I still have mixed feelings about last night’s THE FLASH. While it was great to see Dig and Lyla in Central City, “King Shark” almost felt like an introspective episode. It served mostly to show us how their trip to Earth-2 and Jay’s apparent death affected Team Flash and how they were all dealing with the former speedster’s sudden loss.
Well, except for that shocking final scene, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
Upon returning from Earth-2, Barry, Cisco and Harry agreed to not talk about everything that went down during their universe hopping adventure, especially given that Caitlin was taking Jay’s death really hard. The poor girl can’t catch a break, can she? First Ronnie dies a couple of times and now Jay. Even on Earth-2, her evil doppelganger had to experience her lover’s death. It seems that no matter which universe she is in, Caitlin Snow is destined for heartbreak and loss.
But the whole keeping it all a secret thing takes its toll on Cisco and Barry – especially on Barry – and I knew it was just a matter of time before they cracked. One of my favorite moments was when they did give in and told Iris, Joe and Caitlin what they had gone through on Earth-2, because it brought such a vulnerability to the table and showed just how deep these relationships really go. Of course, it was no surprise to see Barry affected by what he had seen in this other life – he did see Joe die and he was actually married to Iris, which had been his lifelong dream for such a long time – but what really got to me was Cisco’s deep love and friendship for Caitlin.
They are not at all inclined to be lovers – can you even picture that? Ugh. My eyes! – but they share a bond so strong and powerful. Cisco’s concern that Caitlin could somehow become the cold and vindictive metahuman he met on Earth-2 was palpable and it was only amplified by the deep grieving process she was going through. Our dear Cisco spent 90% of the episode at a complete loss of how to comfort her. He only felt marginally better when he came clean to her about meeting her evil metahuman doppelganger and just how terrified he was that she could somehow become Killer Frost.
Although she reassured him (and us) that she has been tested and is not a metahuman, I was left wondering if that was the last we saw of Killer Frost, and if there is any way that we might see our Caitlin develop powers.
Then there was Barry. Diggle said it right when he told him that he was getting that Oliver look, like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Like his friend from Star City, Barry is developing a penchant for feeling guilty for everything bad that has ever happened around him and that has definitely taken its toll on him. The fact that Wally was being a pain in the ass did not help at all, and when he finally broke down with Joe and Iris, we could see just how much this superhero life is costing him. Again, Grant Gustin is absolutely fantastic in every single dramatic scene and this was no exception. My heart broke for the speedster when he listed everything that had gone wrong in the past year, that he had inadvertently contributed to.
The guilt he feels will (hopefully) propel him forward and encourage him to find a way to fix this entire mess. I just hope that he doesn’t become emotionally stupid, like Oliver Queen, and that he can exorcize his demons by saving this Earth and the next.
While this episode wasn’t among the very best of the series (King Shark? Really?), the fact that we got to see Lyla and Dig being super agents in Central City was fantastic. One of the things that I absolutely love about these shows is how their worlds are intricately connected and their timelines are one and the same.
Watching Barry ask about Felicity and how she hasn’t been answering his calls was one of the best little moments of last night’s episode. It showed how hard Felicity is taking everything that happened to her without even having Emily Bett Rickards in any scenes. From what I understand, Barry and Felicity are really good friends and the fact that she hasn’t been taking his calls speaks volumes about her mind frame right now.
Also, I love Lyla. We should definitely have her on both shows more often and it was pretty neat how they casually let us know that she is taking ARGUS in a whole new direction, now that Amanda Waller is gone. Oh, and her reaction to Dig’s reactions to Barry’s speed were always hilarious.
And last, but most definitely not least, let’s talk about that shocking reveal at the end. What the hell was that? Zoom is Jay Garrick? Jay Garrick is Zoom? What is going on in this show?!
I am so confused. We met Earth-1 Jay briefly, so we know it’s not him (I think). Earth-2 Jay Garrick has been with us since the season 2 premiere and we saw Zoom run his fist through his chest last week, so we know it’s not him either. So who the hell is that Jay doppelganger Zoom revealed himself to be? Is this how they are introducing yet another Earth? Can someone please explain to me what is happening on this show?
The next new episode of THE FLASH airs on March 22 at 8/7c on The CW.