A de-powered Barry Allen tries to deal with life as a normie, and we see the Flash team conspire to murder someone!
1. Emo Barry
I know how off I feel when I’m a little under the weather, so I can’t imagine being Barry Allen post-speed loss. It has to be a huge bummer, not just emotionally, but also physically. Just the idea of having to wait around after 2 years of incredible speed must be a drag, but then your metabolism is all thrown off. I image Barry feeling like he’s incredibly hungover.
But still, emo Barry is my least favorite Barry. What makes this show infectious is the optimism and hope displayed, and seeing Barry sans that makes the rest of the cast need to pick up the slack big time. The problem is, they’re all as equally bummed out as he is, and so everyone just sort of mopes around all day.
The one character who was a ray of sunlight was, shockingly, Wally. Wally, the curmudgeonly kid, gets inspired by a hero, and vows to become better himself. That’s the power of a good superhero story, and I’m glad to see the show not forget what it is all about, even as people mope about.
2. The murder of Griffin Grey
OK, so I know that the show didn’t explicitly have the team murder Griffin Grey, but they sure as hell got pretty close. So, Grey was hit by the dark matter from the particle accelerator, and got incredibly strong – but, every time he uses his strength, he ages a bit. Now, he’s strong enough to let a van hit him full speed, and to bend steel with little problem – so he’s gonna be tough for Barry to take down, especially a de-powered Barry. Essentially, a plan is hatched, after he kidnaps Harry, to get him to hit Barry so hard that he ages himself to death. So, maybe this isn’t murder, but rather forced suicide?
Either way, this was perhaps the darkest the show has ever gone, and really tested the limits of what is an acceptable way for the team to dispatch a villain. Yes, the show has a problem with villains dying, but this might be the most calculated one yet.
3. Killered Frost
It was fun watching Danielle Panabacker play two roles this week – it really showed just how strong of an actress Panabacker is, as the characters seemed completely at odds, both in terms of personality, and even how they carried themselves. Seeing Caitlin in Zoom’s clutches reminds us how much she’s lost. In fact, though Barry’s mother being murdered in front of him affected both his and Henry’s lives forever, that all happened before we met the characters. We’ve seen Caitlin’s life essentially ripped apart four times – when Ronnie died the first time, when she found out that her mentor, Harrison Wells, was evil, Ronnie dying a second time, and then Jay’s betrayal. The gal’s gonna need some serious counseling.
4. Is there a brother Snow?
Killer Frost mentioned that she had a brother on Earth 2 who died, and Caitlin replied that she didn’t have a brother. This is not just idle chat – the show has to be doing something with this information. And, since brothers have been such an important part of the show thus far – Wally, Cisco’s douche brother – it wouldn’t surprise me if we see Caitlin’s brother pop up eventually.
Odds are, too, that we’ve met him before. Any guesses?
5. Another accelerator explosion?
I must admit, when Harry first said this, I got a little giddy, because of the sheer damage it could do on the show. I mean, consider it: the first one killed many, transformed thousands, and was nearly an unforgivable mess. So, let’s do it again!
On one hand, this is a convenient way to restock the show with villains and allies – on the other, it is incredibly reductive and a little lazy. Now, saying that’s the plan and actually going through with the plan are two different things all together, so let’s see how this actually shakes out.
That said, hopefully Jessie can talk some sense into him – or, perhaps, this is how we see Jessie Quick become the hero we know (or think) she will be.
What did you think? Let me know in the comments!
