Jessie Robertson reviews the twenty-first episode of The Flash season 5…
I don’t have a lot of positivity for tonight’s episode. As we build up to the finale for this season of the Flash, we’re neck deep in the Cicada storyline. She was front and center here tonight, along with Orel back from the dead (or did he ever die?). As Team Flash tries to figure out exactly how to go about saving the metas of the city, the best plan they come up with is to inoculate any meta that wants it at CCPD of the meta cure. They know this paints a bullseye on the building, but they do it anyways, which is exactly where she goes. During our final battle, I reiterate the same issues I had originally with this character: what are her powers?? She mentions she never needed the dagger but has yet another set of them as well as being a martial arts master (par for the course for any supervillain.) The way the battle concludes is a great cliffhanger and a great callback to Ralph’s mystery board he was staring at for hours earlier on.
There are also several subplots that don’t draw much interest during this finale, that right now, feel small. Sherloque and Renee Adler run a foul of Cicada II at one point and come up with the plan that he will send her to an alternate Earth to stay safe; but how can we be so invested in a character we’ve seen twice no matter what country music star she married? This feels like a thread to a new storyline coming up. Joe taking over as captain during the meta cure chaos also showed our favorite Dad struggling to make a true decision until, of course, the end of the episode. A sign that Capt. Singh is not long for this world? Again, a part time character. Finally, my favorite of the season, Nora Allen West. She’s heavily involved tonight, which I’m all for, but her psychic link with Grace is also back which I loathe. When she uses this link, Grace’s anger and hate are able to generate the red (or negative) lightning from within her. How exactly does that work? Nora can see through Grace’s eyes, yet Grace can just straight see Nora and look at her. Also, how come she can affect Nora’s mood and actions yet Nora can’t? This is an extremely problematic concept that needs to end now.
6.5/10- More issues with Cicada and everything surrounding her bog down this episode and pull us faster into a finale that feels like just another episode. Thawne’s plan finally being realized does provide some intrigue but doesn’t go much farther than that I’m afraid at this point.
Jessie Robertson
