The Flash 2.09 “Running to Stand Still”

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Central City. While the holidays bring good tidings to the rest of us, they bring our favorite man in the red suit one huge headache as Mark Mardon, aka the Weather Wizard (Liam McIntyre) breaks Len Snart, aka Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller) and James Jesse, aka the Trickster (Mark Hamill) out of Iron Heights so they can help deliver a world of pain to the Scarlet Speedster. Cold bows out of the plan, but not before tipping Barry off to what Mardon and Jesse have in mind. It’s some nice foreshadowing to the reluctant hero Snart will be playing in Legends of Tomorrow.

Even without Cold in on the fun and games, Barry has his hands full between the Trickster laying a trap with dreidels made of C4 and trying to help Patty Spivot (Shantel VanSanten) keep her anger in check as she plots revenge against Mardon for killing her dad. Things comes to ahead after the Trickster  plays Santa and passes out a hundred gift-wrapped bombs and Mardon lures Flash out by attacking Central City’s  Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Mardon tells Barry about the bombs and that the only way he can save the lives of the children and their families is by standing still and letting Mardon whale on him without lifting a finger. Thankfully Harry devises a way to find one bomb, magnetize it and send the others through one of the breaches above the city.

Barry defeats Mardon and Jesse, but then he saves Mardon from Patty who is determined to end Weather Wizard once and for all. She is bound and determined to kill him for taking her father away, but thankfully Flash talks her down by telling her that Weather Wizard can’t take anything else away from her unless she lets him. In the end, much to Barry’s relief, Patty spares Mardon and puts him under arrest.

As always, it is a pleasure to see Hamill as James Jesse. He actually ups the crazy from his last appearance and the biggest crime the Trickster commits is stealing this episode. Also, McIntyre does a great job in this episode and really seems to be enjoying his role as Weather Wizard. The scene where he uses his powers to fly, and the chase that results with the Flash is a joy to watch. More and more, this show is like a comic book come to life and it is  a blast to have guest stars who are more than willing to play along. My favorite scene though is of the Flash taking the Weather Wizard’s abuse as his team races to find a way to stop the bomb threat. Grant Gustin really embodies the nobility of the Flash, and this selfless act is very touching and powerful. This is the act of a true hero.

Besides seeing a great team-up between Rogues, the subplot involving the secret son Joe never knew about comes to a head in this episode as Iris comes clean about Wally West and the episode’s next to the final scene is of  Detective West and Iris meeting the young man destined to becoming Kid Flash (Keiynan Lonsdale).  Until this moment though, Joe has to deal with the guilt of not knowing his son was out there, growing up without him and Jesse L. Martin really sells his scenes dealing with Joe’s grief, anger and frustration.

The introduction of Wally West would have been a great way to leave fans as the show goes into repeats for the holidays, but the producers give us a truly groovy WTH!? moment as Harry meets with Zoom and we learn the reason for Zoom sending bad guy after bad guy from Earth-Two after Barry. The dark speedster is making the Flash stronger and faster so he can be all the more powerful when he takes the Flash’s speed. And just when you thought Harry was a decent guy, and we even have a wonderful scene where Barry forgives the Earth-One Dr. Wells for all the things he did, Harry strikes a deal with Zoom to help him in exchange for his daughter’s life. Merry Christmas, kids!

As always, The Flash delivers the goods and leaves me wanting more. January 19 can’t get here fast enough. Until then, “Running to Stand Still” is a heck of a gift to the fans and I give it a solid 4 stars.