Season Two, Episode Twenty-Two — “Invincible”
© 2016 The CW Network. All rights reserved.
By Jarrod Jones. It’s a relief that The Flash is just one episode away from wrapping up its wonky second season. It’s apparent that everyone involved with this show needs a break; a chance to reorient themselves so that the imminent third season doesn’t burden itself with yet another villainous speedster designed to recapture the outright brilliance of the Reverse-Flash/Harrison Wells switcheroo of Season One. (Though, if they do end up doing just that, here’s a name they can use: “Fasty The Fast.”) Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t there a hyper-intelligent gorilla out there somewhere? It’s not like we can use Captain Cold next season, can we? (Too soon?)
Zoom, as a season-long heavy, has been a disaster almost from the very onset: his garish leather skull suit, his spiky demon fingers, and his flippant attitude to conquering anything or hurting anyone has effectively made Teddy Sears’ unexpected (but totally expected) heel turn seem like little more than a gothy Reverse-Flash 2.0. It’s a bummer to be sure, but it’s a bummer that could have been avoided, had Zoom been given more to do than zip between multiverses looking like some kinda 21st Century Al Simmons.
Zoom’s agenda — whatever the hell it’s supposed to be — has only now, with Episode Twenty-Two, become something to worry about. And he just had to take Henry Allen, didn’t he? It’s likely that Barry Allen will go through some temporal gymnastics in order to keep his father from dying (either in the next season, or more likely, the next episode), but for now there’s Zoom’s Metapocalypse to worry about. What’s that? Yes, they actually called it that. Hey, no one ever accused The Flash of not being glib.
WHAT WORKED: I’d praise Henry Allen’s continued presence on The Flash, had the show not already killed him off for no reason whatsoever. Pass.
WHAT DIDN’T: The reveal of Zoom’s Earth-2 super army was the stinger of last week’s episode, but for whatever reason — time constraints, budgetary concerns, a perplexing insistence not to have any fun? — “Invincible” brooms the baddies before the opening title card hits. It’s just another example of The Flash stuttering and stalling when it should be cruising across our television screens.
I want Wally to become a hero just as much as you do, Show. But Wally sitting in his car listening to a police scanner like he was Bob from The Incredibles (or, more uninterestingly, Roy Harper on Arrow) doesn’t make for a very stirring visual. Get Wally out of that damn hot-rod already, and into a pair of red boots.
Speaking of which, are we shoving the Jesse Quick/Wally West thing into the third season? If that’s the case, then why couldn’t the big particle accelerator explosion have taken place at this season’s finale? Now we’re left to just stare at the screen, waiting for something to happen. And nothing is happening.
BEST LINE(s):
Henry: “Hi, Tina.” Dr. Magee: “Oh, hello, Henry.” Gush.
BEST MOMENT: The opening sequence, where super-villains were terrorizing all over Central City, was the only moment this week that didn’t have me listlessly scrolling through Twitter. It’s the spectacle that makes The Flash so much fun to watch, even when it’s otherwise being mopey and dull. (Which has been the majority of this half of the season, sadly.) This sequence definitely didn’t disappoint. While they did get put away rather quickly — The Fastest Man Alive is on duty, after all — it was exciting to see Zoom sit back and watch Barry run himself ragged as he took down this legion of super-villains.
EPISODE’S MVP: Well, Barry’s acting like a strutting rooster, Wally’s Night Rider all of a sudden, Henry’s speedster fodder, and Joe’s probably the worst dad on the planet somehow. No single member of the ensemble scored cool points this week. Though it was nice to see Katie Cassidy after what Arrow did to her.
© 2016 The CW Network. All rights reserved.
FLASH FACTS:
– What’s that, Iris? “The blackest of nights?” You trying to make the DC legal department fidget in their collective seats or what?
– My favorite Twitter reaction to The Flash last night came from Secret Six writer Gail Simone, who pointedly asked the question, “Who the hell is Black Siren?” A damn good question — why couldn’t Laurel Lance’s Earth-2 doppelganger hold onto her Black Canary moniker? Reasons, always with the reasons.
– A cursory scroll through Google finds that a possible homage may be at play: Donna Nance, the Black Siren, was a member of the Justice Guild of America and first appeared in Justice League Season One, Episode Eighteen. She fought alongside the terrible might of the Green Guardsman and Cat Man.
– It’s… an odd time to add Dr. Magee to The Flash‘s ensemble, isn’t it — OH I SEE WHAT YOU’RE DOING. Amanda Pays’ first onscreen interaction with her former Flash co-star John Wesley Shipp make everyone at DoomRocket HQ squee like crazy.
– Where did Caitlin and Cisco get their outfits to fool Black Sire — you know what? Screw it.
5 out of 10
Next: “The Race of His Life”, soon.
Before: “The Runaway Dinosaur”, here.
