Jessie Robertson reviews the twentieth episode of The Flash…
In the famous words of Admial Ackbar “It’s a trap!”
The jig is up, the cat is out of the back, the wheels are off the trailer. Harrison Wells has revealed himself and our race to the season finale is off and freakin’ running! Last night’s episode was bouncing us all over the place and there was no time for a villain of the week- it was a focused, straight narrative as the Flash team worked to get a confession from Wells about killing Nora Allen. Where to begin? First off, Barry deducts that Cisco’s creepy dream he keeps having about dying, isn’t really a dream at all; it’s a memory. So, with Caitlin’s scientific knowledge, they decide to induce lucid dreaming (which I wrote a fictional novel about- read here) so he can talk them through what he’s been dreaming consciously. It’s a crazy sequence that would only work in the Flash, but reliving that scene, Wells is damn scary. This leads them to try to “recreate” this moment in real life, by drawing Wells out of his ruse and getting him to confess. As the team finds out, it’s not that easy. Cisco reconfigures his “speedster-trap” to keep Wells out and away from him , but somehow he walks right through. Joe takes action and fires off 3 shots, which Barry instantly runs after to catch, preventing Wells death, but it’s too late. 1 bullet got away and struck Wells in the heart; only it was wasn’t Wells, it was the Everyman from last week’s episode. This sequence was pulled off amazingly, with slow-mo Barry reaching out to snatch the bullets. Breathtaking stuff for TV, again Flash’s CG department blows everything else away.
Wells comes through on a speaker letting the Flash team know he had set them up and that his time was coming very soon where he and the Flash would meet again. Then, Barry finds Wells video feeds where he’s been watching all the Flash team members at home, at work, pretty much since day 1. Someone give Thawne a mic, so he can drop it.
Last week’s show ended with Barry, Cisco and Caitlin finding Wells’ secret chamber and it just got better this week. Easter Eggs galore were spilled in this scene, including a change in authors of the “Flash Vanishes in Crisis” article, now written by one Iris West-Allen. Barry interrogates Gideon, Wells sentient computer program for a minute before they have to hightail it out of there. More pertinent information: Barry becomes head of the Central City CSI division and he actually built Gideon! So much to take in.
There’s another great thread running through this episode which is showing off 3 main characters during Barry’s coma and how they reacted. We see Joe’s pain, in watching his son (for all intents and purposes) seize up and convulse in pain, and he sees the confusion in the doctors working on Barry’s face. These are the scenes he shines in; when he’s emotional. Wells shows up and introduces himself and convinces Joe to let him take Barry to STAR Labs to cure him. It’s a hell of a sell job, but it must have been a combination of Joe’s pain and helplessness with Well’s smooth honey talk that got the job done. Next, we see Iris visiting Barry; she was there with Joe earlier and her reaction to Barry’s jostling was as real as anything we’ve seen on this show. I loved that Iris even looked a bit younger in this scene; her voice not as matured as she expounded on her feelings for Barry, not admissions of romantic love, as Joe seemed so sure of, but of deep, affectionate love for this human being in front of her. Before she leaves, she grips Barry’s hand and feels a spark, which becomes important later on. Then, as the episode ends, Wells is watching over Barry, having just gotten him to Star Labs, and he’s obviously alone, as he stands up and to himself, and to Barry, he pontificates how much he hates him; how he had longed to see Barry in this weakened state for so long, but knows the irony of having to help him become the Flash. It’s another very cool scene that gives you a lot of insight into Wells (I need to start calling him Thawne!) mind because the transformation at this point is complete. Wells is Thawne in all but appearance now. There are many weeks during Flash and Arrow where the flashbacks are almost throwaways, adding maybe one point to the over-reaching plot, but these may have been the most important of the season. The only “plot” revealed in them is these characters true, deep feelings for Barry, because they know he’s not listening and what they mean for the show.
There’s also this whole subplot of Eddie getting a bug up his a** to propose to Iris. When he asks Joe for his blessing, he gives him a stark “no.” Eddie’s confused and even states back he doesn’t need Joe’s permission, but Joe is already gone. He recruits Barry to help out in this endeavor, which is when we find out Joe knows Iris loves him and he doesn’t want her to settle with the wrong person. From my memory, this is the first we’re hearing of Joe’s dedicated belief that they are in love. And does it weird him out a bit? They grew up as friends, from their eyes, mostly, but in Joe’s, it had to be more brother and sister. I’m not going down this path right now, but marriage was on everyone’s mind here. Captain Singh even tells Barry “Don’t ever get married, Allen.” This comes moments after he’s reeling from seeing his name next to Iris West in her future byline. Another great Flash moment is when Eddie stares off dreamily when talking to Barry about his proposal and says “Iris Thawne. Has a nice ring to it.” Barry quips quietly “I think she’ll hypenate.”
A dynamite episode but we’re not done yet!:
Other Notes:
– The Flash team was on fire tonight with one liners: Here’s a sample: Cisco bugged Wells’ wheelchair and says “If he’s not crippled, I’m going to Hell for that one.”
– When Cisco is induced to sleep, Joe states “So, that’s how you get him to shut up!” while laughing hysterically.
– After Cisco survives his attack from psuedo-Wells, he unequivocally says “I’m never, ever going to sleep again.”
– If you didn’t get a good look at the future newspaper, it described a battle Reverse Flash had with the Flash, but Flash wasn’t alone: it mentions, by name, Green Arrow, the Atom and Hawkgirl pitched in- wHOA!
– Also, as Gideon mentions Barry’s credentials she begins to say “Founding member of the…” but gets cut off. THERESGOINGTOBEATVJUSTICELEAGUE! I just fanboy’d out big time there.
– We got our final beat of Thawne playing Wells, where the guy never turns it off; he helps Barry learn how to create wind tunnels with his arms, which is a classic comic book Flash move.
– – Last but not least, Eobard introduces himself to Eddie, because, well, they’re family. A fact that did not go unnoticed by Joe when he finds out.
Jessie Robertson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszFLSgML6ddazw180SXMvMz5&feature=player_embedded&v=pnc360pUDRI
Originally published April 29, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
