Alright, here we go. The CW’s The Flash! Get ready for some super fast CGI! Nice opening song and montage, as Barry is relaxing and enjoying a little down time. Right away, the show sets up this episode’s villain, as a robbery attempt takes place on an armored vehicle. The Flash quickly arrives on the scene and tackles the show’s latest villain played by Prison Break’s Wentworth Miller. It seems the suspects were attempting to steal an expensive jewel. Back to his normal persona, Barry quickly determines that there are four suspects and one of them is Leonard Snart or Captain Cold.
Barry and Iris have a moment, as he continues to hide his alter ego. Iris has an interesting approach to the Flash and even refers to him as The Streak. Back to Wentworth Miller, aka Captain Cold. Miller shows off some serious acting chops, as he dissects the situation and explains that the crew is going to need to up their game to deal with the Blur. The Flash people! The Flash!!! Haven’t you seen the show, movie and comics?
Barry continues displaying his amazing speed to everyone he knows, but not Iris. Felicity and Barry seem to be developing a relationship. Perhaps Barry is getting over Iris after all? At the first commercial break, the episode is definitely a high-point for The Flash. Up until now, all of the villains had been fairly normal and weak, but Leonard Snart could certainly give Barry a run for his money. Wentworth Miller’s presence definitely elevates the show a notch. Let’s just hope they carry the villain on to the next episode. We shall find out.
The show continues, by developing the Felicity and Barry angle a little further. Barry continues showing off his amazing speed, with desire to impress Felicity. Eddie and Joe have a little bonding moment, which is topped off with some friction. Barry flaunts Felicity in front of Iris. Of course, Iris doesn’t seem to mind and insists on Barry furthering the relationship. Iris attempts to set the two up on a date.
Snart continues improving his game. He steals some stolen weaponry that was previously stolen from STAR Labs. I suppose that doesn’t necessarily make him a thief. He’s trying hard to be one, but so far, he failed to rob the armored van and he stole from a thief. He’s alright in our book.
Back to the show! Eddie, Iris and Barry are enjoying their date, as they await the arrival of Felicity. She was a long cool woman in a black dress. Felicity arrives and it is clear that she is an amazing match for Barry. Perhaps it is a little too good to be true? At the museum, Snart is seen sharing bubble gum with a young kid. What is this? To Catch a Predator? It seems as though Snart is staking out the joint. The double date couldn’t be going better, as Iris and Barry are left alone. Iris thinks Felicity is the perfect match for Barry, but she obviously doesn’t notice his interest in her.
Back at STAR Labs, Cisco is in trouble, as the crew finally notices that Captain Cold’s new weapon is missing. Cisco explains that the gun can do bad things. Joe spots Leonard at the museum and quickly calls in for backup. Barry shows a sign of disgust, as Iris and Eddie share a kiss. Eddie and Barry are both dispatched to the museum. On the way, Barry transforms into the flash.
Now, we finally see the power of Captain Cold’s weaponry, which is capable of freezing stuff. Show down! The Flash is capable of outrunning the weapon, but is unable to save one of the theater employees. Right before the commercial break, we glimpse the shriveled face of the weapon’s victim. Back at the lab, the crew inspect Barry’s injuries, which were minor, but it is revealed that the cold is capable of slowing The Flash.
Cisco cops to making the gun and begins to explain the gun’s capabilities and true purpose, to stop The Flash. Cisco’s motivations are clear and understandable. However, he is still coping all the blame. Joe and Iris have a deep conversation, as Joe explains that he doesn’t feel comfortable around Eddie and his ability to separate his daughter’s boyfriend from his partner. As Captain Cold reveals that he wants to go back to the museum, his crew cowers out and turn on him. Of course, Snart is overly confident now that he has the cold gun.
Barry is back at the lab trying to improve his speed to overcome the gun. Felicity attempts to comfort him, with his struggles, as he continues to blame himself for the man’s death at the theater. Back at the museum, Captain Cold walks right inside and steals the jewel, without much resistance. Cisco uses a clever technique to find the location of the weapon. A little cringe moment from Felicity, as she pops her knuckles and quickly hacks the computer system, which allows the crew to track Snart.
Before leaving, Barry turns off his earpiece, so that the team cannot communicate with him. Felicity breaks down the complexity of working in a team and Cisco says that he has something that could help set the record straight. Joe and Eddie are already on the scene, as the Flash arrives. There is an intense showdown, between Snart and Barry, on the train. Snart derails the train and makes his escape.
As the train slowly, but quickly derails, The Flash has just enough time to rescue all of the passengers. The show cuts to commercial, as the Flash is lying on the ground and Captain Cold has him in a vulnerable situation. Snart thanks Barry for helping him up his game, as Cisco shows up with a much more powerful gun and holds up Snart. Although Cisco is able to save Barry, Snart makes off with the gun. Of course, he explains that the bigger, stronger gun was nothing more than the lab’s vacuum cleaner. The crew heads back to the lab, as Felicity leaves and agrees to send their greetings to the Arrow.
Cisco continues receiving harsh treatment, before the show turns back to Joe at the police station. Joe is beginning to come to terms with his daughter’s new relationship, as the two agree to hold no more secrets. Felicity is leaving on the train, as she browse news stores about the Streak’s heroic adventures. ZOOOOMMM! Barry surprises her, by showing up out of nowhere. Felicity and Barry share a moment, in the miraculously abandoned train car, where they share a goodbye kiss, before the Flash zooms off.
Before the episode ends, Captain Cold is seen hooking up with an old teammate, Mick Roy. Now Barry is going to have two potentially powerful adversaries to conquer.
Thoughts
Very strong episode for The Flash. This is definitely a turning point, which setup a major villain that can carry on throughout the season and perhaps the series. Until this point, the criminals have been minor and have been eliminated within a single episode. Wentworth played a strong Captain Cold and helped to drive the episode. Although I understand the show’s love triangle, it seems to be a moot point at the moment. Hopefully it’ll pick up in future episodes. Still, the episode was the best yet and deserves a 8 out of 10.
Jay Skelton is a fan of all television shows and movies. He tries his best to keep up with the latest foreign television shows and movies. Jay loves skinny dipping in the dark too.
