The Flash: The Trap review

The Flash picks up the pace in one of the final episodes of the season, and the Reverse-Flash makes a move. Here's Mike's review...

This The Flash review contains spoilers.

In many ways, “The Trap” is the episode I’ve been waiting for since “Out of Time.” There have been plenty of good episodes since then, it’s just that some have moved things along a little better than others. I’ve been continually impressed by how well the show hasn’t really made me feel cheated by how they walked back the revelations of that episode, and even as we approach some of those dramatic moments again, The Flash is still managing to find new ways to spin them.

“The Trap” was just such a well balanced episode. Even though the stakes could basically no longer be higher, it still managed to find time for lighter moments, and I’m always amazed by how not at all annoying the romantic elements of this show are handled. Sometimes, in terms of tone and pacing, The Flash feels like the Superman TV show I so desperately want, full of breezy dialogue, smart secret identity twists, and a brilliant supporting cast that you genuinely love.

But make no mistake, this is a Flash show, and no matter who is proposing to who, or what love story or crush is in the spotlight, there’s plenty of proper sci-fi on display. Is some of it mumbo-jumbo? Sure. Do I care? Nope.

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I’ve said in the past how even though we’ve known forever that Harrison Wells is bad news, that Tom Cavanagh still manages to deliver a ridiculously likeable performance. It’s enough to leave me hoping that there’s some kind of parachute they can pull to keep him around once ol’ Eobard has been exorcised or something. I wouldn’t count on it, though.It’s funny how Barry mirrors the audience’s ambivalence about reconciling the likeable Wells with the supervillain Eobard, but Joe has been “no, screw this guy,” from the outset. I suppose there are audience members who feel like that, too.

Either way, Wells/Thawne really showed his true colors tonight, and Cavanagh was careful not to play it too over the top, either with his big villain reveal speech (after the death of poor, useless, Everyman…which I felt was a bit of a cheat, by the way) or during the flashback sequence in Barry’s hospital room. In fact, that hospital speech may very well be the Wells highlight of the series. “You look so young,” which I’m sure is something some longtime Flash fans felt when they first saw Grant Gustin. “Nothing is forgiven,” though. It’s a promise that no matter what happens in these final episodes, we’re not nearly done with the Reverse-Flash. Hallelujah.

And really, as far as cliffhangers go, this may have been the best of the season. Iris knows. She’s gonna be pissed. I can’t blame her.

But what are Eobard’s intentions towards Eddie? Is it to basically ruin him and make him a bitter man by explaining that Iris is destined to only love Barry? Is this the first step in Eddie’s long hinted heel turn? Or will this show just swerve me yet again and show that no, Eddie is just a solid dude with nothing but the best of intentions for everyone he comes in contact with.

And now on top of all of this, they’re giving us Gorilla Grodd next week? Holy moley. This show.

Flash Facts!

– It’s nice to see Cisco getting ideas for how the suit can be tweaked. I expect we’ll see a new Flash costume by the end of the finale, or certainly by the season two premiere.

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– If Barry created Gideon, that’s a level of brilliance we’ve never quite seen from any version of Barry Allen. He didn’t just get a promotion in the Central City Police Department, he got a promotion to scientific genius. Gideon seems like more Reed Richards level stuff to me.

– Speaking of Gideon, can anybody tell me anything that Barry might be a “founding member” of? heh-heh-heh…

– So, Barry and Iris and the idea of their nuptials is…ummm…complicated. Especially where the Reverse-Flash is involved. Let’s just say that when the time comes for them to actually walk down the aisle, things might get really, really crazy. And not everyone survives the experience. Or…do they? I honestly don’t know how much it’s cool/fair to spoil about this, even though there’s no guarantee at all the show goes this route anyway.

– The machine that they use to bring Cisco into a luic dreaming state looks an awful lot like the kind of eyewear that Vibe would rock. This is no accident. I’m telling you, somehow we’re going to learn that his powers stem in some way from when he “died” at Wells’ hand (I really didn’t want to make that pun). All that talk about finding the right frequency to bring about the right state, I dunno…that’s giving me the Vibe vibes.

– Flash doing the arm-circle trick to create a vacuum in a burning building is right out of Silver Age Speedster 101. I love it. And I love it even more because the show has deployed moments like this sparingly throughout the season.

Don’t be surprised if next week’s Flash review is just Mike Cecchini banging his head on the keyboard with joy because…Grodd. Advise against this on Twitter.

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Rating:

4 out of 5