We're treated to more of Iris' interminable time malady, lots of relationship drama between Caitlin, Frost and their mother Carla, friction between Barry and the rest of Team Flash, more histrionics with Tinya, who's inexplicably become a member of the cast, lots of hand-wringing about the Fire Meta and even a shocking last-minute revelation about its true identity! Whew! That's a lot of melodrama to pack into forty two minutes!
All that said, I did enjoy the Snow Family scenes this week, as they gave us some new, well-written and badly needed insights into the characters.
The Recycling Theme that's been going on all season (in which the show dredges up old characters) continues this week. So far they've brought back the Royal Flush Gang, Goldface, The Hotness and Chester's father Quincy. This episode features the return of Caitlin's late husband Ronnie Raymond— last seen way back in Fast Enough— who may or may not turn out to be Deathstorm.
Believe it or not, we're halfway through the twenty episode season already! It's been a mixed bag, but so far it hasn't been nearly as bad as the execrable Season 7 (nothing could be!).
Personally I think it's time to wrap up the show. Despite my overly nitpicky reviews, I still enjoy watching it for the most part. Even so, the series is clearly showing its age, as it rapidly sheds actors and the plots become increasingly repetitive and outlandish. Better to end it now and go out on a relatively high note than to circle the drain.
That'll never happen though, as The CW's notorious for never knowing when to voluntarily end a show (I'm lookin' right at you, Supernatural and your FIFTEEN seasons!)/
SPOILERS!
The Plot:
We pick up right where we left off last week, as Deon appears in Coast City and tells Iris he knows what's wrong— something's causing time to fracture around her. She realizes she didn't "catch" any time sickness— she's somehow generating it.
For no good reason she hits the panic button on her phone, and Barry speeds in from Central City. She fills him in, and he asks Deon what can be done. Deon says he's working on a way to stabilize her, but in the meantime she needs to stay put— meaning she can't leave Coast City. He teleports away to try and find a cure.
Barry says he's going to stay with Iris, but she tells him she'll be fine and to go back home and deal with the Fire Meta. He reluctantly agrees.
Back in Central City, Frost is in her apartment working on one of her terrible art pieces. She realizes she's sweating, which isn't a thing for her. Suddenly black flames erupt from her canvas and blast her, singeing her arm.
Team Flash meets at CCC Media for some reason to discuss the Fire Meta. Joe confirms none of the Meta's victims had anything in common, but says he & Cecile are gonna dig into it further to find a connection.
Just then Barry gets an alert and speeds to STAR Labs, where he finds Frost has accidentally tripped the Med Lab alarm (?). She says the Fire Meta attacked & burned her, and she's looking for bandages. Barry patches her up, and says the fire must have attacked her for a reason (durr...).
Later Frost visits Tannhouser Industries, where she meets with her "mother" Carla. She fills her in on the Fire Meta, and figures it's coming for her. She wants to use herself as bait to catch it, and needs Carla's help.
At STAR, Frost & Carla tell Team Flash their plan. Carla says the Fire Meta runs on cold fusion, so it must be after Frost for her icy powers (that makes absolutely no sense, but let's just move on). She says they can use that to their advantage to lure the Meta and catch it.
The Plot:
We pick up right where we left off last week, as Deon appears in Coast City and tells Iris he knows what's wrong— something's causing time to fracture around her. She realizes she didn't "catch" any time sickness— she's somehow generating it.
For no good reason she hits the panic button on her phone, and Barry speeds in from Central City. She fills him in, and he asks Deon what can be done. Deon says he's working on a way to stabilize her, but in the meantime she needs to stay put— meaning she can't leave Coast City. He teleports away to try and find a cure.
Barry says he's going to stay with Iris, but she tells him she'll be fine and to go back home and deal with the Fire Meta. He reluctantly agrees.
Back in Central City, Frost is in her apartment working on one of her terrible art pieces. She realizes she's sweating, which isn't a thing for her. Suddenly black flames erupt from her canvas and blast her, singeing her arm.
Team Flash meets at CCC Media for some reason to discuss the Fire Meta. Joe confirms none of the Meta's victims had anything in common, but says he & Cecile are gonna dig into it further to find a connection.
Just then Barry gets an alert and speeds to STAR Labs, where he finds Frost has accidentally tripped the Med Lab alarm (?). She says the Fire Meta attacked & burned her, and she's looking for bandages. Barry patches her up, and says the fire must have attacked her for a reason (durr...).
Later Frost visits Tannhouser Industries, where she meets with her "mother" Carla. She fills her in on the Fire Meta, and figures it's coming for her. She wants to use herself as bait to catch it, and needs Carla's help.
At STAR, Frost & Carla tell Team Flash their plan. Carla says the Fire Meta runs on cold fusion, so it must be after Frost for her icy powers (that makes absolutely no sense, but let's just move on). She says they can use that to their advantage to lure the Meta and catch it.
Barry objects, pointing out they have no way to trap and contain it. Chester says they could modify the Fusion Sphere from the ASF (Artificial Speed Force) to amplify Frost's energy signature and trap the Fire Meta in it.
Barry says it's too dangerous, but Frost insists, saying the Meta's gonna come after her whether they act or not. She says she wants the same chance to help as the rest of the team, and Barry reluctantly gives in.
Team Flash sets up the trap, and Chester activates the Fusion Sphere. Within seconds the Fire Meta bursts through the ceiling and heads right for Frost. Oddly enough, this week it takes the form of a giant black skull. Suddenly it stops and pulls back, as if it senses the trap. Frost fires a blast of ice at it, and it knocks her across the room as it hightails it outta there.
Barry takes Frost to the Med Bay, where Caitlin (hey, remember her?) checks her out. Frost wants to try capturing the Fire Meta again, but Caitlin forbids it, saying she won't allow her to place herself in danger again.
Over in Coast City, Iris, Sue and Tinya Wazzo arrive at an adoption agency. Iris asks for Tinya's records, in order to locate her birth mother. Quite rightly, Agency Director Mrs. Washington says she can't give out that info because the records contain a no-contact order. She says they'd need permission from the board of directors to release that info.
Sue makes a call to her uncle, who just happens to be on the board. He barks an order to the flustered Washington, who nervously downloads Tinya's file to a flash (heh) drive.
The trio leaves, prompting the frazzled Mrs. Washington to say she needs a break. She leaves the office for a few seconds, and when she returns the room's completely empty— no doubt a side effect of Iris' time shenanigans.
Outside, Tinya's nervous and unsure if she wants to go through with it. Iris gives her a Patented The CW Pep Talk®, telling her about her own estranged mother and how she wishes she'd reconnected with her years earlier. She convinces Tinya, who takes the flash drive.
Back at STAR, Caitlin scolds Frost for risking her life and being so reckless. She goes after Carla as well, saying she sees Frost more as a science project than a daughter. Frost ignores Caitlin and decides to try trapping the Fire Meta again anyway. Caitlin tells Carla that if anything happens to Frost, she'll have no daughters left and storms out.
Meanwhile, Barry sulks in the Lounge. Joe enters and Barry fills him in, saying it's his job as team leader to keep everyone safe. Joe gives him a Patented The CW Pep Talk®, telling him that part of being a leader is trusting his people.
Carla finds Frost and says maybe Caitlin's right, and she is being too reckless. She says they need a secondary cyro-signature to properly lure the Fire Meta, and reveals she has potential ice powers as well. She thinks if they combine their cold signatures they can trap the Meta for sure.
Just then Barry enters and says he's decided to authorize the plan. Not sure why the others need his blessing, but whatever.
Frost & Carla are hooked up to the modified Fusion Sphere, and Barry activates it. Sure enough, the Fire Meta appears, and this time it's sucked into Sphere. Unfortunately the Sphere begins losing its integrity, as the Meta tries breaking free.
The strain proves too much for Carla, who goes into cardiac arrest. She assures everyone she's OK and to continue with the trap, but Frost shuts it down to save her. Carla's upset with Frost for aborting the experiment, but Barry says she did the right thing. He says they'll find another way to trap it.
Caitlin, Frost and Carla then reconcile with one another. Carla tells Frost she regrets missing so much of her life, and wants to get to know her better.
Back in Coast City, Iris & Sue accompany Tinya to her birth mother's apartment, where they've apparently shown up completely unannounced. Tinya knocks on the door, and her mother Renee answers. Tinya says she's her daughter.
Cut to Tinya chatting with Renee in her apartment. Renee says she regrets giving up Tinya for adoption, but had no choice as she was only sixteen and her parents pressured her into doing so. She says the only thing that's kept her going all these years was the hope that Tinya had a better life without her. Tinya says she didn't, and needed her mother.
Just then Iris, who's eavesdropping on all this, winces in pain as her eyes glow green with temporal energy. Renee rushes over and asks if she's OK. Unfortunately the second she touches Iris she's enveloped in green energy and vanities. Tinya looks on in horror, and asks what the hell Iris just did with her mom.
Barry says it's too dangerous, but Frost insists, saying the Meta's gonna come after her whether they act or not. She says she wants the same chance to help as the rest of the team, and Barry reluctantly gives in.
Team Flash sets up the trap, and Chester activates the Fusion Sphere. Within seconds the Fire Meta bursts through the ceiling and heads right for Frost. Oddly enough, this week it takes the form of a giant black skull. Suddenly it stops and pulls back, as if it senses the trap. Frost fires a blast of ice at it, and it knocks her across the room as it hightails it outta there.
Barry takes Frost to the Med Bay, where Caitlin (hey, remember her?) checks her out. Frost wants to try capturing the Fire Meta again, but Caitlin forbids it, saying she won't allow her to place herself in danger again.
Over in Coast City, Iris, Sue and Tinya Wazzo arrive at an adoption agency. Iris asks for Tinya's records, in order to locate her birth mother. Quite rightly, Agency Director Mrs. Washington says she can't give out that info because the records contain a no-contact order. She says they'd need permission from the board of directors to release that info.
Sue makes a call to her uncle, who just happens to be on the board. He barks an order to the flustered Washington, who nervously downloads Tinya's file to a flash (heh) drive.
The trio leaves, prompting the frazzled Mrs. Washington to say she needs a break. She leaves the office for a few seconds, and when she returns the room's completely empty— no doubt a side effect of Iris' time shenanigans.
Outside, Tinya's nervous and unsure if she wants to go through with it. Iris gives her a Patented The CW Pep Talk®, telling her about her own estranged mother and how she wishes she'd reconnected with her years earlier. She convinces Tinya, who takes the flash drive.
Back at STAR, Caitlin scolds Frost for risking her life and being so reckless. She goes after Carla as well, saying she sees Frost more as a science project than a daughter. Frost ignores Caitlin and decides to try trapping the Fire Meta again anyway. Caitlin tells Carla that if anything happens to Frost, she'll have no daughters left and storms out.
Meanwhile, Barry sulks in the Lounge. Joe enters and Barry fills him in, saying it's his job as team leader to keep everyone safe. Joe gives him a Patented The CW Pep Talk®, telling him that part of being a leader is trusting his people.
Carla finds Frost and says maybe Caitlin's right, and she is being too reckless. She says they need a secondary cyro-signature to properly lure the Fire Meta, and reveals she has potential ice powers as well. She thinks if they combine their cold signatures they can trap the Meta for sure.
Just then Barry enters and says he's decided to authorize the plan. Not sure why the others need his blessing, but whatever.
Frost & Carla are hooked up to the modified Fusion Sphere, and Barry activates it. Sure enough, the Fire Meta appears, and this time it's sucked into Sphere. Unfortunately the Sphere begins losing its integrity, as the Meta tries breaking free.
The strain proves too much for Carla, who goes into cardiac arrest. She assures everyone she's OK and to continue with the trap, but Frost shuts it down to save her. Carla's upset with Frost for aborting the experiment, but Barry says she did the right thing. He says they'll find another way to trap it.
Caitlin, Frost and Carla then reconcile with one another. Carla tells Frost she regrets missing so much of her life, and wants to get to know her better.
Back in Coast City, Iris & Sue accompany Tinya to her birth mother's apartment, where they've apparently shown up completely unannounced. Tinya knocks on the door, and her mother Renee answers. Tinya says she's her daughter.
Cut to Tinya chatting with Renee in her apartment. Renee says she regrets giving up Tinya for adoption, but had no choice as she was only sixteen and her parents pressured her into doing so. She says the only thing that's kept her going all these years was the hope that Tinya had a better life without her. Tinya says she didn't, and needed her mother.
Just then Iris, who's eavesdropping on all this, winces in pain as her eyes glow green with temporal energy. Renee rushes over and asks if she's OK. Unfortunately the second she touches Iris she's enveloped in green energy and vanities. Tinya looks on in horror, and asks what the hell Iris just did with her mom.
The next morning, Caitlin's in her apartment when the Fire Meta appears out of nowhere. This time it actually speaks, saying, "The world's different now. There is no normal life for us." Caitlin realizes with horror that her late fiancé Ronnie Raymond said the same thing to her years ago, and calls out his name.
Thoughts:
• Man, they are reeeeeeally dragging out this whole Iris' Time Sickness plotline— to the point where they're now spreading conversations about it over multiple weeks!
For example, at the end of the previous episode, Deon appeared with news about Iris' condition and said, "It ain't good." We then had to wait an entire week before he actually told her what was wrong with her!
• Last week we saw Barry (who was in Central City) having a Zoom call with Iris (who was in Coast City). I wondered why he did this, since he could literally sprint across the country in under a second to see her in person— prompting me to ask what the hell's wrong with the writers on this show.
In this episode, Iris is so distraught by Deon's diagnosis that she hits the alert button on her computer, and sure enough— Barry literally sprints across the country in under a second to see her in person— prompting me to ask what the hell's wrong with the writers on this show.
By the way, when Iris hits her panic button and Barry zooms to the scene, he's wearing his civvies. Um... since he had no idea what kind of crisis it was, shouldn't he have arrived in his Flash costume to preserve his "secret" identity? Whoops!
• The show goes full soap when Barry arrives and asks Iris what's wrong. We're then treated to this hilarious scene as the three leads worriedly look back and forth at one another as they wait for the opening credits to start. It's like a scene ripped straight out of General Hospital!
• Back in the big Armageddon crossover, Thawne created an alternate timeline in which he ruined Barry's life and caused Joe to be killed. In this brave new world, Alt Iris had Alt Deon reverse her time sickness treatments for reasons. At the end of the crossover Barry erased this nightmarish timeline and restored the original one.
In this episode Deon says Iris' worsening condition is due to him reversing her treatments. Wait, what? As I just said, his reversal happened in an aborted timeline. So how can something that never really "happened" be affecting her in the here and now? That... that doesn't make any sense. Even for this show!
• The show's rumored budget cuts are on full display this week, as Barry does little or nothing speedster-related. In fact we get exactly two shots of his Speed Force Lighting in this episode, and that's it.
For the majority of the episode he zooms away off camera, as his speed is represented by an orange light and a puff of wind blown at the actors. How cheap can they get?
• Amazingly, no one says "Leveled up" this week. I dunno why, but it's become the show's favorite new catchphrase, as it's been uttered at least once (and often many times more) in every other episode so far.
They did trot out "all in" though, this season's secondary catchphrase. Frost utters it when discussing Caitlin's new beau Marcus, saying, "What happened to going all in?"
• At one point we see Frost in the apartment she apparently shares with Caitlin, as our resident ice queen creates more of her terrible, terrible "art." Even for abstract collage, this is pretty bad. Like something a little kid would do.
Apparently the Fire Meta has good taste, as it suddenly appears and seemingly burns a hole in her horrible canvas before blasting across the room at Frost!
I can think of two reasons for this oddity: One, the producers built the CCCM set, and by god they're gonna get their money's worth out of it. Or two, they had them meet elsewhere so Frost could enter STAR's Med Lab and set off the alarm, making the audience think the Fire Meta was attacking. Neither are particularly compelling reasons though.
• Hey kids, it's Nitpicky Grammar Nazi Time! At CCC Media, Joe says, "Kramer pulled files for every suspicious fire-related crime since the Particle Accelerator exploded, so me and Cecile have to go through all of it."
C'mon, Joe, you know better than that! He should have said "Cecile and I." When it doubt whether to use "I" or "Me," just remove the other person from the sentence and see how it sounds. If we eliminate Cecile, then Joe just said "Me have to go through all of it."
• This is some more Heavy Duty Nitpicking, but whatever. At one point the members of Team Flash all get SR37 Alerts on their phones. Allegra asks what that means, and Chester has to tell her someone broke into the STAR Med Lab.
So why didn't it just say that then? Why couch it in obscure code that everyone isn't familiar with? It's a text, so it could have just as easily said Med Lab Break In.
Also I find it hilarious that Frost tripped a security alarm inside STAR. For eight seasons now it's been the least secure facility on the planet, as friends and strangers alike seemingly enter it at will.
So why didn't it just say that then? Why couch it in obscure code that everyone isn't familiar with? It's a text, so it could have just as easily said Med Lab Break In.
Also I find it hilarious that Frost tripped a security alarm inside STAR. For eight seasons now it's been the least secure facility on the planet, as friends and strangers alike seemingly enter it at will.
And why is Frost setting off alarms anyway? Shouldn't she have the same access and clearance as everyone else? As I said above, this entire scene was concocted solely to make the audience think the Fire Meta was responsible.
• Frost pays a visit to her "mother" Carla at her office at Tannhauser Industries.
As regular readers know, I like to try and find the show's various filming locations in Vancouver. Despite the fact that I've never been within a thousand miles of the place, it's usually surprisingly easy.
The part of Tannhauser Industries is played by the Anvil Center, located on Columbia street in downtown Vancouver.
Once again, Carla's played by actress Susan Walters. You may remember her as Jerry's girlfriend Delores on Seinfeld. You know, the one whose name rhymed with a female body part!
• At STAR, Frost tells Barry her plan to capture the Fire Meta by using herself as bait. We then get this jaw-dropping explanation of cold fusion:
• At STAR, Frost tells Barry her plan to capture the Fire Meta by using herself as bait. We then get this jaw-dropping explanation of cold fusion:
Barry: "But Carla, you can't actually be considering this?"
Carla: "I wasn't at first. And then Frost laid out the facts in the case. How it's killing innocent people, and now it's coming after her too— with flames that generate a cold so intense, it burns. That last item is almost an exact description of how cold fusion works."
Yeah, that's not how cold fusion works. At ALL. The writers clearly just heard the term somewhere but never bothered to look up what it actually means.
Oh, but it gets worse!
Allegra: "But why is the Fire attracted to Frost?"
Carla: "I believe it's because her meta-abilities are cryo-kinetic, just like our cold fusion fire."
Chester: "So you think it's hunting her for fuel to recharge itself?"
Carla: "Correct."
So unlike a conventional flame which is fueled by combustable matter, this one's powered by cold temperatures. Comic Book Science!
Incredibly, things then get even stranger!
Carla: "I believe it's because her meta-abilities are cryo-kinetic, just like our cold fusion fire."
Chester: "So you think it's hunting her for fuel to recharge itself?"
Carla: "Correct."
So unlike a conventional flame which is fueled by combustable matter, this one's powered by cold temperatures. Comic Book Science!
Incredibly, things then get even stranger!
Barry balks at Frost's plan, saying that even if they manage to catch the Fire Meta, they've no way to contain it. Carla responds by saying, "Cold fusion is still a fusion reaction, one that occurs at a low molecular temperature."
Amazingly, that's a fairly good definition of what cold fusion actually is! So the writers DO know what it means, they just choose to ignore it and come up with their own bullsh*t explanation that's convenient to the plot. Got it.
• As I just said, Barry forbids Frost from using herself as bait to catch the Fire Meta, saying it's too dangerous. Thing is, they've done this "Using A Member Of Team Flash As Bait To Catch A Villain" thing dozens of times over the seasons, and it was never a problem then. Why's Barry so reluctant to try it this time?
Answer: Because they've got 42 minutes and 23 seconds to fill up, and they need to stretch this plot out as long as possible to fill it.
Answer: Because they've got 42 minutes and 23 seconds to fill up, and they need to stretch this plot out as long as possible to fill it.
• The budget restriction strikes again! Chester repurposes the Fusion Sphere to trap and contain the Fire Meta.
If this device looks familiar, there's a reason for that! The Fusion Sphere was last seen in the execrable Mother— still my vote for the all-time worst episode of the entire series. It was used in that episode to jumpstart the Speed Force or something.
Hey, these props ain't cheap! Why blow money on a new one when they can just dig an old one out of storage?
• Carla's so impressed with Chester's technical knowledge and resourcefulness that she offers him a job at Tannhauser Industries. She even mentions that she pays more than STAR Labs too!
It always makes me laugh whenever the show points out that the members of Team Flash are EMPLOYEES of STAR Labs. I guess it makes sense, but it just seems weird to think that they're all punching a time clock and have dental and 401K plans.
Ultimately Chester turns down Carla's offer, implying he wants to continue working around Allegra. What a dope! Allegra supposedly has her own career over at CCC Media (even though she doesn't put in a lot of time there). She's not at STAR every minute of the day! He could easily work for Carla and still see Allegra after hours.
• Team Flash activates the Fusion Sphere to lure the Fire Meta to it. Seconds later it arrives, and Allegra looks up and says, "Somebody turned up the heat!" Wait, what?
Just a few minutes ago Frost told Carla that the Fire Meta's black flames were so cold that they "burned the victims like frostbite, only a thousand times more lethal." So why the hell's Allegra babbling about heat?
As I've said before, my main complaint about this whole Fire Meta storyline (so far) is how confusing and muddled it is. The Fire Meta's flames are somehow both cold and hot, it feeds on its victims' grief except when it doesn't, sometimes it kills instantly, other times it takes the form of a loved one, it needs cold to fuel itself and on and on.
Just a few minutes ago Frost told Carla that the Fire Meta's black flames were so cold that they "burned the victims like frostbite, only a thousand times more lethal." So why the hell's Allegra babbling about heat?
As I've said before, my main complaint about this whole Fire Meta storyline (so far) is how confusing and muddled it is. The Fire Meta's flames are somehow both cold and hot, it feeds on its victims' grief except when it doesn't, sometimes it kills instantly, other times it takes the form of a loved one, it needs cold to fuel itself and on and on.
At this point I have no clear idea just WHAT the Fire Meta is and how it functions, and it's clear the writers don't either!
• Hey everyone, Caitlin's back! This is the first time she's appeared since Lockdown, which made me wonder if actress Danielle Panabaker was getting tired of constantly having to change her makeup and portray two characters and demanded she play Frost for a while.
There was actually some good stuff between Caitlin, Frost and their mother Carla this week. Caitlin brought up some good points about Frost and her reckless (Houston, we have a title!) nature. Not only was Frost literally created by Thomas Snow to protect Caitlin, but she's still not used to having a physical body of her own. It makes perfect sense that she'd be careless and daring.
And Caitlin was absolutely right about Carla— she DOES seem to look at Frost as some sort of science experiment!
It was a subtle bit of character insight and development that we don't often see on the show these days. Well done, writers!
That said, it felt a bit off to me to see Frost and Carla being so chummy this week. Back in Season 6's Pay The Piper, Frost was very apprehensive about meeting Carla— going so far as to say she thought of her as Caitlin's mom and not her own. Similarly, Carla was very cool (heh) toward Frost in Success Is Assured, which I believe was the first time she ever spent much time around her.
Suddenly in this episode it's like they've been a loving family all their lives. I suppose it's possible they reconciled and got to know one another offscreen when we weren't looking, but it felt like a major retcon to me.
• Over in Coast City, Iris & Sue accompany Tinya to the Regency Adoption Agency.
Naturally I assumed this was yet another instance of the producers using a Vancouver location to stand in for a Coast City one.
Nope! Turns out this is a piece of Shutterstock video clipart. The FX team just CGIed a new sign to the exterior and were good to go.
Nothing wrong with this, mind you, as that's literally what clipart is for! Just thought I'd mention it is all.
• At the adoption agency, Iris asks to see Tinya's files in order to find out where her birth mother lives. Mrs. Washington, the Agency Manager, says the files are locked due to a no-contact order put into place by Tinya's mother (who's name is Renee).
Of course that doesn't matter to Iris, who demands to see the records anyway. Poor Mrs. Washington says only the Board of Directors can unlock the files. Sue then calls her Uncle Leroy, who just happens to be Chairman Of The Board— and immediately overrides the no-contact order.
First off, I can't believe Iris' actions here. She insists on opening Tinya's records, completely ignoring Renee's wishes. After all, she promised she'd help this teen she barely knows, and by the gods she's gonna do so— no matter how many lives she has to destroy in the process!
What the hell happened to respecting the choices of others? Isn't that one of the main SJW tenets? Giving up her child was no doubt an agonizing decision for Renee, and she probably put the no-contact order in place so she wouldn't have to relive her trauma some day. Iris clearly couldn't give two sh*ts about her feelings though, and bulldozes her way into the private records.
Birth parents have right too, you know! The lack of respect and empathy shown for Renee here was downright appalling, and actually made me angry. And it made Iris look like a colossal asshole.
• When Sue calls up her Uncle Leroy, I assumed she was bluffing— much like she did last week when she pretended a paperweight was a "molecular destabilizer." Apparently not though, as she really is randomly related to the Chairman Of The Board of the Regency Adoption Agency! How odd.
I couldn't find anyone on The Flash's staff named Leroy Davis, but Malcolm Dunn is the Assistant Art Director on the show, while Laura Cawker is the Art Department Coordinator.
• After Iris & Co. finally leave, the frazzled Mrs. Washington says she needs a break. She leaves her fully furnished office...
And comes back a second later to see it's completely empty!
Obviously this is some side effect of Iris' time sickness. But what exactly's happening here? Did Iris send the furnishings back in time? Or did she send Mrs. Washington to another year— much like the Weeping Angels did to their victims over on Doctor Who?
• Normally on The Flash and shows like it, the characters will come up with a plan, try it once and if it fails, immediately discard it— never to attempt it ever again. It's an idiotic and frustrating trope.
In this episode Team Flash tries using the Fusion Sphere to capture the Fire Meta. When it doesn't work on the first go, they act like real scientists— discussing what went wrong and perfecting the plan till they get it right! WOW! That's amazing. Well done, writers!
Good to see the producers finally acknowledging the fact that Carla has the potential for cold powers as well— something the audience has known about since Season 5's Snow Pack. In that episode, Carla's ex husband Thomas Snow, aka the villainous Icicle, threw her into a cryo-freezing chamber for reasons. The chamber somehow ended up altering her DNA to give her cold powers like his and Frost's.
I'm surprised it's taken the writers three whole seasons to finally address Carla's powers. Oddly enough, at this point Caitlin's the only member of the Snow family who's NOT an ice meta.
• As Team Flash tries the experiment a second time, Chester monitors the Fire Meta's position. As it senses the cryo signatures it changes direction and heads right for STAR, causing Chester to let loose with yet another of his Black History Month oaths, saying, "Oh, Great Otis Boykin!"
• As Team Flash tries the experiment a second time, Chester monitors the Fire Meta's position. As it senses the cryo signatures it changes direction and heads right for STAR, causing Chester to let loose with yet another of his Black History Month oaths, saying, "Oh, Great Otis Boykin!"
For the past few weeks I've pointed out that the scientists he evokes typically have little or nothing to do with the current situation. Case in point: Otis Boykin was an inventor and engineer, who created electrical resistors used in computing and missile guidance. Not sure what that has to do with luring and trapping Fire Metas.
• The Fire Meta finally gets a face this week! Well, sort of. As it's being sucked into the Fusion Sphere, it briefly takes on the form of a giant black skull. It's about time! To be honest I was having trouble working up much concern for a formless mass of fake-looking CGI black flames.
Big Bads need faces in order to become compelling villains— one of the many reasons why Khan was a way better villain than V'ger over in the Star Trek franchise.
• Hey, remember last week when Iris told Allegra to run CCC Media while she was off galavanting in Coast City? Welp, guess who hangs out at STAR for the entire episode once again?
• As I mentioned in my previous review, the show's devoting a MASSIVE amount of screentime to Tinya and her storyline, despite the fact we never even heard of her before last week. The only reason I can think of for this is they're planning on making her a regular character— which is the last thing the series needs right now.
• Iris, Sue accompany Tinya to the apartment of her birth mother, Renee Wazzo (court-mandated no-contact rule be damned!). Several things here:
First of all, when Tinya & Co. arrive at the apartment, they're greeted by a woman wearing a name tag that reads "Renee." Tinya stares at her and says, "Are you Renee Wazzo?"
OK, I guess I can cut the kid a break here, since she's likely nervous as hell here. But still... nice observational skills!
OK, I guess I can cut the kid a break here, since she's likely nervous as hell here. But still... nice observational skills!
Secondly, is it standard procedure in these cases for an adoptee to show up completely unannounced like this? I'm gonna guess not. In real life this would be a HUGE shock, and completely blindside the birth mother. The poor woman looks like she just got off work at Walmart, and now she has to deal with the unexpected return of the daughter she gave up years ago.
Once again, the lack of respect for Tinya's mother in this episode borders on criminal. The writers were either lazy here or just thought it'd make for good drama to do it this way.
Lastly, the disrespect this episode shows for Renee continues, as Tinya demands to know why she "didn't want her." Renee— who's obviously distraught by the whole situation— tells her a perfectly rational story, saying she was only sixteen when she had Tinya and was pressured into giving her up for adoption by her parents. Renee then goes on to say she regrets her decision bitterly, and her only comfort was that Tinya probably had a better life without her.
Instead of understanding her mother's situation, Tinya actually chastises her, saying she's had a horrible life because of Renee's actions, and needed a mom more than anything.
Jaysis! I get that Tinya's an immature teen, but damn! The situation isn't completely about her, and making Renee the bad guy here isn't fair. Isn't this show supposed to be all about understanding and giving people second chances? Apparently not when it comes to Renee!
• Iris has another of her time sickness spells, causing Renee to rush over and ask if she's OK. Renee reaches out and touches Iris' hand, and is immediately enveloped in green time energy before she's seemingly disintegrated.
Boy, I bet Tinya's really starting to regret the day she met Iris! In the space of just two days she's had her life completely destroyed by this pushy stranger!
Boy, I bet Tinya's really starting to regret the day she met Iris! In the space of just two days she's had her life completely destroyed by this pushy stranger!
I wouldn't start mourning for Renee just yet though. The fact that Iris has a time sickness means that Renee's most likely been temporally displaced (again, like the Weeping Angels on Doctor Who) and not really vaporized.
• In the tag scene, Caitlin's in her apartment‚ where she's confronted by the Fire Meta. She's terrified until she hears it say, "Cait, the world's different now. There is no normal life for us."
She recognizes those as the words of her late husband Ronnie Raymond— meaning HE'S actually the Fire Meta! GASP! A couple things here:
To refresh everyone's memories (including mine!): Way back in Season 1, Eddie Thawne sacrificed himself to prevent evil meta Eobard Thawne (aka Reverse-Flash) from being born in the future. For reasons, this caused a massive singularity to open above Central City, threatening to destroy it.
Firestorm flew into the heart of the singularity and then split apart. The resulting energy discharge destroyed it, but at the cost of Ronnie's life (Stein somehow survived).
Many fans are speculating that maybe Ronnie didn't die in the singularity after all, and is coming back as Deathstorm!
I could easily write 50,000 words explaining just who Deathstorm is, but for now let's just say he's an evil version of Firestorm and leave it at that. It would be awesome if that's what's really happening in this scene. And even more awesome if Ronnie actually took the form of the Deathstorm seen in the comics, and not a disembodied floating CGI skull.
• As the Fire Meta confronts her, Caitlin flashes back to Ronnie telling her there's no normal life for the two of them.
This scene (minus the blue filter) came from the Season 1 episode Fallout. In it, Ronnie's exact words were:
"Cait, Barry was right. The world is different now. Look, I... I thought we could get away, start a new life, a normal life, together. But there is no normal life for us."
• The writers seem to be making a big deal out of Team Flash searching for a connection between the three black flame victims. What if they all knew Ronnie Raymond, and he— as the Fire Meta— has been systematically killing them all?
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