The Flash: Grodd Lives
May 5, 2015 9:50 PM - Season 1, Episode 21 - Subscribe
Barry must deal with Reverse Flash's latest threat to a member of the group. To make matters worse, Dr. Wells unleashes Grodd on the city to distract Barry and the team. Joe, Barry, and Cisco head down into the sewers to catch Grodd. Barry and Iris have a heart to heart talk.
Captain Singh is now the only person living in Central City who doesn't know that Barry Allen is The Flash. Or so it seems ;)
Captain Singh is now the only person living in Central City who doesn't know that Barry Allen is The Flash. Or so it seems ;)
I think Wells (or, as Grodd calls him, "Father") told Grodd to send Eiling after the gold as a distraction. Team Flash guesses as much in the episode.
Thumbs up for Iris' righteous anger here. I guess she's all aboard for next year in the lab to offer investigative support?
How much you want to bet that Eddie kills himself to end the Eobard Thawne threat?
posted by inturnaround at 2:42 AM on May 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
Thumbs up for Iris' righteous anger here. I guess she's all aboard for next year in the lab to offer investigative support?
How much you want to bet that Eddie kills himself to end the Eobard Thawne threat?
posted by inturnaround at 2:42 AM on May 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
And Grodd is getting smarter, so he may not be at 100% just yet. Without a fully fledged Gorilla City, I dunno if we could have had classic Grodd in all his glory. I thought the gorilla animation wasn't bad for TV level animation - it was better than SciFi Channel Movie level at least.
Still, his sonic punch disarm was pretty cool. Hard even for a speedster to fight a psychic enemy.
Hope they keep Clancy Brown as the mental voice of Grodd.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 3:39 AM on May 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
Still, his sonic punch disarm was pretty cool. Hard even for a speedster to fight a psychic enemy.
Hope they keep Clancy Brown as the mental voice of Grodd.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 3:39 AM on May 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
Hope they keep Clancy Brown as the mental voice of Grodd.
I'm so used to the Justice League Unlimited portrayal of Grodd that I had a difficult time getting into this version, but it worked for me in the end. I actually gasped when Grodd caught Barry's sonic punch and then again when Grodd was pancaked by the train. At first I thought they'd made the terrible mistake of killing him off, but of course he'll be back.
posted by Servo5678 at 4:35 AM on May 6, 2015
I'm so used to the Justice League Unlimited portrayal of Grodd that I had a difficult time getting into this version, but it worked for me in the end. I actually gasped when Grodd caught Barry's sonic punch and then again when Grodd was pancaked by the train. At first I thought they'd made the terrible mistake of killing him off, but of course he'll be back.
posted by Servo5678 at 4:35 AM on May 6, 2015
The Flash's Biggest Mystery Is Finally Solved! Watch This Deleted Scene
posted by mstokes650 at 7:10 AM on May 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by mstokes650 at 7:10 AM on May 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
Second biggest mystery. How Do They Poop remains unexplained.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 7:58 AM on May 6, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 7:58 AM on May 6, 2015 [4 favorites]
Second biggest mystery. How Do They Poop remains unexplained.
Well, we saw them wheeling a cart of food in. Don't ask what's on the cart when they wheel it out.
posted by Servo5678 at 9:13 AM on May 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Well, we saw them wheeling a cart of food in. Don't ask what's on the cart when they wheel it out.
posted by Servo5678 at 9:13 AM on May 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
"Thumbs up for Iris' righteous anger here."
They redeemed much of the "keep Iris in the dark" nonsense in this episode, making it clear that it was wrong and that Joe's paternalism was inappropriate. They allowed Iris to be very angry, and they didn't present it as an overreaction. Everyone apologized and said they were wrong. That was pretty great.
Tom Cavanagh seems visible exuberant to be able to walk around and to twirl his villainous mustache. I really liked how he handled Wells's character and I'm not totally sure that it makes sense to me that he'd behave so cartoonishly given how much they went to the trouble to show that he'd become quite fond of all these people, maybe even Barry. I think Cavanagh is going a bit too far in this transformation; but then, part of the show's charm is that it's as unabashedly comics as it is.
Like others, I was ambivalent about Grodd. Some things worked and some things didn't -- both in the characterization and the CGI. I wasn't as terrified by Grodd as Joe's reaction indicates the show wanted me to be, and that was a bit of a problem. But I was more terrified by Grodd than I expected to be, so I think they did well enough.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 9:25 AM on May 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
They redeemed much of the "keep Iris in the dark" nonsense in this episode, making it clear that it was wrong and that Joe's paternalism was inappropriate. They allowed Iris to be very angry, and they didn't present it as an overreaction. Everyone apologized and said they were wrong. That was pretty great.
Tom Cavanagh seems visible exuberant to be able to walk around and to twirl his villainous mustache. I really liked how he handled Wells's character and I'm not totally sure that it makes sense to me that he'd behave so cartoonishly given how much they went to the trouble to show that he'd become quite fond of all these people, maybe even Barry. I think Cavanagh is going a bit too far in this transformation; but then, part of the show's charm is that it's as unabashedly comics as it is.
Like others, I was ambivalent about Grodd. Some things worked and some things didn't -- both in the characterization and the CGI. I wasn't as terrified by Grodd as Joe's reaction indicates the show wanted me to be, and that was a bit of a problem. But I was more terrified by Grodd than I expected to be, so I think they did well enough.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 9:25 AM on May 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
I figure much of Joe's terror came from the fact that Grodd could have forced him to shoot himself on a whim, and is also a big scary break-you-in-half supergorilla. That doesn't quite translate to being scary for a viewer, but in universe? Definitely.
Ditto on Iris finally getting to be furious at Barry. Hopefully that sets the tone for their relationship going forward, and I won't find myself muting the TV when they're alone together anymore.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 12:07 PM on May 6, 2015 [5 favorites]
Ditto on Iris finally getting to be furious at Barry. Hopefully that sets the tone for their relationship going forward, and I won't find myself muting the TV when they're alone together anymore.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 12:07 PM on May 6, 2015 [5 favorites]
I'm so glad the infantilization of Iris has officially ended, though boo to her freeing herself from ignorance via static electricity. Really, guys, Caitlin was always in as much danger as Iris was, and much more visibly associated with Dr. Wells/the Flash -- what's the point in "protecting" Iris at this stage of the game? Nobody in Central City appears to be "safe" with the apparent 1:1 ratio between regular citizens and Metahumans, anyway. Super-glad to see that plot line finally gone.
Does anyone else feel like they've taken Felicity's writers from Arrow and given Cisco a few of her personality tics? I mean, I'm okay with it but still... he's much more likeable overall this season, and I often see the parallels now between those two characters. (Sorry to cross-pollinate between shows here, but it seems apt.)
No complaints about Grodd from me. I've read/seen way to many real-life stories (like the Dallas Zoo escape/rampage in 2004) to be anything but terrified by Joe's scenario. I mean, Papa Joe was thrown around in the sewer by a super-sized gorilla, then he wakes up with broken ribs and alone in the dark, then he tries to use his gun for protection only to somehow turn it on himself and cock it... and then? Then Grodd starts telepathically speaking to him and referring to Wells/Reverse Flash as "father." Poor Joe probably pissed himself at that point, just like I would.
Here's hoping we get Grodd 2.0 next season featuring occasional Clancy Brown cameos as Grodd's man-shaped camouflage. I really enjoyed the Justice League/Unlimited storylines featuring Grodd and would love to see more fully realized supervillains on this show (besides Eobard Thawne).
Speaking of ol' Eobard, that hubris is gonna bite him in the ass soon, right? It has to -- he's gotten a bit smug lately, and that usually doesn't end well. Grodd turning on his "father" wouldn't be something Thawne could anticipate, I bet. That psychic punch reversal told me everything I need to know about how things might go down.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 3:15 PM on May 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
Does anyone else feel like they've taken Felicity's writers from Arrow and given Cisco a few of her personality tics? I mean, I'm okay with it but still... he's much more likeable overall this season, and I often see the parallels now between those two characters. (Sorry to cross-pollinate between shows here, but it seems apt.)
No complaints about Grodd from me. I've read/seen way to many real-life stories (like the Dallas Zoo escape/rampage in 2004) to be anything but terrified by Joe's scenario. I mean, Papa Joe was thrown around in the sewer by a super-sized gorilla, then he wakes up with broken ribs and alone in the dark, then he tries to use his gun for protection only to somehow turn it on himself and cock it... and then? Then Grodd starts telepathically speaking to him and referring to Wells/Reverse Flash as "father." Poor Joe probably pissed himself at that point, just like I would.
Here's hoping we get Grodd 2.0 next season featuring occasional Clancy Brown cameos as Grodd's man-shaped camouflage. I really enjoyed the Justice League/Unlimited storylines featuring Grodd and would love to see more fully realized supervillains on this show (besides Eobard Thawne).
Speaking of ol' Eobard, that hubris is gonna bite him in the ass soon, right? It has to -- he's gotten a bit smug lately, and that usually doesn't end well. Grodd turning on his "father" wouldn't be something Thawne could anticipate, I bet. That psychic punch reversal told me everything I need to know about how things might go down.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 3:15 PM on May 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
Very pleased that Iris is in on the secret, and expressed some righteous anger. Not so pleased that, other than tracking down Grodd's lair, her main contribution was to motivate Barry. I guess that's unavoidable at this point, but I hope she gets to grow beyond cub reporter/love interest.
Tom Cavanagh is the shit, and I'm glad he gets to have some real fun in the role. I expect he'll be half-defeated in the finale, disappear for a while, then maybe come back at the end of S2 or S3. I live in hope!
posted by adrianhon at 3:48 PM on May 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
Tom Cavanagh is the shit, and I'm glad he gets to have some real fun in the role. I expect he'll be half-defeated in the finale, disappear for a while, then maybe come back at the end of S2 or S3. I live in hope!
posted by adrianhon at 3:48 PM on May 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
Me no like Grodd talking like Baby Kal-El. Grodd be super genius gorilla that write differential equations on sewer walls, but no can have subject verb agreement?
posted by ursus_comiter at 8:09 PM on May 6, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by ursus_comiter at 8:09 PM on May 6, 2015 [8 favorites]
So CW just picked up the Flash/Arrow spin-off featuring Atom, Captain Cold, Heatwave, Hawkgirl, Prof. Stein and two heroes-to-be-named-later, with a title and a synopsis: "DC's Legends of Tomorrow." It'll be Arthur Davrill as Rip Hunter, who has traveled back in time to gather superheroes (and, I guess, supervillains) to fight some kind of universal time-threat.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 9:10 AM on May 8, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 9:10 AM on May 8, 2015 [3 favorites]
Good for Iris finally getting mad, but she still has no personality and no skills. Hooray, we just added another useless Laurel Lance to the team. (Okay, okay, she pays attention to the news and contributed a little knowledge here, so perhaps there is hope for her character yet.)
posted by ktkt at 8:59 PM on May 9, 2015
posted by ktkt at 8:59 PM on May 9, 2015
Bit concerned that the doubling of DC shows (Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow) bodes ill for The Flash. I heard that Arrow's quality has gone down recently as the showrunners and writers have been spread too thin. It's hard enough to run/co-ordinate/write a single good TV show, let alone four.
posted by adrianhon at 6:56 AM on May 10, 2015
posted by adrianhon at 6:56 AM on May 10, 2015
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posted by Catblack at 12:06 AM on May 6, 2015