Flash 1.14

Fallout

This is part two of the story that began in the previous episode, even though it is not labeled as such. This two-part story does not feature the first appearances of Dr. Martin Stein, Ronnie Raymond, and Firestorm but they are definitely the focus of it.

Barry gets himself and Dr. Snow clear of the blast that occurred when Firestorm "exploded" at the end of the previous episode. Once they realize that there is no danger of radioactive contamination they go back to investigate the blast site and find the two men separated once again. They take them back to S.T.A.R. Labs  to run some tests on them. For the most part everything seems normal. The two men try to return to their previous lives only to discover that a couple things have changed.

The first thing they find is that they now share a symbiotic relationship in that when one feels pain the other one does too. I have to wonder why is it just pain that they share? Why not pleasurable sensations too? This symbiotic nature of their existence warns Dr. Stein when Ronnie is in danger even though they are miles apart. He calls Barry and tells him so he can come to Ronnie's rescue. This brings in the second thing which was seen at the very end of the previous episode, the return of General Wade Eiling.

General Eiling wants to capture Firestorm and figure out how to reverse engineer him. He wants super-soldiers with Firestorm's powers under his command. He first tries to capture Ronnie but Flash interferes with that plan. Even though the general isn't successful he came prepared for Flash with a weapon that causes him some serious harm, temporarily. This is a set back for Eiling but he isn't ready to give up just yet. His next move is to convince Dr. Wells to do his dirty work for him. It is unclear why Dr. Wells helps the general but he knocks out Dr. Stein with a glass of scotch that presumably was laced with some sort of drug. Eiling comes in and takes the unconscious doctor away.

The good guys use the symbiotic relationship between Dr. Stein and Ronnie to locate the former and free him. The two men, for the first time, merge into Firestorm willingly. Together with the Flash they defeat General Eiling and his men. Their part of this story ends with them flying off to Pittsburgh in an attempt to stay one step ahead of the general.

Most of the action revolves around Firestorm but there are a couple other plot threads that get some screen time in this episode.

Iris gets talked into investigating S.T.A.R Labs by Mason Bridge, her colleague. As she begins to investigate she starts to notice some inconsistencies in the facts she gets from Caitlin. I am sure this will be pursued further.

Joe reveals to Barry what he and Cisco discovered in the last episode: that he will time travel back to the night his mother was murdered and attempt to stop the other speedster from killing her. It bothers Barry that he knows he won't be successful. It is just a minor setback. He quickly decides that what he needs to do is learn from the evidence they have found so that he can change the past. I think, based on what little I have heard about the end of this season, that this is what is going to happen.

There are a number of things that get cleared up very quickly without explanation. The prime example in my mind is the effects of the weapon that General Eiling uses on the Flash when he comes to Ronnie Raymond's rescue. It looks pretty serious. He has hundreds of little needles sticking out of his skin. Without explanation, after a scene shift the needles have all been removed. The story flows along nicely so there was plenty of other things to keep my attention but still, how did they fix him up so quickly?

A couple other thoughts. First, I'm wondering if Caitlin Snow's exposure to the blast at the beginning of this episode will be the catalyst that will give her super powers. In the comic books Caitlin Frost is the civilian name of the villain known as Killer Frost. I don't recall what her origin was there or if she was a scientist at S.T.A.R. Labs before acquiring superpowers and becoming a villain.

Second, in the final scene Dr. Wells is shown wearing the Reverse Flash costume, I think for the first time. He pays a visit to General Eiling, whisks him away, and delivers him to Gorilla Grodd. Is General Eiling dead? I hope not but if not I'm not sure what comes next for him. When is Grodd going to get his own episode. This marks the third time he has appeared. What about Solivar? Gorilla City?

Overall I enjoyed this two-part story very much.