Flash Facts – “Tricksters”
This episode was definitely more of a TREAT than a TRICK!
The episode kicks off 15 years ago as we see, for the first time, the night Nora died in full detail and it’s pretty awesome! The rubber man CGI is in full effect but watching the two Speedsters tear up the room before Young Barry is relocated and Nora is killed is still pretty awesome. We watch as the Reverse-Flash leaves the Allen home and eventually stumbles as his Speed Force fails him, Gideon confirms that he is trapped with no way home and Eobard Thawne screams in rage and removes his mask…
SWERVE! It’s not Harrison Wells! It’s the real Eobard Thawne and, as we see later, the man who is responsible for the death of Tess Morgan (Wells’ fiancé) and the real Harrison Wells, who gets drank like a milkshake as Thawne takes on his face and voice. It’s quite the mix-up from our expectations up to this point and I applaud that. Fantastic start to the show!
The other major part of the episode, obviously, is the inclusion of Mark Hamill. Hamill may have quit being the Joker but that’s not stopping him from bringing a lot of it to his performance as James Jesse, the original Trickster. Devon Graye, playing Axel Walker aka the modern Trickster, is awful. I hope he was purposefully playing the character as a poor pretender to the throne because Hamill acts circles around this clown.
There’s a nice “I am your father” bit but ultimately, it’s the performance of Hamill that stands out, being equal parts toned-down-Joker and talkative-Hannibal-Lector.
Flash Fact: As well as John Wesley Shipp and Mark Hamill, Vito D’Ambrosio reprises his role as Anthony Bellows, though as the mayor of Central City rather than a beat cop.
The theme of legacies seems to run through this episode because of the obvious connections between the previous The Flash show and this one, as well as the between the characters. Barry unmasks to Henry after he rescues his father from Trickster’s hostage trap and it’s like a passing of the torch moment as they embrace. It’s also nice to see Henry interact with the team for the first time and there’s a lot of genuine warmth there. The less meta connection between the Tricksters as father and son is never really played with apart from the Star Wars reference.
Wells tips his hand when he talks to Barry about the Speed Force.. Like he wants to bang it. Seriously, he’s got a boner for the Speed Force. But this tips off an already suspicious and fretting Barry and he’s barely keeping a straight face in front of him. He and Joe discuss the situation and bring up points that I have in discussions about the show and the big one is why would he help Barry if he killed Nora? It’s obvious he wants something but the characters only figure it’s something to do with Barry’s speed.
In a surprise move, Barry unmasks to Eddie Thawne as well! WHOA! Two unmasking in an episode? We’re running full pelt into the final arc, eh? He can at least get Iris off Team Flash’s back which is good but he doesn’t feel right about it.
Man, this is a FANTASTIC episode and it’s easily tied with Rogue Time as my favourite episode of the season but looking at what’s coming, that grouping is only going to get bigger so tune in next week for an atomically charged All-Star Team-Up!