S01.E03: Things You Can't Outrun

[Tara Ariano]

Barry and the team go after the Mist, who possesses toxic gas powers, and they reflect on the night Caitlin's fiancé died. Meanwhile, Henry gets a long-awaited visit from Joe; and Iris and Eddie continue to keep their romance a secret from Joe.

[foreverevolving]

Dear flash writers

If you want to avoid the same thing that happened on Arrow, you need to stop giving romantic emotional beats to your hero with the tech girl and do it with his comic book love interest (who unlike her counter on Arrow can act and is likable)

i'm growing attached to Barry and Caitlin.

and thank god Joe knows about the relationship.

 

Amell cousin was actually pretty good this episode, unlike his part on TTP.

So is the prison similar to Camdus Prison in the new 52 comics?

Oh and I call it now: Daddy knows.

 

Cheesy line of the week: "We were like fire and ice." no kidding!!

 

Good episode, they are slowly finding themselves.

Edited October 22, 2014 by foreverevolving

[Lantern7]

Good episode. A little dopey in places, though at least Iris isn't all about the "Thecreth and Lieth." No, that's Harrison's job.

 

Seriously, we should call him Captain Stinger at this point. Every week with this stuff. He's like Oswald over on Gotham, only he's a lot more sneaky about his skullduggery.

 

Nice to have a villain who you can beat by running away from. Interesting that the show is also borrowing from Starman with Kyle Nimbus. Maybe we'll see Nash down the line . . . she was much more interesting a Mist than Kyle.

 

I knew Joe would know about Iris & Eddie. He's a detective, after all. Also liked the flashbacks to Nine Months Ago, though I'm betting a lot of fans like Ronnie Raymond as a football-playing lunkhead instead of Caitlin's intellectual equal. I nearly gagged on the "fire and ice" line . . . a little too much to swallow.

 

ETA: Not that pre-new52 continuity counts, but Kyle was never the Mist. Can't believe it's been almost twenty years since Starman launched.

[SimoneS]

I am really enjoying this show. It is the best acted CW show ever. Also, the characters are very well drawn. Jesse Martin is so talented. The scene where Joe talks to Barry about essentially accepting his limitations was so well done.

 

I am enjoying Barry and Iris' dynamic. She is a great leading lady and the actress is talented. I has chemistry with both Barry and the boyfriend. I still don't like that Iris is blogging about the "Red Streak." 

 

I can't tell if Welles is a good or bad guy and I like the mystery.

 

The two sidekicks work well too.

Edited October 22, 2014 by SimoneS

[Fabricationary]

On this week's edition of bad science on network TV:

 

- cyanide becomes a tricyclic molecule!

 

- a lung biopsy (whatever that was attempted to be?) is performed by randomly poking a small needle into the pericardial sac! 

[Terrafamilia]

I am now convinced that the Central City Police Department's CSI division has but a single employee.

 

When I saw Robbie Amell's character die in the middle of the particle accelerator I thought maybe he should try coming back like Dr. Manhattan. Then, voilà,  I read on IMDB that he's supposed to be Ronnie Raymond,

aka Firestorm.I don't know whether that makes me clever or the show fairly obvious.

Edited October 22, 2014 by Lisin
Tag Comic Spoilers.

[Morrigan2575]

I thought it was a bit slow...no pun intended

I continue to love Joe/Barry and Barry/Papa Allen relationships they're perfect.

The Wells mystery is my favorite aspect of the show, I'm just so darn curious...it really does seem as though they're setting him up as Reverse Flash.

Really enjoyed the Caitlin flashbacks, I liked Ronnie and Ronnie/Caitlin. I think this character fits Robbie Amell better than his role on TTP.

Eddie is growing on me, and I like Eddie/Iris, unfortunately I like it because of Eddie, they need to give me a reason to like Iris for Iris and not because of who she is to Joe, Barry and Eddie. Hopefully this journalist/blogger hunting the streak will help.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Did Harrison Wells have future knowledge about Barry BEFORE the explosion at Star Labs ?  How ?  Is he a time traveler from the future ?

[Ltg.jon]

ETA: Not that pre-new52 continuity counts, but Kyle was never the Mist. Can't believe it's been almost twenty years since Starman launched.

The original Mist (Nash's father) was also named Kyle. His last name was never revealed, but he did operate under the villain name Nimbus for a while.

[madhacker]

 

Oh and I call it now: Daddy knows.

oh yeah he got a good couple of seconds look before Barry tried the blurring trick. A father knows his sons face even with a mask.

 

favorite lines: "It's right next to the Big Belly Burger" *side look* "What, I eat...."

 

nice of them to give some back story of the accident give both Caitlin and Cisco some depth

 

I have no problem with Ronnie being a scientist,

it'll just make him a more awesome Firestorm (speaking of witch, I think I speak for the entire comic book fandoms and geeks everywhere when I say: please CW network execs, please spend extra on the f/x and give us the Firestorm with everything including the burning hair and molecular powers). Also I request an abs competition between Ronnie and Barry

 

next week: FELICITY!! I can't wait for her to meet Team Flash and I knew Cisco was gonna geek out over it....

Edited October 22, 2014 by Lisin
Please. Tag Comic Spoilers

[Enero]

I liked the backstory on what happened 9 months earlier.

How much you want to bet Caitlin's fiancé ain't dead. If others survived direct exposure to the particle accelerator why not he?

I wonder if or when we'll meet someone who was affected by the explosion who was good before the blast and is still good after like Barry.

Glad Iris' secret is out about her and the detective but I do wonder how long they can last. I mean really, how many episodes can we have with them in the honeymoon stage? I think its downhill from here for them. We're only three episodes in and I'm already ready for them to give Iris more to do besides smile and have her designated friend moment with Barry every episode.

I think Barry and Joe's relationship is my favorite on the show. I love their interactions and bond.

Did Barry's dad figure out it was him in the suit? I thought he did but don't think he made any mention of this when Barry came to see him. Now granted I did step out the room a minute during that scene so in might've missed it.

I don't think it's been mentioned here before or perhaps it has and I missed it, but any ideas on how Dr. Wells knows the future? Based on the final scene tonight it looks like he might've knew what was going to happen to Barry before it happened. He might've even been deliberately responsible for what happened.

Anyway, good episode.

[Jediknight]

Did Barry's dad figure out it was him in the suit? I thought he did but don't think he made any mention of this when Barry came to see him. Now granted I did step out the room a minute during that scene so in might've missed it.

He definitely knows.  The story he told Barry ended with him running, so while he didn't mention it directly to Barry, he dropped a hint.  He doesn't want to tell Barry directly that he knows, because he wants Barry to tell him himself.

[SimoneS]

I think that Barry's dad knows too. I cannot imagine him not recognizing is son.

 

I really liked when Barry's father said that it did not matter that Joe did not believe him because he believed in his son. It was a very sweet thing to say.  Despite Joe's belief that the father killed his wife, he took in Barry. It is a debt that can never be repaid.

[foreverevolving]

I think that Barry's dad knows too. I cannot imagine him not recognizing is son.

 

Although with that being said!

It sort of took Moira Queen a whole year to realize her son was the Arrow...

but yea he know. now if they can just have Iris figure it out too..

 

Oh and the more i think about it the more i am convinced that they should have placed Iris in Caitlin's position. because right now Iris is.. doing pretty much nothing. i swear after tonight episode i feel i have a far better grasp on who Caitlin is as a person than i do about Iris besides Joe's daughter, Barry friend, and a perky college student.

[opus]

I could change my view, but right now I would feel a Barry/Iris coupling would be borderline incestuos.

[benteen]

Really good episode tonight.  The Flash is quickly becoming one of my "really fun" shows of the week.

 

Loved the stuff with the Caitlin flashback.  I agree that the show seems to be setting up her becoming another Felicity because she's good with Barry.  Speaking of which, I'm very much looking forward to her coming to town next week!  Should be a fun dynamic to bring into the show.

 

Joe is a terrific addition to this show and yes, Central City has one police officer like Starling City does.

 

They're doing a terrific job with the FX and makes the stuff with the villains and the fighting work.

[Actionmage]

This show makes my house so dusty, ya'll! Too bad I can't stop watching. :P

 

Joe just makes everything better. Of course Joe knew about his partner ( who was super formal around...) and his daughter ( who was also super formal around Eddie.) ::eyeroll:: And she's giving a dissertation for a psychology degree?  Maybe she should give one on denial? *g* Anyhoo, at least there is the tiniest conflict with them over The Red Blur. (Truly, Barry needs to tell Iris so she can use  The Flash. I never watched Smallville and I have flashbacks to the awful nickname they used for that show.) I just hope that Eddie doesn't think that Iris' interest is childish or very dismissive.  I think that it'd be cool because Barry's been investigating weird stuff for ages and now Iris is believing. An interesting way for a wedge between Iris and her sweetie with Barry as a spoiler of sorts- by supporting Iris' beliefs. Nothing romantic and plenty of rope for Eddie to screw things up. Of course, with more of these criminals/villains, Eddie is going to have to admit that Iris is correct.

 

Thought of Kromm,who mentioned The Flash Museum in another thread here! "I don't want a museum..." 

 

The backstories that we got of That Night were great. Of course, Harrison is the spookiest thing and should be called StingerMan, IA Lantern 7. Him and his moments of inscrutable...off-ness.

 

The Joe/Barry heart-to-heart, echoed smartly with Barry/Caitlin, was just so honest and real. You got the feeling that Joe was not just thinking of Henry and Nora Allen, but the nameless (to us) folks he hadn't been "fast enough" to save. Kudos to Jessie L. Martin, again, some more.

 

Robbie Amell gave us a promising look at Ronnie, so I'm still excited.  My only hope for the last scene with Caitlin/Cisco was for Caitlin to say something about she was glad that at least she had a friend there at her worst moment. Granted, Caitlin is still hurting deeply over her loss, but I was hoping she could be at a place to acknowledge that Cisco had a horrible decision that still haunts him. He's a very light character, but this helps Cisco from being the Shaggy.

 

Henry Allen is now playing the Quentin Lance role for this show. IA, he has to know, but saying anything would put him and Barry in danger, especially now that Barry is displaying the same powers that the Yellow Blur was reported to have. (Personally, I was waiting for Henry to holler at the Blur to leave Joe alone, not realizing it wasn't the guy who killed his wife.)

 

I think with the growing number of "special" criminals appearing, Barry, as The Flash, should make his actual presence known, and his mission as an aide to the police known as well. As we saw in this episode, Barry-as-Flash only needs to be formally acknowledged when it's the bigger bads, like Mist, when Barry has to suit up.

 

I am also coming around to the 'CSI department = Barry' theory. Unless something is said in-show, there is nothing to explain why there aren't more folks. Even Joe with a throwaway line about Barry ' having to have a special workspace' or the rest of the  CSIs think he's weird or something. I've seen references to his lab as his apartment, so the Show needs to say something about why Barry works like he does.

 

We saw so little of Mist, and he had such a mundane motivation, I was a bit disappointed. I guess I am a bit more used to slightly more elaborate and/or better motivations. (His anger at everyone was annoying; blame your allies for giving you up, yeah. The cop and the judge were carrying out their jobs. I did notice that the almost required defense attorney was spared from the list, though. You're badass enough to kill, deal with the consequences.)

 

SO excited for the crossover! Felicity and Joe need to meet! She does well with gruff police detectives!

Edited October 22, 2014 by Actionmage

[thuganomics85]

Hi again, Robbie Amell!  I see being the lead of a former CW show and being related to one of their current stars, sure has its perks! The Amells are both in the DC Universe!  I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Ronnie shows back up.  Even without the comic book lore, the fact we didn't see a body, is very telling.  I just hope Robbie has improved from his The Tomorrow People days.  Maybe he'll be better in a supporting role, while he was the lead on that show.

 

I thought this episode was the weakest of the three, but I"m still really liking it.  I do think they are running the risk of being too formulaic with these "meta-human of the week" episodes, but it's still very early, and I will give them time.  So far, it's earning my patience, because there is still plenty to like.

 

Pretty much anything involving Joe and Barry, continues to be my favorite.  Joe really is just such a great character, and Jesse L. Martin is quickly becoming a highlight for me.  They've done a really good job at making him protective but supportive of Barry.  I just wish they would do more with him and Iris, because that's going too much into "over-productive dad" territory, which as run it's course.  I knew he it was going turn out he knew about Iris/Eddie all this time, and, of course, he did the obligatory "playfully threaten to shoot the boyfriend" bit, which is a requirement, apparently.

 

I also loved that the flashbacks involved the rest of the team, this time.  Glad we focused on Caitlin, and it explained why she was, well, as cold as she was at times.  But, the scenes with her and Barry were nice, and it looks like they're slowly going to have her open up, and not be Captain Buzzkill all the time.  I also thought Danielle Panabaker was more comfortable this time, compared to last week. I'm much more optimistic now.

 

Cisco being the one that was forced to lock Ronnie in the particular accelerator, was an interesting touch.  He hides it well, but he must have really felt some guilt over that, even if it was Ronnie's idea.

 

I continue to love these post-end title card tags with Wells.  So, he was actually keeping tags on Barry before hand, and saw him get stuck by that lighting?  What is going on with him?  But, hey!  He eats burgers!  He's not too evil!

 

The scene with Henry were interesting.  I also wonder if he does know Barry is The Flash, but is just pretending not to.  I know Barry did something to make his face look blurry, but John Wesley Shipp was giving off some vibes in their scene, that he might at least suspect something.

 

Next week look like it will be fun, with Felicity crossing over, and Wentworth Miller as a baddie.  Overall, I'm really enjoying this show!

[Sakura12]

Iris is really starting to become the Laurel of this show with her being separate from the rest of the cast. I hope that changes soon and not after 48 episodes. 

 

I like Barry and Caitlin's friendship starting to form. I also like her and Cisco. I think just like that these characters hang out with each other without the main hero being around. It shows they have lives. 

 

And look they also have a competent Detective that can detect the obvious. So except for Iris this show seems to be correcting the mistakes Arrow made.  

 

Wells continues to be weird and creepy. So he set it up so Barry could become the Flash? 

 

Can't wait to see Felicity next week since the only time I'll get to see her now is on this show. 

Edited October 22, 2014 by Sakura12

[foreverevolving]

oh! 2 more things:

 

Wells throw away line to Cisco during the 9 months flashback: "feels like centuries" him waiting for that... are there are DCU characters that are centuries old? cause the way he said it, made me take notice instantly. 

 

and Iris facination with the streak (FYI name is getting old already) we weren't really shown how she became so fascinated and now near obsessive with it. it would have made more sense if he had saved her. or am i forgetting a plot point?

[quarks]

Good things:

 

1. The Barry/Joe interaction, again, was gold. Horribly corny dialogue, but both actors sold it.

 

2. Barry and his dad, because Flash meets Flash! Awesome. I am guessing Barry's dad now knows, but is choosing not to say anything because they are in a jail, there's guards around, and their calls could be monitored. But Barry didn't quite manage that face movement quickly enough.

 

3. I'm really liking Dr. Wells, too. Ok, not exactly thrilled that he apparently decided that risking the deaths of thousands of people just to create the Flash was an awesome move, but I love the combined helping out Team Flash/going completely nuts in the last 30 seconds bits. Plus he knows where the burger place is.  That sort of focus is what I need in my bad guy.

 

4. Finally fleshing out Caitlin and Cisco a bit. That was nice.

 

5. The "Flash museum" bit. I laughed.

 

Questionable things:

 

1. Bland partner guy is really, really bland, like starting to outdo Original Ward over on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. bland, like I actually confused him with Caitlin's dead boyfriend for a moment bland.  I don't mind him, exactly, and I'm perfectly happy to have him end up with Iris, but give him some quirks. Any quirks. So I can remember who he is.

 

2. Speaking of Iris, we're only three episodes in and I am already tired of the "ooooh, conveniently timed phone call so Iris won't notice Barry departing for a moment while he fights crime." I really hope this doesn't last.  This did Laurel absolutely no favors over on Arrow.  Why repeat this?  Iris is at least likeable, so give her a chance here.

 

3. Still sorta speaking of Iris, I'm kinda pleased that as of now, I'd be happy to have Barry end up with Iris, Caitlin, or Felicity.  On the other hand, giving Barry romantic moments and bonding with Caitlin while simultaneously giving Iris what seems to be a nice, healthy relationship with someone she really likes is...not really encouraging me to leap on board the Iris/Barry ship. 

 

Bad Things:

 

1. Didn't ANY good people other than Barry get hit by the particle accelerator thing? Any?  What sort of particle accelerator specifically targets bad guys and people being executed at that very moment on death row?  Is the particle accelerator evil?

 

2. When Star Labs was built, did they just say, you know what would make our particle accelerator look really cool?  If it looked just like Cerebro over on X-men!

 

3. Hating the voiceovers. Just. Hating. The. Voiceovers. 

[ohjoy]

I love this show for its lighthearted and amusing touch, but... I could watch Barry tear up listening to his dad tell stories about his childhood from the other side of prison glass for hours. So beautifully bittersweet.

Even though I still feel like Danielle Panabaker is overdoing it just a smidge, I'm actually loving pretty much all of the beats on the show right now. And Ronnie -- Hi Amell cousin! -- is totally still alive. I enjoyed Robbie Amell in this much more than I expected -- playing someone his own age, rather than a high school student, seems to be working better for him.

I wish they eould find some way to involve Iris in the main plot without her blogging about the "red streak," but other than that I'm pretty satisfied/interested in the directions the characters are taking. Bring on next week!

[Oscirus]

Please stop doing those stupid CW intros. If I was previously watching, I already know your story, and if I just tuned in, you're not telling me anything that I didn't know already.

 

I like the meta humans and it's interesting how their weaknesses manage to fit in perfectly with Flash's powers. They're doing a great job developing the relationships on this show and most of the characters are being developed quite well.  I would understand the complaint that the villains aren't used enough. But I get that the focus will turn more towards the villains once the important ones start showing up.

 

Must remember to register shock when Caitlin's fiancée turns up alive in the future. Really, you got me show he's totally dead.

 

It'll be interesting to see what happens once they capture their second villain since I can't imagine it would be safe to keep anybody close to a poisonous gas.

 

Begin rant

 

They are ______ up Iris. If you didn't have anything for her to do why the hell would you include her on the show?  . Are you trying to tell me that she was so  busy on her date that she couldn't get to her hospitalized father sooner? I guess if she did then that would ruin Joe and Barry's moment and god forbid that she would ruin that moment with her father. And to make matters worse, she's not even involved in the story at all.  So basically her only purpose in the story is to stand around  and have Barry make googly eyes at her. Write your women better, show.

 

The way Iris is written, she only hangs around Barry because she doesn't have a choice. If anything that makes me want to root for her and detective pretty boy just so she can escape the situation.

 

End rant

 

Wells is probably the most compelling character on the show at the moment and did anybody notice the daggers that he was shooting at Caitlin's fiancée?  The ending felt a bit forced.  The first two epilogues worked because they built up the creepiness of Wells. This time it just told me something that I could have guessed. 

 

 

[shapeshifter]

...Wells throw away line to Cisco during the 9 months flashback: "feels like centuries" him waiting for that...

I suspect Wells has time traveled. I'm guessing he knew it was necessary for Barry to get struck by lightening during the particle accelerator's accelerating in order to become Flash and save the world. But I'm not ready to agree with:

...So, he was actually keeping tags on Barry before hand, and saw him get stuck by that lighting? What is going on with him? But, hey! He eats burgers! He's not too evil!

He did allow Caitlin's fiance to die in the accelerator--or did her? No body, no death certificate on TV. Right? So maybe I will come to agree with him not being *too* evil. Edited October 22, 2014 by shapeshifter

[opus]

oh! 2 more things:

 

Wells throw away line to Cisco during the 9 months flashback: "feels like centuries" him waiting for that... are there are DCU characters that are centuries old? cause the way he said it, made me take notice instantly. 

 

and Iris facination with the streak (FYI name is getting old already) we weren't really shown how she became so fascinated and now near obsessive with it. it would have made more sense if he had saved her. or am i forgetting a plot point?

Vandal Savage (google if necessary) is one name that comes to mind.

[ottoDbusdriver]

He did allow Caitlin's fiance to die in the accelerator--or did her? No body, no death certificate on TV. Right? So maybe I will come to agree with him not being *too* evil.

 

Are you implying that Harrison Wells is the Diet Coke of Evil -- just one calorie, not evil enough ?  </holdspinkyfingertocornerofmouth>

[Actionmage]

1. Didn't ANY good people other than Barry get hit by the particle accelerator thing? Any?

 

I am betting they did, but? They're still being good people, unlike the criminal types. Just because they aren't racing around like Barry, doesn't mean they aren't good folks. They either haven't manifested their powers yet or are just trying to live their normal life.   It's just episode 3; we'll meet more, I am pretty sure.

[Agent Dark]

Vandal Savage (google if necessary) is one name that comes to mind.

Ra's al Ghul is the other obvious choice.  Wells definitely doesn't fit the character of Vandal Savage though.  Savage is somewhat of a savage barbarian...

[AudienceofOne]

On this week's edition of bad science on network TV:

 

- cyanide becomes a tricyclic molecule!

 

- a lung biopsy (whatever that was attempted to be?) is performed by randomly poking a small needle into the pericardial sac!

 

 

The particle accelerator could be modified to act as a makeshift prison! And that was before they even knew what they were dealing with.

 

I feel like I'm watching a different show from everybody else. I mean, it's likeable and inoffensive, but that's about it.

 

Iris remains terrible and everyone's attitude toward her is equally terrible. The only one who treats her like an adult is bland boyfriend. I kind of like bland boyfriend. If only I could remember his name. He at least attempts to have real conversations with her. The kind of conversations all the other characters are having with everybody but her.

 

There is literally no reason for Barry not to tell her he's the Flash. Not even an in-show reason. They haven't even bothered to do something in the first few episodes to convince Barry it's for her own safety. So it comes across as "Iris can't know because she's Iris".

 

The flashbacks were done in a silly melodramatic way with everyone drifting into them with flashback face. And the score was totally overblown. Laughably so (it literally made me laugh).

 

How can Robbie Amell look 28 when he's supposed to be a teenager and 12 when he's supposed to be play an adult?

Edited October 22, 2014 by AudienceofOne

[arc]

I am really enjoying this show. It is the best acted CW show ever.

WOW, that is a low bar, then. The acting on this show is really about the very worst that I can tolerate.

 

(Also, Veronica Mars was technically a CW show after the WB/UPN merger so VM is definitely the best acted CW show ever.)

 

Did Harrison Wells have future knowledge about Barry BEFORE the explosion at Star Labs ?  How ?  Is he a time traveler from the future ?

I'm guessing that was what was meant by "I've been waiting centuries". Not that he's Vandal Savage or R'as Al Ghul.  A time traveller from the future would make him probably Impulse (?), Reverse-Flash, or (much less likely) Booster Gold...

2. When Star Labs was built, did they just say, you know what would make our particle accelerator look really cool?  If it looked just like Cerebro over on X-men!

I can't get over how much the particle accelerator looks like a sports stadium. It's prime waterfront territory, it's freaking huge, and, well, it looks an awful lot like BC Place in Vancouver plus a few miscellaneous doodads stuck on top.

 

BTW, it's nice that the science billionaire came up with a metahuman prison for the metahuman problem he created, but this is totally extrajudicial and super illegal.

 

There is literally no reason for Barry not to tell her he's the Flash. Not even an in-show reason. They haven't even bothered to do something in the first few episodes to convince Barry it's for her own safety. So it comes across as "Iris can't know because she's Iris".

Agreed. Keeping this secret from Iris is so dumb they have to make Joe say "it'll keep her safe", without ever really explaining how her not knowing this could possibly actually make her any safer.

[Kromm]

This show is what Smallville SHOULD have been and failed to be.  Are there flaws?  Sure.  A few that may even grow to be truly annoying as time goes by.  But overall they've gotten SO much of this right.

 

I DO wish we'd had a different thing with Ronnie Raymond, BTW.  I don't like the reinvention.  It might have worked even better to have Martin Stein be the dead boyfriend (because well..,

he was in the comics, sort of...

) and Ronnie some visiting student at the particle accelerator. 

[cambridgeguy]

I wonder if Wells will keep taking off his glasses right before he acts evil. 

 

If Joe didn't explicitly tell Barry not to say anything to Iris then there's no reason for him not to spill the beans to his de facto sister.  However, Joe did take him in and give him a good home so I can see him being very reluctant to disobey a request like this.  As for Joe, well, parents aren't always rational.  If anybody ever figures out who Barry is then Iris is high on the endangered list regardless of what she knows.

 

Speaking of danger, Flash villains are usually reluctant to go around on killing sprees.  Maybe once we start getting to the bigger names they'll stick to robbery or some other relatively petty crime.  As mentioned above there should be some moderately bad people affected rather than just the worst of the worst.

[Jack Kerouac]

I suspect Wells has time traveled. I'm guessing he knew it was necessary for Barry to get struck by lightening during the particle accelerator's accelerating in order to become Flash and save the world. But I'm not ready to agree with:He did allow Caitlin's fiance to die in the accelerator--or did her? No body, no death certificate on TV. Right? So maybe I will come to agree with him not being *too* evil.

 

Except for the cold-blooded murder last episode.

[Advance35]

I thought this was a really good episode.  I continue to really enjoy the show.

 

Eddie and Iris are NOT a hotbed of interest for me but I don't dislike either one.   She's happy, reasonably intelligent, well adjusted, nice girl.  Absolutely nothing wrong with that, not inherently intrigueing but I'm willing to give them time.

 

I really liked learning more about Caitlin.   Even before the loss of her fiance she apparently wasn't someone that openned up easily, falling in love with Ronnie brought out that side of her and when he was killed, she went back to locking herself away on the inside.   If Ronnie use to joke about how she was cold before the accident, that mean's she's kept the world at arms length for quite some time, I wonder what her upbringing was like.   Clearly it wasn't as warm and familial as Barry or Iris with Joe.

 

It was good and interesting to see that Cisco has armor of his own so to speak.   I never would have thought he had his own deep effects/regrets from that night and I assume he feels both guilt about what Caitlin lost and wanting to be there for her even though he was kind of involved (though he really had no choice).

 

Really liked the insight into the relationships between Barry/Caitlin and Cisco/Caitlin.   Barry is clearly a very empathetic and compassionate person, even with all the hardship and loss he's faced, it's made him someone that wants and by instinct does, reach out to others.   Caitlin closes herself off from the world and chooses not to connect, accept now she's starting too.   Cisco and Caitlin going out for either a drink or ice-cream was cute.

 

Barry/His Dad and Barry/Joe were awesome as always.   And like that Joe brought up the idea of where they are going to start keeping the MetaHumans.    I think DC should scrap it's movies and funnel that funding into their televison landscape,  I prefer both The Flash and Arrow to Superman and The Dark Knight/Rises.

[steelyis]

I could change my view, but right now I would feel a Barry/Iris coupling would be borderline incestuos.

 

And the longer their brother/sister vibe continues the creepier it's going to be if Barry and Iris hook up in the future.

 

Are the Flash Mob really going to start running their own super max prison? How is that going to work exactly? Are Cisco and Caitlin going to bring the prisoners meals and shower them with a fire hose? Do those cells come with plumbing? How are they going to pay for it? How are they funding Star Labs anyway?

 

I get they aren't always going to have Joe around to take out meta villains, and Barry definitely isn't going to kill anyone, but there are serious logistical and civil rights issues attached to running a clandestine prison facility staffed with only four or five people underneath a research lab. I hope this doesn't turn them into Cadmus. Although that could be an interesting twist in the future.

 

I think they can get away with not giving Iris more to do for a while. I like where she's at right now it makes sense and it's refreshing the show isn't shoehorning in her where she doesn't belong. Iris is a college student trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life, which makes her the show's normal, everyday person. Characters like Iris keep the world open and grounded and help superheroes (and the audience) remember why they do what they do.

 

IA they will need to make Iris relevant to the Flash stuff, eventually. Candice Patton is doing a great job of making Iris likable, and she's cute to boot, but people are starting to wonder why she needs to be around. They just need to do it with a great deal of attention and care.

 

Did anyone else notice the disapproving expression on Well's face when Barry said he needed to talk to Joe? That better not lead to any Moira Queen shenanigans, or I'm going to be pissed.

Edited October 23, 2014 by steelyis

[AzureOwl]

Hi again, Robbie Amell!  I see being the lead of a former CW show and being related to one of their current stars, sure has its perks! The Amells are both in the DC Universe!  I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Ronnie shows back up.  Even without the comic book lore, the fact we didn't see a body, is very telling.  I just hope Robbie has improved from his The Tomorrow People days.  Maybe he'll be better in a supporting role, while he was the lead on that show.

 

The CW inherited the WB's habit of actor-recycling. Look at the regulars in all their shows and it's almost a certainty that they've been in other shows in the network before.

 

The particle accelerator could be modified to act as a makeshift prison! And that was before they even knew what they were dealing with.

 

Considering that with every episode it becomes more clear the Wells knew exactly what was going to happen the night of the explosion, he probably intentionally designed the particle accelerator for easy conversion into a meta-human prison.

[shrewd.buddha]

I could change my view, but right now I would feel a Barry/Iris coupling would be borderline incestuos.

Agreed. The actor playing Iris has sold her big sister attitude too well -- there's no sexy vibe between Iris and Barry -- only a brother-sister vibe.

Barry just comes off as a guy confused about his feelings (like those guys who romance women before the "maybe I'm gay" light-bulb appears above their heads)... 

[caracas1914]

As touching as the Barry/father son meetings in prison are, it's going to get old soon if  all the episodes start concluding with that.

[SonofaBiscuit]

I see no romantic chemistry between Barry/Iris or Barry/Caitlin.  Could we have a third option, please?  Better yet, I would be totally fine with Barry having strictly platonic relationships with both girls (but I know that's probably not going to happen).

 

The best part of this show is the lovely relationship between Joe and Barry.  I hope that this continues to be a large part of the story moving forward.

 

Why is everyone so young?  Don't answer that, I know why:  It's the CW.  It's just not very believable that all of these young kids would have such wonderful jobs.  In reality these positions would probably be filled by employees closer to Harrison's age.

[Lady Calypso]

I love this show for its lighthearted and amusing touch, but... I could watch Barry tear up listening to his dad tell stories about his childhood from the other side of prison glass for hours. So beautifully bittersweet.

 

 

Honestly, at this point, I probably could too. Actually, I'd rather the prison glass was taken away eventually. I just like Barry's relationships with both of his fathers, so I'm looking forward to Barry's dad getting out, and hopefully surviving until then. I really liked the Joe/Henry scene this episode, and I really want more of that too. It's sweet that Henry may be a bit mad that Joe didn't believe him, but he was proud that he believed in Barry.

 

I like the relationship Iris and Barry have, but only if it's a friendship/sibling relationship. I actually hope Iris gets a bigger role because she's already pretty separate from Barry. I'm afraid she'll become a Laurel Lance (better actor, of course, but in terms of the character) who is separate from the main plot, only has scenes with Barry so he can either disappear to solve a crime, or to show off his powers somehow. I think if she was a scientist, or at least working with Barry in some capacity, people would root for her and Barry more. We already see deep scenes with Caitlin and Barry (but I guess it's because Caitlin and Barry are getting to know each other like the audience is, while Iris/Barry are much closer) but we're getting not as much substance with Iris. I just don't want her scenes to be regulated with Barry to show off his superhero powers, her working separate from Barry and her romantic scenes with Eddie. And this is why keeping this a secret from her is going to backfire, as it usually does in these types of shows. It's actually not very interesting and look at how well Joe is being integrated with Barry and the others because of his knowledge about Barry. I want that from Iris, and I hope it's revealed by mid season, or at least by the end of this season. 

 

Robbie Amell, hi there! I actually like Robbie Amell, and I didn't find him that bad on the Tomorrow People (he just had zero chemistry with the lead actress and he did fine with the mediocre writing) but he is definitely better here. It's much better when he's playing more his age. He may not be as strong as his cousin is (yes, I like Stephen Amell's acting very much so), but he does well with the material that he's given.

 

I like Eddie's character and am glad they're giving him a little more substance each episode. He was very endearing when he went to see Iris but Joe was there so he had to quickly cover his ass. I also love how Joe knew about Iris and Eddie already, and he clearly wasn't happy but not in the mood to deal with it. Joe is just amazing and I love how he's competent instead of an idiot. Everyone on this show is actually fairly smart, actually. 

 

I did love how Cisco was about to give Barry instructions on how to break into the prison and Barry's like 'nah, I already know how to'. It's little moments like this that showcase how intelligent the characters are and how they can also have knowledge that others have instead of being relegated to knowing only their area of expertise. 

 

WOW, that is a low bar, then. The acting on this show is really about the very worst that I can tolerate.

 

 

I've watched a lot of CW shows, unfortunately, and for me personally, this is one of the better acted shows because everyone on the show can act and there may be weaker links, but there isn't a single person who is so bad that it takes me out of the show. That's saying a lot, especially with Katie Cassidy on Arrow and Michael Trevino (occasionally) on The Vampire Diaries (and don't get me started on 90210). 

 

I like Harrison a lot. I like how complex he is and every episode, we see a little bit of a darkness to him that wasn't present before. I'm not sure what he thought about Ronnie, but I don't get the impression that they were buddies. 

 

And I can't stress enough how much I love Grant Gustin in the role as Barry Allen. He makes the character so likeable, so quirky yet also leading man material. He has his comedic moments, his sweet moments, his angry moments and heartbreaking, sad moments and I'm just thoroughly impressed. They're also not leaving any of the other characters out on their emotional moments. Usually we wouldn't get this much insight into the 'side' characters like Cisco and Caitlin this early on, but here we are, seeing their characters being grown. I admit I want more complexity from Iris (and am not really looking forward to her hunt for The Red Streak) but hopefully they do something different and make it more complex.

[NumberCruncher]

The best part of this show is the lovely relationship between Joe and Barry.  I hope that this continues to be a large part of the story moving forward.

This. That pizza scene from last week's episode was really touching. I love their interaction so much.

 

Why is everyone so young?  Don't answer that, I know why:  It's the CW.  It's just not very believable that all of these young kids would have such wonderful jobs.  In reality these positions would probably be filled by employees closer to Harrison's age.

And just like with every other CW show, the older actors are outshining the younger ones...by a lot. Jesse L. Martin and Tom Cavanagh are the strongest players on this show, just like what Susanna Thompson was on Arrow. I'm just waiting for the day that one or both of their characters are killed off because the CW can't have too many players over the age of 35 in any given show.

I like Harrison a lot. I like how complex he is and every episode, we see a little bit of a darkness to him that wasn't present before. I'm not sure what he thought about Ronnie, but I don't get the impression that they were buddies.

Wells is the most compelling character to me for this very reason. He's seems to be on the level, but then you get these little hints about the crazy underneath. I have a feeling I'm going to love his character progression.

[Fabricationary]

And just like with every other CW show, the older actors are outshining the younger ones...by a lot. Jesse L. Martin and Tom Cavanagh are the strongest players on this show, just like what Susanna Thompson was on Arrow. I'm just waiting for the day that one or both of their characters are killed off because the CW can't have too many players over the age of 35 in any given show.

 

I presume that's the same reason why the main cast are all baby-faced actors whose characters are supposed to be in their mid-20s, but who, to have the career credentials and skills they supposedly have, would have to be 5-10 years older?  I buy that Cisco, mid-20-something, is a mechanical engineer, but a 25ish-year old Caitlin (played by 27-year-old actress) would in the real world still be in a PhD or MD program (or in a postdoctoral position or residency, respectively, if she skipped grades in school or graduated college early).  And Barry, who's supposed to be 24-25, is the most senior forensic scientist in his city's police force?  Presumably this is not a position that a bachelor's degree alone would prepare you for.

[miracole]

 

Robbie Amell, hi there! I actually like Robbie Amell, and I didn't find him that bad on the Tomorrow People (he just had zero chemistry with the lead actress and he did fine with the mediocre writing)

I've liked Robbie Amell since Tru Jackson(so did anyone else watch that show...no, just me huh...)Anyway on Tru Jackson his character played in a band called  Fire and Ice.  It was a terrible band but he always did this crazy "fire and Ice"  yell right before they played and it was so hilarious to me. So tonight's mention of fire and ice was awesome.

 

I love Barry's relationships with his fathers.

 

I like Iris.  She needs to be a bit more fleshed out beyond just her role as friend and daughter but we're 3 epi's in I'm sure it will come(I hope).  She's cool, smart, funny, a good friend and not annoying. She's already ahead of most of  the CW main character chicks that have existed through the years. 

 

I think her interest in the "red streak" makes sense. She's a cops daughter and best friends with Barry who's a forensic scientist. Also she said she wanted to have a job in law enforcement but her dad pretty much vetoed that. Crime and justice are in her blood. 

Edited October 22, 2014 by miracole

[Catherinewriter]

Agree with all who love the interaction between dad and son. I love John Wesley Shipp so much I could watch him all day.

This may have been covered already, and if so, sorry, but I missed the second episode because of some bad cable thing. My question: Has it been explained how Barry avoids hitting people, cars, animals, etc. while he's traveling so fast. It seems that as fast as he goes, he couldn't see anything in front of him.

[Oscirus]

There is literally no reason for Barry not to tell her he's the Flash. Not even an in-show reason. They haven't even bothered to do something in the first few episodes to convince Barry it's for her own safety. So it comes across as "Iris can't know because she's Iris".

 

I guess keeping her in the dark about those deadly meta-humans is totally going to keep her safe. Such a disconnect, Joe's cool with her dating a cop and hanging around the flash, but god forbid she knows about his secret because that's the thing that's going to get her into trouble.

 

Objectively, Caitlin-Barry makes sense, romance wise, you need something to keep Barry occupied and Felicity's busy elsewhere.

[opus]

Ra's al Ghul is the other obvious choice.  Wells definitely doesn't fit the character of Vandal Savage though.  Savage is somewhat of a savage barbarian...

I'm sure there's probably more I'm overlooking (heck, didn't even think of him), but now that you mention it  

Ra's is supposed to be used on Arrow this season

 

 

.

Edited October 22, 2014 by GaryE

[Primetimer]

Barry has to outrun a dude who can turn himself into noxious gas. We've all been there, right?

Read the story

[arc]

BTW, props to steelyis for "Flash Mob".

[slayer2]

Well that was lovely. I loved the casting of RA as Ronnie and him and Caitlin were adorable. Poor girl, she went through a lot in this ep. I continue to love Cisco and what a burden to be carrying, poor dude. These characters are fascinating! Still don't know what the Doc is up to but am curious to find out and can't wait for Ronnie to come back superpowered.  Also loved the scene between Barry's two dads at the prison and the adorable hospital scene afterwards. "I'm a detective." "I'll do my best not to shoot him." "That's all I ask for." I love this show. So many good feels. Finally.

Edited October 22, 2014 by slayer2

[Racj82]

How the hell has this show made me start to get tears in my eyes for two of the first three episodes that were produced. Barry talking with Joe and and his actual dad got me. I don't even have any drama with my dad in real life or anything. They just have me so invested in characters I just discovered. It's just amazing.

 

And I don't think this show needs to fix anything. This is one of the most solid, out of the gate, shows I've seen in some time.