Jessie Roberston reviews the ninth episode of The Flash season 2…
Deck the Halls with bloody Flash parts…..tra la la la la
Merry Christmas everyone, The Flash lets down it’s hair (really far this time) and just has a lot of fun. From the dreidel (which deserves some fun too) to Mr. Googly-Pants to bad Christmas Sweaters, this episode was fully embracing the holiday spirit. But, that doesn’t mean the Flash isn’t always moving and driving the story forward. In addition to the fun caper our baddies of the week executed, Patty confronts not just her father’s killer, but the anger she’s held inside for her role in the unfortunate incident leading to her father’s death, Harry is left with a choice that’s not really a choice at all and we’re introduced to Joe’s long-lost son, Wally West.
Wait, did I just say Wally West? WALLY FREAKIN’ WEST is on The Flash! This really is time to celebrate! Wally, a lot of people’s favorite Flash, is finally on his namesake’s show, in a different version, but still, this can only mean exciting things for the future. You can always tell it’s a big deal when people repeat it over and over again, like Iris did, saying his full name several times. When Joe was given the news he was a dad, with a blood-son, I was waiting for him to break down like no one else can. We didn’t get it in Barry’s lab but at Star Labs, we got a full-blown Joe-fest and it was moving and mellow and honest. Giving Jesse L Martin more material like this is never ever going to be a bad thing. I also really, for the first time in a while, saw that bubbling chemistry, in a different form , between Grant Gustin and Candice Paton. It was there in its raw form but they were really feeding off each other.
As if the debut of Wally isn’t big enough, Mark Hamill is back! And a mere 9 days before the world literally explodes into a full-on nerd-gasm when Star Wars: The Force Awakens is released to us; Fanboys unite! And he’s in raging Joker mode all throughout; there was a bit of hesitation on the Trickster character last season as to what direction and how far they wanted to go with him, considering Hamill’s other major DC Villain role; but nothing was held back here, as they took his Joker-cues and turned it into homicidal nutjob complete with Santa costume and all. It was pure magic. Mark Marden returned too as the Weather Wizard but seemed flat side by side with Hamill and in the scene with Patty where her soul is laid bare and she fights her own demons with the Flash’s help.
Everything else was good filler; Cisco dialed way back, Caitlin and Jay’s almost unbearably bad romantic tension, and Harry’s tough decision looming; Tom Kavanaugh usually kills it as Wells but he seemed a bit lost and I didn’t care too much for the interactions with Zoom and himself; they seemed tacked on. We also got one last great scene between Barry Allen and Leonard Snart, over a cup of cocoa (which just isn’t the same without the little marshmallows) These two on are on the same wavelength and it’s a damn shame he’s being moved to Legends of Tomorrow. He belongs on The Flash!
10/10; drama, crazy villains and the debut of a very important character, with a Wentworth Miller bow on top; what more could you ask for?
Other notes:
– The quotes were coming fast and furious tonight: “What says togetherness better than mass graves?” “Fashion advice?” “Every Earth has a Godfather, Vito” “Hold onThe writers were sipping some nog and enjoying themselves with this one
– DC Comic note: the Okamura factory Trickster was hiding out in is named after the 3rd (I believe) Toyman, a hero/villain from the pages of Justice League
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng&v=3AMx7tPsXgQ
Originally published December 9, 2015. Updated April 15, 2018.
