Another week another episode of The Flash and boy did it keep the vibe going! Compared to the Pilot I felt that this episode overall improved as a whole and much of the issues I had with the Pilot were thankfully corrected. I really have to hand it to Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and Geoff Johns. They're one of the few production teams that I feel really learn off their experiences and strive to improve rather then forcing dribble upon us week after week.
So now that we've gotten all the introductions and the basic set up out the way in the pilot we can start to see what The Flash will be enthralling us with each week. As a comic book reader, I love to see that the production team have really done their homework and are delving into characters that not everyone would know about. While Simon Stagg and Multiplex have been in some DC medium's, this whole new take really pushes them further into the public view.
Multiplex is but one example of how I feel the production team is really striving to improve. Last week I made mention in my review of how one dimensional the villain felt, so I was glad to see some more time was given to developing Multiplex with motives and a reason behind his actions.
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It wasn't just the villain who was developed here either, reaching into Flash's mythos we've now been introduced to one of the downfalls of being a Speedster. Originally part of Wally's Flash (the 3rd Flash), Barry has to eat vast amounts of food to fuel his super speed.
Barry's own personal life was also expanded on, and led to my favorite scene in the episode. Just seeing that father/son dynamic between Barry and Joe was heartwarming to see. I'm wary of shows that use an abundance of childhood flashbacks but in this case they were used perfectly and made that final Barry/Joe scene carry that much more power to it.
Cisco and Caitlin also had some fun interaction this episode and I'm tempted to want a S.T.A.R. Labs After Hours web-series showing all the crazy hijinx I bet they get up to. Carlos and Danielle play off each other fairly well, but when they try and force it they ruin that vibe. And lets not forget Harrison. Good ole creepy Harrison, Tom Cavanagh portrays him with such subtlety that it's really hard to tell if he's really on Barry's side or not.
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The special effects once again also didn't disappoint. Barry running through the various Multiplex clones was impressive to see as were the effects used during the Cosmic Treadmill scene. The matrix effects were also nice though I have to wonder how all of this fairs with the budget. Hopefully we wont see a decline in the second half of the season due to a limited budget.
Overall Feelings:
To me, it was a great followup to the pilot. It took what I loved about it and continued onwards while correcting the issues that arose. It also continued adding more to the central mystery and best of all, it was downright fun! The plot thickens and I've got so many theories right now that I'd love to see what your thoughts are on Harrison Wells in the comments.
great review!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great review. You said it right. This show is just so much fun. It owns its comic roots and how fun it is to see a superhero excited about his powers and helping people. Barry's enthusiasm is infectious. Star Lab crew gelled better this week. All three father figures of Barry are the greatest strengths of this series all played by talented actors.
ReplyDeleteI honestly had expected Barry to have broken his father out of prison by now. He knows hes never going to able to present evidence of another speedster to court without risking himself, so I just assumed thats what he was gonna do here.
ReplyDeleteThis show is fantastic. Love every minute of it
ReplyDeleteAlthough not as perfect as the series opener,i'm satisfied with this installment.As a non-fan of the comics genre,I'm liking it and will tune in next week for sure.
ReplyDeleteThis episode was very good and i'm curious more about Harrison.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite scene was the one between Barry and Joe! Holy cow!
ReplyDeleteTheir makeup was even better.
Yeah, that ending was serious. Is he good or is he bad....? I hope that he is in Barry's corner.
ReplyDeleteI already love this and I can accept everything about this show apart from 2 things:
ReplyDelete1) Where is Barry's boss? Are we to believe that he is the sole crime scene assistant for the central police team of this city?
2) Barry's lab is the most unscientific place I have ever seen. There was a puddle of water in the centre of the room in the pilot. He is working on samples that will be used to convict criminals and Barry never wears a lab coat or gloves, Iris walks in anytime like she works there. Every piece of evidence could be contaminated and thrown out of court.
Random rambling other thoughts:
Where does Barry live? Still with the Wests?
How old is Iris? If she is doing a post-graduate degree would she still need to take classes that she isn't interested in?
If Iris is not 21 years old (at least) how can she be going out with a detective? Wouldn't that mean that she was 19 and detective guy was 26(ish)? It seems creepy.
Barry is most likely a virgin Iris probably isn't.
and finally catched up with this one. Overall it has a nice feeling to it. Love Barry. Looking forwared to learn more about Caitlin. Good writing for now. But somehow I find it boring. Either its because it still feels very procedural or because I have "met" Barry on Arrow before and would have loved to dive in immediatly and not wait for the team built up. Will keep watching until corssover and if it does not grip me, it will be a show I only will catch up to later in the season.
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