This is what the premiere should have been. From now one this is how the Flash seasons needs to premiere!
Recap
The episode picks up right were we left off. Jay Garrick tells them there world is in danger and that a man named Zoom is after the Flash and Barry confirms it. Jay then says that he is a speedster from Earth-2 but he has lost his power. It is more than clear that Jay reminds Barry of Dr. Wells and therefore Barry decides they should run several tests on Jay before taking his word as truth. Caitlin is all too happy to assist.
Dr. Stein explains the theory of many worlds and they decide that if Jay is telling the truth, they will need to find and close the open rifts connected to Earth-2.
In the next scene, Caitlin and Jay are discussing his past. We learned that Jay is a part time chemist and physicist and that has been The Flash in his world for 2 years after a lab incident similar to Barry’s. Caitlin’s tests revealed not only that Jay Garrick does not have the speed force in his system but he is athletic and in peak physical condition. Her “lie detector test” results showed that Jay Garrick isn’t lying. Barry dismisses this information and stated they will run more tests.
At the police station, Joe is confronted by Patty Spivot. She is an energetic rookie who wants to join the Meta-Human Task Force. In true Joe fashion, he shuts her down. Spivot isn’t deterred by Joe’s refusal and asks for an interview. Joe turns her down again but this time leaves before she gets a chance to respond.
Barry puts Jay in the meta-human containment unit underneath S.T.A.R. Labs. Jay tells Barry that he will need his help to fight against Zoom but Barry shuts him down and goes to fight a fires. When he get there he encounters a meta-human who seemed to dissolve into sand.The next day, Patty and Barry meet at the crime. She reveal’s she is a fan of his forensic reports and asks for advice on how to get a yes from Joe. Barry says when she finds out to let him know.
Jay reveals that the meta-human Barry faced is called the Sand Demon and implores Barry to allow him to teach Barry how to defeat the Meta-Humans from Earth-2. Barry once again does not care to listen and dismisses his help. The crew finds very flimsy evidence that Jay is telling the truth but Barry believes they need to be 100% sure about Jay before putting their trust in him. Iris pulls Barry aside and tells him to trust in his team.
Joe finds the doppelganger of the Sand Demon, Eddie Slick. He tries to chase him down but before her could catch, Patty appears knocks out the suspect. Joe appears to be impressed but still doesn’t accept her onto the task force. They take Eddie to the police station and question him but it is revealed that he isn’t a Meta-Human.After releasing the Eddie Slick from police custody, the Sand Demon appears. He renders Joe unconscious and kidnaps Patty.
Barry finally accepts Jay’s help. Jay teaches Barry how to throw lightening. The two flashes create a plan to distract the Sand Demon while the other rescues Patty. Jay states he would love to help but he doesn’t have his helmet. The team gives him his helmet and Jay is in his full Flash costume and is ready for action. Cisco find’s Patty’s location by using his power in secret. The two flashes run off to save Patty from peril. They save Patty as planed and even have a funny scene where Patty calls The Flash’s name and they both answer.
Cisco confesses to Dr. Stein that he has a power and Dr. Stein thinks it is great news and Cisco shouldn’t hide. Cisco says that Dr. Wells gave him his power and anything created by Dr. Wells was evil. He says he is not ready to accept this or tell anyone.At the police station, Joe finally accepts Patty onto the task force. She revealed that her Father was killed by Captain Cold and she wants to stop the murders who have gained powers. Joe seems understanding and leaves the office where he is approached by his Mrs. West, Iris mom. Mrs. West says she has been trying to get in contact with Joe and she wants to see their daughter.
Back at the Lab Cisco and Dr. Stein explains there are 52 breaches across the city and that the biggest one is in S.T.A.R Labs. Before Dr. Stein could go into detail about their findings, he clutches his chest in pain before falling on the floor. The crew rushes to his aid.
We end the episode with a scene from what appears to be Earth-2. S.T.A.R. Labs is open to the public and at our group of children are being told about the facility when Dr. Wells makes his appearance and greets the children.
Thoughts
Apart of me understands why Barry is a sceptic when it comes to believing Jay Garrick is another speedster and from an alternate universe. But the other part of me, the part that is louder in my head, just sees Barry as an ass. I understand not trusting the new guy but when said new guy has proven that he has vital information, I would at least hear him out. I was glad when Iris pulled her future hubby aside and spoke some truth. While his distrust in Jay is warranted, he needs to trust in his team’s ability to do their research and produce accurate results. Seriously, Barry was acting like a person who was cheated on in the past. You can’t carry old baggage into new relationships.
Speaking of new relationships, anyone who followed Flash news throughout the summer knows that Joe’s new partner will act as a potential love interest for Barry and I am not a fan because of reasons. I’ll admit that one of them is that I am a westallen shipper and am eagerly waiting for when Iris and Barry can actually become the power couple I know they will become. Patty Spivot, played by Shantel VanSanten, remind me of early season 1 Barry. She is a lover of science but also wants to be smack dab in the middle of the action. Although Patty’s reason for wanting to join the meta-human task seems honorable I have a feeling that she is also jealous of meta-humans. When she was speaking to the Sand Demon, she went into an impromptu rant why he was not special; why he was not a chosen one. Patty said he was just lucky. Shantel VanSanten’s delivery made Patty come off as envious rather than fearless. The chemistry between Shantel and Grant leaves much to be desired and I am not excited about the writers of the show forcing them on us. I would rather have Felicity from The Arrow make a return and serve as an obstacle between Barry and Iris than have Patty acting like the stereotypical nerd girl after she has removed the braces and bad acne.
Moving on to my favorite geek. I have always loved Cisco but the Cisco that I have come to love was not in last night’s episode. Cisco is normally the first one trying to find out about the powers of a meta-human. He never indicated that he thought these powers were inherently evil in any way. That is not to say he did not think they could be used for evil. This was indicated in season one when it was discovered Cisco created weapons when they first learned about Barry’s powers to use against him in the event Barry used his powers maliciously. Cisco has discovered he has powers but instead of embracing it like Barry did in season one, the writers took a stereotypical approach and made everyone’s lovable nerd afraid of his gift. I was really looking forward to Cisco using his new abilities to support Barry as a fully fleshed team member. Instead we will have to wait and endure the unnecessary secrets that will ultimately backfire on him once everyone realizes he has been lying. Yup, this old story has resurfaced again.
I don’t know what was more shocking, seeing Iris’ mother or Dr. Harrison wells on my TV screen. I am going to go with Iris’ mother because I did not see that coming. I honestly thought she was dead based on how Iris and Eddie spoke about her last season. I cannot wait to see the drama unfold there. I knew that Tom Cavanaugh would be reprising his role as Dr. Wells and I am glad to see Wells as the man he would have become if Eobard hadn’t murdered him in Earth One. I can’t wait to see how Barry will react when they finally meet. Maybe this time Dr. Wells can be the role model that Barry thought he was.
Overall, I enjoyed this episode much better than the premiere. While I do not agree with some of the character’s actions I do understand it. I love how the writers laid the clues for future plot points for active watchers. The drama from this season is going to be great and I can’t wait for the next episode.
Final Score: 8/10 Power Ups
