Amon Warmann | On 24, Dec 2014

Warning: This contains spoilers.

When The Flash debuted back in October, we noted how impressed we were with its confidence in tone and identity. Now that we’re at the mid-point of the first season, it’s perhaps even more notable to observe just how far it’s come in such a short time. The Man in the Yellow Suit is a jam-packed, largely excellent episode to ring out 2014 on.

The chief focus of the hour was the first appearance of Reverse Flash – the “some might even call me the Reverse” line was perfect – and he more than justified his billing as this season’s big bad. The battles were impressively rendered once again – the VFX team have gotten better with the stopping and slowing of speed over the course of the season – and at episode’s end, Barry had gotten his ass handed to him twice with no clue as to who the villain is under the mask (more on that later). The Reverse Flash’s brute force really only served to underline the threat he poses too, and it’ll clearly be some time before Barry is able to challenge him.

Although we didn’t get Barry telling Iris about his extra-curricular activities, he did finally tell Iris about his true feelings for her. Despite some sterling work in this episode to justify the sibling-like relationship between the two, that storyline has been the weakest element of the show, so if nothing else, Barry’s confession is a good way to shake-up the dynamic as we move into Season 1.5 next year.

There are also two significant, well-written scenes between Barry and his Father(s) in this hour, both of which are quietly moving and acted brilliantly by everyone involved. The flashbacks worked really well in in Episode 9 too, with a very tender scene with young Barry and his mother staying on the right side of mawkish.

The one element of the mid-season finale that did fall a little flat was Caitlin reuniting with Ronnie. Save for Ronnie’s last second intervention in the episode’s closing minutes, that entire plotline felt like it was shoehorned in from another episode, a notion only heightened by the fact that Cisco and Caitlin don’t bother to include Barry or Wells in their discovery. Additionally, the scene where Caitlin first encounters her ex-fiancé was strangely edited and cut far too soon.

The mid-season finale also left us with a tantalising tease of Harrison Wells, who is seemingly revealed as the Reverse Flash. We’re calling it now, though; this is a fake-out, albeit a clever one, that keeps up the intrigue in regards to Wells’ true intentions. It’s also nice to see the show fully embracing its fantastical nature, with Cisco’s theory on there being a second speedster on the night Nora Allen was killed all but confirming time travel. Could Barry be chasing his nemesis through time trying to stop his Mother’s murder?

Either way, it’s been a fun opening batch of episodes for The Flash, and we’re excited to see how it develops in 2015.

The Flash is available to watch online on NOW, as part of a £7.99 monthly subscription – no contract. Sign up before 27th September and new customers will only pay £1 for their first month.

 

Where can I buy or rent The Flash online in the UK?

The Flash is available to watch online on blinkbox, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play and iTunes.

 

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