The Flash "Out of Time" Reviews/Thoughts

Welcome back to the weekly The Flash review! After a second month-long hiatus this season, The Flash returned this week with about a month's worth of stuff to discuss. We got a taste of just about everything this week from romance to great action scenes to the utterance of the name we have all been waiting to hear: Eobard Thawne!! Throw in a surprising time-travel based plot twist and you got yourself a hell of an episode to talk about.

Episode Description: Mark Mardon, a.k.a. Weather Wizard, returns to Central City to seek revenge on the man who killed his brother: Detective Joe West. Meanwhile, Cisco starts to become suspicious of Dr. Harrison Wells and attempts to understand what went wrong the night they had the reverse Flash briefly contained in S.T.A.R. Labs.

High Points:

• I was wondering when/how/if we were going to get the real Weather Wizard. Enter Mark Mardon, who in my opinion was a much better villain than his one-episode worthy, god-complex having brother Clyde Mardon. (Mark called himself a god as well, but at least it wasn't a defining character feature for him)
• The scenes where the Weather Wizard used his powers were awesome. Especially during his attack on the police station. He has much better control over his powers than his brother did which makes him a more formidable opponent for Barry.
• I am enjoying the Joe West/Mark Mardon rivalry. One of the things I have come to like about this show is that everyone seems to have their own personal rivalries going on, whether it is Barry and the Reverse Flash or Harrison Wells and General Eiling or even Cisco and Hartley Rathaway. It gives other characters something to do and it adds to them as characters overtime as well. 
• Harrison Wells has become the talk of Central City. First we got Joe suspecting him of murder and now we got Mason Bridge getting Iris to ask around as well as Cisco starting to look into it himself. 
• Cisco creates a "wand" that allows Barry to negate Mardon's weather powers. Sounds like another one of Cicso's gadgets could potentially fall into the wrongs hands (Weather Wizard's weather wand anyone?)
• The episode hit a certain point toward the end where suddenly shit started getting crazy. The following points highlight said craziness
• Dr. Harrison Wells reveals himself to Cisco as Eobard Thawne!! 

• Eobard Thawne then tells Cisco that Eddie is a distant relative and he shows Cisco that by using his super speed he can appear to be in two places at once! (Thus explaining why he was able to confront himself during "The Man in the Yellow Suit" episode)

• Thawne then kills Cisco! By vibrating his hand fast enough to reach into his chest and stop his heart!

• Meanwhile Barry not only gets a kiss from Iris but he also reveals to her that he is The Flash!

• And finally, Barry runs so fast that he goes back in time! And it turns out that the figure he saw running next to him in the beginning of the episode was himself!! And since Barry knew nothing of the events that unfolded between Wells and Cisco, we are basically right back to where we started!!!

It's a lot to take in Larry...It's a lot to take in...

Low Points:

• Most of the major events of this episode took place within the last 10 minutes of the episode so the beginning seemed slow by comparison, with a lot of focus being put on how Eddie and Linda felt awkward during their bowling date
• It seemed like  Weather Wizard was able to get away a lot this episode. He attacked Barry twice at close range and when the attack was over it just kind of ended there. There wasn't much of an attempt on Barry's part to pursue or contain him. Mardon was just left to drive/walk away.
• Because Barry went back in time at the end of the episode, it seems like a lot of the ground that got covered in this week's episode may be erased. However, that doesn't change the fact that Harrison Wells IS Eobard Thawne. 

Verdict: Usually when I sit down to watch The Flash I expect to get smacked upside the head with some new plot-forwarding information, but tonight was just straight-up offensive barrage:

What I have come to expect while watching The Flash

What happened during this episode

Let's start with Dr. Harrison Wells confession. We learned last month that Wells was definitely the Man in the Yellow Suit when he unmasked himself to General Eiling. Now we finally got him to say the name that I have been writing without a definite face to match it to for months now: Eobard Thawne! He also displayed his ability to create a "speed mirage" which finally gives a solid explanation for what the hell was going on during the midseason finale. Unfortunately, this puts to rest the speculations of two yellow speedsters running around (at least for now), but I am very ok with that just knowing that Eobard Thawne and Gorilla Grodd are already present in Central City. We also get a quick glimpse into Eobard's motives, as he tells Cisco he needs The Flash to be able to get back to his own "world". Did the Reverse Flash travel back in time with no idea how to return hime? Did he have a way of getting back originally but something went wrong? And if he originally meant to kill Barry why did Nora end up dead? These are just some of the questions caused by a complex time-travel based storyline, and luckily for us, Barry did his first bit of time-traveling this episode! It was accidental and he only went back a handful of days but it was extremely exciting to see! However, Barry's impromptu time-travel does make it a bit difficult to seriously talk about the other events that took place during the last 10 minutes of the episode because it looks like Barry is going to get a second chance to keep things from escalating to that point. It looks like Barry will have the insight next week to stop Weather Wizard before Joe gets captured, which means him and Iris probably won't kiss, which means he probably won't reveal himself as The Flash to her. On the other side of town Cisco probably won't get the chance to fully investigate the night they almost had the Reverse Flash, which means Harrison won't have to reveal himself as Eobard Thawne to him which means Cisco doesn't have to die! So there is good and bad to come out of this alternate time-line, but whatever happens next week, it does not change what we now know to be true about Eobard Thawne. As for the other 40 minutes of the episode, there was not too much going on besides the most awkward bowling date ever and a lot of cool Weather Wizard action. I'm not saying that Mark Mardon was an overly spectacular villain but I did enjoy him as the Weather Wizard a lot more than his brother. Plus I am glad to see that the Weather Wizard will get more screen time than just one episode. He is a decently notable villain of The Flash and is a potential member of the Rouges so he deserves slightly more than taking two in the chest during the show's pilot. Also next week's episode is titled "Rouge Time" so who knows. Maybe Mark will join the Rouge's roster when they swing through town again. All in all this ended up being a very exciting episode, even if half of it was erased by Barry's time-traveling. However, I guess if we are going to start diving headlong into the time-traveling aspect of Barry's powers we better get used to having alternate timelines thrown at us. An 8.0 out of 10 is in order.

Thanks for reading the review! What are your thoughts on Barry's unplanned trip back in time? Did you shit your pants as hard as I did when Harrison Wells introduced himself as Eobard Thawne? Let us know in the comments or on twitter @Caped_Informers. Be sure to check back here regularly for more reviews of your favorite comic books shows and movies as wells as other articles about your favorite heroes. The Flash returns same time next week with "Rouge Time". 

Exploring the DC Cinematic Universe: The Flash

The Flash

Release Date: March 23, 2018

Who is the Flash?: Barry Allen is a forensic scientist that works for the Central City police department. While working late one night, a lightning bolt shattered a case of chemicals in Allen's office which then proceeded to spill all over him. The electrically infused chemicals is what gave Barry his super speed, reflexes and metabolism. The Flash uses his powers to defend the citizens of Central City, and is one of the original members of The Justice League as well as one of its most consistent members.

Director: Greg Berlanti

Why?: Time for some real talk. Ever since people went nuts for Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, the DC cinematic universe has decided to embrace a darker, grittier take on some of our heroes. Just watch Snyder's Man of Steel and count how many times anyone smiled. Now I am in no way saying dark and gritty is a thing to be frowned upon. Some of the best stories come from that edgier material. However, Superman was portrayed as very broody in his most recent movie and that is what scares me about The Flash. Despite his backstory of having lost his Mom when he was young, Barry is the farthest thing from being broody, or solemn. He is the type of hero who tosses witty banter and corny catchphrases around like it is going out of style. He is the type of guy who interacts openly with the citizens of his city, thus causing them to adore him to the point where they would build a museum in his honor. He reminds me a little bit of how Andrew Garfield's Spiderman holds himself when he is out and about solving crime (maybe not to such an extreme, but the basic gist of it). The tone of The Flash has got to be a bit lighter than usual in order to capture that and Greg Berlanti is the type of guy who can do that. Now you may be thinking to yourself "But Ryan, didn't that monster have a hand in producing the unforgivable, 2011 cinematic blunder known as The Green Lantern?". You would be correct in thinking that, but Greg Berlanti has also been a consistent writer and producer for one of our favorite shows: Arrow. Not to mention he has recently been doing some more writing/producing for a show alongside DC's Chief Creative Officer, Geoff Johns. Which show? The Flash. By 2018, he will have had close to four years experience working with The Flash's stories, getting to really know the characters and how to do them justice. He is practically a director in extensive training for this project. 

A small sampling of how the Flash is intended to behave:

Proposed Story: During our Wonder Woman editorial it was proposed by Christian that no origin stories should come of this DC movie slate and I could not agree more. The Flash is the movie that is on deck immediately following The Justice League Pt. 1. Although he has not been confirmed yet, it would shock me to no end if The Flash wasn't present at all during The Justice League's first film. So let's just assume he will be and then have a quick little nod to how he obtained his powers and be done with it so we can get to the good stuff. Therefore: After the events of The Justice League Pt. 1, Barry Allen looks into ways to increase his speed. He soon discovers that he utilizes a power source known as the "speed force" and learns that he can use it to not only use it to run faster, but also to augment his cognition. One day, as if out of the blue, an EMP blast blacks out Central City, causing crime to run rampant. However, Barry later realizes that it was himself who caused the problem due to his reckless use of the speed force causing inconsistencies in the time stream. Barry must deal with the weight of what he has done to his city, while also dealing with the vengeance of those he has wronged.

Inspired By: The plot I have in mind (as vague as it may have sounded) is essentially the one that is featured in the Move Forward storyline of The Flash's New 52 run. It is a great story when it comes to Barry slowly figuring out the full-extent of his powers, as well as the consequences of them. In the story, an EMP blast blacks out Central City and leaves its citizens in the dark. Later on in the story Barry tries to contain an explosion using his speed, but instead sends it back in time without realizing it, meaning that he sent the EMP blast that doomed Central City to darkness. The effects of this also cause Leonard Snart to lose his sister, which causes him to go after the Flash in a crazed frenzy. The movie obviously wouldn't be frame-for-frame the same but it could definitely draw heavily from this story arch.

Lead Characters (Cast): By following the Move Forward storyline, The Flash will feature some names that are probably not well known to most so I'll give a little explanation about the character as I go and how they would pertain to the plot.

1. Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller)

Why?: The Flash is steadily taking the DC television universe by storm and come 3-4 years from now he will get his shot at the big leagues. Ezra Miller is the only confirmed actor associated with the project thus far and I am deeply unimpressed. There is no reason for me to believe that Miller has got what it takes to portray The Fastest Man Alive based on his past work. However, I remember a time when I was not overly impressed with Grant Gustin either, and now I am all for his Barry Allen. All I can say now is prove me wrong Ezra. For the love of Christ just prove me wrong. 

2. Dr. Darwin Elias (Chris Messina)

Why?: Dr. Elias is the person who acts as a confidante to The Flash and he also helps perform tests to discover how Barry can maximize his powers. In Move Forward, he is essentially the one who tells Barry about the speed force. He is pretty new territory with not a whole lot of expectations about him so I trust Messina could make the character his own.

3. Roscoe Hynes/Turbine (David Oyelowo)

Why?: Roscoe Hynes is a Tuskegee Airman from WWII who got sucked into the speed force during a test flight. When the Flash goes to the Speed Force dimension he meets Turbine and ends up bringing him back with him. Turbine has potential to be either friend or foe depending on how they want to use him. Turbine is similar to Dr. Elias

Villans: The Rogues

1. Leonard Snart/Captain Cold (Gabriel Macht) 

Why?: Captain Cold is the main person that is out to get The Flash in this story line. The blackout that the Flash causes keeps his sister from getting the care she needs and she passes away. The other Rouges are not really included in the this arch, but it would be easy to switch things around a bit and get them all in there. A while ago our own Dan Lee wrote a fan cast for Captain Cold featuring Gabriel Macht and it was explains the choice very well. Check it our here: Dan's FanCast Friday.

2. Mark Mardon/Weather Wizard (Taylor Kitsch)

Why?: Another member of the Rouges who could be worked onto the team and into the story. Taylor Kitsch has superhero movie experience under his belt playing Gambit. Weather Wizard is a character that seems right up his ally.

3.  Mick Rory/Heatwave (Vinnie Jones)

Why?: Because bring back the Juggernaut bitch, that's why. Another experienced superhero actor who could be fun to watch as Heatwave. 

4. George Harkness/ Captain Boomerang (Tom Hardy)

Why?: Earlier this week, Christian cast Captain Boomerang for the Suicide Squad. Let's get some continuity going between these two movies by having Captain Boomerang also be a member of the Rouges. 

Thanks for reading the editorial! You probably may have noticed I didn't say anything about Eobard Thawne. Although he is all I talk about when it comes to The Flash TV show, I decided to go a different route this time for two reasons. A) I think the New 52 Flash stories have been pretty good so far and would do well on the silver screen if done right and B) if there were to be a live action Professor Zoom, I would want it to be done Flashpoint Paradox style, which I know is way, way too much to ask for in The Flash's first movie. At that point it is practically another Justice League movie that just happens to focus a little more on The Flash. Anyways feel free to share your thoughts on anything having to do with The Flash coming out March of 2018!

The 12 days of Editorials continues tomorrow with a write-up on Aquaman! Be sure to check back here then to see it for yourself! And read our first 3 articles on the DCCU by clicking the links below.

• Suicide Squad
• Wonder Woman
• Justice League

The Flash "Pilot" Review/Thoughts

The moment we have all been waiting for since "The Scientist" episode of Arrow's second season has finally arrived. The debut of the CW's new series The Flash came in with a strong start that did not disappoint. 

Episode Description: CSI Investigator Barry Allen acquires super speed through a freak accident and becomes The Fastest Man Alive, a.k.a., the Flash. 

High Points

• Barry's backstory 
• The man Barry saw the night his mother died (Eobard Thawne perhaps?)
• The cool Sherlock-esque inner workings of Barry's mind at the crime scene
• Eddie Thawne... (Eobard Thawne perhaps?)
• A single shot of a torn open cage with the name Grodd on it 
• Barry's super metabolism already at play (super-fast healing, rapid heart rate, etc.)
• Oliver "The Arrow" Queen himself making an inspirational appearance 
• The super speed effects looked great 
• The cryptic ending featuring Dr. Harrison Wells and a newspaper from 2024 (Eobard Thawne perhaps?)

Low Points

• "Run Barry, Run!" 
• Dialogue a little rough in some places 
• Weather Wizard's god complex and over-all portrayal
• Oliver's "In a flash" line a little forced/unatural...
• Unexplained change of heart from Dr. Wells

Verdict: I don't know about everyone else, but I certainly got all I needed and more out of this series premiere. A backstory that reminds me quite a bit of The Flashpoint Paradox, name drops and references to big villains like you would not believe, super speed powers that do not have to do solely with being able to run fast, and of course the first (of hopefully many) The Flash/Arrow crossovers, thus solidifying a continuous DC universe on TV (keep your silver screen universe Marvel, we have the CW now!). Of course The Flash also leaves room for improvement, specifically in the dialogue department. Some lines and exchanges came across as rigid and unnatural at times, but that was also a big problem with Arrow when it was getting underway. Give them time to grow into the characters a bit more I am sure that problem will fix itself. It is certainly nothing that has me worried about the success of this show. I give this Pilot an 8.0 out of 10, with plenty of room to keep improving. 

Thanks for reading the review. Feel free to tell us your opinions of the premiere in the comments or on twitter @Caped_Informers   and be sure to check back for weekly reviews, and other articles about the most recent happening's in the comics universe. Tune in next week for a review of "The Fastest Man Alive".

Semi-Related Observation: So who else noticed that the particle accelerator in The Flash sounds suspiciously similar to the comet from Smallville, in respects to the super-human abilities they both give people. Anyone? 

-Ryan Keough

Longer "Flash' Preview Released

CW has released a longer trailer to their upcoming DC Comic's adaptation The Flash. We get first looks at Flash, Reverse Flash, Iris West, and even Weather Wizard. Man am I excited for Flash Tuesdays and Arrow Wednesdays in the fall.