S02.E20: Rupture

[BkWurm1]

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And the cues I noticed I just thought would lead to a Chloe/Clark situation.   

I'm an unapologetic shipper but typically a pretty unadventurous one.  I usually root for the couple I'm meant to root for.  (And if I don't like them I'm probably not watching the show, lol)  I usually see the subtle romantic cues ( little looks and touches, relying on and listening to each other, overt concern, trust, knowing each other well, creating smile moments) for what they are and everything in me was positive that Chloe and Clark on Smallville were meant to be a couple.  All the writing and visual cues were there.  And yet it was nothing but a huge tease.  I said at the time "on any other show" they would have made them a couple...and Arrow restored my faith in all the little subtle cues show runners put in their shows.  It's Smallville that is the exception, not the rule.  :D  It messed with the minds of a whole generation.  Lol.

Flash has IMO the opposite problem from Arrow.  On Arrow the subtle stuff was there (even if some of the subtle stuff was bordering on unsubtle like  breaking his kill rule so very thoroughly or the "because of the life I lead" speech or his reaction over Barry).  On Flash all sorts of unsubtle cues pop up (like Barry flat out saying it and future newspapers printing it) but they have neglected (at least in season two - season one is fuzzier) the more subtle cues, probably because they dont' think they are needed but IMO it's the little moments that build up my desire to see characters confess their feelings and be together. 

It's after I've seen how good they could be together that I want them together and while it would be so easy to SHOW me why and how Iris and Barry are good together, they almost never do.  Last season there was that double date and this season, the visit to E2 but while Iris telling Barry we should probably go for it get's right to the point, I've just not felt like we've gotten the right build up to really make me want it.  We haven't seen them missing each other in a romantic or platonic way.  Same thing just with hanging or talking.  Why aren't we seeing this super close friendship we've heard of?  Why is the show so stingy?

 I don't have a problem with them as a pairing since I like the actors and honestly, it' s not like there's any other options, lol, but I can't help wondering if they didn't come with a comic destiny if there'd be this kind of expectation just from the in show cues. 

Edited May 5, 2016 by BkWurm1

[CabotCove]

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I never saw Oliver and Felicity slowly fall in love. The shift in writing was rather jarring, their romance literally came out of nowhere by the end of season two, since up until then I never saw Oliver thinking of her that way. Iris/Barry at least have romantic history, including multiple love confessions. 

 

Funny, I totally see it the opposite way. Olicity had way too much unnecessariy ship titillating scenes springled all over the  season 2 and some of 1, while WestAllen had long dry spell of necessary, ship building scenes in this season. Season 1 WestAllen story to me was almost flawless,yes I dont hate destiny, but they shouldnt only rely on that. They didnt in season 1, so this new direction is not exactly true to the story of the ship. 

Edited May 5, 2016 by WildcardC

[zannej]

18 hours ago, Potanical Pardon said:

 

 

Ok, I recognize: Jesse Quick, Max Mercury, Impulse/ Kid Flash (Bart), Barry, Wally, and Jay Garrick. Who is the little girl in the Impulse costume though? I know it isn't Jenni/XS. (You can put it under a spoiler tag or PM me if it is too off-topic).

16 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

LOVED the Harry Potter references with Cisco!

God his brother is still an asshole.

I am curious how the show handles three speedsters. It'll probably be the only way they can take down Zoom.

LOL. I kept hoping Cisco would tell Dante that he's a "dick" because the way Carlos says "dick" always cracks me up for some reason. He even posted on Twitter that the actor playing Dante played two characters who were dicks. It was a bit sad to see that Dante was still being a jerk to Cisco, but I know that sometimes people can get along very well shortly after a traumatic event and then after it wears off, they can go back to not getting along.

16 hours ago, rtms77 said:

I don't understand why Jesse had to be locked away, when just the previous episode she proved she's just as good as Caitlyn was in the bio med sci stuff and could have been there to monitor Barry's vitals etc. Eye rolling contrivance with this show.

I think it is because Joe and Harry are the kind of protective dads that would want to lock their kids in a box to keep them safe-- although I'm guessing Iris refused to go along with it and that was why she wasn't locked in there with them. I guess Harry failed to see the irony of him locking his daughter up after she spent several months in a cage in Zoom's lair. But honestly, the main reason was Plotforce.

14 hours ago, WildcardC said:

 I had self control when I was a teen. 

Those are two studious science geniuses, they probably found something more fun that sex in that futuristic room.

Dante should have been put in the room too, but then he wouldn't have found the letter. 

I had self-control at that age as well, so I don't think there is anything odd about them not getting it on. Of course, it may be surprising for them to not be getting it on just because it's a CW television show. At least, that is what I've been told. The Flarrowverse ones are the only CW things I've ever seen. But, anyway, they didn't have a bed or any comfortable surface and there was a chance that one or both of their fathers could walk in at any moment.

11 hours ago, Cthulhudrew said:

The police probably were concerned about security at Central City News, considering a speedster killed someone there last season. lol

On another note, why the F haven't they just told Wally Barry's secret already. Everyone else knows, and considering they've got him hidden away inside Star Labs while they try and get Barry's speed back, is there really any reason to keep him in the dark?

Yeah. The whole keeping the secret to protect the people thing just doesn't fly. There were numerous times where knowing the truth could have saved people. But then, Barry is more likely to reveal his identity to villains than to friends/family.

7 hours ago, MadyGirl1987 said:

That ending might be my favorite scenes in the series. Everyone's reactions were great. From Wells and Cisco being shocked to Joe and Iris hugging each other crying and Henry just looking defeated.

What's the betting Joe punches Harry when he sees his particle accelerator hurt his son after losing(for the time being) his adopted son.Seriously; I am wondering how the two most overprotective fathers I know of on TV will react when their kids are both hurt by something one of them did...

ETA; Loved Cisco the Potterhead. The Expecto Patronum and "how do you know about the HP convention" both had me laughing.

I thought that Henry was about 2-seconds away from grabbing Harry by the shirt and screaming in his face. He will be angry because Wells really was pushing Barry. Plus, I think Barry was the only family he had left. Joe had voted in favor of Barry trying to get his powers back, so it would be unfair of him to blame Harry-- plus, as he said, no one could really talk Barry into or out of something once he'd set his mind. Barry chose to do this.

I did wonder about the chemical injection stuff though. Why couldn't they just splash the chemicals on Barry instead of injecting them? They weren't injected before. I guess having the vials and saying they were injected made for more drama.

I wonder if there are outtakes of Zoom dancing a merry jig while pointing and laughing at Team Flash upon finding the charred remains of Barry's suit.

I did get a chuckle out of the Harry Potter convention thing. I'd love to go to one, even though I don't have a costume. I'm the kind of nerd who remembers that the main child character in the movie Troll was named Harry Potter.

Edited May 5, 2016 by zannej

[Grace19]

This episode is way better than the last one.

I love Cisco, and all this scenes this episode was great.

I really feel for Caitlin.

Zoom is no longer scary to me since they unmasked him, Jay is hot and sexy though.

Wally and Jesse might get super speed, nice. They are both adorable together.

Henry is back!

The real Jay or Eddie is the man in the Iron mask.

Now Iris and Barry: some scenes between this two have not worked for me this season. I might be a shipper but I don't always like every scene other westallen shippers might like. Sometimes I see people discuss a particular scene between the two as hot but when I watch it, I'm like meh. But the scene between the two this episode was so good, romantic and filled with tension. The acting from both Grant and Candice was great, Barry could not contain himself, he touched his hair, lips and acted like he didn't know what to do with his hands, Iris was so vulnerable, open and emotional. Even with a dialogue that could have been better this two convinced me that what they feel for each other is real. With the exception of the destiny dialogue, this is their best romantic scene since the show started. IMO. My heart broke when Barry told her he was okay and when she screamed his name and cried.

Now what I didn't like was the dialogue. Iris actually started well, by pointing out that when she told him to come home she was talking about Barry coming home to her. That was actually before earth two, showing she was already aware that she had feelings for him then. why didn't the writers have her talk about, what she felt about him then and now without adding destiny to the mix? Everything is in place to make it about just the two of them. Though she confessed in a different time-line, but last season we were shown she had feelings for him; episode 21 when Eddie was missing she admitted she had feelings for Barry but that thinking about him that way was not fair to Eddie; two episodes ago Barry told her not to shut everyone out because of her guilt concerning Eddie, why didn't the writers have her say she was feeling guilty because of Eddie but is now ready to move on with Barry, why the destiny crap? at least I like what she said about not being available for him last year, because she wasn't, she did the right thing by sticking it out with Eddie, he was a good guy.

This writers can't be that clueless, destiny alone is not a good look, or are they keeping it vague now for a better and deeper reveal concerning her feelings later? I hope so, but I won't hold my breath, Candice and Grant did the best with the little they gave her. its not fair that they are wasting her like this. I don't want to go into conspiracy theories, but sometimes I feel like someone in the writers room, hates Candice as Iris, hence they don't give her much to work with. Some writers treat her okay though.

Anyways, good episode, next week looks good, can't wait.

[driedfruit]

2 hours ago, zannej said:

Ok, I recognize: Jesse Quick, Max Mercury, Impulse/ Kid Flash (Bart), Barry, Wally, and Jay Garrick. Who is the little girl in the Impulse costume though? I know it isn't Jenni/XS. (You can put it under a spoiler tag or PM me if it is too off-topic).

It's Iris, Wally's daughter. 

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

To Be The Flash Or Not To Be The Flash, Wonders The Flash

Barry spends most of the episode dithering about whether to try to regain his powers. Guess what he decides?

[phoenics]

11 hours ago, Grace19 said:

This writers can't be that clueless, destiny alone is not a good look, or are they keeping it vague now for a better and deeper reveal concerning her feelings later? I hope so, but I won't hold my breath, Candice and Grant did the best with the little they gave her. its not fair that they are wasting her like this. I don't want to go into conspiracy theories, but sometimes I feel like someone in the writers room, hates Candice as Iris, hence they don't give her much to work with. Some writers treat her okay though.

Anyways, good episode, next week looks good, can't wait.
 

While I feel you on the worry that someone in the writers room hates Candice/Iris, I think the destiny part that Iris talked about was more her attempt to make her confession more compelling to Barry - because now she's completely unsure about Barry's feelings for her.  Every attempt she's made to broach the topic in a flirtatious way with Barry has been softly batted back because he's been burned before by thinking she felt something for him (and acting on it - like "stop thinking and let's start doing")... so Barry has been unwittingly batting down her flirts without even realizing it... and giving Iris the impression that he's over it.  So I think Iris decided to confess and then throw in the "destiny" thing to remind Barry and play it a little like a trump card.  I didn't see it as her giving into it - especially since we know she felt something for him back in 1x15 before finding out about the future marriage and even in 1x13 before Barry got back from E2 and told her about Iris and Barry being married there.

[ruby24]

For what it's worth, I'm sure we are going to get an "I love you" exchange and many more deep declarations of love from her in the future, so I'm not worried about that. You don't think she's going to say I love you eventually? Of course that's happening.

[DigitalCount]

Oh man, how much do I love Cisco? There are times when he's a bit annoying, but considering that whenever someone says "Let's do this" in my vicinity I also have the urge to yell "Leerooooooooy Jennnnnnkinnnnns" he gets a huge thumbs-up from me. I can be ridiculously easy to please every so often.

[Ottis]

There remains something creepy and seriously wrong with Henry. It has been that way since he was first introduced. When he is acting like he cares about Barry, it feels almost rehearsed, like he is following a script he has lived before. And he chooses first to accept jail for a crime he didn't commit, then when he is released, he runs away. He's either trying to avoid triggering something he knows will happen, or he is running away from something he did that we don't know about, yet.

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 Did they truly have to recreate the moment that the particle accelator blew exactly? If Wally and Jesse were just changed and they weren't even in the part that Barry was, Barry blew up for no other reason other than plot.

Barry was almost at ground zero for the "explosion." Wally and Jesse were further away, after Barry absorbed the brunt of what happened. 

I don't know why they all don't refer to "Zoom" as "Jay." Or "Hunter," whatever the case may be. It's like Cartman insisting everyone call him kewl. Why keep doing it?

Barry and Iris again. ugh. Sure, Barry. Go ahead and bang the woman who, for all intents and purposes, you grew up with as your sister. That's not weird.

[SevenStars]

42 minutes ago, Ottis said:

 

Barry and Iris again. ugh. Sure, Barry. Go ahead and bang the woman who, for all intents and purposes, you grew up with as your sister. That's not weird.

Who you never view as sister, never thought of her as sister while growing up  because you have always desired to be with her. What's weird is people's determination to project their own feelings on how Barry should feel about someone who is not his sister and he has never claim to be his sister or thought of as his sister.

[sking24450]

13 hours ago, SevenStars said:

Who you never view as sister, never thought of her as sister while growing up  because you have always desired to be with her. What's weird is people's determination to project their own feelings on how Barry should feel about someone who is not his sister and he has never claim to be his sister or thought of as his sister.

Literally this!!  I truly don't understand this continued argument that they are like brother and sister when Barry stated explicitly that he had feelings for Iris prior to moving in with Iris?  He doesn't view her that way he had a crush on her, 10 year olds don't have crushes on their siblings and you don't just stop feeling a certain way about a person because you move in with them.  

[Potanical Pardon]

On 5/5/2016 at 7:24 AM, zannej said:

Ok, I recognize: Jesse Quick, Max Mercury, Impulse/ Kid Flash (Bart), Barry, Wally, and Jay Garrick. Who is the little girl in the Impulse costume though? I know it isn't Jenni/XS. (You can put it under a spoiler tag or PM me if it is too off-topic).

Spoiler

It's Impulse, but Iris (Irey) West, Wally and Linda's daughter. She's Impulse for maybe 3 comic panels ever, though at the time was probably intended to last much longer. But the New 52 randomly happened and so... I wish I could have found a picture that also had XS in it, but alas that was the closest comprehensive group shot I could find. Fun fact: Her brother also had powers (speed-related, but not speed powers) too. Wally could "slingshot" his kids to him. I forget how, but somehow both kids got sick or something and to stabilize their powers only one kid could end up having them, so Irey ended up as the one with genuine speed powers while her brother, Jai, got nothing - I'm pretty sure this is a nod to the Kingdom Come future where a teenage Irey (going by Iris now) is Kid Flash while her brother is spiteful and just stays at home playing video games all the time which would have been a fun origin story if he were to become the new Turtle.

[LisaM]

So the Garrick name is also in Barry's family line? I wonder what that is about because it has to mean something. 

I don't read the comics. Do Jessie and Wally have superpowers in the comics? I like her character and hope she sticks around. 

[zannej]

On 5/7/2016 at 4:04 PM, Potanical Pardon said:

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It's Impulse, but Iris (Irey) West, Wally and Linda's daughter. She's Impulse for maybe 3 comic panels ever, though at the time was probably intended to last much longer. But the New 52 randomly happened and so... I wish I could have found a picture that also had XS in it, but alas that was the closest comprehensive group shot I could find. Fun fact: Her brother also had powers (speed-related, but not speed powers) too. Wally could "slingshot" his kids to him. I forget how, but somehow both kids got sick or something and to stabilize their powers only one kid could end up having them, so Irey ended up as the one with genuine speed powers while her brother, Jai, got nothing - I'm pretty sure this is a nod to the Kingdom Come future where a teenage Irey (going by Iris now) is Kid Flash while her brother is spiteful and just stays at home playing video games all the time which would have been a fun origin story if he were to become the new Turtle.

Awesome! Thanks for explaining that! I used to read the Impulse comic book when it first came out. While I liked Peter David's humor, I never really liked how he wrote Bart in the Young Justice series.

I wonder if it will turn out that Henry knows something the rest of the people don't-- or if he is terminally ill. Or maybe he spent so much time in jail he doesn't know how to act around people outside of jail anymore.