Episode 2 was just kind of the same things that we saw in Episode 1, only, this time we were given more of a reason to feel for Detective West rather than see him as just a surrogate father figure for our super-hero. He defined his role in Barry's life and really had some emotional moments with the new super-hero.
That said, this episode was just as good as the pilot. It was just as light-hearted, funny, and had great action, featuring the super-villain Multiplex in a pretty cool way. It was impressive to see him clone himself live-action as well as to see how Barry fought against him. It was in a way that it made sense. Yes, Barry is faster than the speed of sound, but not faster than the speed of thought, which is all it takes for Multiplex to multiply. In a pretty cool moment, Barry speed-punches Multiplex, but then two more pop out of his back. It was neat.
The episode actually starts off jumping right into Barry being a super-hero, running into burning buildings and saving people. Apparently, though, this comes at the frustration of a certain Caitlin Snow, who is kind of all mad that Barry has been deciding to help people rather than solely fight super-heroes. Kind of a mean thing to say...
Goodness! Where'd that come from...?
To counteract Killer Fr--I mean, Caitlin's negativity, though, we've got Cisco putting off some positive Vibes (too easy) by saying it's pretty cool what Barry's doing.
Barry returns to a crime scene and discovers that there was a shooting that took place involving six men when it was previously believed there to be only one. Also, we find out that Eddie Thawne works pretty tight with Det. West. How old is this guy, anyway, to be such an official? He looks older than Barry but that's not saying much given how Barry looks like he's supposed to be in high school. I don't know, that kind of bothers me, particularly given who the character is in the comics (which, I probably shouldn't spoil, but I more or less gave away Killer Frost...consistency yay!).
For a good chunk of the episode we see Barry struggling to tell Iris about his powers since he keeps standing her up for various study dates. It's refreshing to see their relationship beyond Barry just wanting to be with her and it's great to see it on a professional level. Also Iris is a journalist. Great.
The emotional brunt of the episode comes when Multiplex arrives at the company of Simon Stagg and tries to have him killed. Barry saves a cop and pursues, only to pass out after running fast. West berates him for using his powers and tells him that he can't use his powers like this or he'll end up being killed, which really hits Barry hard and makes him start to doubt himself.
It's also worth noting that throughout the episode, there are flashbacks to when Barry was a kid, similar to the island flashbacks on Arrow. Honestly, I'm kind of not digging them. They don't really bring much to the table that isn't already shown in the present. You don't really have to show us some of the stuff in the flashbacks when it's already clear West and Barry have had it rough ever since Barry's father was wrongfully arrested. The flashbacks worked in the pilot because they showed what happened the evening Barry's mother was killed, it gave us insight and truth into the night. These flashbacks, well, establish an already established relationship. Perhaps if they'd followed Barry more than West they would be better, but who knows. I just think the creators are drawing too many cards from Arrow when the show can easily carry itself.
Anyway, West, Thawne, and Stagg all try to sneak Stagg out in case Multiplex arrives, and guess what, he does! Barry goes to try and help but is defeated and barely manages to escape Multiplex. He deems himself too weak for the job, deciding to quit the battle against meta-humans since he is indeed way over his head. Wells goes to see West and tells him that West is the only one that can pull Barry from his slump, to get him back in the game.
West does just that, in a pretty emotional moment where he tells Barry that the cops can't fight these things, but that Barry has, and always will, have the power to stop them. And so, Barry charges into battle, returning to save Stagg and stop Multiplex. The fight is pretty great, seeing as how Multiplex has made so many copies of himself that he is pretty much scoping out the building with his clones. In the battle we learn that he was trying to make a replicate heart for his dying wife before it was all taken from him by Stagg. Well, I suppose it adds some level of caring to a character who was otherwise just a cool special effect. And it makes Stagg seem like more of a corporate jerk.
Regardless, Barry is able to find the will to win and does. However, Multiplex says, "nah," and runs out the window, Barry unable to save him since Multiplex forces Barry to lose his grip. The death shakes Barry, but makes him realize that greater challenges lie ahead in the meta-human based city.
West returns to Barry's lab in the loft and tells him that he will help Barry to uncover the real killer of his mother and free his father, revealing that he knows about the newspaper clippings and detective work Barry's been doing on the side. Hopefully this means a lot less whining from West about meta-humans and more cool cop stuff. To get Thawne involved...for reasons...mwahahaha
The episode ends with Cisco properly naming Multiplex and Caitlin deciding she wants to be a part of Team Flash, telling Barry to go get the bad guys and stuff. However, it's not over yet: Wells goes to see Stagg, and when Stagg reveals he wants to take down the Flash and use his body for scientific purposes, Wells kills him and says that the Flash must remain safe, ominously ending the episode.
Well, this just makes things more confusing. Whereas last week it seemed Wells was a villain from the future, now Wells is a killer-guardian of the Flash from the future. This presents a new theory to me, and it's one that's a bit of a stretch but whatever: what if Wells is Barry from the future? I mean, if Barry vanishes from the future, there has to be a reason why. Perhaps he travelled back in time. For what reason? Perhaps to help his past self defeat the upcoming Reverse Flash...?
Or he could be old Wally West. Wally...West...Wells? I don't know, I'm speculating. For all I know he's controlled by Brainiac. But, what I do know is that Ronnie Raymond is showing up next week, which means we are almost literally halfway there to a full Firestorm! Hooray!
Also, Cisco's "captain clone" line was funny considering Captain Cold is coming up.
If you want to stay up to date on when posts go up, or just want random thoughts, follow me on Twitter @seanovan13 and on Instagram @seanovan10. Thanks for reading!
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