by Chelsea Dee, Editor-At-Large

So here’s the thing: I really like villains. I like redemptive villains. I like irredeemable villains. My favorite type is probably snarky funny villain, and that’s why I enjoy the rogues. They were just so strangely charming this episode! The addition of Lisa Snart as Golden Glider, Captain Cold’s sister, was inspired and fun. They were far more entertaining than the Weather Wizard, although he was not meant to be funny, more menacing. Previously on The Flash, everything went horribly wrong. Cisco found out that Wells was Reverse-Flash, and he was murdered. Weather Wizard created a tidal wave to destroy the city, and it nearly worked. Or it did work, there. Iris confessed her feelings for Barry but only at the last second, and found out about the Flash. Also awhile back Barry faced off against villains Captain Cold and Heat Wave, who were still at large. At the end, Barry ran so fast he ran back in time, something he was aware he could do but hadn’t yet.

And he promptly learns the first rule of time travel: do not mess things up, because there are always consequences. Wells teaches him this, and he’s learned that, or has he? By going back to kill Barry he messed up time, and it led to him being stuck there all this time. But then he did the particle accelerator, but that could have been necessary for the time line. There’s still a lot of questions for him. Barry listens to him for .5 seconds before fixing everything. He grabs the Weather Wizard before he can make any trouble and puts him in their prison cell. He breaks up with Linda, and that makes me feel like her presence here was pointless? Wells never kills Cisco because he doesn’t figure out the truth, although I wonder about that since his suspicions were there whether it happened the same way or not. Instead Cisco does go to his brother’s birthday party, and his brother’s a total dick. Cold kidnaps both of them and threatens Cisco’s brother until he gives them back their suns, and gives Lisa a gold-making gun. Didn’t Cisco destroy those? Jeez, man. Also if I were her I’d make everything gold and sell that. Come on!

Another trick Cold did was threatening his brother until he gave up Barry’s secret identity. Poor sweet summer child. Barry’s such a sweetheart though that he immediately forgives him, and even reassures him it was not his fault. Wells also speaks to him after Cisco tries to quit, and it is an eerie scene intentionally parallel to that horrible one from last episode. Wells says he feels like Cisco is a son to him, and he’s just so freaking earnest. I think he is earnest, but like I said last time, he cares about himself more. Barry excitedly tries to get Iris to love him again, but ha ha, another right prediction. Without the intensity of that situation, she isn’t forced into facing her feelings. So she rejects him and says it’s unfair he is trying to make her into the bad guy for not being interested. I completely agree with her, at least from her perspective that’s what is happening here. He tells Wells everything because he’s hurting, and Wells assures him she hasn’t faced them yet, but the subconscious feelings are still there.

Eddie punches Barry for making a pass at Iris, but Caitlin saves the day by saying he has brain damage of some kind that’s causing him to act weird. That seems to make both Eddie and Iris forgive him quickly. Barry confronts Cold, and they agree to this pact where Cold won’t kill people or expose his secret identity, but Barry can’t arrest him. He’ll be free to steal, and Barry will stop him where possible, but they have an understanding. Interesting! I like it. They’re forming a symbiotic relationship. Finally in the end Wells kills the reporter who had been hunting him, and that led to Barry putting the pieces together and realizing Wells is evil. Oooo. It’s about to go down. I’d say that Wells was stupid to kill that reporter, but on the other hand destroying his work wouldn’t stop the guy from hunting him. But it also exposes him as dangerous and untrustworthy. Things are going to come to a head soon, but probably not in the next episode, since Mark Hamill is there as a bad guy. YAY. Barry might try to trap Wells in a lie and figure it out that way. We’ll have to see. Excellent episode and quality just like usual! At least this show isn’t letting me down like Arrow.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives The Flash Season 1 Episode 16 5 out of 5 Snarts Snarking

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