be expected, but he was used sparingly enough that if you weren’t staring him in the face, you were constantly looking around to see where he could be. I loved the failed sonic punch and the futile efforts to punch the Grodd. It made him a believable formidable opponent – and a problem that won’t go away for a while. Also interesting, we know that Grodd loves Wells, but he’s not an outright bad guy, sort of like Koba was in the first Planet of the Apes. You have a certain sympathy for him, and it doesn’t make the “heroes” any more heroic by encroaching on him.

Wells is… mean: I know the facade is up, but jumping Jesus, he is so mean! He tears Eddie’s self-esteem down to shreds, and caps it off with the whole “oh yeah, and Iris doesn’t even love you” thing. I personally love that Wells/Eobard Thawne is becoming the egotistical a-hole that we want the Reverse-Flash to be, and Tom Cavanagh is portraying him very well. Eddie is just a nice guy, and I’m curious how his psyche will change after being caged up by this mad man.

Cons:

Iris: She’s one of the worst characters on TV today. To me, she’s Season 1 of Arrow Laurel. She’s not quite Gotham‘s Barbara Keane, but she’s on the same totem pole of badly-written characters whose reactions are full of narcissism and bad timing. Unfortunately, a majority of this otherwise solid episode is spent with Barry pandering to her emotional needs. It’s so frustrating to watch a show revolving around a relationship I hope never happens. Things could change, and they obviously will if we’re ever supposed to root for the West-Allen thing, but it’s hard when Caitlin and Felicity have already proven to be better matches for Barry than Iris has.

Who pays for this?: What’s the deal with STAR Labs? Who pays the lease? Who pays Cisco and Caitlin? Why is nobody worrying about security? What the hell is going on?

Easter Eggs:

Rainbow Raider: Barry’s off-handed remark about this guy in full riot gear being the “Rainbow Raider” sounded weird to me, especially since he was dressed in all black and a gold mask. Well, the Rainbow Raider is a Flash character from the 80’s who dressed in a rainbow suit, and used intensely colored beams of light to defeat his enemies. Yeah, I’m glad they went with the riot gear.

No nanners: The Grodd I grew up with, from the Justice League cartoons, also HATES bananas.

Heartbeat: While Joe is lying in the hospital bed, talking with Iris, his heart monitor machine has some weird 3D display to it. Upon closer investigation, there are just two lines spiking – one red, one yellow. It might be coincidence, but that could signify the impending face-off between The Flash and Reverse-Flash.

Curious George: I’ve been wondering why they still sometimes refer to Reverse-Flash as “The Man in Yellow,” and here’s an idea. In Curious George, his owner’s name is The Man in the Yellow Hat. It fits perfectly with Eobard’s new pet monkey, Grodd. Not really an Easter Egg, but a fun observation. Also unrelated, did anybody else notice how close “I Am Grodd” sounds like “I Am Groot?”

Street names: Okay, again on the far-fetched theories: 5th Ave and 10th Street…. what if it’s a reference to The Flash: Rebirth, which was released in May of 2010. Rebirth was an interesting book about the return of Barry Allen (he dies in the comic books during Crisis on Infinite Earths, no biggie), and the Reverse-Flash’s admission to murdering Nora Allen and framing his dad. I’m probably reading too much into this, but it fits, so why not?

Predictions:

What was that gold for?: Safe to say that Grodd wasn’t stealing gold to make himself a shiny necklace. I’m no expert on the metal, but I do know it is an excellent conductor for computers and other science machines. Maybe Grodd is on his way to making a mind control device for a larger audience.

Why reboot the particle accelerator?: Here’s a crazy idea. Eobard Thawne is going to use Barry’s compulsion to save everybody against him. He’s going to activate it, tell Barry that the only way to stop it is to turn back time. The reactor core is shaped like a giant donut, so he could do it that way – or, to make comic book fans happy, he could use the treadmill. Thawne will then run alongside Barry, allowing him to use the Speed Force to return home. There are a lot of holes to this idea, but it’s the best thing I could come up with.

Free Will vs. Destiny: Obviously, Barry is going to live to see next season. With all that the group knows, what’s stopping Eddie from just never having children (or taking his own life)? There is just too much out in the open now for them to question whether or not they can change the world. And having Gideon stowed away in the time vault won’t make that any easier. That is, unless CW decides to just go back in time and erase everybody’s memories. Time travel is confusing.

Line of the Week:

An undercover ice cream truck may be the dumbest idea in police history if they want to remain conspicuous, but when the officer tells the mom looking for ice cream that if the music is playing, “Yeah, it means we’re out,” I couldn’t help but laugh.

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Hush Comics gives “Grodd Lives” an B+ for doing everything right, in spite of a Barry-Iris mushfest. With a team-up for the ages coming next week, don’t miss out!

All images belong to The CW and DC Entertainment. The are credited to Cate Cameron..

The Flash Review – “Fastest Man Alive” S1E2

One red blur of a week later and we arrive at the second episode of The CW’s new show, The Flash. The pilot absolutely blew us away, and we expected nothing less in the episodes to come. For better or worse, that’s precisely what we got in “Fastest Man Alive.” We saw the creeping evolution of character development, and started peeling back the layers of a major story that will eventually trap us for good. For now, however, we are subject to the same formulaic approach that all superhero shows seem to be getting at.

We get the same ubiquitous superhero voiceover, which is kind of weird since the opening segment follows an actual “intro thingy,” making his off-hand comment about it all the more awkward. We are also allotted another bad guy, affected by the storm caused by the particle accelerator, who tests Barry’s superhero aptitude. It’s not that this hurt the show’s overall momentum, but I just expected a little more variation from the pilot in terms of where the heck we are going from here. The flashback scenes didn’t reveal much more than we couldn’t already assume ourselves, nor did the drawn out speeches (again, where Barry needed to be pep-talked into saving people) inspire anything that we couldn’t have gotten from a few episodes of subtle action.

And the not-father-of-the-year-award goes to…. Joe West!

I usually refer any out-of character or otherwise eye-rolling cornball tomfoolery as being “so C-Dub,” a characteristic we’ve been doling out since the days of Smallville. The amount of C-Dub-ness in “Fastest Man Alive” approached dangerous levels, far exceeding the pilot episode, which came off as spiriting and exciting. I can only hope that Barry won’t continually need pep talks to fight crime. Barry Allen is a bleeding heart with a great sense of humor, but there needs to be a better balance between the two qualities. A tragic Oliver Queen makes sense since, you know, he was tortured on a deserted island for five years; a tortured Barry Allen just doesn’t fit.

The areas where The Flash continues to impress are its amazing supporting cast and great special effects. Although Barry Allen is now 0 for 2 in keeping the bad guy alive, the bad guys that show up are convincingly creepy and – dare I say – relatable? The story of Multiplex is a very pliable tale of sorrow and revenge. The villains are also frightening people who wear the villain scowl very well. As Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin continue to search for more meta-humans, this made us wonder if any good people were struck by the particle-accelerator’s storm, or if it only spawned a ton of tragic criminals. Either way, successfully implementing these more obscure DC Comics villains is what makes The Flash more fun to watch than say Gotham, whose token bad guys look like they are pulled from a hat (still got my fingers crossed for Kite Man).

Barry and his trusty sidekicks.

Cisco and Caitlin continue to provide back-up for Barry as he dashes in head-first to help people. Well, Cisco continues to dive in head-first and provide Barry with the toys (Cosmic Treadmill, anybody??) while Caitlin scolds disapprovingly. It’s worth noting that Flash looks to “help people” and “make a difference,” while other Leaguers in DC Comic books have the mantra to “bring justice” and “stop crime.” Barry’s greatest asset has always been his heart, and it is an endearing quality in the show… just not when it comes to Iris West. Comic book fans, and people you use their eyes or ears to watch the show, will know that Iris ultimately becomes Barry’s greatest love interest. With the flirtatious way she touches and looks at Barry, it’s remarkable how dense she is that he is Forever Alone in the friend-zone while she galavants with Detective Eddie Thawne. The story either needs to stop being about her, or make her more likable to the millions of viewers at home who fervently get the point.

Iris West has terrible taste in men who run fast.

Another win for The Flash were the short demonstrations of Barry’s power. Whether it’s saving people from a burning building, vibrating his hand to simulate a centrifuge on a test tube or going Keanu Reeves on 100 would-be Agent Smiths, there is no doubt that the producers on The Flash want to give the audience the full superhero effect. This is made even more tantalizing when you think that this is just the beginning. The full spectrum of Flash’s powers is ridiculously awesome and include: creating a nifty way to store his suit, running so fast he can turn back time, vibrating through objects and eating a restaurant full of tacos in one sitting.

Hush Comics gives “Fastest Man Alive” a B. Ultimately, The Flash is shaping up to be one of the better superhero television shows on TV. The supporting cast complements Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen very well, serving as both an emotional anchor, as well as a tactical one. However, there seems to be just too much of the same thing going on here as we gathered from the pilot. To a degree, that is one of the episode’s biggest strengths; we realize that Jesse Martin, who plays Detective Joe West, is Barry’s rock here, and the conversation the two of them share at the end of the episode solidifies that (it also whispers “DOOOOOM!” for Joe to me, but I am a cynic). I know there is so much more to explore, and that makes me all the more confident that The Flash will continue to impress.

All photos belong to The CW Network and DC Entertainment.  They are credited to Cate Cameron and were originally found here.

 

Easter Egg Hunt (spoilers ahead)

The Treadmill!: Ah! The Cosmic Treadmill. First appearing in comic books over fifty years ago (Flash #125), the pretense of the treadmill is that Barry can run so fast on this treadmill that he not only alters the fabric of time but can use it to travel to alternate dimensions. Science, bitch! Seriously though, let’s see Superman do that!

Iris’ new career choice: “Oh I’ll just make one up.” Really, Iris? Ms. West’s new-found career as a journalist is off to one crappy start. In the comics, Iris becomes a tough-as-nails reporter, but it looks like she’s faking it until she makes it in The Flash.

Pew Pew: The gun shop that Multiplex robs is called Hex’s Gun Shop, inspired by the gunslinger Jonah Hex, who for some reason can’t catch a break (canceled comic book, horrible movie). It seems the writers have a soft spot for him.

Multiplex: The villain multiplex is one of the villains in the DC Universe I think deserves a little more credibility. He may be a complete rip off of Marvel’s Multiple Man, but Multiplex is one of Firestorm’s villains in the comics, Danton Black has ties to both the Suicide Squad and Caitlin Snow (in the way of Killer Frost). From Arrow, we know that the Suicide Squad already exists, but Black’s apparent “death” at the end of “Fastest Man Alive” sure nixed that possibility.

Wait, Ronnie?: Harrison Wells reveals that Caitlin’s ex-boyfriend was (is) named Ronnie. The internets have already swarmed over the fact that Ronnie Raymond will be reappearing, and it will be as one-half of Firestorm, but this is really the first confirmation from the show that Ronnie and Caitlin will likely share the same relationship as in the comic books.

“We were all struck by that lightning”: Barry’s cheesy speech at the end of the episode could have a more literal meaning to it than we think. We already suspect that Cisco and Caitlin will reveal themselves as meta-humans, and there’s no doubt that this weirdo Harrison Wells has some powers we haven’t been revealed yet.

Speaking of Harrison Wells: Looks like my theory last week of Wells being Barry Allen crashed and burned to the ground after he stabbed ol Staggsy in the final clip of this week. In spite of recent events, we have not always known Barry Allen of the future to be benevolent; in DC’s New52 installment of The Flash, Barry Allen comes back in time to kill the current day Barry Allen to prevent the Speed Force from collapsing. We’ll undoubtedly get more into the Speed Force in subsequent issues. But it seems prevalent to note that Wells is concerned for Barry’s safety, cautioning him to “know [his] limits” and “exercise restraint.” What investment could he possibly have in Barry Allen?

The Flash Review – “City of Heroes” S1E1

After months of waiting, The CW’s new series, The Flash, finally streaked across the small screen last night. For those not familiar with Barry Allen, AKA The Flash, he is a forensics scientist in Central City. He has obsessively been trying to prove his father’s innocence of his mother’s murder, and Detective West, who had taken Allen in after the tragedy, thinks that what Barry saw the night his mother died was a hallucination. After the success of Arrow, and the positive reception Allen (Grant Gustin) received from his cameo in Arrow‘s Season 2 episode, “The Scientist,” CW quickly green-lit a solo series for the Fastest Man Alive.

Rest assured, that was a really, really good idea. Like Oliver Queen before him, choosing a hero that everybody knows of, but that not many know intimately, has become the secret formula that nobody but The CW has seemed to figure out yet. From the get-go, we’re introduced to The Flash with the promo clip we saw months ago in a way that is completely reminiscent of Andrew Garfield’s voiceover in Amazing Spider-Man. The more I thought about it,  and the more we get to know Barry Allen, the more I realize that he is the Peter Parker of the DC world: he jokes all the time, he’s a goofy science kid, tragedy has left him with surrogate parents (although that doesn’t exactly narrow it down in the comic book world) and his heart of gold is his most endearing quality.

Barry Allen before the storm.

Fanboys will be instantly drawn to The Flash, as there are a profusion of Easter Eggs. And I mean real Easter Eggs, not the crap we get in Gotham. The tidbits we get in the pilot episode here are not shoved down our throat and they don’t take anything away from the enjoyment of the show – whether you’ve read Flash books or not. I will list out some of the more subtle ones we think are important (warning: there may be spoilers) after the reflection. Easter Eggs aside, this is one show that you can watch with absolutely no precursor. The events of the last Arrow episode Allen appeared in are fully explained here, so there is no need to catch up on Starling City’s happenings to understand what going on in Central City – although Steven Amell makes a much-anticipated cameo here to give Allen the proverbial thumbs-up. The particle accelerator that genius physicist Harrison Wells put into motion underwent catastrophic failure, causing Barry’s accident – being struck by lightening. Barry goes into a coma and wakes up nine months later in S.T.A.R. Labs with superpowers and super-abs. Count me in!

The Flash is why people come to the show, but they will stay for the supporting characters. There was not a single character that I felt was: out of place, over-acting or ridiculous in nature – and for a CW show, that says a lot. Arrow has fallen victim to the patented “Laurel gaping stare” far too many times to count, yet the swooning love interest here, Iris West, is a strong and rational character that makes decisions based on merit, and she is not a damsel in distress. Meanwhile, the S.T.A.R. Labs assistants, Cisco Ramon and Caitlin Snow, add both comedic relief and a staunch sense of tragedy – and Harrison Wells (played by Tom Cavanagh, or as I called him throughout the episode, “J.D.’s brother in Scrubs“) adds a bit of flavor to the show as well. Everything seems amazing at first, but there are stones left unturned, sideways glances between the S.T.A.R. Labs guys, and thanks to an insane reveal at the end, a lot of withheld information.

Barry’s Gang: Harrison Wells, Cisco Ramon, and Caitlin Snow

As it turns out, the storm caused by the particle accelerators explosion gave not only Barry Allen his powers, but what turns out to be scores of unknowns, as well. Among them is Clyde Mardon, known in the comics books as the deceased brother of the Weather Wizard. We can still tell, by the reaction of the news station and Detective West, that “meta-humans” are not of mainstream knowledge yet, so it will be interesting to see how the rest of The Flash’s rogues gallery pans out. Mardon is a great villain, who is callous in action and has a piercing hate stare that was convincingly frightening.

Cinematically, The Flash owns up to the source material and then some. Barry is not just a forensics assistant, but a damn good one. Thanks to some sweet effects, we are able to see inside the cogs turning inside the mind of a forensics scientist – C.S.I, eat my shorts. There are also some great Jesse Pinkman “Yeah! Science!” moments of the episode that assure me that I did not spend $80k on an engineering degree for nothing. Speaking of Breaking Bad, it seems that the idea of adding a filter to flashbacks has been adopted for The Flash, as well; as far as we are concerned, any show whose cinematography is inspired from the greatest show in history is alright in my book. From the slow-motion effects to the camera angle when Mardon robs the bank, it’s evident early on that CW is willing to put their money where their mouth is about making this show work.

The show borrows elements from its predecessors without feeling like a carbon copy; it actually helps connect the viewers to a show that they are already familiar with. For example, Iris’ position in the coffee shop is warmly nostalgic of Lana Lang’s job in Smallville. And Cisco’s extremely nerdy yet adorable demeanor (check out his awesome collection of t-shirts. Bazinga!) make you think he and Felicity from Arrow would make the cutest couple ever. Going back to the Spider-Man comparisons, there’s even a bit of a Captain Stacy thing going on with Detective West (doom ahead for West?). As much as the show combines different elements, it stands alone as a show about The Flash. Barry Allen is charming and funny, and the story is as true to the spirit of the character as I’ve seen on any television show so far. Now, that could have a lot to do with the fact that DC Comics legend Geoff Johns is credited as the series co-creator and executive producer. Johns has written some classic Flash material, and has been a contributor to almost a decade of DC/WB television. With him at the helm, there is absolutely no reason to worry about substance in the story going forward.

Barry and Iris chumming it up… without the “Laurel” gaze.

Hush Comics gives The Flash pilot, “City of Heroes” an A for its refreshing and accurate portrayal of one of the funnest characters in the DC Universe. While it was packed with little secrets for DC fanboys, it only slightly pulls back the curtain on the world of the man who is saving people in a flash. The pilot gives us plenty to look forward to in Season 1, and even though The Flash has one of the weaker rogues gallery in the DCU, we are looking forward to him and his band of merry misfits to thwart any danger that comes their way.

 

Easter Egg Hunt

Where is CSI?: You may recognize Jesse Martin, who plays Detective Joe West on The Flash, as Detective Ed Green from Law & Order. Martin played Green for almost ten years before leaving to tour with RENT as Tom Collins.

Grodd dammit!: While touring the remains of the S.T.A.R. Labs facility, Harrison Wells and Barry Allen pass a cage that has been broken open from the inside with the label “Grodd,” presumed to belong to Gorilla Grodd, a savage ape with far-superior intellect. That could probably come back to haunt them.

Who is the real Weather Wizard?: In the comic books, Clyde Mardon was a scientist that had discovered a way to control the weather, only to suffer a “heart attack” in his home. His brother Mark, who had escaped from prison, “found” Clyde’s notes and decided to use them to become the Weather Wizard. In the show, Clyde, who has seen Allen’s face, was conveniently shot and killed by West at the end of the episode. I’m predicting that Clyde could not have been the only Weather Wizard, who is a prominent villain of Flash’s. Who was flying the plane that Clyde escaped in? I wouldn’t be surprised if it was his brother, Mark.

Ferris Air: Green Lantern Hal Jordan got his not-so-humble beginnings as an ace pilot for Ferris Air. The appearance of this could mean that the Emerald Guardian is due to make an appearance on the show sooner or later. Allen and Jordan have always shared a great relationship (as have Jordan and Green Arrow, Oliver Queen), but I’m willing to bet that this was more of a shout-out to Geoff Johns, whose tenure on Green Lantern made him one of DC’s most popular heroes.

DC’s Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon: Oh yeah, that exists. Google that shit. DC is somewhat obsessed with the number 52. Listen and watch carefully, because this episode is littered with references to the magic number 52.

The Thawne Song: Thawne-Th-Thawne-Thawne-Thawne: Perhaps one of The Flash’s most formidable foes, Eobard Thawne is a time-traveling anti-Flash. There’s a big secret about him that you can find out by reading Flashpoint (one of my favorite graphic novels!), but just know that his guy is bad news. It would seem that his TV alter ego is Eddie Thawne, who has managed to steal Iris away from Barry, reads Barry’s blog on the regular and manages to know everything about Barry as it happens. There’s gotta be something to this “new guy” than meets the eyes.

Trying to resist the Impulse for puns… and failing: Before letting Allen test his full speed, he straps on two lightning-studded earpieces to his helmet to help resist sonic booms, or “battlefield impulse noise.” Kid Flash, Barry’s grandson from the future, has also gone by the name Impulse.

Don’t piss off the help: Allen’s companions at S.T.A.R. Labs correlate to fellow “meta-humans” in the DCU. In the comics, Cisco Ramon is Vibe, part-time breakdancer and full-time ass-kicker with the ability to emit shock waves. And Caitlin Snow is Killer Frost (there have been several Killer Frosts, but Snow is the most recent one), a not so nice villain that absorbs heat and spits it back out as cold. Caitlin already looks to be on the path to permanent piseed-offedness, so we might see her turn even more of a cold shoulder to S.T.A.R. Labs.

Just where is Starling City?: Luckily for us, almost every damn state in the country has a Central City. In the comics, it is referred to being in the middle of the country, from Ohio to Chicago to Missouri. However, when Allen takes a trip to Starling City in the show, Arrow says that it is just 600 miles away (lol “only”). We have previously thought Starling to be a West coast city (San Fran, Seattle) or an East coast city (Connecticut, Massachutesetts), but from this reference it looks like the most fitting location for Starling City must be something like Minneapolis. As many times as I’ve traveled there in the books, I realize that I have no idea where I’m going.

Legacy: The man that plays Henyr Allen, Barry’s father, was the star of the 1990’s Flash series. John Wesley Shipp does a great job here, which we can only assume was due to 25 years of practice.

Heroes raining from the sky: It looks as though the particle accelerator’s failure caused meta-humans to pop up left and right across the city, and that is the logical approach they will take to explain all these super-heroes and villains to emerge. It is an approach that reminds me of how the video-game DC Universe Online was explained, where nanobots were dropped around the world that gave people random powers all over the globe to help combat Brainiac’s invasion.

The “FUTURE”: Oh man, wasn’t that knowledge bomb at the end just spectacular? Just who the heck is this Harrison Wells guy and what horror does the future (spooky voice) hold? There are a few theories floating around, and thanks to the inclusion of time travel, the possibilities are endless:

Theory 1: Either Eddie Thawne is a smoke screen and Wells (who is not a real character on his own) is the real Reverse Flash, or Wells is related to Reverse Flash somehow. In the books, Eobard’s son, Thaddeus, becomes the villain Inertia. This is unlikely in the show since Wells looks considerably too old to be Eddie’s son, but with time travel, there are no rules.

Theory 2: Another DC magic word, “CRISIS,” insinuates that there will be some event relating to the book Crisis on Infinite Earths, where Barry Allen sacrifices himself to save the universe. As epic as this would be to see on TV, I feel that DC would want to avoid something as spoilerific as that.

My theory: Perhaps… Harrison Wells IS Barry Allen. The headline reads that The Flash has disappeared; this could be a literal translation, implying that he has traveled back in time. His insistence on testing Barry’s reaction early on in the goal of “unlocking mysteries,” his attempts to keep Barry from crime-fighting and his eventual encouragement suggests a personal investment in Barry; his hopeful glances at the paper ten years from now to see if circumstances have change further reinforce the theory that he is a good guy, contrary to the eerie music playing.

All photos belong to DC Entertainment.