S07.E12: Good-Bye Vibrations

[Trini]

Cisco and Kamilla tell the team they are leaving Central City. However, Barry, Iris and Caitlin don’t have much time to digest the news because a new version of Rainbow Raider (guest star Jona Xiao) strikes and OG Team Flash must join together one final time to save the city.

Philip Chipera directed the episode written by Kelly Wheeler & Jeff Hersh.

Airdate: 6/1/2021

Edited June 6, 2021 by Trini

[Trini]

Preview clip:

Aw, Iris doesn't want to replace Kamilla. 😢

[Maverick]

 Would you want to try to fill an open position in this labor market?

[bettername2come]

I wasn't crazy about the episode as a whole, but I think they did a good job with the Cisco highlight reel, and I'm glad we finally got to find out what Cisco's greatest fear was. It was better than sendoffs we've had on Supergirl. I'm also glad that Cisco's party was just OG Team Flash (including Joe!). Karaoke to Gaga was a good sendoff, but seriously, let the musical theater veterans sound amazing at karaoke night. 

Okay, they don't use hydrogen in blimps anymore right? I was hyperfocused on that detail when Barry mentioned it. Did the Arrowverse learn nothing from the Hindenburg? 

[opus]

Carrie Bates!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cary_Bates

[cambridgeguy]

Rainbow Raider 2.0 might be the stupidest person in the Arrowverse if she thought dropping a bunch of cash (and very hard jewels) on a crowd of people wouldn't cause a riot and massive injuries.

[ParadoxLost]

Its hard to muster up any strong feelings about Cisco leaving.  He's another one like Wells.  He goes and does some other thing in some other place often enough that his leaving doesn't really carry that much weight.  Its a send off for the actor and feels that way.  But they don't want to make it so permanent that it matters.   They really have removed any sort of stakes and suspense from this show over the years.

[thuganomics85]

Sigh....

I mean, it wasn't the worst send-off ever, but considering that Cisco has been here since the beginning and has been one of my personal favorites here, I found this episode to be underwhelming.

First thing first, I actually did think it was a dick move by Cisco and Kamilla to just spring their exit like this at the last minute and I don't blame the rest of the team for being thrown for a loop.  But it was so obvious that Barry and Caitlin were just trying to put on a strong face about it, so it was annoying watching Cisco miss these obvious signs and get all pissy about it, and think they didn't care about him leaving.  He was just coming off like an immature fool throughout that all.  Meanwhile, having Iris' reaction and feelings making her come off dismissive or rude to Kamilla just came off like such a non-entity here: probably because she barely had any screen time in this episode and it's not like I ever really cared about the Iris/Kamilla relationship to begin with.

Then there was the "final mission" for OG Team Flash, which was basically another version of Rainbow Raider.  But this one has powers that make everyone happy and easily agreeable instead and her grand plan was to... rob from the rich and give to the poor.  By dropping a bunch of money and jewels in the middle of a football game.  On a blimp.  Did she really not see why that could go south?  Her ideals might have merit, but that has to be the dumbest way to approach things.  But, hey, in typical Flash fashion, there wasn't any real fight and it ends with her apologizing and Flash apparently suggesting to the mayor that she just do community service instead.  Ah, Central City's legal system!  Never change.

Part of me wanted to roll my eyes with the overacting Cisco and Barry did when they were under the rainbow influence, but I can't deny it got a few laughs from me: especially the goofy grin Grant Gustin had when he first revealed Barry was taken over.

Best parts were easily a) the final karaoke scene and b) the montage of Cisco throughout the years.  Man, I remember when I thought this show was one of the best out of the D.C. line-ups!

They are still going to have to really work hard to make me like Chester as the new Cisco more or less.

Cecile is now possessed or something?

Fare thee well, Cisco.  I will miss you and your hair, nerdy, pop culture shirts, and ability to create both ground-breaking technology and supervillian names on the fly.  I wouldn't mind an eventual return someday, but I wouldn't mind it if Carlos Valdes got other gigs soon, because I think he is really talented and I hope someone else can take full advantage of his abilities, since I felt like this show was dropping the ball with him lately.

[Lantern7]

I was worried about Cisco. He lives on, and he and Kamilla move on with their lives. Maybe they live down the street from Ray and Nora. No, not Barry's Nora. Legends Nora.

Anyone else really dig the VOTW? Okay, yeah, dropping valuables from a blimp is Peter Griffin-level stupid, but she was so bouncy. And the coat of many colors worked so well for her. AND she whammied Cisco and Barry hard enough to incite joy, excitement and breakdancing. Now I'm wishing Ralph wasn't in the cornfield, because he would have gotten in on that.

Anyone think Chester's enthusiasm is that high in order to justify taking over Cisco's role at STAR Labs? I don't.

Farewell, Cisco. I'm a bit annoyed we never got a proper team-up with him and Brainy.

[tennisgurl]

Fare Thee Well Cisco, you have long been one of my favorite characters on this show and while the show hasn't known what to do with you in years, I will still miss you. As far as goodbye episodes go, it wasn't bad or anything, and I am glad that they just had him leave instead of him being killed off, but for a character who has been on the show since the very start, it feels very underwhelming. It all very by the numbers, the only times I felt real emotion was at the end when we saw flashbacks to Cisco's history on the show and the karaoke scene with Barry, Cisco, Caitlin, and Joe. Those did get me in the feels quite a bit, partially because it does feel like a huge part of the show is leaving us, and because the clips reminded me of how good this show used to be, and it makes me sad how far its fallen. 

Its really shitty that Cisco and Kamilla waited until the very last minute to tell everyone that they were leaving. Not only are they leaving their close friends, which would be pretty hurtful I think, Cisco works for Star Labs and Kamilla works for Iris, its really unprofessional to just check out with no notice and leaves their friends in a lurch, even if Cisco at least is leaving behind Cisco 2.0, plus blindsiding their friends by being all "yeah we're leaving out of nowhere, deuces". I wouldn't blame them if they really were mad, but its was obvious that everyone was really just sad, especially Barry and Caitlin who were clearly just trying to put on a brave face. Cisco was just being obtuse, and I really didn't want to spend Cisco's last episode being annoyed with him. Not that I'm surprised, the show has been giving him terrible plots for seasons now, with the stupid cure plot and his tepid romance with Kamilla, who is hardly even a character. When Iris seemed mad at Kamilla, I really had no idea if she was hurt or trying to keep Kamilla from being upset about leaving because I don't know much about Kamilla or her relationship with Iris. What is her actual personality? Photography and likes Cisco?  

The villain of the week had a cool gimmick and costume, but for Cisco's final villain I would have liked someone more challenging or threatening. Of course she gets off with community service, in Central City crimes only kind of count sometimes. I did enjoy Carlos and Grant getting to really ham it up on their happy vibes, it was just so great to see Barry smiling and acting goofy again, he's been so miserable for so long. 

Chester has been a bit hit or miss for me, but the show's desperation to make him the new Cisco just makes me resent him. Its surprisingly hard to make the "lovable excitable tech nerd" character work, hopefully now that Chester has become the reigning Cisco they can work more on making him a more complex character. 

Not the best send off to a beloved character, but I it could have certainly been worse. I will miss Cisco and Carlos a whole lot, this show really wont be the same without him. 

[Lady Calypso]

I will say that I thought this episode was one of the better ones this season. Minimal plot inconsistencies, more action than we've seen from this season without crappy CGI, and a lot of character bonding, even though there were still some frustrating plot points (such as Cisco/Kamilla springing their departure a day before they leave, and Barry/Caitlin acting like Cisco's departure isn't a big deal by packing up his office for him and demanding for him to turn in his badge ASAP, along with Cisco assuming his best friends don't give a shit about him).

Chester was...ok in this episode, but he's always going to feel like a Cisco replacement to me. Maybe with Cisco gone and Chester now having his own spotlight, he can be a better character. 

I did actually really like Carrie AKA Rainbow Raider 2.0. Besides her not thought out plan of injuring the citizens of Central City through the dumping of jewels and money and other things, I thought that her reasons were noble and I like that they at least introduced another form of punishment. Plus, her outfit was pretty cool. I would very much like to see her back in the future.

At least Carlos got some excellent moments for his final episode. His scene with Barry and Caitlin, explaining his fears and why he was leaving, was such a great moment for the actor. And Caitlin hasn't had THIS much to do without it involving Frost in...what, four seasons? 

Now, the Iris/Kamilla stuff was definitely a bit heavy-handed, but I think that's because the show never bothered to develop Kamilla as a character and, thus, Kamilla's relationship with Team Citizen. But I did like their final scene with the women (sans Caitlin). 

I also LOVED the karaoke scene. The show rarely lets the characters bond together so when they do, it's nice. 

Overall, a decent sendoff for Cisco as well as Carlos. 

[cambridgeguy]

13 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

When Iris seemed mad at Kamilla, I really had no idea if she was hurt or trying to keep Kamilla from being upset about leaving because I don't know much about Kamilla or her relationship with Iris. What is her actual personality? Photography and likes Cisco?  

She's just annoyed she has to do interviews and hire someone else.  It's the part of the job she seems to be really negligent about.

[Quark]

Rainbow Raider 2.0 was an absolute hoot, I hope we see her back in the future.

I've always been pretty meh on Cisco, so I don't mind that he has left. I liked his final scene.

Curious to find out what's going on with Cecile.

[Trini]

I thought this was a good episode for Carlos and for Cisco; lots of scenes, he got to share his thoughts and feelings, he got to do some action and save the day, he sang, they let him be goofier and happier than he's been in ages, but also got to be sad and upset. I was glad they took a little time to for him to 'pass the mantle' to Chester; that was sweet, and a way to show how Cisco's legacy lives on.

LOL - the Starchives are basically the show's props warehouse!

The writers knew beforehand that Carlos/Cisco was leaving, they really should have had this goodbye subplot go longer instead of compressing it into one episode in one day of 'show time'.

I mostly liked the goodbyes and scenes Cisco had with everyone; but I think the writers/director missed the emotional mark for Barry/Cisco/Caitlin. There was just something off. And I had low expectations, but they still managed to disappoint me by not having a goodbye scene with Iris and Cisco - not even a hug?? She's his friend too.

Man, if there was one person I thought Panabaker could squeeze out a tear for, it would be her best scene partner Carlos, but nope. And if she was better at comedy the goofier parts would have been even funnier, but oh well.

Trying to find a replacement for Kamilla the same day she told everyone she's leaving tomorrow - on a weekend - was kind of a rushed, flimsy plot; but I'm still glad there was a Team Citizen subplot. But Kamilla is just so bland, the the show hadn't put much effort into her and her and Iris beforehand.

Sucks that they cut an Iris/Joe scene. For Joe, it would have good to see him before the last scenes; and Iris would have been able to share more feelings about Kamilla. Plus, we hardly get Iris/Joe scenes.

I continue to be confused as to why they keep giving Cecile stories with everything EXCEPT her job and family.

Shallow notes: I hated how almost everyone was in shades of black and gray. It's a weird choice in general, and sometimes people were blending into the background.

Who would have thought they'd have to hire a break-dancing double for Grant?! LOL

This could have been a better sendoff, but overall I liked the nostalgia and callbacks to previous seasons. We know Cisco isn't too far away and we can see him again.

[ETA:]

Forgot to talk about Rainbow Robin Hood!

I've wanted to see another version of Rainbow Raider, so that was cool. I thought she was fun. Nice costume, but dumb plan; even with good intentions. So they're just really doing the most to not fight anyone, huh? She gets off with community service?? I guess.

Edited June 10, 2021 by Trini

[Diapason Untuned]

This season has been lackluster, but this episode was the best thus far.

Cisco and Camilla were pretty dickish to just spring this on everyone, I have to say but apparently Argus needed Cisco like yesterday. Those guys have a good gig going on, poaching superhero tech support who are field tested and up to date on beyond bleeding edge tech and how to make it practical. I guess that's why Dig and Lyla make the big bucks.

Considering how sappy this show can be, I found it ironic how Barry and Caitlin were trying to keep a stiff upper lip for Cisco and him misreading the signals. Iris' utter dislike of interviews was funny, I mean she doesn't have a Chester waiting in the wings to take over.

Barry and Cisco just being goofy and that scene with Barry breakdancing was the funniest this show has been a while.

On 6/8/2021 at 8:32 PM, cambridgeguy said:

Rainbow Raider 2.0 might be the stupidest person in the Arrowverse if she thought dropping a bunch of cash (and very hard jewels) on a crowd of people wouldn't cause a riot and massive injuries.

It's like Karli from FatWS. Rainbow Raider 2.0 isn't really doing anything wrong, so they needed to make her stupid so Barry would have to take her down.

[cambridgeguy]

1 hour ago, Diapason Untuned said:

It's like Karli from FatWS. Rainbow Raider 2.0 isn't really doing anything wrong, so they needed to make her stupid so Barry would have to take her down.

??? Mind controlling (or mind altering, I suppose) people and getting them to hand over valuables is a crime.  Sure, she had good motives but that's still wrong.  If she really wanted to raise cash she could have just advertised her abilities - I can make you happy for hours with just a look.  The line would be out the door.

[Trini]

On 6/8/2021 at 9:26 PM, bettername2come said:

Karaoke to Gaga was a good sendoff, but seriously, let the musical theater veterans sound amazing at karaoke night. 

I get that they were being playful and in character, but yeah, if they were going to sing, I wanted them to sing as good as we know they can! Plus it's canon that Barry can sing.

On 6/8/2021 at 11:50 PM, tennisgurl said:

Its really shitty that Cisco and Kamilla waited until the very last minute to tell everyone that they were leaving. Not only are they leaving their close friends, which would be pretty hurtful I think, Cisco works for Star Labs and Kamilla works for Iris, its really unprofessional to just check out with no notice and leaves their friends in a lurch, even if Cisco at least is leaving behind Cisco 2.0, plus blindsiding their friends by being all "yeah we're leaving out of nowhere, deuces". ...

Like, the writers knew he was leaving for while, and there are always filler episodes; this didn't need to be a one episode plot. Especially for an original cast member who has been here seven years.

[Cthulhudrew]

It's been seven years. Why can't they get S.T.A.R. Labs external infrastructure repaired by now?

[LemonLime]

Barry breakdancing and Barry and Cisco singing Poker Face was the only fun we've had on Flash for seasons now. God, I miss the fun.

[Phillygurl]

On 6/10/2021 at 4:45 PM, Trini said:

Like, the writers knew he was leaving for while, and there are always filler episodes; this didn't need to be a one episode plot. Especially for an original cast member who has been here seven years.

This times a million. This should have been at least 3-4 episode arc with the team knowing they're leaving. The suddenness of it all made me feel robbed. I have a huge crush on Cisco Ramon even though he is like 3 inches shorter than me. But he is the nerdy genius of my dreams! I'll miss him so much. He was actually the most logical team member and, most importantly, who will name the villains now???