HOLLYWOOD—Last season I became an avid fan of The CW superhero hit “The Flash.” Yes, it’s difficult to find a series that matches the wits and narrative aspect that “Smallville” once held, but “The Flash” has done a magnificent job at meshing unique characters, narrative and emotion into a compelling action-drama.
Season two of the series picked up a few months after the season one finale ended, with Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) struggling to accept his newfound heroics in the midst of Eddie’s untimely death. The episode opened with the Flash battling old enemies once again, but with the assistance of Ronnie Raymond.
Looks like the lab is back together with Caitlin, Cisco, Iris, Barry, Ronnie, Eddie and Harrison Wells congratulating Barry, who was fantasizing! Yep, Star Labs is not the happy place that it once was. He’s chosen to go solo to protect the people who are closest to him. Barry is none too happy about being labeled a public hero.
It became evident that Ronnie became a sacrificial lamb to rescue Starling City, which devastated Caitlin and left Barry at a loss for words. Is Ronnie truly dead? It appears so, but I’m certain the writers have a few tricks up their sleeves for fans. At the Flash Day event, Barry overcame his guilt to receive accolades he deserved, but a new enemy emerged threatening Central City.
Someone cloaked with an atom skull, and the ability to grow to epic proportions. His evolution caused Cisco to have a premonition that left him unnerved. Iris stepped up to the plate to convince her father and everyone else that they need to unite to assist Barry in his fight to protect Central City. Caitlin is now working at Mercury Labs, not Star Labs, unable to grapple with Ronnie’s death.
Barry received a video message from Dr. Harrison Wells on behalf of his lawyer. Hmm, I wonder what Wells has in store for our hero? Barry had an intervention where he was forced to acknowledge he needs help in his fight against evil, but his stubbornness nearly led to his demise. A heartfelt moment continued to explain the bond between Barry and Joe, as our hero recollected some memories from his childhood.
Caitlin and Barry had a conversation in which she acknowledged she didn’t blame him for Ronnie’s death. The friends discussed the video left behind by Wells that Barry has been afraid to watch, but Caitlin pushed Barry to face his fears. The video revealed Wells confessing to murdering Barry’s mother; the evidence he needed to free his father from prison. For the first time, in a really long time, Barry Allen was happy! The group devised a plan to stop Atom Smasher, which resulted in Caitlin’s plan to utilize radiation against their foe. Atom Smasher revealed that if he killed Barry that someone named ‘Zoom’ would take him home. Ok, who is this character?
Happy moment of the episode, Barry’s dad gets out of prison after being locked up for nearly 15 years. The entire clan celebrated the homecoming that is long overdue. Henry was bit overwhelmed, but it became evident that his father had no intention of sticking around for his son. Wow, this show seriously knows how to tug at the heartstrings of the audience.
Back at Star Labs, Barry got an upgrade to his suit. The episode concluded with a mystery figure by the name of Jay Garrick warning the team that danger is looming. So what nefarious foe plans to wreak havoc for ‘The Flash’ and those he cares about most? Tuesdays are going to be epic, “The Flash” fanatics!
