The Flash has not backed down from the multiverse, dopplegangers, or speed tricks thus far this season – and this episode just ramps them all up.
1. Doctor Light
An interesting wrinkle in the Earth Two (not Earth 2, if you notice) storyline is that we are meeting dopplegangers of characters we already know – the most obvious being Harrison Wells, but now we have Linda Park, aka Earth Two Doctor Light. I understand why, thematically, this makes sense – it is as Wells says, Barry seeing Linda as Light means that he will hesitate when acting. So, from a behind the scenes, show making perspective, I get why Linda makes sense.
However, if Harrison Wells on some pan-multiversial level is a genius who starts S.T.A.R. Labs on every Earth, why is one Linda Park a thief and the other a damn good sportswriter? Obviously, the world they live on will influence/shape them to a certain degree, but it seems like those skills aren’t part of the same continuum at all. I can almost understand if the show makes Caitlin’s Earth Two version Killer Frost, because the line between hero and villain, as we all know, can be blurred rather easily. The same impulses that lead her to try to do what is right could also lead her to over-correct for that, and to do evil in the name of a noble cause. But Linda’s career as a journalist doesn’t seem to be lending itself to crime. And, since we only know a limited amount about Linda, there isn’t another part of her personality that we can attach to her ‘true’ self beyond her career. I’m interested to see how/if they reveal why this is the case.
2. Harry
One of the best parts of this show casting Tom Cavanaugh is that Cavanaugh is one of the most natural actors you’ll find – when playing a ‘normal’ guy, he just radiates warmth and realness. This is part of what made his betrayal hurt so much (and what made Ed one of the most underrated shows of the early aughts – buy me a beer one night and I’ll tell you all about it).
But as Harry, Cavanaugh is taking his acting cues from Mark Hamill’s Trickster and chewing the scenery all around him. His voice, his mannerisms, his brood – they are all pivots from how Wells was played. Because of that, Cavanaugh could have been playing both in the same room, and you could easily tell the difference. That’s a nice touch, even if I wish he’d tone down his Christian Bale as Batman voice and let his hair not be so dramatic and emo.
Also – despite the fact that Cisco calls him not evil, but a dick, I’m still saying there is a fair chance that Harry is actually Zoom. I really hope not, because we’ve been there and done that, but if Earth Two is as much of a reflection of Earth One as they seem to be teasing, Wells might very well be both.
3. Vibe
Cisco has been one of the bright spots of the show since the very beginning, and bringing his powers more into focus this season feels right – thankfully not rushed at all. And the best part is that they haven’t stopped developing Cisco at the expense of developing Vibe – they keep giving his regular dude personality more quirks and history, and never seem to miss an opportunity to make him even more likable.
Playing Barry’s eyes tonight – in what was perhaps the broadest part of any episode thus far – was a classic buddy comedy move, replete with him eating Chinese food – the most 80s comedy film food staple – while talking Barry through his date. Cisco is the show’s secret weapon, and I worry when Vibe is the lead of Legends of Tomorrow season two (there is no inside info here, just my guesswork – season two’s team will grow, because the show can’t resist that urge, and will be made up of Jay Garrick, the Atom, Vibe, Constantine, White Canary, Hawkgirl, and two heroes we haven’t met yet – I’ll guess Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle and another Flash Rogue we’ve yet to meet, Mirror Master – both from Earth Two).
Continued belowPlus, dude got Hawkgirl’s number. Niiiiiiiiiiiice.
4. Speed Mirages
The Flash has some great weird little powers – like speed mirages – that are perfect fodder for this show. That’s a (relatively) cheap special effect that, if used sparingly, can be a fantastic tool for the show to break out now and then. I wonder how soon Barry will be regularly vibrating through walls?
Also of note – I like that Vibe’s name is more about the feelings he gets than vibrational powers, as those would hew pretty close to Barry’s powers. Of course, Cisco may still have those powers, but being aware of the Multiverse is a much more interesting/useful power for the show to go with.
5. Garrisnow and Batty
This week was all about the adorable couples. Jay and Caitlin are both defined by their losses – Jay’s speed and Caitlin’s husband – and so finding comfort in each other is natural. I doubt Jay remains a player on the show much beyond this season, and I can’t imagine Ronnie not coming back at some point, so brace for a love triangle, y’all.
But what is even cuter is the Barry/Patty pairing, forever dubbed ‘Batty.’ The show pulled off an interesting trick – when Patty Spivot debuted in the New 52, she was Barry’s love interest, and fans were upset that Iris and Barry weren’t an item. On the show, it is the opposite – Patty debuted, and instantly fans were calling for her to be Barry’s girlfriend instead of Iris. While the rehabilitation of Iris was helped a bit this week by her straight up trying to execute Doctor Light by blowing her fucking head off, she still can’t hold a candle to Patty.
Love live Batty.
Let me know your thoughts on all of this in the comments!
