Spoilers will be required to read this review.
In almost pulp tradition, this episode of The Flash is titled “Escape from Earth-2”. I did expect to see Killer Frost again, and fortunately enough Danielle Panabaker is getting a few more lines as the villain ice queen (no singing expected). I am glad to see her stretching her acting chops in a role that is more than just the straight up bad girl/good girl. As much as usually feel that both Iris and Caitlin are underused, they both have received a lot of interesting screen time with the Earth-2 plot. Even back on Earth-1, they’re working more than usual.
As it happens, after this episode it’s uncertain where Killer Frost future lies. I am glad she’s both the traitor to the cause and the unexpected saviour at the end. However, Caitlin Snow from Earth-1 is once again left emotionally shattered when Jay Garrick is pulled by Zoom back through the breach at the very last minute. There’s something very hokey about that scene. Who else thought that it was extremely silly of Jay to stand around a closing vortex? Or was it premeditated?
We did have a strong hint though. The man in the iron mask who tells Jesse and Barry something they need to know while imprisoned opts to use a code that requires some serious encryption skills to break, and the first important thing he chooses to say is J, A, Y. There’s more than a few plot holes here to fill. Zoom should obviously had never put these three people in the same room. Why did Zoom put an iron mask on this prisoner? Because obviously his identity could be detrimental to his plans. There’s a few theories going around on the internet. The one that seems more popular is that under the mask is the real Jay Garrett, while the man we’ve so far known as Jay Garrett might actually be Zoom. This leads to a double cross in which Caitlin Snow might have just cured Barry’s worst enemy of his cellular degradation with the Velocity-9 formula, therefore no longer needed his Jay Garrett persona.
Which brings us back to Caitlin. With a doctorate in bio-engineering, I am glad she’s the one to develop the Velocity-9 formula. I am glad she gets to flex her acting chops playing Killer Frost. But she’s been put to hell back after losing Ronnie Raymond during the particle accelerator accident, marrying him and losing him again when the breach occurred and now losing Jay Garrett. This is not a heart breaking situation. She didn’t break up with a boyfriend, she became a widow. I hope this means she gets somewhat of a story next week about coping with her losses. I hope they don’t sweep this underneath the carpet with just one scene. As much as I’d like Caitlin to get some happiness, she does need to grieve.
Oh yeah, and then there’s Arrow. I’m going to leave it for the highs/lows. Let’s kick that off.
Highs/Lows/OnceMoreIntoTheBreach:
- Killer Frost is a complex and rich character, and one we don’t really want to lose. I’m also glad for Caitlin Snow, which is actually a scientist with a good heart. That being said, it does seem Danielle Panabaker has managed to stretch her acting chops more as Killer Frost than she has in a long time. As the rumor mill goes, we’re not far from finding out what happened to Killer Frost after she went Vader-Anakin on Zoom.
- Iris West has also benefit from the Earth-2 storyline, getting to be a more front-facing character in getting our friends home. Barry of Earth-2 gets to play the comic relief. Grant Gustin seems to have fun doing it.
- Damien Darhk plays evil mastermind once more. Honestly, way too many breaks here for Neal McDonough. He came into this show as the big bad and now it seems he does cameos more than scenes. We’re supposed now we’re really in for trouble because he really really wants to take down Team Arrow. Sorry, but he’s dull and boring. Can we bring back Ra’s Al Ghul from the dead?
- The mid-card baddies this week were the Demolition Team. A guy with a hammer and a girl with a nail gun. Not completely bad, but what did they do really? Interfered. That’s about it.
- I almost wanted to see the mayoral debate between Ollie and Ruve Adams. Perhaps some pointed dialog would have helped the episode. What if in the middle of the debate, Ruve had brought up Oliver’s son, William, on live TV? I think it would have been a lot more suspenseful. As it happens, all we see as the cliffhanger is Damien introducing his daughter to William.
That will do for now.
Never Think Impossible 