1.18 - "All Star Team Up"
Directed by Kevin Tancharoen
Written by Grainne Godfree and Kai Yu Wu
Reviewed by Gavin Hetherington
Hey, Gavin here again filling in for Christopher DeBono this week.
'All Star Team Up' Review
WAS A CROSSOVER NECESSARY?
This was quite a mixed bag of an episode. Some things just seemed a little off and I wasn't totally convinced by this crossover. I loved the first
Arrow and
The Flash crossover earlier in the season but I'm starting to feel like this special event thing is being overused... and we're only 18 episodes in. I like me some Felicity and she was great in this episode, perhaps better than she's been in
Arrow lately, but the show is still finding its story and to have her plopped in with Ray amongst all of
The Flash's drama was a little bad timing. I do really like how Felicity helped though and Ray wasn't too bad either. I quite liked his dynamic with Cisco - "Bug-Eyed Bandit" - but some scenes with the
Arrow-alum just didn't sit right with me. It got better by the end with Felicity having those nemesis moments with Brie until she won over her. "Boom, drop the mic." Love it. But yeah, this would have been better if it was dedicated solely to the villain and not have too much shoved into it. Like last week when there was quite a lot going on, I felt "Tricksters" were better balanced and I think I preferred it too.
THE GOOD AND THE BAD
Having said that, I really loved the beginning with Barry, Joe and Eddie working together chasing the bad guys. It was so fun to watch and it was something I wished the whole episode was like, and something I want to see more of. Caitlin was barely used but Cisco had some important moments in the episode as he could remember his death from the original timeline. I'm wondering how that's possible if the original timeline in which Harrison Wells kills Cisco didn't actually happen after all? Am I overthinking this? I read some comments that said it was convenient and it is because it's quite an easy way of convincing Cisco and Caitlin that Harrison Wells is the Reverse-Flash. At this point I don't care how easy it was to convince them though, I'm just really glad that Barry, Cisco and Caitlin are on the same page now and I kind of missed that chemistry between them the past few episodes. I liked that they were going to go to karaoke (as a recurring thing they do where we all know Barry would beat them all hands down) and I like seeing their moments in between the seriousness of the episode. I'm excited to see where we take this.
THE VILLAIN
I do love Emily Kinney and I have missed her on
The Walking Dead, so her appearance as the villain-of-the-week was great. What made it interesting too, as well as the Trickster, was that she wasn't a meta-human - she was just a crazy scientist. She could control robot bees which is a little far-fetched but come on, it's
The Flash. The Bug-Eyed Bandit didn't have an awful lot to do in this episode and it felt a little hard to feel any sort of connection to her backstory and why she was going after these people. The bloated-ness of the episode was due to the crossover and accommodating Felicity and Ray, so focus on the villain was pretty much sacrificed. Instead of it being an episode all about conquering this new villain, it felt more like she was just a side-storyline and more of a nuisance to the bigger arc going on. The Tricksters in the last episode had much better incorporation to the episode's plot so I do wish the Bug-Eyed Bandit was much better incorporated so I could actually immerse myself in that world. She's been defeated but I'm hoping she will come back at a later date so she can get some material she deserves and hopefully a bigger story.
EDDIE AND IRIS
Writers, please write bigger and better things for Iris and Eddie. This whole being underused thing and then what you do give them is recycled rubbish from typical teenage dramas, it's tired. I'm tired. I thought at the beginning of the episode, Eddie was going to be more hands-on with his teamwork with Barry and Joe but we circle it round to Iris and there's just nothing interesting there. The dinner date was awkward and very unnecessary in the scope of things - I mean why have one? Eddie went to Barry and Felicity about keeping secrets from Iris so why would a dinner date with a loved-up couple and a third wheel help? Iris is very stubborn which is something I like about her - she wants to uncover the truth and she won't sit back and take dishonesty. It does seem unfair on Eddie because it's not his secret to share so he's in a tight spot, but Barry's secret is really damaging his relationship with Iris. And when did Iris become someone to be controlled? I get Joe wanting to protect his daughter and whatnot, but Iris is a grown-ass woman. Can she not make up her own damn mind about something she's inevitably going to find out about anyway? What is the harm, really, in telling her when the whole cast of the show of this AND
Arrow know Barry is the Flash? Where's the trust and loyalty there because the secrecy and leaving her out is only pushing her away and when she does find out, she's going to be pissed that she was left out. It will show her that she is considered the weakest character in everybody else's eyes. Iris isn't weak! Give her something to show she can handle herself. I'm wondering, is Iris going to remember Barry is the Flash from the original timeline since Cisco did?
THE CONCLUSION
I do feel a little confused about my feelings toward this episode actually. I really, really wanted to enjoy it but the crossover felt forced, the villain felt more of a nuisance and there was probably more to dislike in this episode than anything else. I don't want to come across as a hater because I love
The Flash and even though I have my grievances with this episode, I always do enjoy this world and the characters. It just pains me when I see characters underused or given lacklustre material that further problematises the balancing issues this show has had lately. I still do love how Felicity helped the gang and Ray's and Cisco's connection, and the ending with Caitlin and Cisco finding out about Harrison as the Reverse-Flash was a long-time coming. It sets up some interesting things going forward and I can't wait to see all of this unravel. Again, I'm not hating on the show, but this episode should have been better but unfortunately fell a little flat. Maybe take out some of the unnecessary drama - I'm looking at you Iris/Eddie - and give more focus in developing the characters and villains and we'd have a great show. Sometimes less is more.
What did you guys think of 'All Star Team Up'? Let me know in the comments and be sure to watch the next new episode of The Flash on April 21st on The CW!
CHECK OUT MY OTHER 'THE FLASH' REVIEWS
1.12 - CRAZY FOR YOU
Caitlin decides that she and Barry need to move on from Ronnie and Iris and find new loves so she takes him for a night out at the local karaoke bar. Barry meets Linda Park, a sports reporter. Meanwhile, Cisco considers Hartley’s dangerous offer and the team searches for Shawna, a meta-human with teleportation powers, who just busted her boyfriend Clay out of Iron Heights. Henry snoops around in an attempt to help Joe.
1.17 - TRICKSTERS
A copycat killer who goes by the name “The Trickster” starts setting off bombs in Central City. In order to stop the villain, Barry and Joe meet with the original Trickster, a criminal mastermind named James Jesse, who has been imprisoned for 20 years. Things quickly go from bad to worse when the Tricksters unite and take Henry prisoner. Flashbacks to the past show how Harrison Wells came up with the idea of the particle accelerator.
About the Author - Gavin Hetherington
Award-winning author of 'Abyssal Sanctuary: Remnants of the Damned'. Gavin joined SpoilerTV on August 9, 2014 and will be reviewing 2 Broke Girls, Mistresses, Orange is the New Black, Pretty Little Liars, Salem and Sleepy Hollow in the 2014-15 season. Gavin's favourite shows include Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Desperate Housewives, The Walking Dead, Once Upon a Time, Revenge, Scandal and much more. You can contact him at gavin@spoilertv.com.
Am I the only one who felt a little disappointed? Still a good episode but a lot was sacrificed for a crossover that didn't feel totally necessary. What did you guys think? Was I totally wrong?
ReplyDeleteIt kind of felt like a filler episode
ReplyDeleteYeah, I thought the episode struggled with what it wanted to be. There was only one scene that progressed the main story and that was the very end, whereas the rest was just unnecessary, but I was hoping for more from the villain. Didn't get it :(
ReplyDeletetrue hopefully the next episode will make up for it.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the promo, it looks like it will :D
ReplyDeleteI was watching the Eddie/Iris thing and kept thinking, what is so special and fragile about Iris knowing the truth? ITA - it makes no sense at all. Kind of like Cisco suddenly remembering his 'death.' I'm not sure why that is necessary and the rush to reveal 'reverse flash/Dr. Wells' - it seems like they are speeding things along regarding this part of the mythology and I don't think it's warranted. Learn from other hot shows - too much too fast - then sends writers off to craptastic new, convoluted messes.
ReplyDeleteIt was a very 'Meh' episode.
ReplyDeleteI feel your sentiments. Definitely should have felt like a bigger episode.
ReplyDeleteExactly! How does it help anyone to keep Iris in the dark? Who benefits from it really, when at the end of the day, all it's doing is pushing her away and she's supposed to be a friend. Totally agree about speeding things along and doing too much too fast - it feels like the first half of the season was stronger and it might have burned itself out a little too quickly. Having said that, the last 5 episodes might blow us far, far away.
ReplyDeleteSeems like there really should not be crossovers anymore unless they have a stronger purpose, as this one seemed forced. Not many flash episodes get diwnvotes from me, but his is one of them.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to think the title has a sense of irony to it seeing as how this episode was anything but an all-star team-up.
ReplyDeleteI think Ray and Felicity were added so that the Harrison reveal to Caitlyn and Cisco could be at the end, the rest was just padding really.
ReplyDeleteCisco should not be remembering what happened in the original timeline (his death), it makes me think something is being seeded for the finale.
Eddie and Iris was a yawn as usual, I get the feeling that Eddie will have a major impact in the finale, he is a Thawne after all.
Definitely agree on that one. It's clear this was just to pull in ratings. Crossovers from now on need only be relevant to the series, not just to plop in when they feel like it.
ReplyDeleteHaha right! Totally anything but!
ReplyDeleteYou could be right about that with Felicity and Ray, that they just needed the filler to get to the end. That's a shame though. And yeah, something has to happen with Eddie Thawne right? He has his moments, they're just too few and far between.
ReplyDeleteThank you for a great review. That was exactly my question after this episode. What was the need for a crossover now when both shows are at a place where they cannot be melded. Arrow is at such a high intense state and Flash is getting there. It felt like a mess. By Flash standards this was a below average episode.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to scream during the whole dinner scene. Also Joe's attitude towards revealing the secret to Iris is really annoying. Honestly imo they are actually putting her in danger by keeping her in the dark. She has no idea Wells is a bad guy. Next time she meets him she would consider him a friend and trust him. Where as Wells knows Iris is a tool he can use against Barry and Joe. They are really doing a disservice to both the characters of Eddie and Iris by keeping them in this relationship bubble.
My guess about Cisco's memory is since he died in the other time line due to Wells vibrating his internal organs he was touched by the speed force and that is why only he can remember. Otherwise it does not make any sense.
I loved all the Cisco/Ray scenes and Felicity/Barry scenes even though some of the situations was forced.
A very meh episode. I hope they have better luck with next week's crossover. Even that I think is unnecessary at this point.
It may be that what happens in the Flash will have a knock on effect in Arrow, it has been setup by Felicity explicitly telling Barry that its all going wrong in Starling City and perhaps Barry decides to do something about it.
ReplyDeleteThe Flash is going to fight RFlash and time travel may be involved, if Barry saves his Mom it puts the timeline back to its original state and the changes will be substantial. I doubt as a show they will stick with that reality but still its effects will be felt far and wide.
It would explain why they decided to have Cisco remember his death, in fact its the only reason I can think of for them to do that at all as it shows there can be a bleed through of memories from one timeline to another.
I could understand if maybe the Flash or RFlash were getting bleed through but Cisco experiencing it makes me very suspicious indeed.
Poor poor poor. Except your review, which was great. This was not a good episode at all. As fun as the first scene was, there was something about it that just made me cringe a little and it set the tone for the remainder of the episode. Felicity calling a five-person dinner a good idea was a real low point of the episode, only capped by the dinner itself during which I had to pause three times to try and vent my frustration without missing any of the episode. The whole Iris and Eddie thing was boring months ago and the show just continues to make it so.
ReplyDeleteThe villain plot was meh - it wasn't good enough to stand on its own but it was really undercooked here I thought.
Ray and Felicity were quite funny but I didn't really feel their involvement to be anything of note.
The only real saving grace was the all-too brief elements of the Reverse Flash story, which gave an alright plot point about the potential of betrayal. But it got bogged down with the other parts of the episode and the episode suffered for it.
First really weak episode of the show so far, and it took until the 18th episode which is pretty impressive. Hoping for something much better next week,
I think the reason Cisco is remembering, and no one else, has to do with his Vibe powers. As Vibe he has powers that have a lot to do with inter-dimensions and other realities. Barry traveling through time might of been Cisco's jump start to his powers. We could see them start to slowly develop, but this is just my theory.
ReplyDeleteOther then that this episode was forgettable, and seemingly a hard break in the Wells/Barry story progression to make room for the crossover.
I tell myself that the reason Cisco remembers the other timeline is because he died(wich would only work if that happend to everyone who died during those hours) he was on another plane of existence when it happend but I am waiting on an explanation.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great theory actually, one that could totally be plausable!
ReplyDeleteAhh that's an excellent explanation of Cisco remembering! And agreed on the progression of Wells/Barry.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bradley haha I knew you wouldn't call my review poor ;) Really agree on your points, especially Ray and Felicity not being of note. And yeah, it's extremely great for a new show to not really suck until its 18th episode. Bravo The Flash!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for reading :D Yes, there was no need for this 'crossover' other than to try and 'boost' ratings for both shows. Arrow was a much better episode this week even with that tiny scene with Cisco at the end but that brief scene was totally necessary to the plot in Arrow - whereas Ray and Felicity in The Flash were just filler.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree about Iris and keeping her in the dark - that is an excellent point about Wells! He could really use her innocence to knowing the truth against the others and I wouldn't be surprised if he killed her off in the finale or something. I hope they don't do that because Iris hasn't had a chance to develop properly and she needs to be redeemed along with Eddie of their boring relationship drama.
I'm sure next week's will be much better (at least, I'm praying to God it is!)
That could be right about Barry wanting to help in Starling City after Felicity mentioned that. Time travel usually confuses me but what you said there makes sense, sorta haha. I still need to come to grips with it. But yeah could totally be why Cisco remembers his death. I wasn't suspicious before but I am now :P
ReplyDeleteI must be one of the few who actually LIKED this episode lol. Why does Ray get so much hate here and in Arrow? I really don't get it.
ReplyDeleteOh I don't hate Ray. I just found his and Felicity's presence in the Flash a little unnecessary. I think people's main problem with Ray (at least from my perception) is that he's like the male version of Felicity and that he doesn't really have a personality all his own. I'm impartial to Ray - I don't hate him, but I don't love him.
ReplyDelete