jaythezoomster Reviews

What If...?: What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger? (2021) Season 1, Episode 1

what

[4/10 · 7 January 2022]

I usually dont write reviews for episodes on imdb but this was the dumbest thing. They condense a two hour movie into 30 minutes and remove the emotional climax of the first cap movie and replace it with carter walking a giant squid back into a magical space portal.

No thanks.

The Flash: Dead Man Running (2019) Season 6, Episode 3

Season 6 continues to impress.

[8/10 · 29 October 2019]

First off, it's so great to see so many positive reviews for Season 6 so far. I personally loved Season 5 so the impressiveness of 6 isn't a relief for me as I pretty much expected I'd enjoy Season 6 but it is still great to see a lot of people liking it as much as me!

No, onto the review.

"Dead Man Running" is the best entry of the already really, really great sixth season of The Flash.

First off, I have to applaud the writers. Last episode wasn't a fluke, I'm enjoying Caitlin again. While the writing and storyline for her isn't amazing or anything, I'm definitely beginning to not hate anytime she's on screen which is an improvement for sure. There's just something really fun about seeing Killer Frost come to terms with how she's feeling and how that plays off of Barry in this episode.

I also adore the concept of the villain of the week. Seeing team Flash go up against a literal zombie was so cool. So often the villains of the weeks are these wise cracking and dumb metas with no personality other than cheesiness so I'm glad we got something different and really interesting for a change. The way he tied into the Bloodwork story was also downright great.

Speaking of Bloodwork, my oh my am I really digging this now. I mentioned in my review for episode 1 of this season that Ramsey thoroughly interested me and I'm glad to say that in his second full appearance (he was barely in episode 2) he's done even more to win me over.

One thing I really loved about Cicada (yes, I loved Cicada. Sue me.) was that his dynamic with Team Flash was really new and fresh. It was fun seeing Cicada being Team Flash's villain while Team Flash was barely anything more than an occasional annoyance to him. It's just one of the many things that really makes me enjoy that character.

BUT - I did really miss the personal villain/hero dynamics we got in the first few seasons so I am definitely thankful that they're back here. Grant and Sendhil play off of each other so well and the writing is just so damn good. I love how the parallels between them are so well displayed even in this first interaction. It raises a super interesting question about whether or not it's truly more courageous to fight death until the end or accept the inevitable and I am so excited to see how that plays out.

The introduction to Nash Wells isn't anything particularly interesting. His search for eternium is a cool easter egg to Shazam (do we think we'll see him at any point?) and I'm already feeling a better first impression of him than Sherloque, but that plot was just kind of there. Nothing too terribly exciting.

I loved that the entire cast had something to do, too. It was really exciting and refreshing to see a meta of the week plotline go by without some characters knowing about it. I feel like too often in this show we have characters just sitting around in Star Labs waiting for their cue to do something so it's exciting to see the characters balanced so naturally. However, this did happen in early Season 5 before falling apart and running into old habits then so let's hope it stays consistent here.

My only major issue with this episode comes in the form of the Ralph plot. I do genuinely enjoy this plot. I think it adds a lot to the character of Ralph and develops him in a great way. His mom is also a pretty fun character, even if she can be a bit too annoying. My main issue with this plot point is that it clashes with the rest of the episode's tone. The tone of this subplot feels much like Season 4 and while I don't mind season 4's campy nature (I actually think it adds a bit of charm and identity to that season) it really doesn't mesh with Season 6's more balanced tone. The payoff was good, in the end, though so it doesn't matter too much.

Lastly, it is a HUGE breath of fresh air to see Barry come clean about his death so soon. This is a plot line that would've been stretched out until the start of Crisis (or maybe even DURING Crisis) in a previous season so it was great to have Barry come out with the secret here and now.

Overall, "Dead Man Running" is a pure fun, emotional and exciting look forward for The Flash. Bloodwork continues to impress, the characters are working super well and I can't get enough of the Crisis set up. 9/10.

The Flash: A Flash of the Lightning (2019) Season 6, Episode 2

The Fate of the Flash revealed!

[8/10 · 18 October 2019]

With this and the Arrow episode following, it seems like Crisis is officially underway even before the event truly starts in December. And that's great!

The best part about this episode is definitely the stuff that sets up Crisis. I loved seeing Jay Garrick back and I just adored the imagery with Crisis. It really makes it feel like an insane event.

The stuff with Cecile was also pretty solid, if a bit rocky. I thought the introduction of metahuman assassins trained by a secret organization (I'm assuming Black Hole?) was really cool! I'm definitely excited to see where that leads and if they're the season 6B villains down the line.

The Killer Frost stuff I know some people didn't particularly like but I found to be pretty fun, nonetheless, even if it was a bit cheesy and stupid at times. I think her and Cisco have a good dynamic even if Cisco doesn't get much to do aside from chilling with Caitlin the whole episode.

The Central City Citizen stuff is so cool! The stuff we're getting there is really great so far and I love seeing Iris have a definitive place in the show because I do really love that character.

I do think the show is juggling a bit too much at the moment, with the origins of Ramsey popping up every once in a while and the new introduction of a metahuman assassin organization ALONGSIDE Crisis set up, I'm wondering if the show is capable of balancing this out in future episodes. We'll just have to see.

Overall, "A Flash of the Lightning" was a great episode of the show and I'm really looking forward to the future. While I would've loved more Crisis set up, what we got was amazing and I'm digging the stuff with the supporting characters.

8.7/10.

The Flash: Into the Void (2019) Season 6, Episode 1

The Flash is off to a solid start!

[8/10 · 15 October 2019]

Well, here we are folks, the Flash has just begun it's SIXTH season. If you've read my reviews for season 5, you'd know I was a big fan of it. I thought Cicada was almost executed perfectly and I LOVE the Reverse Flash stuff in that season. So, with that being said - how does the beginning of Season 6 fair?

Pretty well!

We have a new showrunner now with Eric Wallace and it's probably the best decision the show has made in years. Now again, I loved season 5 and I thought season 4 was decent but the show obviously had a lot of issues in terms of characters spinning their wheels and the show just kind of feeling stale. If we didn't have a change, I could've easily seen season 6 turning out poorly.

Already we know that season 6 is going to be different. There's going to be two villains spread out over both halves of the season. I did like Cicada, but I think it was obvious that the show was struggling with its villains taking over the whole 22-23 episode run (DeVoe certainly shows that). Bloodwork is the first villain for this season and he's set up remarkably well in this episode. Who's the second villain? Your guess is as good as mine but I hope it's someone great.

The first thing this episode does is waste absolutely no time. It dives directly into the plot and gives us an awesome set up with a Godspeed mystery that I won't touch on for too long simply because I have no idea where it's going.

The rest of the episode lent itself to a plot about a homemade scientist literally becoming a black hole which is just...the most insane thing this show has done in a while. I love it. It's super unconventional for the show and definitely makes season 6 feel different from the start as we're used to getting a one off villain to jumpstart the season.

Iris and Barry's dealing with Grief in this episode was very well done. It was great to see them both deal with Nora's death in different ways and I hope we get to see some of that stuff still creep up in the future of the season.

The stuff with Ramsey Rosso aka Bloodwork, our first big bad, was really good! It's a great feeling for the show to dive directly into its big bad. We got something similar in 5 but there's a different feeling here knowing that he'll be done by episode 8. I love his dynamic already and I think there are a lot of great things to come with Ramsey. Especially since he's going to have a shorter time on the show.

The last 15 minutes are amazing. Seriously. Barry running into the wormhole while Queen's Flash theme plays? Perfection.

And finally the Crisis teases made me want it to be December right NOW.

Overall, "Into the Void" is a solid opener to season 6 that balances the humor and heart of the show perfectly and lends itself to setting up so much in just 42 minutes that it never feels like it's wasting time. 8.6/10.

The Flash: Legacy (2019) Season 5, Episode 22

The ultimate showdown.

[10/10 · 18 May 2019]

The Flash season 5 has been a really good season in my eyes. I thought Orlin's Cicada was a good villain for the majority of his tenure and while Grace isn't anything special, she's not overly awful.

Season 5's finale manages to tie together two plots with ease to the point where I feel bad I ever worried for it. It was daunting to go into "Legacy". The finale had to tie-up Grace and somehow manage to give a compelling end to the Reverse Flash storyline and I was honestly worried he'd just escape at the end of the episode and we'd have to wait for Season 6 to see anything.

Thank God I was wrong. "Legacy" wraps up Cicada's arc perfectly. I personally adored the scene where Nora convinces Grace to take the cure as the two versions of her uncle try to talk to her. I felt like it was a great wrap up to the character and made me a little bit more okay with Grace as a concept.

Grace's death was also great. I think it was solid how Barry in the last minute was able to use the mirror gun on the dagger, destroying it and killing Grace in the most cathartic way possible. I was pleasantly surprised when we were done with Cicada halfway through and moved on to Thawne.

This half of the episode is amazing. Thawne's conversation with Barry and Nora was brilliant, the tie back to the 100th episode made my heart happy and the big six vs one fight really capped everything off. Nora's ceasing to exist was a completely expected plot point but I expected her to return so the fact that she stayed dead was great in my book.

The ending scene with Nora dying is one of the best emotional scenes the show has pulled off in years and seeing her refuse to use the negative speed force to help herself so she wouldn't become like Thawne was heartbreaking.

The wrap up for the season was done terrifcally. Sherloque's goodbye hit me harder than I expected, Cisco's exit is one thing I'm not entirely on board with but it fit with his arc this season and Singh's exit worked well especially his final scene with Barry.

The last scene with Nora's message to Barry and Iris truly worked to end off the season on a bittersweet note as the show looks forward but also embraces the past. But that's what season 5 was always about, right? Legacy?

Overall, "Legacy" is an amazing top off to a season which I thoroughly enjoy. Thank you, Flash, for giving me this season.

The Flash: The Girl with the Red Lightning (2019) Season 5, Episode 21

Seeing Red, take 2.

[7/10 · 18 May 2019]

"The Girl With the Red Lightning" doesn't feel like much special. There's nothing inherently bad with the episode but there's nothing extremely great until the tail end. It's yet another episode where Cicada hunts metas down and Team Flash decides to put them all in one place for her to show up to.

Speaking of, Cicada's hallucinations of Orlin are solid but do't ever really go anywhere so it kinda drags the episode down a bit. I love Orlin but here he's just kind of doing nothing but encouraging Grace.

The episode shines when it focuses on Sherloque and Rene, though. I think these two are extremely cute together and I wish they'd had a bigger part. I also really liked Ralph's plot and how it lead into the final 10 minutes of this episode which I do really like.

The ending fight with Grace is pretty damn good and I love how Ralph came together with everything. It's a pretty solid cliffhanger that in the end redeemed the episode.

Overall, "The Girl With the Red Lightning" isn't the best thing to lead into the Season 5 finale but it's not the worst penultimate episode the show has (that would go to Season 2's "Invincible"). With all that said, the episode is still a fun enough time. Now...on to the big showdown.

The Flash: Gone Rogue (2019) Season 5, Episode 20

A strong premise that it mostly makes the most of.

[8/10 · 18 May 2019]

"Gone Rogue" is a pretty solid episode of The Flash. But only just. I think the Rogues line up was a pretty scary thought going in. Almost none of these were particularly strong villains in their intro episodes (with the exception of Rag-Doll) so I can't say I was truly excited for it.

Luckily, though, the episode managed to win me over in the back half. I won't say that it's an amazing episode but once things get underway we get some truly amazing moments and the final act of the episode is super strong. Nora's arc is also really great even if I would've been okay with it lasting a tad bit longer.

The Flash: Snow Pack (2019) Season 5, Episode 19

It's not bad but...

[7/10 · 18 May 2019]

..."Snow Pack" isn't great, either. The most I can say for this episode is that it barely manages to be good. Everything involving Caitlin and her father/mother storyline is poorly handled just as it was in "The Icicle Cometh". The best I can say for it is that it's inoffensive... at least until the last ten minutes.

The positives for this episode outweigh the negatives but only slightly. I absolutely love everything dealing with Barry and Iris. Their argument at the opening of the episode is truly a testament to how great both Candice and Grant are and seeing Iris travel to the future with Ralph and talk to Thawne was just downright awesome. The introduction of the negative speed force also proved entertaining and I loved diving deeper into that side of Flash lore.

Everything else is just fine. I think the episode truly falters towards the end when Icicle manages to save himself randomly, Cicada shows up and then he just dies. The show then continues to shove in my face that we're not done with Caitlin's half-assed and horribly thought out plot line as her mother turns out to have cold powers now, too.

Overall, "Snow Pack" is just almost good and even then it's hard to say I fully like the episode. Anytime the episode focuses on Nora and Thawne, it's great. Anytime else? Well...not so much.

The Flash: Godspeed (2019) Season 5, Episode 18

The title character isn't even the best part.

[9/10 · 18 May 2019]

"Godspeed" is truly a season best. It's no secret that I have very much so enjoyed season 5. I think it had a pretty solid villain in the form of Orlin's Cicada and I've enjoyed Nora a lot. The Reverse Flash plotline has just been the icing on top of the already super sweet cake.

"Godspeed" promised to dive into Nora's connection with Eobard Thawne and it did so fantastically. Her reasoning for working with him makes sense and it was great to see how it all came together. Nora also proved to be a pretty great hero early on even when she just got powers and I really liked seeing her relationship with Iris.

The ending of the episode was an emotional gut punch as Barry hauls off and leaves Nora in the future threatening to bring her back if she so much as tries to come back to the past. This situation is a little muddy because you can totally get where Barry's coming from even if it's not the right thing to do at all. The episode ends with a truly captivating stand off between Thawne and Barry that shows why their rivalry is easily the best in the Arrowverse.

Notice how I haven't mentioned Godspeed yet? It's because he's probably the weakest aspect of the episode. He's nothing awful but he's nothing special, either. He's a solid one off speedster villain who I would be fine with returning but also okay with never coming back. His god complex feels done before and nothing about it was fresh to me. He provided some fun speedster fights with Nora but on top of that? Not much else.

Another negative of the episode is that Iris never had a chance to prove herself. After spending a good chunk of episode 12 "Memorabilia" showing that Iris was a better mother to Nora than she realized, "Godspeed" goes back to show that Iris was a pretty bad mother. There's also the issue of Lia but she's just the average run of the mill annoying character that's standard for these shows.

Overall, "Godspeed" is easily one of my favorite episodes of the season. Nora's relationship with Thawne is explained perfectly, the final scene is amazingly done and chilling and seeing 2049 was truly great. The parallels between this and the pilot also gave me a nice smile.

The Flash: Time Bomb (2019) Season 5, Episode 17

A fitting end to Orlin and a lukewarm beginning to Grace.

[8/10 · 18 May 2019]

"Failure is an Orphan" is perhaps one of the strongest episodes of the show in a while so to see the follow up not quite match the heights of it was expected. I think this episode works the best when it focuses on Vickie Bolen's metahuman secret as she struggles to come to terms with that and tell her family but it also soars when dealing with Orlin's struggle with being human again and seeing Grace acting how she is.

I think Grace is fine but she feels utterly pointless. Why do we need her? She also barely feels unique in the grand scheme of things and takes everything that made Orlin great and throws it out.

The episode truly soars in its final scene, though, as Sherloque outs Nora's secret partnership with the Reverse Flash in a truly exceptional way.

Overall, Time Bomb is a great episode but only barely. A lot of the magic comes from seeing Orlin post-cure and how he reacts to what Grace is doing but his death ends up making a lot of it feel useless. Thankfully, Vickie Bolen's struggle works well enough and the end reveal scene is enough to push this episode ahead.

The Flash: Failure Is an Orphan (2019) Season 5, Episode 16

The Flash closes one door and opens another.

[9/10 · 12 May 2019]

"Failure is an Orphan" is a great ending to the character of Orlin Dwyer.

After loving him in the first half and falling out of love to the point of disinterest in part of the second half, it's safe to say Cicada has been a wild ride. And a ride that has come to the end in this episode of the Flash.

This episode works so well because of the moral backdrop to the episode and the dialogue is handled perfectly. I think Chris Klein falters a bit on the acting for the episode but he manages to sell it just enough to where I'm not actively taken out of the episode. The writing also saves most of his scenes.

The stuff with Thawne is fantastic and it truly shows how much he adds to Season 5 (hell, without him during the episode 10-12 area, I might've given up on 5). The emotional moments with Sherloque and Nora grappling with leaving the team also added to the sense of finality of this episode.

The scenes with Dwyer in Star Labs were all I wanted with Savitar's scenes in the season 3 finale so I'm happy we were able to finally see what that'd be like. The twist at the end of the episode is a tad frustrating but it's also an interesting angle to take.

"Failure is an Orphan" closes one door and opens another in terms of Cicada but it does so well at closing that single door that I can't think of a better way for Orlin to bow out as main antagonist. Hello Thawne and Grace...? I think?

The Flash: King Shark vs. Gorilla Grodd (2019) Season 5, Episode 15

A nice Kaiju fight to hold you over.

[7/10 · 12 May 2019]

"King Shark vs Gorilla Grodd" is a fine enough filler episode that manages to fit well enough into the meta-human cure plot. Nothing about it is particularly exciting but it does what it needs to well.

The moral conflict with having consent for the cure is flawed but ultimately works well enough to the point where I'm not bothered and the final fight between King Shark and Grodd is a super fun time despite the TV budget CGI.

This episode is your standard Flash episode which means enjoyable visuals, a fun superhero time and some great comedic moments.

The Flash: Cause and XS (2019) Season 5, Episode 14

A time loop is all I need to love Cicada again.

[8/10 · 12 May 2019]

"Cause and XS" did it. It finally restored the feeling I had for Cicada in the first half back.

I'll get right into it, though. This is another episode where it felt like the end of the road for Cicada. I'm fine that it isn't, but it truly felt like another wrap up episode. I'm alright with that, though, as this episode finally made me enjoy him as much as I did prior.

I think this episode truly showed how deadly he is as a villain with seeing how he was able to always capture at least one member of the team and then kill them. It actually made me feel like a true villain after a few episodes of wondering why he was even still around. This episode and "Goldfaced" really have done a lot to make me enjoy Cicada again and I'm super thankful.

Everything else in this episode was fun, too! I loved the time loop aspect, some of the time Nora did feel a little dumb and juvenile but hey, who hasn't made a mistake that they wanted to fix on their own rather than admit it. The lack of Barry is a tad frustrating but Grant was getting married so i can't actually fault the episode for that.

"Cause and XS" is a fun time loop episode that is bolstered by truly showing that Cicada can be a credible threat. The episode is yet another set up for his departure but this time it's welcome for me that he stick around another episode or two.

The Flash: Goldfaced (2019) Season 5, Episode 13

The Flash did the unthinkable...

[9/10 · 12 May 2019]

"Memorabilia" was a solid episode and easily one of the best of the season and "Goldfaced" proved to follow in its footsteps equally well.

The episode once again utilizes its cast very well and every plot works tremendously well.

Barry and Ralph's storyline is great and it continues to build the two in a great direction that I didn't expect. I loved seeing Ralph work as the "tough guy" even going as far to lock Barry in a truck so he didn't have to get his hands dirty. Goldface himself is a super fun villain and a welcome addition to the rogues gallery (if he's alive enough to return).

Nora and Sherloque's plot also worked exceptionally well as we finally get to see more of her and Thawne's conversations. Seeing Thawne work through getting Sherloque off her back was great especially considering how dangerously close he got in the previous episode, and the introduction of Irene Adler is a fun enough twist on normal Shakespearean lore that I'll allow it for now. All together, this plot is probably the weakest but it's still exceptionally well done.

Now, in reference to my title, the Flash really did do the unthinkable; it made me care about Cicada again. Iris' plot in this episode involved talking to Orlin Dwyer out of suit, without the dagger and it was great. It finally gave me something new to see in Cicada after "Seeing Red" was gave me no reason to believe he should be around as Thawne was. It showed that Dwyer is just as intimidating out of the suit as he is in the suit and it was an incredible change of pace to a villain who I was beginning to think could drop to the level of Devoe if they weren't careful.

"Goldfaced" is a great episode that is just made even greater by balancing all three of its plots exceptionally well and making me really get excited for its main villain Cicada again. I hope they can keep Cicada's momentum up as he's getting back to what I loved in the first half of the season.

The Flash: Memorabilia (2019) Season 5, Episode 12

The Flash is back but should I care about Cicada?

[9/10 · 12 May 2019]

After "Seeing Red" almost made me lose all hope in the current Cicada storyline, "Memorabilia" has done a fine job at restoring a small bit of hope.

This is a fantastic episode. From the bits in the Flash museum which were awesome, to seeing some great family moments between all of the characters; it was just a great time.

Like other episodes this season, "Memorabilia" manages to balance the admittedly bloated cast in a nice way.

Ralph and Cisco's story was great and I absolutely loved the introduction of Kamilla. I also have to hand it to them for giving Nora some great material this episode. Her chemistry with young Grace's actress was super palpable and really propelled their scenes together.

Barry consoling Iris as Iris believes herself to be a bad mother was great and I loved seeing how it all changed. It's a great message to see that sometimes you have the wrong memories purely out of anger.

The twist with Grace was very well done. It came out of nowhere in the best way and it promises at least something interesting for Cicada soon. I think Orlin Dwyer is still missing the spark he had for me earlier this season (especially since he wasn't technically in the episode), but hopefully the stuff with Grace pays off.

The Flash redeems itself by delivering a very well done and super enjoyable episode that shows us a solid look at the fun and nostalgic Flash museum, nice development for Cisco and some actual, if minimal, progress on the Cicada front.

The Flash: Seeing Red (2019) Season 5, Episode 11

Barry's arc is great, Cicada is a different story.

[7/10 · 12 May 2019]

If "Seeing Red" told me anything, it's that Cicada need some major upping for me to care about him again. This episode felt like nothing more than a retread of seeing him attack people over and over again.

There were some cool moments and fight scenes with Barry but other than that, Dwyer is now officially on the same level as Savitar for me - boring.

The fight choreography for this episode is actually pretty solid, though. We get some fun fights with Barry going all in on Cicada in the end of the episode and some fun fights in between, too.

This episode is also again hindered by another perfect chance to put the Cicada conflict to bed and focus on the more interesting storyline of Thawne and Nora's connection yet Cicada escapes. His escape isn't a huge issue and I don't think it's as dumb as people say here but man, this episode is set up so strongly like its the exit of the character that the fact that he stays around kind of hurts it.

The Ralph and Caitlin scenes are cringey so I don't wanna talk about it much but Caitlin has been declining faster and faster ever since "The Icicle Cometh" and now I fear there's no hope of ever redeeming her. I just don't care about her whatsoever.

Barry's arc this episode was great. Seeing him struggle with killing Cicada was fascinating and it had been a while since we've seen Barry this genuinely mad at something. I just wish it actually went anywhere other than another resolution that, while it makes sense, feels like for the sake of the plot.

A fine episode of the Flash is gently propelled by very well done fight scenes with Cicada and a nicely written arc for Barry yet hindered by Cicada actually doing nothing to be interesting at all the entire episode. The end twist with trying to wake up Grace at least promises something interesting with this storyline but that could've easily been the plot to episode 10, right?

The Flash: The Flash & the Furious (2019) Season 5, Episode 10

A weak midseason premiere hinders any longing interest in Cicada.

[6/10 · 12 May 2019]

"The Flash & The Furious" has issues. There's no doubting that. It feels almost like an episode we should've gotten earlier in the season.

Going into this episode I expected a lot more. I was confused to see that Cicada wasn't even mentioned given the affects of the last encounter they had with him.

The lack of Barry also hurt the episode (it's understandable, though, as it lead to a great crossover) but it was still an entertaining time to see Nora and everyone else work to stop this meta car which to be fair, is an interesting and entertaining threat to face.

The real meat of the episode came from the discussions between Thawne and Nora as we finally learn more about why Nora is working with the biggest villain Barry will ever face. These scenes, combined with the lack of mention of Cicada are really making me wonder why he wasn't stopped in the last episode? I still like his power set and care about Orlin enough but honestly it feels like the show forgot about him this week.

As great as Nora and Thawne's scenes are, "The Flash & The Furious" can't keep up with the previous heights of Season 5 and it only continues to prove that maybe Cicada should've been dealt with in the 100th episode for good. A nice meta human car and some fine court drama isn't enough to propel a very uninteresting mid-season premiere.

The Flash: Elseworlds, Part 1 (2018) Season 5, Episode 9

Elseworlds, Part 1 begins this years crossover epic with a bang!

[9/10 · 12 May 2019]

Not going to do much of a review considering this is a crossover, but "Elseworlds, Part 1" delivers all you could ask for in a crossover and manages to not only be heartfelt, but fun all the same.

The Flash: What's Past Is Prologue (2018) Season 5, Episode 8

The Flash hits extremely high heights with its 100th episode!

[10/10 · 12 May 2019]

It's safe to say "What's Past Is Prologue" is the best episode of Season 5. Hell, it might be the best episode of the show in years.

The 100th episode is always a time for a show to look back on previous seasons/characters and episodes in a way to reflect on how far its come. And with the Flash having access to time travel, well, it seemed obvious how they were going to do it.

The episode features a time heist of sorts as Barry and Nora travel back in time to pick up materials from their past to create a weapon to stop Cicada. We revisit Season 3's finale "Finish Line", the season 2 episode where Barry loses his speed "Versus Zoom" another season 2 episode "Flash Back" and the day the particle accelerator went off.

The visits back to these times were really well done and the use of separate and unused angles and compositing of the characters made for a truly immersive experience as it truly felt like they were back in those scenes at times. There were also a ton of really well done scenes that were added in just for this episode including a conversation with Harry in Season 2's time as well as Nora catching a glimpse of Iris being there for Barry in the same time.

However the episode truly soars during Barry and Nora's conversation with Eobard Thawne, the Reverse-Flash. I always have loved Thawne. He's the best villain the show has had and probably will stay there and this episode further proves that. Tom Cav plays him with such precision that it's impossible not to hate-love this guy as he gets under Barry's skin at every possible angle. I love it.

The episode falters with one thing, though, and that's unfortunately Cicada. As much as I've enjoyed the character up until now, it's hard to not feel like this was his time to go. In some ways, yeah, it'd feel weird to get rid of him just after his backstory but honestly this would've been the perfect time to end his character off and the fact that he does stick around honestly hurts the main plot of the episode since the weapon is useless anyway. Team Flash are also ridiculously dumb in this fight which doesn't help matters.

The episode immediately redeems itself, however, with its final scene of Barry and Nora watching Barry's parents at their house as Nora whispers to Barry "Keep up, old man." before she runs off. The episode ends on a shocking twist that Nora is working with someone in the future, and that future is none other than Eobard Thawne.

An amazing hour of the Flash is only further propelled by great celebratory revisits to old times in the show, amazing acting a solid twist and is only hindered by a villain who does honestly feel like his time is up. It's not enough, however, to drag down what will definitely go under my favorites of the show list for a long time.

The Flash: O Come, All Ye Thankful (2018) Season 5, Episode 7

Cicada's backstory and fun Thanksgiving festivities make for a solid outing for The Flash

[8/10 · 12 May 2019]

Let's face it, "The Icicle Cometh" sucked. It just did.

But this episode? This is a good one.

If "O Come All Ye Thankful" did anything right, it was developing Cicada as a character. So far he's been a faceless killer who seems to be having some physical issues and this episode dived into him. He had a compelling backstory that while it could be considered cliche, honestly worked for me. I loved seeing him go from not wanting to parent his niece at all to actually loving her and going into a depressive rage filled murder spree over her. It was nice development and a great thing to have for a villain.

The other plot of the episode? It's fine. Weather Witch is a solid enough villain even if she is a tad over the top and it was amazing to see Mark Mardon again, as he's my favorite rogue the show as done. I thought her vendetta against Mardon was a bit one dimensional but overall it came together well enough and the final action scene of the episode was super solid.

Nora and Barry's arguments in this episode did feel a bit forced at times but in the end, I get where Nora's coming from. I just wish the show presented her in a better light so she didn't seem to be pitching a fit every other episode.

The icing on the cake, though, is the great Thanksgiving festivities that make this holiday special of a Flash episode the delight it is. Caitlin and Cisco describing Thanksgiving to Sherloque and them all going anti-Thanksgiving made for a great gag and finding out who Cicada was at the end was a super solid way to tie everything together.

A great backstory for a new and interesting villain, fun set-pieces and super enjoyable holiday festivities makes "O Come All Ye Thankful" a great time and a nice addition to the well done yet sadly uneven first half of Season 5.

The Flash: The Icicle Cometh (2018) Season 5, Episode 6

Season 5 sinks...

[5/10 · 12 May 2019]

As great as Season 5 has been there has always been a lingering plot thread in the back: Caitlin finding her dad.

"The Icicle Cometh" promised to wrap that up and give us the conclusion to a storyline that has been brewing since episode 22 of the fourth season of the show. Did it do that? Yes. Did it do that well? No. Not at all.

I'll start with what I liked; first.

Iris, Nora and Sherloque's plot with finding the satellite was super fun to watch. I loved seeing Nora and Iris bond after the events of the previous episode. Especially after four episodes of not really being close, it was a breath of fresh air.

Orlin's plot this episode was solid, too. Cicada is a villain that is deeply personal and I think it's super interesting that we're getting to see so much of him especially in an episode where he doesn't even interact with the main cast. It reminds me of the angle they tried to go with with Devoe except, you know, good.

Lastly, Cecile and Ralph's plot as they try to get to the bottom of the list of FEMA patients was solid enough even if some the comedy was forced.

Now that those positives are out of the way; let's talk about the bad.

Icicle is an awful villain. Nothing can change that. Kyle Secor plays a horrible, hammy and downright laughable villain that despite the show's best efforts is NOT intimidating whatsoever.

Caitlin's new retcon- I mean origin for Killer Frost is also uninspiring and a let down after being set up for over 7 episodes. The writers also decide to retcon how she lost Killer Frost by saying DeVoe used a different ability which is incredibly lazy and a horrible thing to do to previous events.

This episode is the worst episode of the season by far and a terrible conclusion to Caitlin's arc this season. It's made even worse by how rush and forced the final ten minutes of the episode feel. If those were executed better, I could probably give this episode a 6.

Thanks to a bunch of terrible retcons, an awful, AWFUL villain and a rushed and super forced final ten minutes "The Icicle Cometh" delivers one of the laziest and poorly written hours of this show in a while. The multiple side plots that were done well sadly don't have enough of a place in the episode or enough steam to save the sinking ship that is Caitlin Snow as a character. And that, my friends, is a shame.

The Flash: All Doll'd Up (2018) Season 5, Episode 5

Rag Doll terrifies as The Flash delights!

[8/10 · 12 May 2019]

After the misstep that was "News Flash" I was hesitant going into "All Doll'd Up". I figured we were going to be getting more of the same poorly thought out drama that we had in the previous episode and I was getting a little tired of Nora acting the way she was. Thankfully, though, the Flash's fifth episode of this season surprised me.

Rag Doll is a truly terrifying and downright fun villain to see. Contortionist Troy James does wonders for the episode in helping Rag Doll feel like an actual meta-human.

Nora and Iris get some much needed development this episode as Cecile helps Nora see how great her mom can be and Iris shows that she's a true badass by lunging off of a building to catch Barry.

Another great thing about this episode has got to be Ralph's great Spider-Man homage as he swings through the city to catch up to Rag Doll and Barry! It was a delight to watch and proved he's got such an interesting powerset.

Thanks to a very solid meta-human threat, great emotional and family scenes and a nice climax "All Doll'd Up" delivers a nice rebound from the trite and mostly boring "News Flash".

The Flash: News Flash (2018) Season 5, Episode 4

The Flash stumbles...

[6/10 · 12 May 2019]

After three very solid episodes in a row, it was a given that the show would stumble at a point and that's all "News Flash" is; a stumble.

After a promising opening in the loft and a hilariously funny and enjoyable softball game, "News Flash" takes a turn for the worst.

I'm gonna be honest, Spyn is not a good meta. The actress isn't great and her power set runs out of fun within the first few times she uses it. I also found a lot of the family drama this episode to feel forced at times (especially the ending scene, how dumb are Barry and Iris?).

This episode might have been a lost cause if not for a tremendous side plot with Sherloque and Ralph as they look into Cicada's mask. Ralph was feeling pretty insecure about a new detective being on the team and "News Flash" proved that he's just as good as any multiversal detective out there.

Thanks to a boring and lame metahuman threat, some awful family drama and just a boring middle stretch, Season 5 hits its first stumble. It's not a complete loss, though, as a subplot manages to keep the episode MOSTLY afloat landing "News Flash" as a 6/10 - "Okay".

The Flash: The Death of Vibe (2018) Season 5, Episode 3

Cicada hunts Cisco in an awesome hour of The Flash!

[8/10 · 12 May 2019]

Cicada has been a villain that I've been excited for since his introduction in "Nora" and to see him finally reach some new heights here was awesome.

A lot of this episode is set up to get Cisco and Cicada in the same are for their confrontation and it also lead to a great introduction of a new wells; Sherloque Wells. This is easily my favorite multiversal Wells (especially after Season 4 assassinated the character of Harry) and I love the angle they're going with him.

Cicada proves to be genuinely scary in his fight with Cisco at the end and Nora's fix to get Cisco out of dying was a great twist to cap off this episode.

The episode ends with Cicada's name being revealed to us; Orlin Dwyer and we learn more about him.

Overall; "The Death of Vibe" gives us our first true look at Cicada and so far he's fairing better than both Savitar and DeVoe combined.

The Flash: Blocked (2018) Season 5, Episode 2

The Flash continues to keep up the pace in "Blocked"

[8/10 · 12 May 2019]

While not as solid as the season premiere, "Blocked" manages to deliver a fun hour of the Flash anyway. Despite a mediocre villain the episode delivers laughs (in the form of a Cisco subplot that honestly is way funnier than it should be), horror elements (Cicada is downright scary at times) and some awesome moments between Barry and Nora as he teaches her how to be a hero like him.

The episode is paced super well and I love that Iris was able to work alongside the central pace of the episode and find out what killed Gridlock. This all paid off in the end of the episode as Team Flash runs into their new foe this year; Cicada!

This is one of the best fight scenes in the Flash and it proved what a threat Cicada can be. The episode also manages to end with a great cliffhanger leading into the next episode.

I do feel like the meta of the week, Block, drags the episode down a hair and the middle can be a tad boring but so far so good as The Flash continues to prove it can still kick.