'Therefore She Is' had me wrapped up in a lot of feelings; I was grateful, relieved, vexed and perplexed all in one episode. Let me explain and hopefully you can help me understand some things too.
Grateful
Last season, The Flash got plenty of criticism for the pacing and then dud of a reveal of Savitar. Thinking back it wasn't the greatest of villainy on display, but it got the job done and landed us where we are now. This season we've known who our baddie is for quite some time, but what drives him had been a well-kept secret.
This episode we finally found out what drove Clifford and Marlize to embark on their master plan- their hatred of technology. Oh, the irony in that is well beyond rich, but at least we know what they want- I think. I'm really happy to have some motivation to dig into and the flashback scenes of their journey to madness together were beautifully executed- especially by Kim Engelbrecht.
Though Marlize has done plenty of despicable things in the name of supporting her husband, becoming his closest ally wasn't always a clear path for her. As with many great characters, complexity is key to understanding what makes them tick. What creates complexity in human life and in turn our comics is often trauma. For Marlize, there lies her path to Clifford. Before the trauma of being shot (I think she was) for her creative advances, she balked at Clifford's crazy ideas about ridding the world of technology and taking human beings back to their most basic form. She called his ideas a manifesto and walked out on him as he begged on his knees for her to stay. She was strong and very powerful even then.
It is extremely difficult to walk out on someone you love, even when you know that they are wrong, yet she did it. What pulled her back in was fear. Trauma. Once she had become a witness to and victim of violence, she allowed Clifford's ideas about what is best for all humanity to seep into her belief system. Because he came to save her, she began to believe that he could save everyone. How wrong she was.
Relieved: Marlize Wakes Up, Barry Returns, Mystery Girl-Not So Much
Marlize leaving Clifford was one of the best scenes this season. Kim Engelbrecht and Neil Sandilands were at their acting peaks when confronting one another about what their relationship has become. Marlize's declaration that her husband is dead and that he was The Thinker's first victim had me cheering. The look in her eyes was one of resolve and anger. There was no more hope that Clifford might still be in there some place-perhaps buried deep inside- he was gone. Last week, when Clifford called Marlize his assistant and his technician, she was devastated. Fast forward to this week and Marlize identifies her former love as The Thinker. Clifford doesn't budge. There is no pain, no pause, no rejection of the title. He accepts who he has become and even threatens to "enlighten" Marlize along with everyone else.
The scene was a perfect parallel to the flashback scene when she first left him. She was standing over him the first time and this time she was floating above him in the hover chair that she created. Clifford knew that he was nothing without Marlize, and now hopefully we'll get to see The Thinker learn the same lesson.
Barry being Barry is so so important to his Flash story. His attention to scientific detail and just all around nerdy ways are what Iris spent many episodes complimenting him on. That's the Barry Allen she loves- it's the one we love. Can we see more of him please? He was on full nerdy, bumbling display trying to patch up Cynthia and Cisco. His fast talking explanations coupled with Cisco and Iris being mortified are what I have been missing as a fan. Then the oh so Barry-like moment when he connects the problem of the moment to something someone says to him- that's Flash gold! It doesn't have to happen all of the time, but it can't happen so rarely that we forget Barry has degrees in chemistry and physics and was a crime scene investigator. C'mon Flash writers. Your hero is supposed to shine most of the time. Let him.
And last but not least on my relief list is the mystery girl. She's cute and all, but I'm ready to find out who she is. I think I know, but it's time to connect a few more dots. The speed is of course the biggest hint we've been given and her obvious avoidance of Iris has to mean something huge. Some fans slowed her speedster moment down and say that her lightning is purple and yellow- the perfect mixture of Barry's and Iris'. I have to admit, I didn't catch it but it sounds plausible.
Barry going full fast talking, meddling nerd this episode sure plays right into the belief that he is the mystery girl's father. When she knocks on the door she practically mimics his routine when talking to Joe and Cecile. Well, I guess we'll find out in the season finale. Just great, right?
Vexed and Perplexed
Killer Frost has vexed me in practically every episode she appears in. It wasn't always that way. She was campy villain gold on Earth-2 with Ronnie as her evil sidekick. Now she's just annoying. And Caitlin trying to get her back at any cost is even more so. Caitlin hid a piece of the stone from the team trying to get rid of Killer Frost and now she is jumping into battle, putting the team in jeopardy, and risking death to get her back. Why? What would be the explanation for this sudden and dramatic change? Then when Iris says we will get her back, Caitlin says no, she'll do it herself. Is that because she knows it's dangerous and doesn't want to involve the people she cares about? Or is it because Caitlin has a tendency to be selfish? It needs to be made clear because Killer Frost is now starting to ruin Caitlin Snow, and that would be a shame for fans of her character.
Cisco and Cynthia breaking up-why? This couple had me at hello, so I cannot understand why this story line makes sense in the grand scheme of things. Is it just for contrived drama, to give Carlos Valdes some meaty dialogue? What Flash writers? It probably does play some part in the bigger story, but I am still mourning so I can't think straight. I need help understanding this.
Cisco wants more and so does Cynthia so why are they splitting up? When Barry put his arm around Cisco and told him he thinks they both made the right decision, I couldn't figure out what he meant. Is the timing just off because of the threat they are facing? If that's the case, Cisco is never leaving Central City. There will always be threats. Cisco better get Iris to put one of her "Barry, there is no perfect time" talks in the break-up cube and send it to Gypsy. There is no safe way to be in a relationship when you fight crime- there just isn't. Maybe they can split their time between Earth 1 and 19. They're breachers so they can get anywhere they need to very quickly. I just wasn't ready for this separation so pardon my inability to process it.
Other Things That Caught My Attention
*Harry and Cecile are cute as friends. His reliance on her helps to soften him in a good way.
*I could not stop looking at Cisco's hair. It was on point- all bouncy and shiny. Go boy!
*Is it just me or shouldn't we be seeing more of the effects of the Speedforce on Barry? Flashbacks to the language he was writing, images he saw but maybe can't put together, dreams? I think the mystery girl's void could be filled as we wait for her reveal if we had more insight into what he experienced.
*DeVoe's "Children should be seen not heard line" on Barry. LOL
*"I am nothing without you" and "We are the Flash" are different ways to convey the same sentiment.
'Therefore She Is' was a solid episode that went back to the past for context and to remind us why we started watching in the first place. The countdown to the season finale begins! You can catch The Flash on Tuesdays on the CW at 7pm Central. What did you think of this episode? Did I forget anything really important? Sound off in the comments- and as always thanks for reading.
