Jessie Robertson reviews the eleventh episode of The Flash season 4…
This week’s episode of The Flash was like a cool breeze, as if a speedster just ran by to pick up his Jitters order. I didn’t feel that weight, that heaviness that sometimes hangs on The Flash like an old heavy curtain about to break the rod. Part of that reason is the dour mood the DeVoes have left on The Flash was absent. Instead, Ralph stepped up and became our hero for tonight’s episode and while I’ll admit quickly, he can’t carry many by himself, he was a fun departure from what The Flash normally has become, or The Flash’s new normal.
Ralph’s opening encounter with a bank thief alone was good material but matching up him against Trickster #2, young Axel was a great test for our new hero. And I genuinely bought his anxiety and fear in dealing with this kid, who despite appearances and the team’s warning, is very dangerous , even to Ralph. A good somber speech from Barry was the perfect way to incorporate him into the team this week (well, despite the very obvious hand holding he was going to do with Iris at the end.)
Despite the appearance of wrestling champion tough-guy Bill Goldberg, the jail scenes just didn’t do it for me. This was very much The CW-version of jail; even those gangbanger bullies after Barry were tame by most any other standard out there; and Barry giving Big Sur advice on how to survive was one of the more laughable moments in the history of this show; he just got here, weights 90 pounds and obviously this dude served with his father. I know the show gets a lot of flak for ending storylines just as quickly as they begin, but if we leave Barry in jail, just don’t cut to him as much.
Back to Ralph’s Christian Bale moment (hardly), Trickster wasn’t alone; his mom, Prank (who looked to also star in the original Flash TV series with Mark Hamill) was on hand to provide a completely serviceable , escape villain for the week. Their gag was even believable; she was a chemist and sole owner of a bankrupt toy company (will any former Toys R Us CEOs turn to villainy once 180 stores close this year?) The team banter was back and Barry’s negativity was up so a very fine episode.
BTW- over/under our Jittery friend at the end writing in Speed Force language is Barry & Iris’ offspring from the future?
Rating: 8/10
Jessie Robertson
