“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.”
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.
Hush Comics 