Family and love. Death and loss. These have been the pillars of this post-Armageddon season. They both balance and reinforce each other. A life without the former is not a life worth living. However, they lead inexorably to the latter. And the people left behind must continue on amidst their grief.
This is where we find Team Flash. Valiantly trying to protect their city while mourning a person they considered family. Valiantly but not successfully. There are no A and B plots here. No diversion from the simple story of a family working through their pain and loss. Even the villain of the week’s brief appearance only serves to show the damage Frost’s death has caused.
Barry understands his team is hurting but believes they need to power through their grief in order to keep the city safe. Joe, ever the wealth of experience, counsels that they can’t protect their city until they begin to heal. That journey will be as different for each of them as was their relationship to Frost.
For someone so adept at ferreting out the truth, Iris is a master of self-deception. She claims her attempts at writing Frost’s obituary are thwarted by her need to protect her relationship to Team Flash. So, she passes off the task to a subordinate.
Yet, Iris seeks out Carla to tell her what she already knew. The article lacks the connection a friend or loved one could bring to it. Iris is forced to admit her grief stems from not knowing Frost well enough to do her obituary justice. Her admission reveals her way to honor Frost. Iris invites the people who Frost touched to share their stories. So that she and the rest of Central City could know Frost a little better.
Chester and Allegra still can’t admit how they feel about each other. So, they do the next best thing. Fight. They express their anguish by bickering with the one person they know, however unconsciously, will always forgive them. Even Mark, who is wallowing in his own grief, recognizes that. Once Chester and Allegra reach the same conclusion, they find their way to remember Frost.
Given his penchant for drunkenness, thievery, and violence, Mark is a fount of good advice for Team Flash. Barry, like the other members of the team, takes Joe’s words to heart. He finds Frost’s Bucket List, completes it, and wonders why he still feels so empty. Mark reminds him that as much as Frost loved the adventure of new experiences, it was her love for her family that mattered most. Barry realizes that caring for the people Frost loved is how he heals.
Caitlin is the person Frost loved most and the one most devastated by her loss. Barry realizes that giving Caitlin space has cut her off from her family and friends. Caitlin’s refusal to attend the funeral is a way to deny both Frost’s death and her own pain. Barry does what Frost can’t. He pulls Caitlin out of her shell.
Thanks to Barry, Caitlin delivers a moving eulogy that epitomizes the journey she and the rest of Team Flash have taken. They may still be in mourning, but they have healed enough to work together to protect the city they and Frost loved. They have each found their way to move on. Or have they?
Why say goodbye to Frost if you can bring her back? Caitlin realizes that despite all Mark’s advice, he is the only other person desperate enough to help her.
Plotwise, not much happened. Although there were reminders of things to come. Namely, Iris’ ongoing temporal issues. And, lest we forget, Taylor’s vow to undermine Allegra at Central City Citizen. It appears both may be resolved in the next few episodes.
Instead, we took another deep dive into grief. Once again, I’m reminded of just how much tragedy Team Flash has faced both individually and collectively. At the very least, they should all be in therapy for PTSD for the rest of their lives. While that would make a rather dull show, I’m glad they made time to show the impact of loss.
3.5 out of 5 fuzzy navels
Parting Thoughts:
Our villain of the week was a deep cut from the comics. Mark Desmond AKA Blockbuster
Quotes:
Barry: “This isn’t a normal job.”
Blockbuster: “Pathetic. Worst heroes ever!”
Carla: “She didn’t give a damn what people thought. She just wanted to protect them.”
Allegra: “I don’t need you Runksplaining hummus to me.”
Allegra: "Sweet dreams, party god."
Barry: "I know how to honor her memory. But it seems impossible."
Mark: “What’s impossible for the Flash?”
Caitlin: “I suppose it’s no use shutting the door on someone who can phase through it.”
Mark: “That’s not too creepy or anything.”
Caitlin: “I’m gonna bring Frost back. And you’re going to help me.”
Shari loves sci-fi, fantasy, supernatural, and anything with a cape.
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