S01.E05: Plastique

[Trini]

And, what, no comments about how The Streak was, well, actually streaking once Plastique made the suit go boom? Anybody?

Sorry, Barry was still wearing his underwear; I'm gonna need full nudity to make that joke.  ;-)

Edited November 17, 2014 by Trini

[Izeinwinter]

Im having trouble watching the episode because every time our nominal heroes talk to Iris my rage spikes through the roof. Gaslighting paternalistic assholes. The fact that they are scoring these scenes like we are supposed to find their concerns sympathetic is not helping. It's out and out killing my enjoyment of the show because it's making me hate the supposed heroes. They are acting like she is nine, and their reasoning does simply not hang together at all. Barry is running around the city saving people on a regular basis. Iris is certainly not the only blogger to be writing about that. That is just not how the internet works. 

 

Is Well's supposed to have mind control powers? Because that argument he made to Beth was just not very persuasive. 

[Sandman]

I don't think Wells was all that persuasive, either; but I think Bette's state of mind was such that his flawed logic worked on her sense of guilt and hopelessness.

 

I don't think the vibrating face and voice "powers" were really enough to screen Barry's identity effectively. I thought at first that Joe was laughing so much because he couldn't believe Barry thought that his voice was at all disguised. I'm not entirely sure even now that he wasn't laughing because of that. It seemed a very much more "at Barry" rather than "with Barry" kind of laughter, even granted the hug at the end of the scene.

 

For whatever it's worth, though, I don't think Joe was encouraging his pseudo-son to get busy with his daughter so much as he was encouraging Barry to be honest because the years of pining were making him unhappy. Just because Joe loves them both doesn't mean he sees them as a successful couple. (Why Joe can't see that Barry should also be honest about the Streak, I don't have a good answer for.)

[Oscirus]

All this talk about streaking and nobody's asked why isn't plastique walking around naked? Unless she's been wearing the same clothes since she's first got her powers which ew.

[Sandman]

Comics have a well-established Costume Exemption. Superpowers never affect the costume!

[readster]

After getting Plastique and Girder, I really hope we see Double Down, Blacksmith and Murmur.

[Oscirus]

Comics have a well-established Costume Exemption. Superpowers never affect the costume!

 



True, but on the show she was wearing regular clothes so that exemption shouldn't have applied.

[Chicago Redshirt]

I think Wells' argument is perfectly persuasive, actually, to anyone familiar with Eiling or who has been hunted by him, as Plastique has.

 

Eiling is ruthless and will never stop hunting her. In fact, Eiling will also never stop hunting metahumans, who she has now learned exist, and now knows of only the one good one in Barry,

 

Eiling undoubtedly intends to either enslave these metahumans or turn them into lab rats or both. Or worse.

 

The only way to protect her and people like her from Eiling is to take him out.

 

The main problem with this logic is, to quote another comic franchise, cut off one head and two more will rise to take its place. It's not like the death of General Eiling would cause the military to say "Huh, I guess we should leave those metas alone then."

[Sandman]

I agree. The major problem is not that Wells misread or misrepresented the threat of Eiling. The problem is that taking him out actually makes the situation worse for her (but not so much for Wells).

 

If the clothes the normal person was wearing at the time of transformation/exposure/supervillain-ization survive the experience, they become subject to the Costume Exemption. (See: Bruce Banner's pants.)

Edited November 20, 2014 by Sandman

[Actionmage]

If the clothes the normal person was wearing at the time of transformation/exposure/supervillain-ization survive the experience, they become subject to the Costume Exemption. (See: Bruce Banner's pants.)

 

So, not only are Moms right about clean underwear, but one should always dress as if they might get caught in a transdimensional event and might have to wear those clothes for a longer than intended time?  Banner somehow could rock purple pants in the 60s though.  Then again, they were a solid color, not some "groovy" design ::goes to check on closet::

[Chicago Redshirt]

She's a soldier (in this incarnation) and believes in service and sacrifice. I could see her not caring so much about her own wellbeing or best interests once the bigger picture is framed. 

[arc]

Comics have a well-established Costume Exemption. Superpowers never affect the costume!

Multiplex from ep 2 had "cell-cloning" powers that also "cloned" his clothes. (sigh) So I don't think the exemption is that costumes aren't affected. If anything, it's more that costumes will do whatever to avoid onscreen nudity. (see Magic Pants, I guess.)

[Sandman]

Well, the attention killing Eiling would likely attract would be counter-productive for Bette's "flock," as well, I should have said.

 

So, not only are Moms right about clean underwear, but one should always dress as if they might get caught in a transdimensional event ... ?

 

Exactly!

 

Also: Magic Pants.

Edited November 21, 2014 by Sandman

[Writing Wrongs]

Bette San Souci/Plastique originally was a French-Canadian terrorist whose adversary was Firestorm.

 

That character was also in the episode "Plastique" on Smallville. Which I don't remember at all.

[slayer2]

So, not only are Moms right about clean underwear, but one should always dress as if they might get caught in a transdimensional event and might have to wear those clothes for a longer than intended time? Banner somehow could rock purple pants in the 60s though. Then again, they were a solid color, not some "groovy" design ::goes to check on closet::

Are you kidding? Your Mom gave you the clean underwear/car accident speech too? What is with Moms????

Edited November 30, 2014 by slayer2

[Trini]

I re-watched this one, and I'm a little disappointed that the actress playing Plastique was so flat. Also it made me mad again about how silly it is that no one is telling Iris The Secret.