I jumped the gun a little last week. See, I got behind a bit on my Flash reviews so I’ve been power-watching to catch up. Mistakenly, I included Linda Park’s first appearance in last week’s review when, in fact, her first appearance was in this week’s episode. So a big chunk of my last review was from the future! Blame Harrison Wells; that’s what I’m going to do. So, this week’s review will be a little shorter than usual.
I am liking the Pied Piper! He’s an excellent villain with so much potential. I do hope that they follow his path from the comics and, eventually, bring him onto the team. His dynamic with Cisco is fun to watch. Regardless of his future with STAR Labs, Hartley is going to make an excellent recurring villain since his particular power will challenge the team’s science. As a Rogue, his scientific nature will create a most interesting counterpoint to Heatwave’s impulsiveness and Cold’s calculating leadership. I’m looking very forward to the eventual villain team-up.
Holy Karaoke, Batman! Flash can sing! I shouldn’t be so surprised; Grant has been excellent in this whole series. Of course he can sing. He probably speaks Spanish, too. Caitlin makes a pretty obnoxious drunk but I understand that, so do I. It’s these moments of friendship and lightheartedness that pushes The Flash above other shows of its ilk. Just another example of the writers’ commitment to “fun.” As I stated earlier, we’ve now met Linda Park and I hope she sticks around. Barry and Iris are the couple we want to see together but that’s the endgame of the series. Linda’s presence and history in the comics turns the inevitable romance between the leads on its head. Frankly, I would be satisfied if Iris and Barry remained as friends and Iris develops into a full character not defined by the lead’s attention. Her new position as a fledgling journalist seems to be moving in that direction so I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
The villain du jour is Peek-A-Boo, a relatively new addition to Flash’s rogues gallery. Her first appearance in the comics was only in 2002. Her addition is welcome as I love her powerset! You don’t get much cooler than teleportation as a foil for a speedster. Her relationship with her jailbird boyfriend feels a little co-dependent and I hope she’s on her own the next time we see her.
Barry’s dad took one for the team while doing a little snooping around in the prison. His talk with Barry in the infirmary was heartwarming. I never get tired of seeing John Wesley Shipp on the show. I was a big fan of the original Flash series and he always makes me feel nostalgic. Legacy has been such a large part of the Flash’s story and it’s interesting to see it played out in the TV series.
We got some answers about Ronnie Raymond this week. Looks like next week will put him in the spotlight so I’ll save most of my opinions until then. That said, Martin Stein, to me, is the true heart of the character and, without him, the character fails. We’ll see if this holds true in the series.
Lastly, Gorilla Freaking Grodd!!! Of all the rogues, he is the one for whom I am most hopeful/nervous. I hope they get it right or we could be looking at a Jar Jar Binks moment for the Flash.