It’s hard for me to decide which episode is my favorite from this first season. “The Man in the Yellow Suit” probably takes the prize but this week’s episode comes in a close second. Even the whole “Iris can never learn that Barry is secretly the Flash” thing couldn’t put a damper on the sheer fun that was this episode. It embodied the best spirit of the late 50’s Flash comics and reinforced my personal bias toward a brighter, friendlier Justice League.
Brandon Routh guest starred as Ray Palmer (The Atom) this week and he was tremendous! Please, oh please, let him take over for Wells when the sh*t hits the fan. Routh’s Ray Palmer belongs on The Flash. His chemistry with Cisco was almost as perfect as his chemistry with Felicity. Regrettably, Brandon Routh gets a bad rap because of Superman Returns, but the fault with that horrible movie lies with the script. Routh was an excellent Superman even if it was structured to be an homage to Christopher Reeve. The awkwardness he displayed as Clark Kent is dialed back a bit as he plays Ray Palmer but it is 100% more effective.
I admit that I haven’t been able to keep up with Arrow this season, (that is Sean’s territory and you can check out his reviews here) so this was my first exposure to The Atom. I was a bit disappointed that he didn’t shrink because that’s kind of The Atom’s schtick but I’ll give it a pass. DC doesn’t really have an “Iron Man” so I can see what they’re trying to do.* The Atom is a perfect addition to The Flash’s universe. Both characters were part of comic book revival of Golden Age characters which The Flash heralded in 1956. They were both complete reimaginings and their adventures were fun, fun, fun! If I had it my way, Green Lantern and Hawkman would soon follow. You add Black Canary and a certain Martian to the mix and we have a Justice League! Boom!
Back to this episode. With Detectives West and Thawne in on Barry’s secret identity, the Flash is able to work as a partner to stop crime. More of this please! It’s refreshing to watch a superhero that ISN’T running from the police even if I can’t wrap my head around the amount of paperwork his “crime busting” would create.
Oh yeah. Thawne knows that Barry is the Flash. I would be on my usual soapbox about the way Iris West has been written and treated as a character but the writers already know. Thawne even mentioned that she’s the only one who DOESN’T know the identity of the Flash. I must admit to some personal vindication concerning Iris due to an amazing article that appeared in The Mary Sue last week. At times, it feels like I’m shouting in a vacuum but others are saying the same thing. Iris needs to be given better respect. There are only two recurring female characters on the show (three if you count Linda) and the other one has been in on the secret since the beginning. Hell, Iris is the ONLY recurring cast member who doesn’t know. Even Cold knows that The Flash is Barry Allen. As far as that goes, the bad guys ALREADY know his identity, they could grab Iris at anytime if they felt like it. So, what exactly is she being protected from?? No wonder she’s always pissed off.
The Villain Du Jour was The Bug Eyed Bandit. Trust me, this interpretation was waaaay better than the comic book version. Until Palmer and Cisco named her, I thought we might be seeing the beginning of H.I.V.E (Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination… hey, I don’t name these things) but, no, just another C-List Villain given amazing new life on TV. Emily Kinney was delightfully weird in the role and it was a pleasure to see her without a hole in the back of her head (you are watching Walking Dead, right?)
Speaking of delightful; how great was it to see Amanda Pays again? Don’t call it a comeback, she’s been Tina McGee for years!
That leaves us with Harrison Wells… again. The noose is tightening and now Caitlyn and Cisco know what he’s been up to. The next episode is called, “Who is Harrison Wells?” so expect lots of Tom Cavanagh goodness.
See you next Tuesday!
*DC Comics does have an “Iron Man”, he’s called Hardware. Back in the 90’s, when DC actually cared about diversity, they published a new line of comics under the banner, “Milestone.” The unique thing about that line was that the characters and creators were, largely, people of color. To DC’s shame, these amazing characters have been in publishing limbo since the turn of the new century.