The Flash Round Table: How Cool was Captain Cold?

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Here we are! With The Flash Season 1 Episode 4 Round Table, we're taking a look at the series so far, Felicity's visit and Wentworth Miller's introduction as Captain Cold, among other things. 

Join TV Fanatics Hank Otero, Tanya Moat, Narsimha Chintaluri, Jim Garner and Carissa Pavlica by participating in the discussion via the comments. We can't wait to hear your thoughts!

How did you like Wentworth Miller's introduction as Leonard Snart, Captain Cold?

Hank: I didn't just like him, I loved Wentworth Miller as Leonard Snart. He brought such a cool (pun intended) quality to the role without making Snart feel campy at all. Captain Cold could have easily come across as cheesy as Arrow's original Count Vertigo. Instead Wentworth's subtle performance and mannerisms made Snart a believable and grounded villain. Nothing cartoony about this Captain Cold!

Tanya: I thought it was fantastic. I'm honestly not overly familiar with the comic-book version of Captain Cold, but he made a great TV villain and worthy adversary. The fact that he's actually not a meta-human, but just a very good criminal with a really powerful weapon, also makes him standout.

Narsimha: I don't know if I agree with Hank that Miller's Captain Cold isn't cartoony. I thought that Miller's stoic, but often times too rigid performance made him fit into this comic book villain role even better. It added to the anesthetic. I've always thought Miller was an okay actor who was just perfect for Prison Break, and he seems to be well cast once again. I love that he isn't a meta and that he's complex in the way he tries to limit unnecessary kills, but then is smart enough to use one of Barry's weakness (his compassion) to get the better of him and doesn't hesitate in harming civilians.

Jim: Seemed on par with how we've met the other characters. I actually liked that he got away to be a recurring baddie!

Carissa: It was so smart to cast him and introduce him as the first guy who escaped Barry's clutches. Wentworth Miller was fantastic in the part, just chilling enough to be scary and yet light enough with his cool references to all things cold to keep him from being a one-not bad guy. I cannot wait to see more Leonard Snart!

What did you think about Felicity's appearance in Central City?

Hank: I'm sorry Olicity shippers but Barricity is where it's at. The chemistry between Gustin and Bett Rickards is undeniable. They're a fun pair and the two characters really get each other. I understand that opposites attract, but Iris seems like more of a sister figure to Barry. I thought it was great that she kept trying to hook him up with Felicity. That's exactly what a loving sibling would do. I hope Felicity makes it back to Central City a few more times this season. That kiss gives me hope she will.

Tanya: LOVED it! Is there anyone that girl does not have chemistry with? And it felt right that she would be the one to help ground Barry, Cisco and Caitlyn too. Out of anyone on the Arrow team, she is really the one who is most like them. She wasn't a soldier or trained by the League of Assassins, but a computer genius who became part of a superhero team. The last scene between her and Barry was so great too. And that dress. She needs to wear that back in Starling City, so both Oliver and Ray can drool (and fight) over her. Smart girl FTW!

Narsimha: Yeah, I don't know how many other shows do stuff like this (I think of like NCIS, for example) but I'm all for Felicity being a part of both teams, and shows. I love her character in general, and she obviously has great chemistry with Barry. I never understood the Felicity/Oliver angle, and I don't know why they decided to pursue that briefly this season. Well, I do, they wanted to have Ollie struggle even more with trying to maintain a real life and be the Arrow, but Felicity works as strong pillar for Oliver and he should just reciprocate that support for her (which he does try to). Felicity in both cities is where it's at!

Jim: She is soooo adorkable! Iris is right, her and Barry make the cutiest couple.

Carissa: Well, it seems unanimous. If any character should frequently cross the boundaries of the two epic series on The CW, it's Felicity Smoak. She has the right attitude for both cities. How amazing is Emily Bett Rickards that she can bring such an unconventional character to life so vividly? I can't think of another character who could have gotten Barry through what he was facing in "Going Rogue."

The episode was full of smart and funny moments. What was your favorite scene or quote?

Hank: When Felicity told Barry "I want to see it. And by it I mean your speed in case you thought I was talking about something else." Felicity is known for sticking her foot in her mouth and that translated seamlessly over to The Flash. Barry whooooshing up the building to take her photo and his sneakers smoking when he returned rocked. Yeah I loved that scene.

Tanya: Too many to even remember. I laughed when Felicity said it took more than watching Oliver on the salamander before she trusted him. The special effects were really great too, especially the scene where the train derailed and Barry was rescuing commuters.

Narsimha: As far as smart or funny moments go, of course everything with Felicity was great (Barry taking the picture at the top of the building for her, and his shoes catching on fire, was great). I love when she brings up Oliver by accident in front of the Barry's team, or when she says something along the lines of "I usually tell people Oliver's at a nightclub, with a girl, or nursing a bad hangover" and Barry responds with "none of which will work for me." Also, besides the Felicity hype, I thought it was awesome when Detective West shut down his partner's talk about dating his daughter with the "we're not friends" speech.

Jim: I have a tie. First is Felicity walking in wearing "the dress" she looked amazing. Second was her telling Barry she would cover for him and then realizing she was talking to air and saying it out loud. Again, was so adorkably cute!

Carissa: Gosh. I had 17 quotes for that hour! It took me almost two hours to watch it because there were so many great moments. I really dug the flaming Chuck Taylors and Snart's thesaurus full of cold references. Oh! And Barry's attempt to run backward on the treadmill. Even though there were some strange, hanging moments that didn't make sense, everything that surrounded them was golden.

Talk about Cisco making the gun, his reasoning and reaction.

Hank: It surprised me that Cisco was responsible for the gun, but his reasoning made sense. Interesting that Barry was so upset with him. He didn't stop to put himself in Cisco's shoes. What if Barry had turned out to be a not so nice meta-human? The fact Cisco stepped up at the end more than made up for his lapse in judgement. Also, since he built the gun he'll know how to stop Captain Cold when the time comes.

Tanya: This would be my only quibble with the episode. Maybe I misunderstood, but did Cisco make the gun after Barry woke up? If that is correct, than it seems off. Cisco by far has been the one who is the most excited by the whole rise of the meta-humans. He's a fan boy within the show. Could I see him make a weapon to fight other meta-humans? Absolutely. But one to fight Barry/The Flash specifically, no. Caitlyn would have been a more logical (although I don't think she builds things) choice as she was much slower to warm up to Barry and has a cautious nature overall. On the flip side, I am also insanely curious as to why Wells allowed Cisco to make the weapon. I know it seemed like he didn't know about it before it got stolen, but this is the guy who has a newspaper from the future and murdered Stagg before he even made a move against Barry. Doesn't he know what's going to happen? Or is the future changing?

Narsimha: The timeline of him building the gun, and how it got stolen to begin with (a guy just came in as a janitor? really?) are all a bit confusing to me. And I get why Wells was worked up over the existence of the weapon, but shouldn't he already know about it? Like Tanya said, if he stopped Stagg before he even made a move, then why didn't he know about the rise of Captain Cold.

Jim: He had valid reasons for making it and for not telling Barry about it. However, given the craptastical security they have around Star Labs, he might have wanted to lock that thing up some place he could keep a closer eye on it.

Carissa: I didn't buy the reasoning at all. If Barry was sleeping, then Cisco has no idea about other metas yet. If he was awake, then he knew him and his attachment to the Wests and Barry himself. I liked what Tanya suggested. Wells allowed him to make it, and yet he seemed truly angry when he grabbed Cisco by the arm. It's all so confusing. I am glad it was someone with a weapon built to destroy him by someone he trusted that Barry couldn't stop. It brought up a lot of important issues.

We're four episodes in and at a break already. What's working, what isn't?

Hank: The only thing not working for me is that we're at a break already. Ha! I've got zero complaints, the show is like a mini movie every week. Plus the visual effects are mind blowing, that's definitely one aspect that's working for me. I love the cast, the writing, the tone and music. The Flash is a winner!

Tanya: Overall, they are firing on all cylinders. The weakest link is Iris. Being his unrequited love interest isn't enough. She needs to be more than that and it cannot happen soon enough.

Narsimha: The Flash is good so far, mainly because of the engrossing special effects and the perfect casting of Grant Gustin as the lovable, eternal schoolboy turned superhero, Barry Allen. I'm not as enthusiastic about the series as a whole because aside from a few more instances of good casting (Detective West, Captain Cold, Wells, etc.), I see a lot of the problems that I had with Arrow; sloppy/lazy writing at times, making what should be riveting and thoroughly entertaining character development seem forced and clunky, phoned-in performances from side characters, etc. But, this show features a compelling subject that allows us to ignore that it's rough around the edges. I'm sure The Flash will keep getting better.

Jim: I think the team is working over all. And we are left wanting to know more about who Wells really is and how he has a news paper headline from the future, which keeps us coming back. The only thing I don't feel is really fitting in (at the moment) is Iris and her obsession with "the streak". Some how she's not syncing with the rest of the story to me.

Carissa: Overall, I love it. It's fabulously written, light and well produced. From a storyline perspective, it's a requirement to suspend disbelief to get through some of the rough spots, such as why Cicsco made the cold gun, why Snart didn't kill Barry when the red streak stopped in front of the dead guy, but I can dig myself out with rationalization, so it's all good!

If you find all of this scintillating and want to catch up, you can find every installment of this new series right here at TV Fanatic, so watch The Flash online now!

And now for your first look at The Flash Season 1 Episode 5, "Plastique."

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.

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The Flash Season 1 Episode 4 Quotes

The driver's at St. Andrews Hospital in stable condition. No one is exactly sure how he got there.

Eddie

The lightning didn't just give me speed, it also gave me friends.

Barry