The Flash 2x18 Versus Zoom
Apr. 21st, 2016 09:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
joyousleeReactions and spoilers under the cut:
OMG WHUT?!?!
But before we get to that, positive squee first, because I love the characters and their interactions:
Love, love, love Barry his delightful expressions. I can ignore what's coming out of his mouth this episode because I'm distracted by his long, long lashes.
Yay for Cisco developing his powers (and equating himself with Anakin Skywalker), and for the Barry & Cisco interactions other than the big motivational speech. I especially loved the first time Cisco tries to open the breach, and Barry's there and closes his eyes like he's sending good vibes to Cisco.
So much love for Harry & Joe having a conversation in which neither of them gets punched in the face or shot at.
I adore the close relationship between Barry & Joe, and love that Barry can give him advice that Joe actually takes, and that Wally called Joe "dad."
Iris was gorgeous and I'm so glad she didn't go on her date with sexual-harassment!Scott. (But I neeeeeeed her to do more than just be a romantic subplot for Barry & why does she come to help & then just sit and chat with Caitlin.)
More critical comments, because the plot/ writing made me want to throw something at the writers:
Harry as random exposition guy was just not well thought-out:
1) how the heck does he know what Reverb can do? Reverb was Zoom's second-in-command, but it didn't seem like that was public knowledge (Iris didn't recognize Cisco). I don't see why Harry would know anything about his powers. Furthermore, Harry came to Earth-1 early on - how would he know that Reverb can sense breachers? Harry wasn't even part of the team that faced Reverb on Earth-2.
2) Harry just happened to have downloaded Hunter Zolomon's news story into his watch? With full-body, color pictures of Zolomon's parents? Maybe I could buy it if he prefaced it by saying, "Jesse had to do a report on him once." Otherwise, there's no way I'd buy him having that downloaded unless his watch is also holding the sum total of all scientific knowledge on Earth-2. Having the projected news article didn't really add anything since most of it was in flashback anyway. Using his parents was a horrible idea anyway, but if they really needed to do it, I could buy Harry telling the story verbally, and then having Iris pull the pictures from Picture News' archives.
Also, why have Harry flip flop and actually help them create the breach? Helping Barry if he is able to open the breach is different from actually helping with the opening. Cisco could've fixed his vibe-glasses himself, and Harry could've just come back and said, I'm not helping you open the breach, but I will help you prepare a plan so that when you open it we are not sitting ducks for Zoom.
Normally I love and adore Barry's speeches - the one about Harry? I wanted to jump up and applaud. But this time Barry's motivational speech to Cisco felt perfunctory and fake - It felt fake because Barry's never been afraid of his powers. He's only been afraid of not being strong enough to save people. It would've been nice for him to acknowledge that (i.e., my fears are different, but I couldn't be who I am without you - you've been with me every step of the way encouraging me), instead of trying to shoehorn it in that he's got the same fears as Cisco. Also, the quick segue into asking Cisco to try again made the whole speech feel manipulative, like, yeah, yeah, we got the same fears, but I'll be here for you, now can you help me get what I want done.
As for the actual plan and execution... *sigh* they all seem to have collectively lost their brains. This is a villain who's already broken Barry's back once, and now you find out he's a serial killer to boot. How do you not 1) plan ahead what you're going to do with him (kill him? pipeline him? give him to Earth-2 police to deal with?), and 2) plan for contingency upon contingency for when he comes across?
All the ideas Cisco and Caitlin throw out when it's too late? why weren't those discussed before opening the breach? Instead of throwing everything possible at him (they have a trap specifically built for a speedster, special speed dampening serum, a speed-siphoning gadget, pulse rifle, etc.), they use the boot, a gadget that has already failed once before. I mean, they have what they believe is his DNA - why wasn't Caitlin making something that specifically targets him? (This could also be why it fails - not because the team rolled over and gave up, but because they didn't know about the second Jay, and maybe the DNA is wrong because of the changes caused by the particle accelerator. This would be a way of having them fail to contain Jay without it being the fault of a stupid plan, just inaccurate information.)
Argh - and the entire thing about the team just hanging out with Zoom while they wait for Barry to give up his speed???? WHUT????? C'mon, if someone kidnaps your family member and uses coercion to get you to agree to do something, that's an invalid deal and you should punch him in the face once your family member is safe. Or even if they won't want to tarnish Barry by having him go back on his word, certainly Harry or Joe could've just shot Zoom.
Do the writers just not care that their bad writing makes Barry look like an idiot? And it's like, just a few minor changes and you could do the exact same thing but not have your hero act totally stupid. Like, just keep threatening Wally until Zoom actually gets the speed force, so I don't have to sit there staring at my screen yelling the hostage is safe; someone shoot the bastard!
Finally, how is it that they haven't found Jesse yet? C'mon, they have facial recognition software and can hack any computer. They have Vibe, who can communicate with someone on another Earth! And all they're doing is sending a photo to overworked cops in other towns? At least show the team doing something more to help Wells find her.
Wow, ok, that went kinda long, and kinda ranty. I guess I can only say that I criticize because I love the show and the characters, and this ep could've been so much better.
OMG WHUT?!?!
But before we get to that, positive squee first, because I love the characters and their interactions:
Love, love, love Barry his delightful expressions. I can ignore what's coming out of his mouth this episode because I'm distracted by his long, long lashes.
Yay for Cisco developing his powers (and equating himself with Anakin Skywalker), and for the Barry & Cisco interactions other than the big motivational speech. I especially loved the first time Cisco tries to open the breach, and Barry's there and closes his eyes like he's sending good vibes to Cisco.
So much love for Harry & Joe having a conversation in which neither of them gets punched in the face or shot at.
I adore the close relationship between Barry & Joe, and love that Barry can give him advice that Joe actually takes, and that Wally called Joe "dad."
Iris was gorgeous and I'm so glad she didn't go on her date with sexual-harassment!Scott. (But I neeeeeeed her to do more than just be a romantic subplot for Barry & why does she come to help & then just sit and chat with Caitlin.)
More critical comments, because the plot/ writing made me want to throw something at the writers:
Harry as random exposition guy was just not well thought-out:
1) how the heck does he know what Reverb can do? Reverb was Zoom's second-in-command, but it didn't seem like that was public knowledge (Iris didn't recognize Cisco). I don't see why Harry would know anything about his powers. Furthermore, Harry came to Earth-1 early on - how would he know that Reverb can sense breachers? Harry wasn't even part of the team that faced Reverb on Earth-2.
2) Harry just happened to have downloaded Hunter Zolomon's news story into his watch? With full-body, color pictures of Zolomon's parents? Maybe I could buy it if he prefaced it by saying, "Jesse had to do a report on him once." Otherwise, there's no way I'd buy him having that downloaded unless his watch is also holding the sum total of all scientific knowledge on Earth-2. Having the projected news article didn't really add anything since most of it was in flashback anyway. Using his parents was a horrible idea anyway, but if they really needed to do it, I could buy Harry telling the story verbally, and then having Iris pull the pictures from Picture News' archives.
Also, why have Harry flip flop and actually help them create the breach? Helping Barry if he is able to open the breach is different from actually helping with the opening. Cisco could've fixed his vibe-glasses himself, and Harry could've just come back and said, I'm not helping you open the breach, but I will help you prepare a plan so that when you open it we are not sitting ducks for Zoom.
Normally I love and adore Barry's speeches - the one about Harry? I wanted to jump up and applaud. But this time Barry's motivational speech to Cisco felt perfunctory and fake - It felt fake because Barry's never been afraid of his powers. He's only been afraid of not being strong enough to save people. It would've been nice for him to acknowledge that (i.e., my fears are different, but I couldn't be who I am without you - you've been with me every step of the way encouraging me), instead of trying to shoehorn it in that he's got the same fears as Cisco. Also, the quick segue into asking Cisco to try again made the whole speech feel manipulative, like, yeah, yeah, we got the same fears, but I'll be here for you, now can you help me get what I want done.
As for the actual plan and execution... *sigh* they all seem to have collectively lost their brains. This is a villain who's already broken Barry's back once, and now you find out he's a serial killer to boot. How do you not 1) plan ahead what you're going to do with him (kill him? pipeline him? give him to Earth-2 police to deal with?), and 2) plan for contingency upon contingency for when he comes across?
All the ideas Cisco and Caitlin throw out when it's too late? why weren't those discussed before opening the breach? Instead of throwing everything possible at him (they have a trap specifically built for a speedster, special speed dampening serum, a speed-siphoning gadget, pulse rifle, etc.), they use the boot, a gadget that has already failed once before. I mean, they have what they believe is his DNA - why wasn't Caitlin making something that specifically targets him? (This could also be why it fails - not because the team rolled over and gave up, but because they didn't know about the second Jay, and maybe the DNA is wrong because of the changes caused by the particle accelerator. This would be a way of having them fail to contain Jay without it being the fault of a stupid plan, just inaccurate information.)
Argh - and the entire thing about the team just hanging out with Zoom while they wait for Barry to give up his speed???? WHUT????? C'mon, if someone kidnaps your family member and uses coercion to get you to agree to do something, that's an invalid deal and you should punch him in the face once your family member is safe. Or even if they won't want to tarnish Barry by having him go back on his word, certainly Harry or Joe could've just shot Zoom.
Do the writers just not care that their bad writing makes Barry look like an idiot? And it's like, just a few minor changes and you could do the exact same thing but not have your hero act totally stupid. Like, just keep threatening Wally until Zoom actually gets the speed force, so I don't have to sit there staring at my screen yelling the hostage is safe; someone shoot the bastard!
Finally, how is it that they haven't found Jesse yet? C'mon, they have facial recognition software and can hack any computer. They have Vibe, who can communicate with someone on another Earth! And all they're doing is sending a photo to overworked cops in other towns? At least show the team doing something more to help Wells find her.
Wow, ok, that went kinda long, and kinda ranty. I guess I can only say that I criticize because I love the show and the characters, and this ep could've been so much better.
