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The Flash #116 - Rogue Time

4

The Rogues are back in Central City and they have a new member with them!

*This review contains spoilers from the last episode and a few from this one.*

"Nice meeting you, strange young man."

We all know the saying "mo time travel mo problems" and this week's episode of The Flash proves just that. If you knew the love of your life felt the same way about you, you'd feel pretty great and want to do something about that, wouldn't you? And if you knew you had the power to save someone's life and prevent a major disaster, you'd do what you need to do, yes? Even though Harrison Wells warns Barry Allen not to alter the way things are supposed to play out (priceless coming from him, right?), Barry is only human. Okay, technically metahuman, but you get my point. Unfortunately for the Scarlet Speedster, he has no idea what recently happened to Cisco, so he's totally oblivious to the fact that he could be is most definitely putting the lovable guy in danger by changing how everything goes down.

As you can tell by the title, the Rogues play a huge role in the episode. However, they aren't the ones I'm left thinking about. Don't get me wrong, they have an amusing story and there's some really entertaining nods to the source material, but for me, Tom Cavanagh left the strongest impression. The show's doing an incredible job making him a character I hate to hate. Despite all of the blatantly evil things he's done, scenes like the one he has with Cisco in this episode remind me that I don't want to hate the guy. It was a surprisingly heartfelt scene. I was almost certain it would just be an excuse to remind us about what happened in the previous episode, but instead they turned the scene into pure gold. (I swear that's an unintentional pun!) Some shows have trouble giving us complex and legitimately interesting villains. Well, Flash has no problem like that with Wells.

The story with Iris plays out exactly how you think it would and it's kind of frustrating to witness. Grant Gustin does a great job acting ecstatic and somewhat nervous at the same time, but you can really tell the show is just taking steps to return to the status quo between the two and it'll save their "first" kiss for another day. It's too bad Linda was swept aside, too. I mean, it makes sense, but she's been an enjoyable addition to the cast. Maybe we'll see more of her since she works with Iris?

You want back to back Cisco goodness? The Flash is here to give you back to back Cisco goodness. Now, it totally sucks to be Cisco in these two episodes, but Carlos Valdes has done a phenomenal job in both of them. The guy is almost always able to make me laugh and he's had some emotional scenes in the past, but these two episodes really gave him the spotlight and he took full advantage of it. Whether he's bonding with Barry, being stuck in a horrifying situation, or having a sincere discussion, the actor has really delivered some memorable and gripping scenes.

A vast majority of the action in this one isn't going to really drop your jaw. Maybe the show has spoiled us with cool displays of slow motion and a variety of powers, but seeing humans do some pretty basic brawling or watching relatively standard shootouts just aren't all that thrilling (even if they're filled with nifty CGI blasts). That said, there is a bit of action towards the end that did manage to impress. I won't spoil it, but man, some brutal punches are thrown and the scene's every bit as harsh as it needs to be. Much of the episode didn't have the same kind of weight as the last one did (to be fair, that was an amazing episode), so this one scene really pulled us back in and reminded us there's a very compelling plot going on.

 I'd love to see a full episode of the S.T.A.R. Labs crew just hanging out.
I'd love to see a full episode of the S.T.A.R. Labs crew just hanging out.

I'm left with incredibly mixed thoughts on two scenes. The first one is the conclusion between Barry and Captain Cold. The hero was forced to make a tough call on the spot and it's clear even he's unsure about what he's done, but letting Cold just roam freely and basically telling him to "play nice" seems a bit odd to me. I mean, the guy basically started a gang war! I like the dynamic between the two (even though Cold came off as a bit of a brat once or twice) and the interaction has a line or two that'll make any comic fan smile while also giving Cold a bit of a new approach to his actions, but it's the kind of ending that'll probably have you debating over whether that was the right move. That's of course the point and, to be fair, Barry has a lot going on in his head, but it's tough to imagine him letting any other villain roam freely instead of locking them up and attempting to find out whether they were bluffing about the identity. I mean, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have much trouble getting the other two as well if he decided to take Cold in. The other scene is the conclusion between Barry and Iris. It feels like they swept that conflict aside way too easily and in a pretty silly way. That said, I guess that's a double-edged sword because I would rather have that dilemma saved for a later date instead of being blatantly dragged out.

Minor criticisms: Flash, what are you doing holding someone hostage against Captain freaking Cold, man? He knows you too well; he knows you're bluffing and you're really not fooling anyone. Why not just grab their guns because you're totally capable of that? Look, I know the answer is "because that would end the story," but there had to be better ways to let Cold escape that one. Unfortunately, many of the scenes with Cisco's brother felt really standard. It's your familiar case of someone being a jerk but it's only because they're jealous and they'll reveal it when the time is right. This show usually nails it with the emotional beats, but this (as well as Iris' role) was feeling pretty predictable and didn't have me emotionally connected. The follow-up, however, was solid. Also, Heat Wave, maybe you shouldn't knock someone out immediately after your teammate tells them to run away and spread the word? And I get it, you're obsessed with fire. You don't have to remind us every single time though, man!

Random thoughts: If you watch promos or follow news about the show -- which is probably 99% of you -- it's too bad you know Cisco is getting played right from the get-go. Still, I couldn't help but love his reactions, especially the line he said to Cold. Joe didn't get a lot of attention in this one, but the character is still so likable. Even when he enters one of the most frustrating dramatic plots, he's able to breathe a little more life and humor into it. So, Golden Glider just fires gold at people? (I'm assuming they're smart enough to know they can fire some into a canister and then sell it. I get they love the thrill of committing crime, but some extra cash doesn't hurt.) I mean, the weapon fits with her allies, but I can't exactly say her role was one of the more exciting additions to the story. If anything, it just produced better reactions from Cisco instead of making her feel like a standout role. Maybe her and Heat Wave will get some depth down the road.

"Out of Time" is a ridiculously tough act to follow. While this week's episode doesn't have an especially strong story with the Rogues (until the very end, that is) and the relationship drama with Iris is all kinds of predictable, Wells manages to steal the show and there's some great material with Cisco. Plus, even when the show is dealing with so much conflict and drama, it still manages to give us plenty of dialogue that'll simply make us smile. Some plots are obviously stronger than others, but this is still an episode that kept me entertained the entire time.