The Flash 1.07 “Power Outage”

Very interesting episode! Barry lost his powers, Wells gained a sidekick and the Flash’s secret identity is a secret once again. There was so much packed into the episode it’s difficult to know where to start.

Let’s dive right into Harrison Wells. He’s finally got someone to talk to about his problems; an AI named Gideon. Gideon is chock full of information about the future. Indeed, she seems to be stationed in the future and relaying information to Wells as she can see that events in the past have changed. In fact, she may exist outside time altogether. I don’t know about you, but speculating on Harrison’s true identity is one of my favorite parts of the show. I wonder how long we will be made to wait for an explanation?

So, Tony Woodward never really got to be “Girder” because he’s dead! Oh, SPOILERS! Once again, Wells is more than willing to sacrifice a pawn to keep his knight safe. I was surprised by that turn of events as a childhood bully turned supervillain seemed like such a great idea. Looks like Barry had a plethora of bullies so, better luck next time.

My theory about Eddie Thawne being the Man in the Yellow Suit might be out the window. He took one for the team. Right in the shoulder.

Actually, I love the whole thing with Tockman. Robert Knepper is always a great villain. He will always BE a great villain. The Clock King is a ridiculous bad guy. You should look up how he was dressed in the comics. But Knepper makes him so cool! The writers really deserve the credit. It’s a great synergy.

Two for two with Iris, everyone. Great job! See, that’s what I’m talking about! If her character arc continues in this direction then I will be grateful for the lousy start. Another great step in her father’s evolution, too. Detective West took a chance on his daughter and now he knows that she’s capable. Again, I hope the writers continue this growth instead of ping-ponging between protection and freedom.

I was impressed by Michael Reventar as Farooq/Blackout. He played borderline monster/victim pretty well even if his “I must FEED” was over the top. He only had the script to work with and that isn’t the most inspired dialogue

Barry lost his powers because, you know, science, apparently. He tried to get them back with, you know, science. But all he needed to do was believe in himself. Did we learn nothing from Spider-Man 2? Haven’t we done this already this season? Don’t do that anymore. It’s midichlorians for superheroes. The Flash has powers. He won’t stop having powers because he had a bad day. He may not use his powers very well, but they’re still there. I would much rather hear crazy, pseudo-science gobbledygook than an explanation right out of Saved by the Bell.

Since we started with Wells, let’s end on Wells.

How about the Easter Egg-filled death list?? Here are the “dead people” I caught; Bea Decosta aka Fire, Ronnie Raymond aka Firestorm, Will Everett aka Amazing Man, Al Rothstein aka Atom Smasher, Grant Emerson aka Damage and RALPH DIBNY aka The Elongated Man. I love Ralph! His character is nearly as old as The Flash. In the comics, Ralph’s wife was a true partner. See, Ralph was a detective as well as super-stretchy and his wife, Sue, accompanied him on every adventure. (See an upcoming, supplemental Flash article to learn her horrific fate). There’s an entire season’s worth of new metahumans!

I’m in.