S01.E07: Power Outage

[Lisin]

The Flash goes up against Farooq aka Blackout, a metahuman who can harness electricity. During their battle, Farooq zaps The Flash and siphons all his electricity, leaving The Flash without his speed. Dr. Wells, Caitlin and Cisco work to reverse the effects on Barry, but their efforts are disrupted when Farooq comes banging on S.T.A.R. Labs doors in search of Wells, who he blames for his accident. Without Barry’s powers to protect them, the group must figure out a way to save themselves from the metahuman. Meanwhile, Tockman manages a coup inside the Central City police department and takes several people hostage, including Joe and Iris. While Iris is sure The Flash will save them, Eddie has a trick up his sleeve.

[Fabricationary]

Wait, so Barry calls out Wells on his ruthlessness and playing God with the lives of others, then they go to commercial, then they're all like "that conversation never happened, and instead let's just go get in the van and get out of here!"  (Though, it did seem too early for that plot twist.)

 

I thought for a second they were going to sacrifice Eddie to further the inevitable let's-push-Barry-and-Iris-closer-together subplot, but oh well, I guess they can off him anytime.

Edited November 26, 2014 by Fabricationary

[Jediknight]

We got a Ralph Dibny mention, as one of the people that Wells hurt.

 

I love that since Geoff Johns has so much power on this show, he's not going to let Barry be dark, gritty and a douche.  Barry was his favorite superhero, so of course he's going to make sure that Barry stays as the all around good guy.  And he damn sure won't let the show turn into dark and gritty, instead of fun and hopeful.

 

Still sticking with Wells being Monitor.  He's getting Barry prepped for Crisis.

[opus]

--Every name Wells listed was a DC comic character name

--Guess we know why Barry revealed his identity last week

Edited November 26, 2014 by GaryE

[Lantern7]

Monitor or not, Wells is a bit of a prick. But at least he's a prick that ties up loose ends. Now we have just one prisoner at STARLab, and he probably doesn't know any incriminating about our beloved characters.

 

Would it be considered spoilage if we parsed out who was who in Wells' speech? All I remember are Ralph Dibny and Grant Emerson. Dunno if Wells meant he got them killed or just destroyed their lives.

 

And at least Iris isn't completely useless or cringeworthy, even as a damsel in distress. I don't think it's the writers' trying to overcompensate, and it puts her a leg up on pains in the ass that are on primetime these days.

 

I think we figured out how to make Eddie entertaining . . . keep him drugged up. He's funny when he's high on meds.

[bettername2come]

I loved Barry calling out Wells and being so angry at him using the childhood bully (Tony?) as a distraction. Although, when he said "Which of us will you sacrifice next?" my first thought was that the answer is clearly Cisco. Wells already threatened him once.

 

I liked the team effort between Iris/Eddie/Joe to save the day themselves. It was especially nice that it was a repeat villain from Arrow and not just some random criminal.

 

I really enjoyed Barry's enthusiasm at being mugged early in the episode. And I really like that both Central and Starling Cities have been established as cities of hundreds of thousands rather than millions. It seems like a lot of superhero stories take place in New York equivalents, so it's nice to see a more "average" size city as the focus. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

Now we have just one prisoner at STARLab, and he probably doesn't know any incriminating about our beloved characters.

 

There's at least two -- Blackout from this episode and the poison gas guy that you could see down the way in the pipeline as he was sampling Blackout's blood, and Blackout knows who Barry is.  So.

Edited November 26, 2014 by ottoDbusdriver

[ybrik]

Fun episode. Loved Joe's idea of testing Barry is just randomly dropping things. Also liked Iris's sad face when she saw Barry's mug was broken.

 

Not sure what to think of Barry as the Flash hitting on Iris right outside of Eddie's hospital room. However, for some reason I honestly think Iris and Barry have good chemistry when he is the Flash but not so much when it's just Barry.

 

I understand Barry being upset about Tony being used and dying but really what other choice was there. They already tried Barry's suggestion with talking to him and Barry nearly got killed in the process.

 

However, Wells is just so hard to read. One moment he is seems like a villain others a person who believes the ends justify the means.

 

Was Caitlin about to hug or even kiss Barry before Cisco interrupted or was I just seeing things?

[Pepper the Cat]

 

I understand Barry being upset about Tony being used and dying but really what other choice was there. They already tried Barry's suggestion with talking to him and Barry nearly got killed

I think that fact that Tony told Barry to "run" showed that Tony was concerned about Barry's and the others safety, and gave him some redemption in the end. Barry also felt this which added to his reaction

[quarks]

Not great, but fun.

 

Good stuff:

 

1. Loved that the three non-superpowered folks were able to band together and take down the Clock King, even though one of them was wounded. And especially loved that Iris helped rescue herself - yes, she was waiting for the Flash to show up, but when the opportunity came to grab a weapon and use it, she took it.  Sure, it helped that Arrow had already established that the Clock King could be taken down without superpowers, but it was still a nice bit.

 

2. Wells continues to grow on me.  Good to know that he remembers the names of everyone who died in the Star Labs thing, although I'm not convinced he feels all that guilty about any of them.

 

3. I liked the shifting future newspapers. I'm assuming someone screencapped them so we can analyse the differences?

 

4. Ok, it was corny, but the bully finally deciding to save Barry and Caitlin with a "RUN! RUN!" was a nice touch.

 

Questionable stuff:

 

1. Ok, the Clock King was arrested over on Arrow, so why exactly was the Central City DA the one to keep him from seeing his sister?  Did I miss something?

 

2. I still don't get how they are feeding/dealing with other needs for everyone in the Star Labs cell. I guess the gas guy doesn't have that many needs, but if I were the steel guy I would have demanded a stiff drink and maybe a pizza before going after electric guy.

 

Bad stuff:

 

1. Loved the showdown between Barry and Wells over the ethics of killing bullies in order to inspire heroes in evil lockdown situations, but I have to agree that the resolution came way too quickly there. Barry, this is the second person Wells has been more than happy to kill on your behalf. Question Wells, Barry! A lot.

 

@ybrik , I thought Caitlin was moving in for a hug before she was interrupted. The show certainly played up Barry/Caitlin this week, despite ending on a Flash/Iris note. 

[SimoneS]

I really liked that Iris saved herself. I thought Blackout was more sad than villainous. Tony finding some redemption was moving. He did try to save Barry and the others.

 

On the other hand, I dislike how both Joe and Barry quickly dropped their distrust of Wells. I don't understand why they do not remain a little skeptical about his motivation and action.

 

I think Barry flirting with Iris in the hospital supports my opinion that he subconsciously wants her to fall in love with The Flash. They have a lot of chemistry when he is not stuck playing the role of friend. I think that Iris will eventually break up with Eddie because of her growing feelings for The Flash.

[Lady Calypso]

I love that this show isn't afraid of showing that regular humans like Joe, Iris and even Eddie can save themselves without the help from a meta-human. Granted, it's much easier when the villain is also human, but still. It's a lesson that can be forgotten on superhero shows, so it was great to see. Also, drugged up Eddie? Simply adorable. Can we get a scene of him drugged up every once in a while? And I like Tockman, so his reappearance was great.

 

I get why Barry would seem to have dropped his distrust of Wells. He doesn't quite see the danger that Wells is, even with getting Tony killed. He wants to trust him, because he's helped him so much, but I'll bet that little seed of doubt has been planted and it'll grow slowly when Wells displays more shady behaviour. Joe barely knows Wells so he probably doesn't completely trust him anyway, but he is trying for Barry's sake. 

 

Poor Tony; I actually do like that he got a small moment of redemption, even if it wasn't the typical redemption we would normally see. 

 

It wasn't my favourite episode, but it was another strong one for me. Lots of Caitlin/Barry bonding, another scene of Iris and The Flash (and Iris somehow not realizing it's Barry...but ok) and great use of villains and showcasing Barry's ever growing abilities.

[foreverevolving]

 

Was Caitlin about to hug or even kiss Barry before Cisco interrupted or was I just seeing things?

 

This!

I shell repeat what I keep on saying but the writers and ep's continue to ignore: Dear EP's if you don't want your main hero to be shipped with anyone but Iris stop giving him romantic beats with Caitlin. They need to have Iris figure him out soon or they're risking creating an even bigger issue. right now i can totally see him ending up with either women, but Caitlin has higher percentage right now in my personal book; and as Iris continues to grow on me I can welcome her as endgame too. I love that she helped save herself unlike her counterpart on Arrow.

 

 

Wells, of my deliciously gray area Wells. you are officially my #2 favorite villain in the Arrow/Flash CW verse. (because try as you might you won't beat Malcolm -- cause.. Barrowman man).

Also i wanna know who Gideon really is.

and why did the Wayne/Queen merger failed in that brief time that Barry lost he's powers. besides the flash what else changed to cause that fail.. yea it's gonna eat at me. As someone said we need to compare.

Also: USPS closing! ouch.

 

The stupid:

Barry using his powers in front of eddie.. ugh that's gonna come back in a bad way faster than a boomerang.

 

 

Overall this wasn't a bad episode, but it had some weak moments. 

 

 

That promo for next week looks.... can't wait. here's to hoping it will prove my high expectation.

[Writing Wrongs]

The mugging scene was funny. I like that Barry enjoys being a superhero without being a dick. Unlike Garfield's Spider-Man.

 

The leeching powers using electricity reminded me of Smallville.

 

Arrow vs. Flash? I'm rooting for Flash.

[wingster55]

I shell repeat what I keep on saying but the writers and ep's continue to ignore: Dear EP's if you don't want your main hero to be shipped with anyone but Iris stop giving him romantic beats with Caitlin.

 

Pretty sure they're intentionally giving those moments.

Even though it isn't as much as Barry/Iris. 

[benteen]

Joe is right.  This city and the cops DO need the Flash.  The fact that one guy can hold an entire police station hostage is proof of that.  Pretty pathetic guys.

 

That being said, I really did enjoy this episode.  Definitely a fascinating one on the Harrison Wells front and electro dude was interesting.  I liked the use of Tony from last week and the superpowered fight.  The Clock King on The Flash was a nice bit of shared universe.

 

I have to agree about Barry and Caitlin.  I like Iris but right now the most interesting potential couple and the one they seem to be teasing (intentionally or unintentionally) is Barry and Caitlin.

 

Can't wait for the crossover next week.

Edited November 26, 2014 by benteen

[thuganomics85]

RIP, Barry's favorite mug.  Dammit, Joe!  He had a family!

 

Favorite part about this episode?  They not only got the "Hero briefly loses his powers" out and done with in an episode, but they do not go anywhere near the "Maybe I can just be a normal guy, again!" trope, that I always hate.  Nope, instead Barry is basically like "No!  I love my powers!  I want them back, now!", and even Joe is like "Dude, have you seen our police force?  We would be fucked without The Flash."  That was refreshing.  I just like seeing a hero and his friends/family actually embracing his new gifts, and not just always being angsty or mopey.

 

Honestly, Wells is coming close to being one of my favorite characters on any comic book series show.  Tom Cavanugh is just so much fun in this role, and I rarely have any idea what he is thinking.  I just love the way he can go from being helpful and almost genuine, to suddenly showing his sinister side.  Sicking Tony on this weeks metahuman and knowing full well he was going to die, is just so perfect for this character.  Wells is the best.

 

That said, yeah, I didn't like how quickly they resolved his issues with Barry over what happened with Tony.  I liked the idea of them still working together, but Barry being suspicious and pissed with him, but it sadly looks like he's already going down the "You did what you had to do, route."  I guess offering himself up as a sacrifice saved face, but I still wished they didn't drop it this easily.

 

The stuff at the police headquarters was alright, even though I struggle to believe The Clock King could take over that easily.  I think even the Starling City Police wouldn't go down that easy, guys.  Still, fun seeing The Clock King again and Robert Knepper camped it up as expected.  And having him taken down by Iris (with assists from Eddie and Joe somewhat), was a nice ending.  I might like Iris after-all!

 

Still loving Cisco and Caitlin.  I hope they keep the Team Flash bond strong.

 

Barry using his powers in front of a doped-up Eddie, did make he cringe.  Even if he was hopped up on morphine, come on, guys. That was just silly and unnecessary.

 

The crossover is next week!  Judging from the preview, this looks like it will be the most fun Ollie's been since... well, I really can't think of the last time he had any fun.

Edited November 26, 2014 by thuganomics85

[shapeshifter]

...Barry using his powers in front of a doped-up Eddie, did make he cringe.  Even if he was hopped up on morphine, come on, guys. That was just silly and unnecessary...

I sort of liked it because they made it clear before it happened that Eddie was on pain killers that would likely make him forget, and because it was Joe's idea rather than Barry's.

I was very sad about the mug.

And almost as sad about Tony.

Knepper might have been type cast, but sometimes that's a good thing. They actually managed to keep me from recognizing him for about 5 seconds with the clock bezel eyeglass frames. Heh.

[TobinAlbers]

What's even more interesting about the Wayne-Queen merger issue is that on Arrow, Ray Palmer officially merged and renamed Queen Consolidated as Palmer Technologies so sometime in the future, either Oliver starts up a new company, acquires a company and renames it, or reacquires Queen Consolidated.

As for the merger falling apart? If Bruce and Ollie are involved it's not surprising, LOL.

Topic: Love that Barry embraces being a hero with powers and doesn't mope about the burden and yet sans super powers he tried to reach out to Blackout knowing the guy could fry him. Brave hero indeed.

Cisco saying 'Hot Mess' tickled me more the it should've.

He may have been a bullying jackass, but Tony's final words urging Barry to run gave him a good end.

Barry's double thumbs up big smile at himself in the bathroom mirror even when he was running late was so adorable.

Don't know why I liked this -especially since it could be Wells just playing on emotions-but the fact that he could name the people whose lives he ruined/affected was interesting. Could be that he keeps tabs because of their importance in the scheme of things, or he's not a callous villain like Malcolm Merlyn.

I'm at the point that I'm more intersted in Harrison-Waller-Malcolm all getting a gander at each other as much as Flash/Arrow. I think Harrison would prove more unnerving to Malcolm and Waller than they would care to admit.

[Jediknight]

and even Joe is like "Dude, have you seen our police force?  We would be fucked without The Flash."

"Our head of SWAT used to be head of security for Wolfram & Hart till he got fired for being incompetent.  Yeah, he was too bad at his job for Wolfram & Hart security.  The 4 new recruits we got, were guys that couldn't keep up with Chief Wiggum up in Springfield."

[statsgirl]

I was seriously worried for Eddie, and then I remembered he showed up on set while they were filming the cross-over episode so he wasn't going to die.

 

I thought for a minute that Wells was going to go evil, and then they pulled back just before.  Love the grey, grey.

 

In terms of the storyline, I liked best that Iris saved herself  It wasn't as interesting as some of the other scenes but very satisfying.

 

Was Caitlin about to hug or even kiss Barry before Cisco interrupted or was I just seeing things?

it wasn't that so much for me but the "I've already lost someone I cared about, I can't lose you too" speech she gave.  Keeping a ship on track is a delicate game and more and more I'm liking Iris/Eddie, and I always preferred Barry with Caitlin.  Plus, they can talk science together which he can't with Iris.

 

 I guess they're upping the Barry/Caitlin stuff for maximum angst for her when Ronnie returns.

 

 

Questionable stuff:

 

1. Ok, the Clock King was arrested over on Arrow, so why exactly was the Central City DA the one to keep him from seeing his sister?  Did I miss something?

 

2. I still don't get how they are feeding/dealing with other needs for everyone in the Star Labs cell. I guess the gas guy doesn't have that many needs, but if I were the steel guy I would have demanded a stiff drink and maybe a pizza before going after electric guy.

 

The feeding and facilities is getting more and more ridiculous. They need to figure this out because it's beyond the point of handwaving it away.

 

Wrt the Central City DA, I can assume that Tockman committed some crimes in Central City before he hit Starling City and the CC DA got first prosecution.

[SimoneS]

I don't see any Barry/Caitlin chemistry and think that the writers are just trying to create drama there. I don't think that it is a bad thing though. However, shipping Barry and Caitlin is like shipping Clark Kent and Lana Lang, doomed for heartbreak.

Edited November 26, 2014 by SimoneS

[Actionmage]

It was a very good episode!

 

ITA that the Joe/Iris/Eddie team was great and worked almost seamlessly.  I also agree that Barry's calling out of Wells in front of Caitlin and Cisco was great. It was great because I felt relief and fear for Cisco ( his prior run-in with Wells) and embarrassment on behalf of Caitlin. You can be pretty sure that if Blackout had been closer, a very terse " Some other time!"-type statement would have come from her. Caitlin keeps everyone on task; who is or isn't trustworthy is not as big as surviving the scary electrical man who seems willing to kill everyone.

 

I hate that Tockman was nonsensically kept away from the only person he cared about as she died. The whole hostage thing was because of something that could have been foreseen and handled better. Yes, he is a felon, but spurred by the same sister's impending death. I'm just saying. I love Robert Knepper, so I was glad to see him and Tockman's funky glasses, regardless.

 

The list of the dead- oh my heart! Not sweet Ralph Dibney! It was Wells reciting the roll of the dead that Farooq thought Wells didn't know. I knew most of the names. I am actually hoping that actual death count turns out to be less. This is the light, very hope-filled show. Folks mistaking physical states that they are unfamiliar with happen all the time, like Barry's supposed heart attacks not actually being heart attacks and Oliver Queen declaring someone dead.

 

I know it's soapy and comic book-y, but why would Wells put a dead body in a containment cell? He has got to have better ways to dispose of a body once the "kids" have left the facility.  (Poor Mist; he's got to be feeling left out.)  I cannot fully trust that these meta-humans aren't also going up a level/ having their powers still settling, like Barry is.  He is learning new things every episode still. He just learned that you can, in fact, jump-start him in certain circumstances.  Where did Tony get placed? We didn't see in the episode. Maybe Harrison has him in his cell again.

 

As to pre-episode talk and Iris? We were told that she'd know Barry's secret by the end of Episode 7. ::mimics Tockman:: Well?

 

Lots to like and enjoyable.

 

::scouts for colored popcorn for the crossover event!::

[themadman]

Here you go, info on the meta-humans mentioned on the episode tonight:

http://comicbook.com/2014/11/26/the-flash-easter-eggs-and-dc-comics-references-in-power-outage/

[wingster55]

As to pre-episode talk and Iris? We were told that she'd know Barry's secret by the end of Episode 7. ::mimics Tockman:: Well?

 

..wait who said that?

[Actionmage]

wingster55, I thought I read it here on the forums; I have been trying to find the link before I pushed 'reply'. I remember the statement and thinking " We'll see."  I had to take a break.

 

added: I have been combing the Google and have not found the citation. Yet. I thought it was an EP talking about it and it felt sort of right, as the episode was just before the big crossover. That's why it stuck in my head. I haven't looked too many episodes past either because it seemed around Episode 5/"Plastique"  when I read it. Obviously I may have misread something, which I apologize for in advance if I did. It just seems kind of weirdly specific for me to remember, yet not be able to find.

 

 

Cisco won the episode by having to explain The Yips to Barry, with Barry's expression getting more concerned by the second.

Edited November 26, 2014 by Actionmage

[MarquisDeCarabas]

Remember Tony was also presumed dead after the accident, falling into the steel  I don't remember was the Mist dead or dying at the time of the explosion.  Given Every name mentioned except for Farooq's friends are DC characters I'm pretty sure they aren't actually dead.

[TyranAmiros]

Barry/Eddie is my new OTP.  More high Eddie/Barry interactions, please.  I liked a lot about this episode, a great exploration of Barry's motivations and I liked the somewhat creepy music they kept playing whenever Wells was in the room.  Glad to see that Iris freed herself, I'm hoping they don't just make her a stereotypical damsel in distress. 

[BkWurm1]

Enjoyed this episode a lot and not for anything big, it was the little things that made me really appreciate it like Barry having a ball being mugged, his sadness over his broken mug and then Iris using the exact same tone of sadness, lol.  Loved Eddie getting all loopy, the return of the Clock King - great character who I hope to see again in the future- Joe calling out Iris's name, Iris saying goodbye to Eddie (I am liking them more and more as a couple) and then all three of them working together to deal with Tockman.  Loved the emotional beats of Tony telling them to run and Barry calling Wells on his shady ways, Barry and Caitlin hiding in the closet with their fingers entwined, Barry asking for her faith and then later her using it to pep talk him.  Oh also had to laugh when Wells wanted to talk to Barry in the beginning and although Cisco made noises like he was kidding just watch how fast he runs out of the line of fire. 

 

I still have no clue what Wells' agenda might be.  I also don't know how he got from right next to the van to suddenly in front of the garage door when his wheel chair was out of power --- I mean I do know he probably jumped up and moved it when no one was looking but what do the other's think happened?  I looked at the chair and the wheels are way out of reach so I can not even fanwank that it switched to manual mode.  And yet, I don't care cause the whole episode was entertaining and the preview for next week looks AWESOME!!

Edited November 26, 2014 by BkWurm1

[Enero]

The Flash and Iris continue to smolder. I agree with whoever that said Barry subconsciously wants Iris to fall in love with The Flash. The flirting is making that obvious.

I didn't like the overall incompetence of the CC police department. Could they be more pathetic? To be nearly taken down by the Clock King didn't seem right. Glad though that Eddie/Iris/Joe were able to pull a fast one on him and save themselves. Maybe Iris being taken as one of the hostages and ultimately saving their asses by shooting the TCK will inspire Joe to ease up a bit on this idea that she will be in danger if she knew Barry's secret and realize danger is not exclusive to knowing Barry's secret.

I felt terrible for Blackout. Did they mention where he'd been for the past 10 months? I thought it was odd that he would suddenly show up now to take down Wells.

Was stoked when Barry confronted Wells, though I did kind of feel like his accusations about him not caring about anyone etc. seem to come out of left field. There was no indication before that Barry had issues with him. Glad that has bubbled to the surface even if it was just as quickly abandoned at the end of the episode. Hope that we'll see the writers pick this back up and build on it.

Descent episode. Not as strong as the previous.

I'm looking forward to the crossover. I love The Flash/Barry, but Arrow/Oliver is more by speed, no pun intended. So you can guess who I'm rooting for. :)

Edited November 26, 2014 by Enero

[Latverian Diplomat]

I found the way Blackout was defeated to be unsatisfying. Barry didn't have a plan, and he just got lucky--the very thing that defeated him before was now the key to victory? 

 

I know that supercharging the power-sucker is something that's worked with various incarnations of Superman/Parasite battles, but at least in those stories it's something that Superman figures out. Barry just got zapped exactly the same way as before, and it went differently this time because why exactly? 

 

One of things I like about the classic Barry Allen stories is he puzzles out solutions and uses his powers strategically, often in surprising ways. At least the defeat of the Mist showed a hint of that.  I'd like to see more of that, and "less of run really fast and hope for the best" that ended this episode, and last week's too, frankly.

[Oscirus]

As to pre-episode talk and Iris? We were told that she'd know Barry's secret by the end of Episode 7. ::mimics Tockman:: Well?

 

This was a joke by Arnell talking about how Flash doesn't really keep his identity a secret, he wasn't serious about it.

 

I liked this episode. While I do agree that killing off Girder redeemed him, it was a cop out. Barry screwed up and that let him off the hook. I don't mind it, but it's kind of noticeable.

 

I have to agree that the way that Blackout was defeated was  letdown.  Being stronger because you believe is a power better left to the care bears.

 

I don't mind them hooking up Caitlin and Barry. You got to figure that since they're end game, that Iris and  Barry won't be hooking up anytime soon ( I'd be shocked if something happened this season), and character-wise he needs a girlfriend so that he can mature romantically and thereby insure that he and Iris can make it in the long run.  My only problem with it is that I wish that they just bought another female in. I actually liked that Snow was a competent female who could hang with the guys.

 

Wells storyline is interesting.  However with that stinger, I'm pretty sure that Wells is a villain. With Eddie in the hospital and Wells walking around with a syringe full of Blackout/Flash blood , I believe that we are witnessing the creation of reverse flash.

 

The bank story successfully gave the other main characters something to do. I love the way Candace played that hostage scene with Joe. I like that as opposed to assuring her father that everything was going to be alright, that she cried out for him to save her which makes sense given his overprotectiveness.  Did Iris go the "Reese school of shooting the bad guy in the knees?"

 

Finally, I have to say that I like the way that the show is developing Iris and Flash. This show is developing a secret world between Iris and Flash/Barry which should go a long way towards establishing them as end game.  The biggest mistake most shows make in establishing these romances is putting two pretty people together and hoping that the audience just buys it, Flash does a good job giving these two something in common.

 

 

 

[Ubiquitous]

I enjoyed this ep but am getting tired of them leaving Iris out of the loop.

I had to wonder why she waited for Tockman to turn around before trying to shoot him.

So Clock King is a villian from Arrow? The cops' inability to stop him from taking over a police station reminded me of the ineptitude of Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara on Batman.

yeah, my ears perked up at hearing Ralph Digby's name but I didn't recognise theyothers.

[RandomWatcher]

Here's food for thought...if Barry losing his powers in the present caused the future to change and Wells' AI finding no mention of The Flash, wouldn't that have caused the reason for Wells to be in the present to no longer exist and thus go back in  time to cause the accident that gave Barry his powers? Course that would result in the show not existing but still.

[Endeavour]

I think this show is a lot of fun. I like all of the main characters; although, I care the least about the Barry and Iris romantic angle. I'm always interested when Wells is on the screen and think Tom Cavanagh is great in the role. For me, it's still up in the air as to which side of good/evil he falls into and I like that aspect. I don't think his taking the blood sample at the end of this ep necessarily means he's evil. He could be trying to learn how the Flash's powers were taken so he can prevent it in the future and protect Barry. I haven't watched Arrow and am not familiar with the comics, so there's a lot I don't know about this universe.

 

I was hoping there would be a little bit of follow up on what happened to Joe last ep and that he would discuss it with Barry.

 

So far the show is entertaining enough and the characters likeable enough that any plot holes aren't bothering me.

[In2You]

Caitlin and Barry have no chemistry so I'm not interested in a hook up between them. 

 

It was nice that Barry called out Dr. Wells on his lack of feelings toward anyone but Grant's acting was not that good in those scenes.

[cambridgeguy]

 

I have to agree that the way that Blackout was defeated was  letdown.  Being stronger because you believe is a power better left to the care bears.

I'd say it's better left to the Green Lanterns. 

 

On the plus side if all these supervillains keep dying then prison overcrowding won't be an issue. 

[MarquisDeCarabas]

Maybe I don't know all my Flash facts but I was a little confused as to how Blackout could actually steal Barry's power.  The Speed Force isn't lightning/Electricity.  Farooq's reaction to first draining Barry was that it was something a little different.  Maybe it had more to do with the electricity in Barry's Body being what's needed to Channel the Speed Force and without that electrical charge in his system he couldn't access it?   So it wasn't so much believing yourself stronger, but he was pushing harder and opening up a bigger channel to the Speed Force.

[Grammaeryn]

Come on, I could not have been the only gutter-minded viewer who got a nice big laugh over "He choked on you"!

[Primetimer]

A metahuman steals Barry's powers just when he needs them the most.

Read the story

[Unclejosh]

Come on, I could not have been the only gutter-minded viewer who got a nice big laugh over "He choked on you"!

That was my immediate thought as well.  Oh well, embrace the gutter mind!

[slayer2]

I never want this show to end. I just want it to go on forever and ever. It's such a disappointment when the credits roll. Awww Tony, he was alright in the end and still so good-looking. Hopefully he revives himself or something. Is he a real DC villain?

Barry almost caught onto the evil/grey/mercurial Doc. Oh boy that one's going to be a rude awakening and now that I've read up on Barry Allen history (before watching this ep) all the future stuff and the plot in general seems even more interesting and twisty and exciting.

Loved Joe casually dropping things in an effort to check Barry's prowess and loved Dr. Wells "Nope, nope" response to Barry saying he wanted to talk to that horrible electrical nightmare.

Dear Blackout, Just because your friends were killed doesn't give you the right to blackout a city and murder whomever you damn well please in their name. Was happy to see him in a body bag at the end of the ep, especially considering it was his stupidity that helped get him in the mess to begin with, if he hadn't climbed to electricity tower his friends might have had a shot at driving away. Or if say he had stayed home and gotten drunk and naked instead of going to the hub of electricity when they turned on the particle accelerator then his friends wouldn't have been in that position to begin with. It was HIS idea in the first damn place, anything to avoid taking responsibility right?

Loved Iris some more with her self save and how well Eddie and Joe played off her and expected her to take him out. Way to go team! Now just tell her the truth, you know she can handle it. Loved the opening scene (which I will watch again and again) with the attempted robbery and Barry's utter glee (no pun intended) at being the victim.

Geez every episode is like a mini movie and this particular one was more gripping by the minute, it reminded me of the episode on Firefly where the ship was abandoned and it started with Mal bleeding on the floor. The stakes were pretty high and it was very well played. Another nice one in the can show. I *heart* you so fucking much.

Edited November 26, 2014 by slayer2

[Ubiquitous]

Come on, I could not have been the only gutter-minded viewer who got a nice big laugh over "He choked on you"!

Not I! :-)

I was sure the second ekectrical blast from Blackout would end up restoring Barry's powers, making the shocking treadmill unnecessary.

[KirkB]

I was sure the second ekectrical blast from Blackout would end up restoring Barry's powers, making the shocking treadmill unnecessary.

 

Not only did I think the same thing, I figured Cisco or Wells would actually suggest it.

[shapeshifter]

I found the way Blackout was defeated to be unsatisfying. Barry didn't have a plan, and he just got lucky--the very thing that defeated him before was now the key to victory?

If I understood correctly, when Cisco rebooted the power to zap Barry on the treadmill, it not only recharged him, it supercharged him--he just had the "yips" and didn't know it yet. Also, after Blackout stole Barry's juice the first time, Blackout muttered something about it being "too much," which I guess was a set up for the audience to accept that super charged Barry would overwhelm/kill Blackout when Blackout fed on Barry's super charged energy the next time.

...Dear Blackout, Just because your friends were killed doesn't give you the right to blackout a city and murder whomever you damn well please in their name. Was happy to see him in a body bag at the end of the ep, especially considering it was his stupidity that helped get him in the mess to begin with, if he hadn't climbed to electricity tower his friends might have had a shot at driving away. Or if say he had stayed home and gotten drunk and naked instead of going to the hub of electricity when they turned on the particle accelerator then his friends wouldn't have been in that position to begin with. It was HIS idea in the first damn place, anything to avoid taking responsibility right?...

It may or may not have been his idea to go to the power tower (I didn't catch why they were there), but he initially saved them when he saw from his bird's eye view that there was something about to engulf them, and he ordered them to get into their car. They were then still alive when the energy wave/pulse died back down. He was unconscious when they got fatally zapped by him, and I got the impression he had an uncontrollable need to feed on human electro energy that resulted in the other deaths. Poor little zombie. Edited November 26, 2014 by shapeshifter

[Latverian Diplomat]

If I understood correctly, when Cisco rebooted the power to zap Barry on the treadmill, it not only recharged him, it supercharged him--he just had the "yips" and didn't know it yet. Also, after Blackout stole Barry's juice the first time, Blackout muttered something about it being "too much," which I guess was a set up for the audience to accept that super charged Barry would overwhelm/kill Blackout when Blackout fed on Barry's super charged energy the next time.

Yes there was a vague-ish explanation, but there wasn't a plan, it wasn't something Barry was taking into account when he acted, he just acted, and despite being faster this time, still got zapped the same dumb way as before, it just went down differently.

 

And Wells made some remarks building on the yips idea that Barry's state of mind determines how powerful he is. I'm afraid that we can look forward to more stories where Barry wins with power boosts obtained by "believing in himself" or "caring about his friends".  Do not want. 

Edited November 27, 2014 by Latverian Diplomat

[GraceAbigail]

Ok, is it me or is Barry Allen the most lovable superhero ever? A superhero who actually *loves* being a superhero, who knows how to express himself and is an all-around good guy. How awesome. 

 

As for the episode itself ,the Clock King was most compelling for me. He makes for such a fun, interesting villain. But I did like seeing Iris take him down. Love what the writers are doing with her character so far. 

 

Add me to the list of people who don't see any romantic chemistry between Barry and Caitlin, though I do find it interesting that Caitlin seems much more invested in Barry than he is in her. May be an ominous sign for Caitlin's character, in particular.

 

Now, to Iris and Barry/The Flash, I must admit that I wasn't really sold on the idea of them at first but the Iris/Flash scenes are pretty swoonworthy, as are Barry's reactions to seeing Iris all flustered. 

 

Lastly, doped up Eddie was most adorable. He's growing on me with each passing episode...which probably means he's going to turn evil, yes? 

[Chicago Redshirt]

I understand Barry being upset about Tony being used and dying but really what other choice was there. They already tried Barry's suggestion with talking to him and Barry nearly got killed in the process.

 

Freeing Tony only worked because reasons. A realistic Tony would have said, "Thanks for freeing me, peace out." No reason for Tony to stay and fight other htna the show wanted him to do a heel-face turn and die.

 

2. Wells continues to grow on me.  Good to know that he remembers the names of everyone who died in the Star Labs thing, although I'm not convinced he feels all that guilty about any of them.

 

They are all DC heroes, and thus, presumably not dead. 

 

3. I liked the shifting future newspapers. I'm assuming someone screencapped them so we can analyse the differences?

 

I can't screencap, but I can freeze-frame and look:

The Flash-less Central City Citizen of April 25, 2024 has the following headlines:

"Return to Sender: U.S. Post Office Shuts Down Permanently"
"Wayne Tech/ Queen Inc Merger Falls Through"

"Red Skies Threaten" (the picture accompanying this article seemed to have moving clouds)

"Carla the Woolly Mammoth Charms At Zoo"

The restored timeline Central City Citizen had the following headlines:

"Flash Missing Vanishes In Crisis"
"Wayne Tech/Queen Inc Merger Complete"
"Red Skies Vanish"

 

1. Ok, the Clock King was arrested over on Arrow, so why exactly was the Central City DA the one to keep him from seeing his sister?  Did I miss something?

 

I don't remember the details of the Arrow episode well enough to be 100 percent sure, but I believe the story was that he had been convicted in Central City, wanted to see his sister before she died, busted out of prison to get to her, committed crimes in an attempt to get her treatment, got caught by Team Arrow, and was sent back to Central City. 

1. Loved the showdown between Barry and Wells over the ethics of killing bullies in order to inspire heroes in evil lockdown situations, but I have to agree that the resolution came way too quickly there. Barry, this is the second person Wells has been more than happy to kill on your behalf. Question Wells, Barry! A lot.

 

Barry doesn't know (presumably) about what happened to Stagg or that Wells manipulated Plastique into trying to kill Eiling. For all he knows, Tony is the only time he sacrificed someone. Wells pretending to personally know every person who was killed because of the accelerator "accident" helped convince that Wells is a good guy at heart with an arrogant, manipulative, indifferent exterior, rather than a guy with a good-seeming exterior, but am arrogant, manipulative, indifferent core.

 

I hate that Tockman was nonsensically kept away from the only person he cared about as she died.

 

I don't think it's nonsensical. I doubt that in the real world if a criminal wants a temporary parole to see a loved one before she dies that he would get one.

[Maverick]

 

The Flash-less Central City Citizen of April 25, 2024 has the following headlines:

"Return to Sender: U.S. Post Office Shuts Down Permanently"

"Wayne Tech/ Queen Inc Merger Falls Through"

"Red Skies Threaten" (the picture accompanying this article seemed to have moving clouds)

"Carla the Woolly Mammoth Charms At Zoo"

The restored timeline Central City Citizen had the following headlines:

"Flash Missing Vanishes In Crisis"

"Wayne Tech/Queen Inc Merger Complete"

"Red Skies Vanish"

 

 

  I would have thought with Flash gone, the headlines would have all gotten worse.  But with a Flash-less world, the red skies have cleared (which I'm assuming is a good thing) and there's an apparently fluff piece about a woolly mammoth.  What are the red skies?  Did Flash cause them?  

[thuganomics85]

Can't believe I missed this: the voice of that "Gideon", the A.I. Wells was talking to, was none other then Firefly's Morena Baccarin, who is no stranger to the DC universe.  She's voiced several characters in the various animations series (including Black Canary in Justice League), and is going to be in Gotham in January.  She just needs to get on Arrow this season, and she will complete the trifecta.

Edited November 27, 2014 by thuganomics85