What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 9, Episode 8 “Partners in Time” (B)

I’m glad we’re getting to the end here, because it’s possible I would be considering giving up on this show. After a brief hiatus, there will be one episode followed by a four-parter, one that will hopefully invigorate some energy into this show as it crosses the 180-episode mark and signs off for good. It feels distinctly irresponsible for Barry to be preparing so extensively for Nora’s arrival, doing as much as he can to shape the present like the future and likely altering it as a result. What happened in this episode wasn’t directly his fault, but Iris has been cautious now for a while about fulfilling a destiny she knows about because she wants to be able to live her own life. Barry’s enthusiasm for a mold inspection brought in more trouble than he wanted, and then a weird escape room that required some creative thinking. I was pleased to see Diana Bang from “Resident Alien” as Inspector Tao, who turned out to be the time thief who didn’t really want to turn herself in but had to in order to ensure her survival. Chester accidentally saying “I love you” to Allegra led to an aggressive series of board game distractions, and I very much enjoy seeing television characters playing Settlers of Catan, which I consider to be one of my favorite games. As always, talking and being honest is the best route to a productive relationship, and, after plenty of awkwardness, that’s what they finally did and reached a good point that made it awkward only for Cecile.

What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 9, Episode 7 “Wildest Dreams” (B-)

Sure, Iris did come to some important realizations about what’s important in her life and how she enjoyed the dream of being a cop and her time working as a barista. But this episode was just as much about Dreamer and yet another reminder that maybe “The Flash” wasn’t the Arrowverse show that needed to keep going for one final swan song. Meeting the original Dreamer felt like a plotline that should have been handled on “Supergirl,” and all these mentions of other people from that series being off-world are disappointing given just how enticing it would be to get all the casts from the Arrowverse shows back together before this one signs off for good. Dreaming was a big part of this episode as Mark imagined that he and Khione were falling in love before he was woken up to the harsh reality that planning dates for someone based on who you want them to be and not who they are isn’t going to result in appreciation. That everyone groaned when Mark showed up to the big extended family meal is indicative of just how little Mark has fit in with this bunch since he first started, and now it seems like he’s finally parting ways with them, but we’ve seen this before and it hasn’t lasted then either. I think it’s time to bring on the future and maybe jump forward a bit in time so that we can see how everything turns out with the time we have left.

What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 9, Episode 6 “The Good, the Bad, and the Lucky” (B)

I realized at one point how interesting it was that none of these characters were around at the start of this show, since technically speaking Khione is someone different from Caitlin, especially since she’s not human. That this series has evolved that much from its start is both a good and a bad thing, partially since it’s gone on past it should have in terms of much of its storyline. I also take issue with the fact that Cecile was obsessing over missing the last train when she could easily just have asked Barry to come back from his neverending babymoon to spirit her back home. That was a technical issue that I didn’t find relatable, though at least she managed to get a lot accomplished while she was late for Jenna’s birthday. She and Allegra make a good team, and this was a fun opportunity to see a former villain turn into someone good because she’s in love. It’s hard to keep track of which characters we’ve seen before and which are new, but this is definitely the theme of this show’s final season: redemption for old characters who are now, willingly or unwillingly, on the other side of the law. Becky experiencing only bad luck because of the stone embedded in her engagement ring was a decent twist, though the rules of who it affects were bent a little much to be inconvenient at the start and then helpful towards the end. Let’s bring back Barry and Iris and get this show on the road for the last half of the season.

What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 9, Episode 5 “The Mask of the Red Death, Part 2” (B)

I had assumed that the Red Death was going to be a season-long villain, but apparently that’s not the case. Instead, Team Flash and their new band of reformed criminal friends encountered a few setbacks, Barry got to see Grodd again, and the Batwoman we know made a triumphant entrance. The Red Death really did seem to be quite the foe, but I’m sure there are others who will be back to try to take over National City before this show ends. I’d probably rather spend time with the characters Ryan mentioned when she referenced that brunch, some of whom well hopefully get to see over the course of the remaining episodes. Allegra and Chester finally talked about that kiss and apparently agreed that it was great, forgetting that everyone was watching them, and somehow Khione knew definitely that Iris was pregnant before she did. This obsession with sticking to a particular timeline or set course of events is no fun, so this team could do with a bit of unpredictability. Joe’s been thinking about leaving for a while and it feels somewhat strange for Jesse L. Martin to exit at this point since he’s been around for nearly half the season already. The notion of Cecile sticking around while he’s living elsewhere with Jenna doesn’t exactly track since she’ll still be in harm’s way, and it’s not as if villains only operate on weekdays so her weekends will end up being free. Let’s see how things shape up once the next threat emerges.

What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 9, Episode 4 “Mask of the Red Death, Part 1” (B-)

I’m starting to feel like we’ve seen this before, even though the circumstances weren’t quite the same last time. When Zoom was the big bad and he killed his younger self, they were at least two different people, while in this case, Ryan actively had an earpiece in while she was with Iris and remotely controlling the Red Death suit. It did seem for a moment that maybe she was telling the truth and trying to find her way out of some Jekyll and Hyde situation in which she was trapped, but instead it was all about the manipulation and trying to use Iris to her advantage. I’m all for alternate realities and multiple timelines, but this show has used those a few too many times for it to feel fresh anymore. This was the same concept we saw in the first season of “Superman and Lois,” where someone from another world wanted to fight against a hero who was the ultimate supervillain in their world and refused to listen to reason when said hero explored that things were different. Iris realized that Ryan wasn’t being truthful with her, and now the setback she’s experienced is only going to make her want to raise hell more, which should at least hopefully offer a few fan-favorite returns if the fate of the multiverse is at stake. It’s not too surprising that Mark decided to change his tune at the last minute and screw things up for Ryan, though he too has done the wrong thing on too many occasions to feel terribly trustworthy.

What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 9, Episode 3 “Rogues of War” (B-)

I stopped watching “Batwoman” midway through its first season, before the introduction of Javicia Leslie as Ryan Wilder. I assume that if I had kept up, I’d be much more excited about the big reveal that this new Reverse-Flash Red Death enemy is actually none other than Ryan herself, albeit apparently with a major axe to grind with the Flash. She has assembled quite a crew, and even managed to get Mark on board because he’s still upset with Barry and company for not letting him bring Frost back to life. Working with Hartley to assemble their own ragtag band of criminals with helpful abilities was somewhat fun, though I’ll admit that it’s sometimes hard to remember these characters. Max Adler’s Jaco Birch appeared recently enough, and I’d never forget Katee Sackhoff’s guest spot, which came at the same time as Damion Poitier’s earlier appearances as Goldface. There was plenty of tension in that group, and Mark’s betrayal didn’t help things at all, but the one positive is they’re now aware of who they’re facing to some degree. Khione is turning out to be less fluffy and unhelpful that it might have initially seemed, and she certainly pushed a grumpy and noncommittal Allegra in the right direction when it comes to Chester, a romance that may have to wait to sort itself out until this final nemesis is defeated. I enjoyed the fact that Barry and Iris were able to impress a cruel French chef with their crème brûlée, if only because they had mastered it thanks to forty sessions in Flash time.

What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 9, Episode 2 “Hear No Evil” (B-)

I’m not feeling especially patient right now with this show, though it’s impossible to give up with less than a dozen episodes left after investing more than 170 hours of my life into it. It’s going to take a while, I’d imagine, for us to learn who’s behind the Reverse-Flash’s mask, and if it’s just another version of Eobard Thawne, I don’t know why we don’t know that yet. There’s still the puzzling Batman connection, and the only reason it could all be worth it if it’s actually a setup to get to see handful of Arrowverse characters again before this TV universe closes for good. But I don’t think that will be the case, and instead we’re just going to be seeing characters we may have seen before who I’ve completely forgotten about since it’s been years since their last appearances (Hartley is a great example of that). The introduction of Snow, now Khione, a character who isn’t Caitlin and isn’t Frost and is just a simplistic representation of kindness and innocence, feels unnecessary, and the worst part of it is that Mark, whose portrayer Jon Cor is now a series regular, isn’t a member of Team Flash because he doesn’t agree with the decision not to resurrect Frost. It’s just going to be a cyclical game of Team Flash stopping him and then him eventually partnering with them when they have a common enemy. Joe and Cecile don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon despite Joe’s misgivings about staying in Central City, but having major characters depart doesn’t feel nearly as impactful in a show’s final season.

What I’m Watching: The Flash (Season Premiere)

The Flash: Season 9, Episode 1 “Wednesday Ever After” (B)

I’m still a bit disappointed that this show gets to come back for a swan song while the far superior “Legends of Tomorrow” didn’t get that opportunity despite ending on a cliffhanger, and this premiere only served to reinforce that this series is starting over with a new big bad and season-long focus. We do have whatever entity is now neither Caitlin nor Frost, but it’s not clear whether she’s going to be a villain or an ally. I liked the opening that saw Chester, Allegra, and Cecile all participating as members of Team Flash, but that was just a nightmare, and now Joe and Cecile may be leaving Central City. I guess the best environment in which to be experiencing a time loop is one in which recognizing that reality will be met with scientific brainstorming and nothing more, though it did take long enough and a number of violent explosions for them to ultimately right the course. It was good to see Barry and Iris just enjoying spending time together since they’re usually both too stressed to do that, and I do hope that, even if it’s not Cat Grant, we do get some good farewell Arrowverse appearances from the other series in this final iteration of that phenomenon. I’m mildly intrigued by that red bat-signal at the end of the episode, and while it makes some sense for the Reverse-Flash to once again be the villain, haven’t we seen that more than a few times on this show? I’ve made it this far, and I can stick with this show for its final thirteen episodes.

What I’m Watching: The Flash (Season Finale)

The Flash: Season 8, Episode 20 “Negative, Part 2” (B)

This was a fine finale to a decent but not terribly even season, and I’m not sure what to expect in what’s likely to be the final round of episodes next year. The newly-reincarnated Thawne amassed a tremendous amount of power with all the negative forces, and that made his subsequent takedown when Cecile was able to help free them all the more worthwhile. Barry sitting down and pledging not to fight while Thawne was screaming about slaughtering him was an important step that showed that he was able to temper his own anger and let go of the negative energy that had been able to infect others. Jay also showed up to help out and to realize that the time stone that Damien had left behind was where Iris was trapped, and she had Damien in there to help coach her. I’d love to know what the contracts are that actors like Neal McDonough and Matt Letscher sign for the Arrowverse shows sign since they just keep coming back in different forms long after their characters have died multiple times. At least Iris is fine now and back with the rest of the team, though Cecile’s Basheer-assisted powered state appears not to have dampened all that much, which is a mystery given that they should have given away. And although we’ve barely seen Caitlin for the past few episodes, the final moments presented a malfunction in the Frost-creating chamber that produced a friend, whose identity we’ll surely need to wait to discover until next season. At this point, I’ll still be watching, but I’m hoping for plenty of reinvigoration for its final round.

Season grade: B
Season MVP: Brandon McKnight as Chester

What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 8, Episode 19 “Negative, Part 1” (B)

I’m okay with the fact that this whole running from/to the future thing doesn’t make a lot of sense, especially since the responsible version of Nora works well in the storyline. But I’m not nearly as into the forces, who seem to be almost omniscient in their powers yet somehow manage to be defeated time and time again. It was helpful to have Eobard be given the same powers Meena had, though that appears to have been exactly what the nefarious plan was all along, with Wells given his speed back if he died only to be resurrected in a rather disturbing literal change of face for Eobard with a horrified Meena looking on and screaming. I’ve lost count of how many times Thawne, whatever face he’s wearing, has shown a true impulse for evil with a desire to cause Barry suffering above all else. You’d think that, so many seasons in, this show would find a different villain to face Barry, and I’d appreciate at least if something different happened with Iris and the cure for her time sickness involved some sort of change to the way the show typically works. Cecile is becoming much more powerful and Frost is on the verge of being resurrected, so it’s possible that, in what will likely be the show’s final season, Team Flash will end up fighting against itself. I’m curious to see if Meena is going to continue to have a role now or if she’ll be so distraught by the loss of her Eobard to be able to continue fighting alongside Barry and everyone else.

What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 8, Episode 18 “The Man in the Yellow Tie” (B+)

This other speedster storyline resolved itself a lot sooner than I had expected, self-contained in pretty much just this hour. While I'm always happy for any opportunity to see Matt Letscher again as Eobard Thawne, I'll admit that I don't understand how it's possible that he's still alive and wearing this face, and I'm not sure the writers buy it either. Positing several theories is a convenient way to explain it without actually explaining it, and I so wish that the brief glimpse of “Legends of Tomorrow” had been more than just Ray on a greenscreen and scenes we already saw with Eobard and Sara from near the finale. Given that this show is not doing well with fresh material, it would be wonderful to have the legends show up and take over the storyline. Barring that, I suppose it was sweet that this Eobard really did care about Meena and that he was able to be her lightning rod to bring her back from the negative effects of tapping into her speed. Now that one Eobard has been determined not to be a threat, the other one, still wearing Wells' face, didn't get the power he wanted from Diggle's visit but was approached by a new ally also set on usurping power: Deon. That partnership can't be good, and the same goes for Mark, whose desire to keep working on bringing Frost back may be enough to convince Caitlin to give it another try too, a process that is sure to have unforeseen consequences.

What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 8, Episode 17 “Keep It Dark” (B)

Are we still looking for someone who’s starting fires? I thought that was earlier this season, but instead we got what appeared to be an ally in the form of Dr. Meena Dhawan, who I’m honestly not sure if we’re supposed to remember or if she’s a completely new character. But that unusually post-ending-swoosh sequence was almost entirely positive, even if we’ve learned before not to trust those who seem entirely kind and helpful. I’m not disappointed to still see Harrison Wells on this show but I am perplexed since I remember hearing so many times that actor Tom Cavanagh was leaving. With Iris entirely absent and that apparently forgotten for the course of this hour, the focus was on Allegra, a character who hasn’t always had the best spotlight but here got one that allowed her to show how much she’s able to contribute and, most satisfying of all, enabled her to impress her archnemesis who was set on taking her down. It’s always interesting to me to see when villains just give up because the heroes suddenly have the upper hand, and Allegra managed to do that by keeping Sunshine and Dr. Light distracted long enough for Lydia to go on-air and identify them. This is a positive development for Allegra that affirms her confidence in being part of Team Flash, and now she’s turned Taylor into an ally. Caitlin has apparently come to terms with Barry’s actions and may be taking it quite well, though I’m sure things will be more complicated than that when we see her again.

What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 8, Episode 16 “The Curious Case of Bartholomew Allen” (B)

Well, at least this episode was something different. After opening with a fake-out sense of urgency from Chester that turned out to be just a game of Dungeons and Dragons, things got thrown for a loop when Barry expressed some signature overconfidence in his latest interaction with a bad guy. This is not the first time that we’ve seen Barry start to lose his speed, but what happened here was new: having him age rapidly, but not in a discernable way, even if it was true to life in terms of how he wanted to deny that he was losing his faculties. Barry showing up and having his powers not work was not a good look, and ultimately it was Cecile who tried to talk him down, only to have him whisk her away to the Great Wall of China, which then left him confused and with no memory of how they got there. Because this was just a standalone episode, Barry managed to muster the power needed to set things straight again, and now he’s younger than ever before, hopefully filled with enough vigor to be able to find Iris. I was suspicious when we saw Singh return since I had assumed the actor left the show when the character died, but apparently he wasn’t actually dead and now he’s back, just in time to help Joe realize that he needs to be open to some degree of change. With a few episodes still left this season, it looks like Barry and Team Flash may be pitted against Caitlin, who is sure to be less than okay with what Barry destroyed when he realized what she was trying to do.

What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 8, Episode 15 “Into the Still Force” (B-)

I’m starting to lose interest in what’s going on, and the fact that there’s a slight hiatus before this show continues running into late June seems entirely unnecessary, just prolonging it even more. I’m also disappointed that this show is going to get a wrap-up final season while “Legends of Tomorrow,” which has very much earned its right to be on the air so many years into its run, won’t. I’ll be honest that I also don’t quite understand the still force and how XS is able to exist and just travel back in time so excited to see everyone when, in theory, she could just travel back at any point with the powers that she has. But the bigger question mark continues to be Iris’ time sickness, which might be the result of someone actively working against her or just time doing its thing, if that’s even possible. Now that Iris and her repeat disappearing act are finally the focus of everyone’s attention, it’s going to be problematically distracting from the dark road Caitlin is planning to take with Mark to bring Frost back to life, something that likely isn’t going to go well. Mark was clearheaded enough to point out that she had just tried to do the same thing with Ronnie and that hadn’t turned out well at all. There’s also Chester being worried that he was a supervillain, only to clear himself of any wrongdoing when in fact someone was hacking into his computer for presumably nefarious purposes.

What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 8, Episode 14 “Funeral for a Friend” (B)

It’s hard to get too emotionally attached to the departure of a character played by an actress who also portrays another character, and that’s even truer when Caitlin is intent on bringing Frost back to life. It did end up being a decent opportunity for the rest of Team Flash to look inwards and figure out what they needed in order to be okay saying goodbye. Barry went all-out building a snowman on top of Mount Everest and winning a hot dog eating contest, while the rest of the team chose more easily achievable goals that still honored her memory. Chester and Allegra fighting about whether hummus was a condiment (I’m not a fan in general, so I can’t offer a great opinion) was entertaining, and while a romance doesn’t appear to be in the cards in this timeline, they’re cementing the strength of their friendship, which is good. While everyone seemed to be in an okay place by the time the funeral actually happened, Caitlin obviously has not moved on, and even Mark seemed shocked by the idea that she wanted to bring her back. We haven’t seen anything about Taylor, Allegra’s nemesis, recently, but her attempt to undermine her colleague to Iris paled in comparison to the jarring disappearance of Iris, whose ability to stay rooted in the present seems to be fading quickly. She doesn’t seem intent on taking Iris down, but it’s worrisome enough that she’s gone, especially at this crucial moment where Team Flash is otherwise back on track.

What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 8, Episode 13 “Death Falls” (B)

I’m very disheartened at the news that “Legends of Tomorrow” has been cancelled when that show has continued to reinvent itself, and somehow we still have seven episodes in this season and things still aren’t really heating up, pun intended. I was intrigued to see Thawne but should have known that he was just another manifestation of Deathstorm, and it was interesting only to try to watch Sue and Iris try to outsmart him with the distraction of ingredients in the fridge to make some soup, though he quickly revealed himself to be very aware of what they were trying to do. Sue did manage to outwit him, proving that she is one of this show’s best characters who should be used much more than she is. This episode was mostly focused on Frost, another worthwhile part of this show who it appears has now completed her arc, broken down by the idea that she didn’t have a consciousness and therefore wasn’t a real person but able to deliver in exactly the way she needed to in order to defeat Firestorm. Caitlin will surely feel a different kind of grief now that her sister is gone, but it’s not much of a loss the show actor-wise since Danielle Panabaker will still be starring as Caitlin. I wonder if this is the last we’ll see of Mark or whether he’ll be just the latest redeemed villain to give back to the world and became a temporary or permanent member of Team Flash.

What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 8, Episode 12 “Death Rises” (B)

I think Allegra said it best when she described to Barry what it was like to see Esperanza, that she knew it wasn’t really her but it did feel real, and more importantly, she was able to return fire as if she had the same powers. This is all starting to feel somewhat cyclical but at least we know part of what’s happening, which is that Deathstorm wants to make Caitlin into his bride, prompting a chance to defeat him once and for all with Frost ready to lure him in. I’m starting to realizing more and more just how long this show’s seasons feel now that I can see that we’re only just past halfway through this one, with new episodes slated almost every week through the end of June. I remember feeling this way with “Supergirl” also, that it was stretched out very long in a way that most series I watch these days aren’t, leaving room for excessively drawn-out arcs and season-spanning big bads. With the other two Arrowverse shows I watch regularly, “Superman and Lois” and the tragically cancelled “Legends of Tomorrow,” each running between thirteen and fifteen episodes most seasons, I think this one could take a cue from them and have a tighter storyline going forward. I also think I’m more interested in what’s happening with Iris and with the chance to see Sue on screen more since she’s a great character who would likely be more prominent had it not been for the dismissal of Ralph.

What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 8, Episode 11 “Resurrection” (B)

It is good to see Robbie Amell again as Ronnie, though I’ll admit I can’t really concretely remember when he was on the show and definitely don’t recall that dramatic exit. But it makes sense that, as everyone suspected and only Caitlin wasn’t willing to consider, the gap in time between his apparent death and his miraculous return means that it’s not really him, and instead a far more villainous entity known as Deathstorm. The flames may not be acting on a survival instinct but instead preying on the energy they can take, choosing to kill rather than doing so out of necessity, and just as Caitlin was the one who could save Ronnie, she’ll also probably be the one to ultimately take him out. Frost and the rest of the team might be able to help too, though that dreaded situation where Barry needs to go help Iris and isn’t present is coming to pass just as it seemed like it was going to for a while now. Iris making Sue’s phone disappear when she tried to call Barry was a worrisome moment, but not nearly as much as Tinya very purposely touching Iris so that she would disappear, presumably to a place where she can be rescued from but not easily without any clues about where that is. It’s definitely alarming to know that Chester has been live-streaming most of the work that he does at Star Labs, and I was glad that Allegra finally decided to hit mute when she confronted him about the potentially dangerous consequences of doing that.

What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 8, Episode 10 “Reckless” (B)

While Iris was front and center at the start and end of this episode, the meat of the hour was much more about Frost and Carla. From what I remember of seeing Carla in the past, I thought of her as a villain, someone who might not have necessarily been evil but who definitely had her own interests at heart, regardless of who might get hurt along the way. Offering Chester a job in front of the team was a move that only reinforced that idea. But rather than betray Frost when given the chance, she was nothing but loving to her, giving Frost something that she’s desperately needed since she has typically not been seen as sympathetic and hasn’t had others consider her feelings. Softening her as a character isn’t a bad thing, and it’s likely just going to help strengthen the team. It looks like Caitlin may be the next to need to face the dark flames, and I was excited to hear Ronnie’s voice emanating from them, especially since actor Robbie Amell told me on the red carpet for season two of “Upload” that he was coming back to the show for an arc. Sue was able to quickly resolve the major obstacle in the way of Tinya finding her mom by calling in a favor from a board member, and while they did manage to track her down, things weren’t going well thanks to that unsettling moment with the nurse returning from her coffee break and then Iris seemingly making Renee disappear. It’s hard to tell what’s going on, but Iris’ situation only seems to be getting more uncontrollable.

What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 8, Episode 9 “Phantoms” (B)

Iris has seemed very distant lately and that sentiment is only likely to increase given Deon’s grim prognosis following his research, but it was good to see her get out of town and have her mind occupied by something else. I was personally thrilled to see Sue, since I always thought she was a great character and worried that she might no longer be involved due to the issues involving the actor who portrayed Ralph. It was fun to see her in this different context, going around to check on her various tenants and offering five-star luxury stays to whoever was lucky enough to get to accompany her. Allegra wanted to come, but Iris definitely needed it, and I suspect that Tinya will soon become the newest member of Team Flash after she realizes that Iris really does only want to help her. Back at Star Labs, this was a more horror-like episode with Chester being haunted by what he thought was a literal ghost of his father and turned out to more predictably be a meta who fed off the grief that Chester was emitting. I know that it was only a flash-forward to a different future, but I’m still wondering when Chester and Allegra are going to officially get together, or whether they’re destined just to be best friends in this timeline. I’m also curious if what Iris is going through is somehow related to the meta serial killer an whether that’s going to come into play down the road.