The Flash - The Man in the Yellow Suit - Review

WOW! That was all I had to say after watching the mid-season final of The Flash. We got action, suspense, a CGI feast for the eyes and so much more. Personally I feel like this was one of the strongest mid-season finals in recent history and I'm so glad that The Flash really delivered!

The episode initially started off subdued and I felt it really set the tone for the second half with the formal introductions of Reverse-Flash and Firestorm. Let's start with the hot topic of the episode, Reverse-Flash.

Living up to the episode titles name, he really is 'The Man In The Yellow Suit'. While hints were left as to who he may be, I feel like I have more questions then answers (and hey, I'm actually okay with that!). Every aspect of the character is shrouded in mystery. Who is he? What does he really want? Which Reverse-Flash is he based on from the comics? Were there more than 1?

I felt this all really worked in the episodes favor. Instead of answering questions, It constantly left me guessing and coming up with theories. Reverse-Flash was ultimately built up as a threat. An obstacle for Barry to overcome with motivation for the future. Barry was never on equal footing with Reverse-Flash and that impact is going to continue to drive Barry in the future.

The CGI during the battle sequence absolutely blew me away. How much is this costing them?! Either way, I loved what I saw and I had to rewatch that multiple times to take it all in!

The other aspect that I enjoyed was Ronnie's formal introduction as Firestorm. While we only short spurts of Ronnie, it was enough to raise a whole new set of questions surrounding him. Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin has really improved since the start of the show. While there's still room for improvement, her facial reactions said it all in regards to her feelings for Ronnie.

Carlos Valdes still I find over-acts as Cisco, but I do like his moments of bonding with Caitlin. The 2 play off each other well but I'd like to see Carlos tone it down just a little bit.

The West family (Barry included) also shared some touching scenes throughout the episode. Despite the show having deeper moments of action and mystery, it's nice to see these lighter moments. They give us a chance to breath and enjoy the environment that Barry is in. It's a chance to really embrace what is truly important to Barry, which includes something I have yet to touch on...his father.

While John Wesley Shipp hasn't been used as much as I'd like, every time we see him it leads to a powerful moment. Grant and John play off each other so well that's both touching and heartbreaking to see them interact. I still can't decide which was my favorite scene of the episode. On one hand I loved the CGI during the battle scene but on the other hand Barry and his father have such power behind their moments that I can't really decide.

Overall Feelings:
This is what a mid-season final should be! It was enjoyable while also raising many questions that we can discuss and debate over till the show returns. A new villain was introduced while a hoard of new possibilities were added to the mix. Another DC Superhero was also introduced that could potentially pave the way to expanding this astounding universe further. We also had a cameo by Amanda Pays as Tina McGee and some powerful moments between Barry and his father. Why can't it be January already?!

So What Now?
I wanna know what your theories are in regards to Reverse-Flash! Were there more than 1? Was there only one? Who do you think he/she/it is? Most importantly, why do you think Reverse-Flash is here?

About the Author - Christopher DeBono

Australian Student. Addicted to TV, novels, comics and all things video games.

Watches everything on The CW and many Australian shows.

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