The Flash Season 1 Episode 22 Review: Rogue Air
Carissa Pavlica
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There was a lot going on in that hour, wasn't there?
As a matter of fact, The Flash Season 1 Episode 22 felt a little bit like a finale, of sorts. At least as far as a few of the storylines go for the season.
Unless I'm reading it all wrong, for the time being we've put a cap on the metahumans and the Rogues, Iris and Eddie, as well as the Reverse Flash (in the present).
Let's hit the Rogues and the metahumans first. It was obvious there was going to be nothing but pain from partnering with Captain Cold, but it certainly made sense from a logistical standpoint why Barry wanted to give it a go.
It also made for some fun, cheesy moments with the Snarts and all the comedic lines we love so much from our beloved Cisco Ramon. With Captain Cold moving to DC's Legends of Tomorrow (that title is terrible) next year, I wonder who will take his place to keep things light in Central City.
It was kind of ironic that Joe equated Barry's attempt to find Cold useful as similar in tone to the Arrow's darkness. That's never an equation I would have made. Snart is nasty, but hardly as dark as the fellows Oliver deals with on Arrow. It's hard to imagine him in the same room with the League of Assassins (well, at least how I originally imagined them, anyway).
Overall, Snart did us a favor letting the metas go. Since he's taking off to the other series, now the metas we've already met have to be recaptured. They know what lies ahead if they're caught, so they might try harder not to be the next time around. They should make for longer term villains with this new lease on life.
Does anybody else get the impression that Iris might hold what happened with Eddie against Barry? Granted, it's not Barry's fault, but I could see her cross the though of having no say in her own future. She hasn't wanted to admit her feelings for Barry despite his many attempts to get her to do so, and now she'll feel forced by fate to be aiming toward a particular destiny. That's kind of an ugly position be be thrust into.
Even so, Eddie had a point. He did always feel odd around Barry and others did try to tell him there was an issue with Iris and Barry. You can't blame him for running away given the evidence before him. It would have feel futile to fight against his gut and what felt like an immutable fate.
It still feels far too early for Barry and Iris to walk off hand in hand in happiness, so something has to come between them. Fighting against fate just to prove your path isn't carved in stone is a pretty good way to keep them apart for the near future.
Then we have Eobard hiding in plain site inside STAR Labs, getting the particle accelerator up and running and the big show down.
Honestly, it's no surprise that he was inside the entire time. There is no security there. Half of Central City's homeless population should be inside those walls by now, if not all of them. When Iris walked in again this hour, I figured she'd finally been given a key. Except I'm 100% positive the same cannot be said for Leonard and Lisa Snart, who also just popped in.
They're working with incredibly risky business inside that place, as well as attempting to maintain The Flash's secret identity and keep a bunch of metahuman criminals safe and secure. Well, not anymore, but you get the point. How did they expect to do that with the revolving door on the front? It's laughable.
If they weren't so interested in keeping things hushed up, I'd suspend my disbelief and let it go, but they spent an entire season keeping Iris in the dark, so I know it's not something they're hoping leaks to the public. Disbelief will not be suspended.
When Barry finally saw Eobard outside, it was awfully darned convenient that Firestorm and Arrow popped in right at that exact moment, wasn't it? Talk about good timing! Did Barry make an appointment with Eobard or did it happen naturally...it was a little confusing.
Despite the weird nature that began the final battle, it was fun seeing the three of them fight, especially Oliver as Arrow as Al Sah-Him because I wondered how in the heck he hoped to have anything to offer in the battle. Thanks to Ray Palmer and his nanites, Oliver slowed him down long enough to beat him up a bit and he even put the final arrow into his back.
So Eobard is down. For now. For how long? I guess we'll find out soon enough. The finale sure as heck indicates Barry is going back in time. I hope a lot of the finale is spent back there and something really surprising happens, and that if Barry changes time, it's only because of what he does while there and it's not merely by going back that time is altered. We cannot have him come forward and erase the last year or something. Just no.
I'm a little frightened by what lies ahead.
Other bits:
- Iris still uses the mail. A lot. But now she'll REALLY have no use for those 2000 return mail stickers!
- They addressed Oliver being in Nanda Parbat AND Barry helping him out in tomorrow's finale.
- They used Ferris Airfield. Hopefully it's a different one, being 600 miles away from Starling City...
- Cold as Ice by Foreigner was playing in the bar when Captain Cold and Barry chatted. It's the little things.
- Cisco named the Golden Glider!
What did you think of this pre-finale? What are your predictions for the finale? Hit the comments to chat about it!
Don't forget that you can watch The Flash online any time via TV Fanatic!
Here is your first look at The Flash Season 1 Episode 23:
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.
