Flash Five-Point Review: Flash of Two Worlds
I'm about to try something. Let's see if it sticks.
On Jay Garrick: The shadowy character from the end of season one stands revealed. Of course, longtime comic fans already know who this is, but the writers found a concise enough method of introducing him, Earth 2, and the multiverse in forty minutes. It's also good that the show didn't immediately segue Jay into the "mentor" role. Certainly, it's the ultimate place for him, but it's flat out illogical for Barry to accept a new "mentor" after recently learning the last guy who tried to help him be a better Flash was not only a traitor, but the person who murdered his mother and irrevocably altered the course of his life forever. Having said that, Jay's "But I'm not him" line when Barry confessed all of that to him was great--it's the kind of directness that fits someone of his years/experience perfectly, and gave viewers a perfect summation of the direction of his character. He's NOT Thawne--he's one of Barry's oldest allies and greatest friends...and hopefully he'll still be on that path when the season ends, rather than doing some silly sacrifice to make the end of the season have some drama.
Overall, the only strange thing about the Earth-2 Flash...is that he doesn't have any superspeed. It's possible this is a reference to Jay having been retired when Barry first met him in the comics, but it still felt "off". That said, it DID give Barry an extra reason not to believe him, and since presumably he won't just leave him de-powered the entire season, gives the show a chance to make the first time we see a second "good" speedster be a powerful high note for season 2.
On Patty Spivot: This episode also had the introduction of Detective Patty Spivot, a character who's been a part of Flash comics since the late '70s. She's a little different from her comic incarnation (who was a CSI just like Barry), but the change makes perfect sense for this universe--Joe West was in need of a new partner after the events of season one, and the "Metahuman Task Force" is most likely a thing they writers don't intend on getting rid of so it should probably grow past just a single person. And of course her issues with Mark Mardon/Weather Wizard gives an extra layer of dramatic importance when they eventually bring the Rogues back as a whole later in the season. Lastly, the show was looking a tad unbalanced in terms of a male/female ratio, so it's good to have a (hopefully) series regular to help make it a tad more even. Now to just wait on Jesse Quick.
On Cisco: What's happening with Cisco is undoubtedly going to concern a lot of fans of the show. Essentially, he's developing the metahuman abilities his comic self possesses, which will lead to him becoming the superhero "Vibe". Originally a character that would've landed on any random "Lame DC Superheroes" Top 10 list, a reboot by Flash scribe Geoff Johns turned Vibe into a character who could track down multiversal disruptions on his Earth, making him central to the team's mission this season if they're going to start finding all the characters from other worlds that are currently finding their way onto this Earth so freely. Hearing his reasoning for being afraid of his powers was slightly off-putting, though: he's afraid of them because he got them from Professor Wells? But, Barry got his powers from Wells, and even if he was an evil jerk, Wells did a lot of good before he finally showed his true self.
Still, whether he likes it or not, "Vibe" is coming. The only real question is are they going to put him in costume this season or wait until season three.
On Professor Wells: Speaking of Wells, it was actually refreshing to see him back on the show. Tom Cavanagh was one of the best parts of season one, and although it was cathartic to finally see his character get his well-deserved comeuppance, the Reverse Flash is too much of a central rogue to just eliminate him entirely. Now whether this is the real Wells (doubtful) or Thawne, and how he got back at all after being erased from existence are other questions that hopefully will play out with the rest of this season.
On Professor Stein: There sure are a lot of Professors on this show, but one supposes that makes sense on a series that's basically about a bunch of super-science. Anyway, at the tail end of the episode Stein collapsed, seemingly into a coma. This is going to have something to do with Firestorm, and to field a guess most likely it'll lead to Jason Rusch returning to help re-make the Firestorm Matrix.
On Jay Garrick: The shadowy character from the end of season one stands revealed. Of course, longtime comic fans already know who this is, but the writers found a concise enough method of introducing him, Earth 2, and the multiverse in forty minutes. It's also good that the show didn't immediately segue Jay into the "mentor" role. Certainly, it's the ultimate place for him, but it's flat out illogical for Barry to accept a new "mentor" after recently learning the last guy who tried to help him be a better Flash was not only a traitor, but the person who murdered his mother and irrevocably altered the course of his life forever. Having said that, Jay's "But I'm not him" line when Barry confessed all of that to him was great--it's the kind of directness that fits someone of his years/experience perfectly, and gave viewers a perfect summation of the direction of his character. He's NOT Thawne--he's one of Barry's oldest allies and greatest friends...and hopefully he'll still be on that path when the season ends, rather than doing some silly sacrifice to make the end of the season have some drama.
Overall, the only strange thing about the Earth-2 Flash...is that he doesn't have any superspeed. It's possible this is a reference to Jay having been retired when Barry first met him in the comics, but it still felt "off". That said, it DID give Barry an extra reason not to believe him, and since presumably he won't just leave him de-powered the entire season, gives the show a chance to make the first time we see a second "good" speedster be a powerful high note for season 2.
On Patty Spivot: This episode also had the introduction of Detective Patty Spivot, a character who's been a part of Flash comics since the late '70s. She's a little different from her comic incarnation (who was a CSI just like Barry), but the change makes perfect sense for this universe--Joe West was in need of a new partner after the events of season one, and the "Metahuman Task Force" is most likely a thing they writers don't intend on getting rid of so it should probably grow past just a single person. And of course her issues with Mark Mardon/Weather Wizard gives an extra layer of dramatic importance when they eventually bring the Rogues back as a whole later in the season. Lastly, the show was looking a tad unbalanced in terms of a male/female ratio, so it's good to have a (hopefully) series regular to help make it a tad more even. Now to just wait on Jesse Quick.
On Cisco: What's happening with Cisco is undoubtedly going to concern a lot of fans of the show. Essentially, he's developing the metahuman abilities his comic self possesses, which will lead to him becoming the superhero "Vibe". Originally a character that would've landed on any random "Lame DC Superheroes" Top 10 list, a reboot by Flash scribe Geoff Johns turned Vibe into a character who could track down multiversal disruptions on his Earth, making him central to the team's mission this season if they're going to start finding all the characters from other worlds that are currently finding their way onto this Earth so freely. Hearing his reasoning for being afraid of his powers was slightly off-putting, though: he's afraid of them because he got them from Professor Wells? But, Barry got his powers from Wells, and even if he was an evil jerk, Wells did a lot of good before he finally showed his true self.
Still, whether he likes it or not, "Vibe" is coming. The only real question is are they going to put him in costume this season or wait until season three.
On Professor Wells: Speaking of Wells, it was actually refreshing to see him back on the show. Tom Cavanagh was one of the best parts of season one, and although it was cathartic to finally see his character get his well-deserved comeuppance, the Reverse Flash is too much of a central rogue to just eliminate him entirely. Now whether this is the real Wells (doubtful) or Thawne, and how he got back at all after being erased from existence are other questions that hopefully will play out with the rest of this season.
On Professor Stein: There sure are a lot of Professors on this show, but one supposes that makes sense on a series that's basically about a bunch of super-science. Anyway, at the tail end of the episode Stein collapsed, seemingly into a coma. This is going to have something to do with Firestorm, and to field a guess most likely it'll lead to Jason Rusch returning to help re-make the Firestorm Matrix.
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