Jessie Robertson reviews the third episode of The Flash…
Now, this was a good episode. Barry says right from go “We’re all always running, either to or from something,” and that categorizes the plot pretty spot on here. As the revelation of Joe believing Barry’s story that someone inside yellow lightning really killed his mother looms overhead, Barry starts feeling more pressure to do something, to get his father out of prison. An aside is that Barry has thought of using his new abilities to spring his dad from Iron Heights and….well, he didn’t think that far ahead, as Joe points out; they’d be running their whole lives. Barry’s already sort of signed up for that.
Iris and Eddie, you know that relationship that no one is supposed to know about, but everyone probably already does, has to come out; they run into a couple awkward situations with Joe where they have to lie their way out of. But in the end, they also run towards it, Iris because she wants a real relationship finally, and it turns out Joe already knew it was going on. Iris is an extremely magnetic character and presence on the show but I hope the feelings Barry has towards her don’t stay in the background as it’s fairly obvious and she’s not a dumb person.
Dr. Caitlin Snow gets more back story this week and we see flashbacks to the night the accelerator blew up and meet her fiancée, engineer extraordinaire, Ronnie Raymond. When they hear a loud “bang” from the machine, he instantly jumps into action to save the day and try to stabilize it so it doesn’t kill everyone in Central City. We actually get to see the accelerator and my god, it’s freakin immense! I think it may the most implausible thing so far; just how long did it take to put that thing together! (We do hear Wells, right before he turns it on, say he feels like he’s been waiting for this moment forever more- time travel clues?) Ronnie takes an awfully lot of time to convince Cisco to close the door behind him in 2 minutes, but he lost 30 seconds doing it? Anyways, Caitlin has been staying away from the accelerator, for fear that she’ll break down completely. I wondered, why she stayed on as an employee there? Must be good benefits. Both her and Cisco did finally get some human moments instead of just catchphrases and doctor speak this week, so I think they’re on the right path.
But, again, this weeks’ best moments belonged to Joe West; he rededicates himself to digging through Nora Allen’s murder file to exonerate Henry. But when he talks to Barry about the case, you see, again in his eyes, as they well up, something he’s run from that he has to face; the fact that he’s the guy who put Henry in prison for the murder. You can see the inner turmoil boiling inside him, knowing that raising Barry as his own son is one of his proudest achievements, but the way it came about, it’s an issue I still looming on the horizon that may not be full explored. Joe even visits Henry in jail, and it’s another touching moment, as Henry resents Joe for what he did, but is grateful for raising Barry. Jesse L. Martin’s eyes tell wondrous volumes and his inclusion on the show is a treat.
Our villain this week is again, one dug from the archives, the arch-rival of Starman (don’t ask) called the Mist. He’s able to transform himself into a toxic gas and invade his victims lungs, poisoning them to death. I have to give to them, this guy was creepy, from his pale appearance to his ice cold voice. It’s discussed by the science team that they have to find a place to house these super criminals (unless, as Joe puts it, they just keep offing them every week). The accelerator is agreed that its potential is perfect for containing these meta humans and that’s exactly where the Mist ends up. Remember when the Ghostbusters got shut down for not having permits for that one containment unit? You telling me this place is flying under the radar? What’s going on in Central City government is my question.
I have to say, as I meant to last week, the special effects on this show are brilliant, considering this on TV. Last week’s burning house rescue by the Flash and this week showing all they can do with a cloud of deadly gas, the FX team on this show is yet another standout. Bravo, guys and gals.
Sidenotes:
– Barry makes a crack to Joe about being a hero, but he’s not asking to get a Museum put up; The Flash Museum is a big part of the comic book lore as Flash becomes an icon hero to Central City.
– When Caitlin describes her relationship with Ronnie to Barry, she says he always called them “Fire and Ice.” Great precursor as Ronnie becomes Firestorm and Caitlin becomes super villain Killer Frost in the comics.
– And this weeks’ hard to find easter egg had some interesting titles on the marquee outside the movie theater Barry and Iris visit: One was The Blue Devil, a DC character who was a stuntman playing this part in a movie when he was blasted by a demon, bonding the costume to him and giving him super powers. The other was the Rita Farr story, who was also an actress in DC Comics, but gained the power to change her height, mass and density.
Jessie Robertson
Originally published October 22, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
