Jessie Robertson reviews the seventh episode of The Flash season 3…
“Call me a genius, and a genius shall call on you!”
Tonight’s exhilarating opening sequence was one that personifies the Flash; amazing speed force action and teamwork and provided a hell of a way to kick off Kevin Smith’s 2nd directed episode (btw- would anyone have guessed? Were any clues dropped at all that Smith tackled this ep?) Savitar, we learn, can’t be seen by others, I guess he moves that fast, and can almost teleport places instead of running, he almost moves through the Speed Force; I worry the stakes keep being upped so high with these big bad speedsters every season and how the team can even begin to fight them. Caitlin and Cisco, in an image you never thought you’d see 3 years ago, both show up using their abilities and save Barry another big bad ass-kicking. You might be thinking , what does this have to do with Killer Frost?
I may have been harsh on The Flash for several reasons this season so far, but they got this one right. When we first saw that quick image of Killer Frost back in the season 1 finale, it seemed an impossibility our kind, helpful Dr. Snow could ever mature into that – but we got to see her on Earth-2 in full effect. That version of Frost was talking in villain cliches and was more of a broad villain, like Leonard Snart; this version of Frost, the one we get to see developing before our eyes (her origin story), is much different and fits so well with who Caitlin is. She is the quintessential nice girl, never raises her voice, never lashes out, but with Frost, the coldness inside her has welled up and we see it not only in her actions (ice-spiking Barry’s ankle, kidnapping Julian), but also in her tone. No one has ever let Barry Allen have it verbally like she does in this episode, and a lot of it was on the surface, but the calling out of our hero had to be done. The Flashpoint seems a grievous error (as it did when we saw it go down) and one Barry wishes he could take back, but he can’t; and it’s made everyone’s lives more depressing as a result, something Barry has silently faulted himself for but needed to shoulder more of that burden.
He handles Frost with tender hands for most of this episode until he realizes yes, this is Caitlin, but no, this isn’t her either; when she attains the knowledge from one of Savitar’s goons that yes, Alchemy can cure her of her powers, she almost seems validated in a way. Her change in attitude reveals a lot of things, including the fact that Dante, Cisco’s beloved brother, was alive and well before Flashpoint and now is gone, something Cisco has struggled with since day 1 in this new reality; it places huge strain on the team but now that everything’s out in the open, perhaps Barry can begin to rebuild these bonds that were unshakable once, but now, seem faltered. The Flash excels in humor and amazing action and effects, but the heart of this ever-expanding team gives it its unique roundness and episodes like this are reasons why it works on so many levels, including just a human emotion one.
So other stuff happens too….Wally is broken out of the cocoon and after being cured by Dr. Snow, he is able to settle into his full speed powers. In the comics, traditionally, Wally is even faster than Barry (wait till Bart shows up!), so that will be interesting to see if that factors in at all. Julian is apparently also Dr. Alchemy, which fits, but seemed way too obvious for words. No sign of Joe’s new flame, but this was a heavy serious episode with a lot to unpack, so smaller storylines had to be put on the side.
9.5/10- a tremendous episode with a delicate balancing act beautifully done by The Flash writing team; Killer Frost, in some form, now exists fully in this world and while she’s not as fun as E-2’s version, this one should provide some fascinating elements as we move forward
Other Notes:
– HR continues to be a delight; That is all- Happy Turkey Day!
Jessie Robertson
Originally published November 23, 2016. Updated April 16, 2018.
