Jim’s Thoughts     

There isn’t a lot to say about this week’s episode of Flash. It came across as filler. The main story didn’t see any progress but for the teaser at the end where Barry tells Wally he’ll be the one to save Iris. That doesn’t do anything to fight that feeling of the show dragging its feet Kyle and I addressed last week.

I could go on about Iris being dull, but is there anything more I can say? I will concede it was kind of nice seeing her say she wanted a role in the world larger than daughter, sister, or girlfriend, but talk is cheap. Considering next week’s preview seems to put her in the damsel in distress role again, I’m not confident in a meaningful progression for her.

If I can pick on one small thing here, it’ll be this: why would Gypsy refer to her powers as “vibing?” Isn’t that just Cisco’s word? It’s a nitpick, but I was genuinely annoyed by it. Unfortunately, the larger gripe is that Cisco’s moment in the spotlight boiled down to him having another crush. Once again, the CW hits the romance button.

The scene with Iris freaking Joe out about having a baby with Barry made for a decent bit of levity. I credit Jesse L. Martin’s performance for that.

Again, this was a filler episode, but it still managed to be a step-up from last week, and that should say something. Flash needs to get its act together or it risks a two-season-long slump to rival Arrow’s.

 Kyle’s Take

The dog days of CW shows hit Flash early this year. Usually we get a couple of solid weeks, solidifying the main story arc, but this season Flash hit filler right after the break.

I’m not buying Iris’s leap of comparing herself to her mother; it’s another way to slap fans with the West family drama that caused last season to crawl. I agree that Iris hasn’t done anything beyond serve as a damsel in distress. I don’t want her to take over Team Flash like Felicity has taken over Team Arrow, but Iris needs to become the reporter who writes the future article about the Flash. Currently, she isn’t. I could—potentially—get somewhat invested with the showdown Flash wants to herald as the season finale if Iris was more integral.

Arrow and Flash could take notes from Supergirl’s romances. Cisco doesn’t need to crush on every woman in which he comes into contact. That goes for every other character in the Arrowverse. I’m not devoid a romantic bone, but romance doesn’t need to be a plot device that’s used whenever you need to pad an episode to forty minutes. Build a relationship between the characters in question and romance can bloom.

I agree with Jim’s nitpick. Word choice is key. I’d be okay with Gypsy referring to the powers she and Cisco share as “vibing” if she hinted that she knew the Cisco (Vibe) on her earth. While it’s possible she could develop that term independently from Cisco, it’s improbable. It’s not like Cisco has telepathy, flight, or super strength. Vibing is a unique term.

The scene Jim mentioned (about Iris freaking Joe out about having a baby with Barry) was saved by Jesse L. Martin. I had a chuckle at that moment, but Martin had little to work with from his fellow actors in that scene. Jesse L. Martin is a stand out.

It concerns me that Flash has dropped two less than stellar episodes after the holidays. I’m strapping myself in for a long winter.

Thanks for reading.