Well, this was originally going to be two separate reviews but DOOM had some log-in issues so I couldn’t post until today (mucho thanks to Editor-in-chief John for fixing the issue) so I guess it’s another double-bill of reviews but I did write a full review last week so I guess I only have to do half the work?

Well, if you wanted something half-arsed, look no further than Gone Rogue because OH BOY, the good will that was going to run out eventually. For a split second, I thought something dramatic was going to happen but here we are; a couple days late and little-to-no motivation to continue this show outside of obligation.

Did you know that this episode is the first of this show to feature the word Rogue in the title and not have Wentworth Miller? Because I certainly felt his absence! These jobber Rogues (yeah, I love Troy Jones/Phil Lamarr as Ragdoll but still…) aren’t really a threat and for saying she’s on a dark path, Nora still acts like she’s a lost puppy.

The one moment I actually applaud the episode for is when Cisco is laughing in her face at this pathetic excuse of a heel turn and she goes full ThawneWells vibro-hand on him. That is good stuff! She’s using knowledge of a former ally’s trauma to get her way in the most sadistic way possible! It’s great character work and it’s fucking wasted in this episode!

It reminds of that one scene with FutureBarry/Savitar where it seems like he might actually be open to being talked down but then he reveals it was for shits and giggles (and padding to fill out the episodes) and I’m feeling just as pissed because Nora hasn’t turned heel at all. She’s just using these techy Rogues to rob a place with a meta-dampener.

Flash Fact: McCulloch Technologies, and the Mirror Gun, is a reference to Evan McCulloch, the second Mirror Master. Additionally, the Jenni Ognats identity is a reference to the comic incarnation of XS who is a member of the Legion of Super Heroes.

So yeah, naturally the Rogues betray Nora forcing her dad to step-in and save her in, admittedly, a fun twist using image inducers. The Rogues are beaten and jailed and, naturally, the West-Allen family are reunited and now using Thawne’s plan to stop Cicada II.

Speaking of; Cicada II is related to this episode in a way because she steals the meta-cure from frozen base Cisco developed it in. I can’t remember how she knew where it was but they were more focused on making light of Ralph’s original status as Caitlin’s love interest before Danielle Panabaker put the kibosh on that plot.

But yeah, the meta-cure, coupled with the ice mcguffin from last episode, can be used to spread the meta-cure across Central City and we see Cicada II modifying the device to do just that… while her beloved uncle watches on. I honestly didn’t twig this was just her psychosis until this week’s The Girl With The Red Lightning.

The penultimate episode of the season starts to kick into maximum over-medium pace and we get the final confrontation with Cicada (can’t believe I didn’t come up with ‘Shecada’ or that it took this long for the show to) as she tries to activate her ultimate weapon that will kill every meta in the country.

It’s a pretty small-stakes end to the season-long big bad but everyone on Team Flash gets to have a go and there’s a couple interesting choreographed spots but the aftermath is the real meat.

Also, shout-out to Killer Frost with the best burn of the season!

Throughout the episode, Ralph is wondering aloud about what Thawne’s plan is because if “his plans have plans”, then what the hell does all this mean? And it’s a legit question, shame it’s brought about AFTER we see that Thawne’s timer has run out so it’s obvious that this has all been to spring him. I’m shocked. SHOCKED.

Well, not that shocked. But I’ll probably need this plan explained to me because this time travel plot is ropier than Avengers: Endgame’s explanation! Ha! Topical…

Nora with the Good Lightning is a better episode than Gone Rogue objectively but I was still mostly non-plussed, as all this rushed build-up reeks of last season’s fucking about until the penultimate episode formula. Which is a shame because I should be hyped for Thawne’s return but that was always inevitable and I’m certainly not invested in the Nora/Shecada plot soooo…

I dunno, next week’s finale is going to be an interesting watch. I have to wonder if they’ll finally go back to a speedster villain season since these two were interesting premises that ultimately fell on their respective arses and with a lot of chatter with people leaving after this season, we’ll have to see what the future holds and what will become of The Flash’s Legacy.

Here it is, the final confrontation between The Flash and Cicada (according) to Nora but guess what? We’re still 6 episodes from the end so guess what’s not happening. Okay, that’s a little too cynical because there is a shake-up to the plot this week, foreshadowed by Eobard Thawne saying that Nora’s interference has caused time to fluctuate (no shit) and something/one big is coming.

Given that’s what’s happening plot-wise, it doesn’t feel like much happened even though a full 42minute episode occurred.

Joe and Cecille tag-teamed Dr Ambres and got her to give up Cicada, learning to trust each other again because apparently that needed to happen. Iris is sad because Nora will leave once Cicada is dealt with and they didn’t have time to do an arbitrary list of corny BS but they have the obligatory make-up so I guess that’s sorted.

The real meat of the episode is trying to convince Cicada to take the metahuman cure and when the first time fails, Barry has to appeal to him as a father and leverages the fact that Cicada’s niece is also a meta to get him on side. It’s an actually pretty decent scene as when he was in Dad Mode, Chris Klein was a pretty decent actor so the dilemma draws that back out, though he can’t seem to drop the dumb growl in his voice.While administering the cure, Team Flash hits a snag when the building’s power goes out and another Cicada appears to kick everyone’s ass and kill the only person not on the main cast, Dr Ambres. I mean, this new Cicada walks through everyone using a sweet pair of kopis swords, even the five who were prepared for her but she doesn’t kill any of the metas there? I guess that’s why Ralph wasn’t in the episode because he’d probably be the one to cop it.

So new Cicada takes Orlin to her cabin in the woods and unmasks to reveal that she is Grace Gibbons. This would be a neat twist if they hadn’t established her being a meta earlier in the episode and SHOWING HER AS CICADA back in Memorabilia. No idea how or why an older Grace has appeared but I’m kinda hoping that the final showdown of the season will be between Grace and Nora, really tie things together right at the end. Then again Thawne’s involved so I assume he’s going to break out at some point.

Overall, an alright episode that sets up the third act of the season so be sure to come back next week and we’ll see if this Time Bomb pops off!

Goldfaced is a pretty great episode. It’s light on meta action but the character dynamics in the three plots is fun/tense to watch and it’s all balanced very well.

In an effort to get Sherloque off Nora’s back, Thawne suggests that she play to his greatest weakness; being a notorious puss-hound. Okay, it’s his heart, but he married the same woman 7 times across five different universes, that woman being Renee Adler. Her and Sherloque seem to have good chemistry so it’ll be fun to see their relationship develop in the episodes to come, especially after Sherloque discovers Renee is a meta and is incensed to protect her from Cicada.

Flash Fact: Renee Adler is played by Kimberley Williams-Paisley, most known for her role as Annie Banks, Steve Martin’s daughter in Father of the Bride! She looks great considering I haven’t seen or thought about her in almost 30 years!

Meanwhile, Iris is cruising for a stabbing by pulling a B&E on Cicada’s house. There’s been instances of Iris being badass in the past but I often forget that when she spends most of the season making doe eyes at Barry or being motherly. This episode shows, again, that she’s a badass because not only does she keep a cool head but she kicks the shit out of Cicada!

I mean it; she bear maces his face off, wrecks his doll house, stabs him with a pen and then, for good measure, stands over him and says “We’ll beat you.” DAAAAAAAAAAAAMN, Iris! You scary!

And the last plot thread is the Barry and Ralph Buddy Cop Comedy and I am here for it! Infiltrating a weapons black market for some tech macguffin leads the duo to Goldface, the titular villain du jour and I really dig this dude. He’s a real smooth criminal and while I’m glad he’s not dead and can come back, the dude was bleeding gold out of his eyes, he SHOULD be dead. But it was Barry so we can’t have him kill. Yet. It’s coming, I can feel it.

Flash Fact: Goldface is played by Damion Poitier, a well-known stunt man but comic fans would know him as Thanos in the first Avengers movie!

Also, Barry and Ralph’s running gun fight with Goldface’s goons was scored with Rob Zombie’s Dragula, which is an out-of-fucking-nowhere pick and slapped me in the face with nostalgia for a goth ex-girlfriend so thanks, show?

Overall, I really dug this episode. It didn’t drive the plot forward too much but it was a fun ride at the very least and that counts for a lot. In the same vein, check out this week’s Arrow episode, Emerald Archer, for a fun in-universe documentary theme that breaks up the show’s usual formula quite nicely. Be sure to come back next week as things seem to be coming to a head in Cause and XS.

Yeah, sorry lads, British guy here and I don’t get Thanksgiving, really. One of the obligatory holiday episodes, O Come, All Ye Thankful is about as schmaltzy and bland as a Hallmark movie and I didn’t enjoy the overall experience, but there’s a couple things that I either enjoyed or were genuinely good.

Like Caitlin’s pun. That’s the biggest laugh this show has given me in YEARS. Good stuff!

Nora’s schtick for the episode is realising that her father is a reckless idiot who almost gets himself killed on a weekly basis. I find it funny that the Flash Museum exists as a microcosm of The Flash show, constantly trying to paste over all the shit that Barry’s pulled for stupid or selfish reasons.

It makes a change to see Nora get pissy with Barry instead of Iris (though she cops some attitude too) and I’m tired of her giving out about things not being like she thought when HER VERY PRESENCE IS DESTABILISING THE TIME STREAM. Seriously, she’s cute and fun and all but she’s still fucking up time the longer she’s here and everyone knows that.

With the Cicada sub-plot, we get his secret origin and damn, Cicada just might be the most relatable character on the show at the moment. His role as a reluctant guardian who comes to realise that he needs to step up makes for a very compelling character and his motivation believable. Hell, half of me wants him to run wild on Team Flash just for shits and giggles.

Oh, and I guess Weather Witch was the villain du jour? It was a completely nothing plot point that was resolved as quickly as it was brought up.

And Killer Frost made fun return to berate Cisco and Sherloque about being Thanksgiving Grinches. That’s a thing, right?

Apart from Cicada’s origin, this episode was pretty boring for me, only keeping me engaged with a couple funny gags. Next week is a milestone for The Flash as the show reaches 100 episodes and while Flash Facts isn’t quite at that milestone due to combined reviews, it’ll still be the 100th episode I’ve reviewed! Come back next week and celebrate with us because, as the saying goes, What’s Past is Prologue.

My plans for this review series just aren’t going to plan! So what’s happened in the weeks since the last review? Well, I’ve caught up with all of the CW opening episodes and here’s my quick thoughts! Supergirl remains boring as sin, Legends has a weak opening but it’s got Matthew Ryan as Constantine so I’m in. Arrow has an interesting premise and intriguing flash-forwards, and Black Lightning remains the most consistently good out of all the CW DC shows, not hampered by many of the tropes and trappings of the others.

So what’s been happening with The Flash? Shenanigans, mostly. While they’ve skipped the initial mistrust of Nora, I think Barry and Iris are a little too into being parents to this twenty-something they‘ve just met. Zero-to-sixty with the parenting. It’s awkward but since Nora is still an interesting character, I can put up with it. It’s the kind of development and mentorship we should have had with Wally though…

Cisco is still coming to grips with his break-up with Gypsy, being a curmudgeon and generally having a moan. That’s it. That’s his schtick now. Meanwhile, Caitlin and Ralph are going full-on Mystery, Inc and sleuthing the case of the missing dad which gives them a cool dynamic and adds to the Killer Frost Retrieval Arc. Caitlin finds a supposed suicide note amongst her father’s old notes and by using a cipher, decodes the notes to reveal a message from her father. Kinda hoping that this is Caitlin trying too hard to find a connection and the accumulated grief will see her go full Frost once more but probably not.

It wouldn’t be a season of The Flash without a new incarnation of Harrison Wells and I think I’ve finally reached my limit of Cavanaugh’s numerous characters and garbage accents. It was fun for a while but I think this Sherloque persona is one persona too far. The only semi-meaningful thing that he did was set up some doubt in the audience regarding Nora’s intentions. Like, yeah; obviously she’s hiding something, she’s from the future, there’s all sorts she could be keeping from the team.

And on the villain front, Cicada’s death-count is up to two with the deaths of both meta-jobbers, Gridlock and Block. His hostage situation with Joe reveals a lot about his motivation while Nora talks about his legacy; a metahuman serial killer who is never caught but who has clearly lost his family due to metahumans. It’s an interesting villain, for sure, especially since his lightning bolt dagger can even the playing field by stripping metas of their powers but the swerve with Vibe is a huge mistake in my opinion.

While I don’t want to see Cisco killed, it would definitely make Cicada more of a threat and galvanise the team. It’d make Nora step-up since his early arrival is a result of her actions and Barry wouldn’t be holding her hand as much. Plus this is the second time Cisco has escaped the reaper and he’s definitely got it coming.

Flash Fact: The titles of the first three episodes are a secret message that comes to pass at the end of the third; Nora Blocked The Death of Vibe. Not sure if that’s intentional or not but neat none-the-less.

So Blocked and The Death of Vibe aren’t as good as the opening episode but there’s elements that are just interesting enough to keep me coming back. In comparison, Supergirl is boring as sin and the only thing I’m interested in is the Red Daughter-esque subplot that will hopefully go somewhere. Next time, we’ll see things spin out of control in News Flash.