Jessie Robertson reviews the fourth episode of The Flash…
With the introduction of Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller) this week, it finally feels like the show is about to start, as if our other “villains of the week” was still just a precursor to showing what the show was going to be. All the character traits he’s known for and everything you need to know about him you get in the frame of this show; he’s smart, calculating, lives by a code and is merciless when after what he wants. The dialogue is delivered in a slow monotone inflection and begs of respect. It’s finally a villain we can sink our teeth into, so it was no surprise he did not get locked up in Wells’ super-prison.
There was also a nice twist to the Cold story; his weapon came from STAR Labs, even made by Barry’s ping-pong partner, Cisco. He fessed up it was done in reaction to all the meta-baddies showing up, just in case Barry was a loon after all. Very Batman of him. Barry’s reaction to this news is antagonistic, but I think it was having to deal with the loss of an innocent life at the museum, in which was, visually, what I love about this show. Barry racing at top speeds, as the ice blast inches ahead of him, everything’s about how fast can he react and everything’s down to milliseconds. Amazing graphics.
This is where Felicity comes in; yes, she’s everywhere! But she’s great so it’s all good. She can deliver sage like advice to everyone on the show and essentially that’s why she’s here, not just a token cameo, she serves a purpose. Barry takes his failure hard, and the team seems to be fracturing a bit for the first time, but seeing as how she’s part of the only other superhero/vigilante team around (as far as we know; as Geoff Johns stated, this TV universe is part of a larger DC media multiverse- really?), she knows there are growing pains and you can’t be everywhere at once. She pulls him off the treadmill and shoots with him straight; that being a hero is a lonely life and there’s no reason to make it any lonelier but alienating the people willing to help you and turn inward, to an isolated place. Even when Barry goes up against Cold at the end, she pushes the team to not just sit in their fancy ergonomic chairs, but to actually go and help him, and they heed her advice. (Although a little confused on how they got to the scene so quickly). As far as Felicity and Barry, even Iris, who doesn’t notice her best friend jonesing for her, sees it clearly; they’re made for each other. An impromptu trivia night gives yet another excuse to put Felicity into a tight cocktail dress but I don’t think the audiences are revolting on that just yet. It’s a strange scene to me, as she leaves on the train; they both admit they are pining for others, people unavailable to them, even to the structure of the hero business they have got themselves into and seem to accept that; yet they still smooch before saying goodbye. Maybe that was the writers way of saying “We’re putting a pin in it.”
Grant Gustin and Tom Kavanaugh are both settling into these roles quite nicely, as Gustin seems completely natural now, more in the Barry scenes, and Kavanaugh is just so fun to watch as he seemingly has been or seen the future and knows everything that’s going to happen already.
Other Notes:
– Blackhawk security shows up (again, I”m pretty sure) hauling the Kahndaq Dynasty diamond to Central City; Kahndaq being famous as the country lead by hulking despot Black Adam.
– Leonard Snart (Miller) may have the most unfortunate name in all of villainy, so much so, Barry and Joe even discuss it’s lameness; but I did love Snart’s reaction to when Cisco called him Captain Cold; an icy smirk.
– Felicity’s double entendres are a hallmark of her character now; she must be thinking about sex constantly!
– And the shows title “Going Rogue” is very apropos as Flashs’ villains band together in the comics and call themselves the Rogues and from our after show teaser, it looks like that’s definitely happening.
Jessie Robertson
Originally published October 29, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
