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The Flash: Negative, Part Two

“What’s the matter, Flash? Can’t finish the job?”

The Flash did the impossible. They took multiple (and seemingly disparate) threads and tied them into a nice neat bow to end the season. This is the first time in forever that the finale felt like a fitting culmination of all that came before.

I tip my hat to the Powers That Be for laying the groundwork for this story well over a season ago and for making the back half of this season a direct consequence of Barry’s choices in Armageddon. Severing Thawne from the Negative Speed Force upset the cosmic balance of the universe. It also gave the Negative Forces a way to seek payback that they never considered. And as I said last week, the Still Force allowed them to plant the seeds for that payback whenever they needed.

At its core, this was a test of Barry’s core beliefs. Thawne has always sought Barry’s destruction and has never had any qualms about killing the people Barry loves to do it. And he’s not lying when he tells Barry he won’t stop till one of them is dead. Is that a good enough reason for Barry to kill?

The answer is, obviously, a resounding “No!” To kill Thawne is to become him. However, it is not clear whether Barry would have come to that conclusion on his own. As Cecile was quick to point out, Barry wanted revenge at least as much as he wanted to protect his city. Besides, does it matter if Barry’s desire to “end this” didn’t include Thawne’s death if it still led to the destruction of Central City as it most assuredly would have done without Iris’ timely intervention?

In the end, TPTB doubled down on the idea that Barry and Iris together are the Flash. The time stone saved her because her job was not done. The world still needs the Flash, and that means Iris must live. I get the idea that Barry’s love for Iris grounds him, but they’ve taken it to a whole new level these last two seasons, between the creation of the Forces and her ability to rekindle their “spark.” I’m not complaining, but if his powers were jumpstarted by particle accelerated lighting, what is her origin story?

At least they explained Cecile’s upgrade. Of course, Psyche would pick someone with psychic abilities to tether himself to. Two things stuck out for me about this storyline. The first was the idea of Cecile’s unlimited potential. They obviously have big plans for her next season, which is a huge departure from the comics. That Cecile’s only superpower was of the legal variety. The second was the idea that Cecile could succeed where Bashir failed because she cared about people. I believe that comment was to remind us of Cecile’s goodness, but the implication that Bashir has no empathy is kinda frightening.

The one person who got short shrift was Meena. She watched the man she loved get torn apart before her eyes, but the pace of the story never allowed her to grieve properly. To add insult to injury, she had both her invention and her speed taken away. I know it was never her desire to be a speedster, but it was her last connection to Eobard. Given all of the above, I found her equanimity in the face of Barry and Iris’ reunion a little hard to swallow.

I take it back. Joe also got the short end of the stick. He had no arc this season. He was dead for the first half and was a glorified advisor to both his children and Kramer for the second half. There was little else they could do other than show his anguish over his daughter’s possible death in the finale, so I’ll give them a pass. Hopefully, he’ll have more to do next season.

Speaking of next season looks like we'll have to wait to get a resolution on who stepped out of Mark’s CRC. We can be reasonably certain it is neither Caitlin nor the Frost. But claiming to be a friend of Mark’s doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll be a friend to Team Flash. Have we just witnessed the birth of an actual Killer Frost?

As an individual episode, it was enjoyable and well-executed. However, it shines as the capstone for one of the strongest seasons in years. Overall, this season was consistent, well crafted, and always felt like character was driving the plot instead of vice versa. Plus, all the callbacks to previous seasons and visitations of old friends like Damien Darhk, Ray, and Diggle made my heart go pitter-patter. Was it perfect? No. But it was what I hoped for, but no longer dared to expect.

4 out of 5 time stones

Quotes:

Iris: “Does that mean I’m dead too?”
Damien: “No. What happened to you is far more interesting than that."

Meena: “Promise me when you find that bastard, you’ll never let him hurt anyone else ever again.”

Queen: “So, you’re the guy that gave her all of our powers... Thanks.”
Bashir: “You're... welcome?”

Negative Bashir: “Eobard can’t come to the phone right now. He’s going through some changes.”

Negative Deon: “Time to tip the scales.”

Barry: “It’s all my fault.”

Nora: “Shrap, that’s Thawne!”
Bart: “Who’s his new tailor, Satan?”

Damien: “Ennn, thanks for playing. Wrong answer.”

Allegra: “Did it work?”
Cecile: “I sure as hell hope so.”

Thawne: “Who’s faster now, Flash?”

Barry: “I’m done fighting you.”

Thawne: “It’s not supposed to end like this.”

Shari loves sci-fi, fantasy, the supernatural, and anything with a cape.

2 comments:

  1. Congratulations on finishing another season, Shari! I'll admit that I dropped The Flash for purely practical reasons -- as in, I moved to a new home and cut the cord. No more cable. And the ads on The CW app drive me nuts. I am hoping to get to this season later, when it is accessible to stream without commercials.

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  2. Thanks, Billie! This was one of the better seasons. I think you'll enjoy it.

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