This episode had references to a “Man of Steel,” to Iron Fist, and to Firestorm. The most comics hour of comics TV is back, and some spoilers will be discussed, so don’t read until you’ve watched the episode.
1. Joe West = the best
While the show does have a fair share of CW-grade actors (mainly on the fringes), Jesse L. Martin is not one of them. Every scene he is in, he brings his A-game. In this episode, you see him being a great father, a great cop, and a great friend, and at each turn, Martin makes choices that surprise and excite the viewer. The scene between Martin and Tom Cavanaugh (Wells) in the bar was one of the finest acted in the series’ short history. Watch Martin – he starts off loose and relaxed, and he slowly tenses up before dropping the bombshell: that he suspects Wells in Nora Allen’s death. He knows the whole time that Wells opened S.T.A.R. Labs a month after his wife died, but he plays the role of the bourbon-drinking buddy so well that no one – even Wells – suspects an ulterior motive.
Despite his ruse, West is how the show envisions a perfect cop; he’s a tough guy with a big heart, who manages to both invest himself in the cases he’s on fully, without going over the line into obsession. He cares for his partner, but cares more about his family. In many ways, although Barry is being trained by the S.T.A.R. crew, Joe is the role model for not just life, but for how to be a hero.
2. Metal, bro
Girder, a Geoff Johns/Ethan Van Sciver creation, isn’t exactly the most compelling character in comics, but Greg Finley brings the perfect mix of bro jock and psychopath to make him work for the show. When I’m not doing the Multiversity thing, I work with teenagers, and he perfectly captures that bravado that many people have when they’re 15, and some never lose.
What was nice about this freak of the week was that a) he wasn’t killed, b) he has a personal connection to Barry and Iris, and c) he seemed like a legitimate threat that would be extraordinarily hard to stop. You can get rid of Captain Cold’s gun, you can’t un-steel Girder.
3. The World’s Shortest Breakup
While I am glad that Iris and Barry are back to speaking, I think it would have been more effective to put them on ice for another couple of weeks. That is the problem with so many of these shows; they are afraid to commit to long-term character struggles. It would have made both characters seems stronger, and less CW-y, to have them struggle to regain their friendship, and not just slip back into it like a comfortable old shoe. This was something that Smallville did seemingly weekly, and it lessened the interpersonal relationships on the show. Take heed, Flash writers.
4. The “team” feels less redundant than Team Arrow
One of the problems with Arrow is how at times it seems like Ollie and Felicity are all the team they need; you never get that impression with Cisco, Caitlin and Wells. Everyone plays their part, and everyone has an unique and important job. The show took great strides to show that Caitlin and Cisco, though both scientists, approach things differently and have different concerns with their science. With Wells to keep them in line, the team functions about as smoothly as one could hope four people could.
5. Wells is the Reverse Flash, right?
Wells, as Barry’s “mentor,” plays a role that, the more I think of it, resembles Samuel L. Jackson’s in Unbreakable – he is pushing Barry towards an eventual future that necessitates his own. While the show could be doing a massive misdirect with Wells, it seems abundantly clear that he is the Reverse Flash or, if not that, then he is the one pulling the strings behind the Reverse Flash. The show has done a really great job with Wells who, besides Joe West, is the most well developed character on the show.
A big part of that comes down to Cavanaugh, a truly excellent actor, who can do more with his eyes and a smirky smile than most actors can with a loud, explosive scene. I will be truly sad to see the character stop being Barry’s mentor, but this is a case where patience will pay off huge dividends. If they can avoid pulling the trigger on Wells’ turn for a few seasons, it will be heartbreaking. If they rush it this season, it won’t have quite the same impact.
What I’m saying is: slow down, speedsters.
