What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 3, Episode 3 “Magenta” (B+)

You’d think that the number of speedsters on this show would get old, yet somehow this manages to keep things interesting. Jesse showing up with the most excited look on her face made her newfound powers all the more fun, and I like how casual this new Harry is, using the “not!” thing a lot and chastising Barry for messing with the timeline. Jesse’s timing couldn’t have been any better since Barry needed a second speedster to stop a tanker from taking out an entire hospital. I knew I recognized the actress playing Magenta but I couldn’t figure it out to the point that it was really bothering me, and a quick visit to epguides.com reveals that it was Joey King, recently seen in the first season of “Fargo.” Alchemy really is wreaking havoc on this world, and something tells me that Caitlin might be next even though her powers seem to be returning gradually and without any prompting. The existence of the speed lab in this newly constructed reality is cool, and I like that all these subtle differences exist. Wally’s need for speed is causing him to be very reckless, standing in front of cars to try to trigger the manifestation of his powers, and I do hope that Kid Flash is soon going to show up here. Joe calling Barry a second daughter was random but funny, and I enjoyed his reaction. Barry trying to be romantic didn’t come off exactly as he intended, but Iris’ ultimate acceptance of him as the Flash was really sweet.