The Flash: The Man in the Yellow Suit
December 10, 2014 2:30 AM - Season 1, Episode 9 - Subscribe
Barry realises that he actually doesn't know how to fight, but at least he sucessfully navigates the treacherous waters of the friendzone. Joe totally plays favourites with his kids. Wells continues to be a smarmy creepy freak. Everyone has eggnog.
I was lucky that we had eggnog in the house or this episode would have been torture. I thought it was a solid episode, and I'd agree that even the declaration of love, which still had me cringing, was handled better than it usually is. I hope the show moves away from that arc, though. It's unpleasant to watch and taps into some unpleasant cultural stuff, and it also reminds me of myself when I was 15 which is a mostly unforgivable sin. I'm glad to have the Wells reveal formally out of the way, since there's still a ton unexplained in that scene where they briefly capture Reverse Flash. Like the AV Club, I'm assuming time travel is the culprit.
It's impressive how quickly this show has found its feet, and I think, right now, it's a better show than Arrow. It's figured out how to walk to the line between comic goofiness and fun and television well, and in a year where Arrow has been darker than usual, I'm enjoying that. They've even managed to find a role for Cisco that doesn't make me want to murder him, which I wasn't expecting a couple episodes in. We'll see if that can manage to keep that balance once the time travel and psychic gorillas become explicit.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 5:49 AM on December 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
It's impressive how quickly this show has found its feet, and I think, right now, it's a better show than Arrow. It's figured out how to walk to the line between comic goofiness and fun and television well, and in a year where Arrow has been darker than usual, I'm enjoying that. They've even managed to find a role for Cisco that doesn't make me want to murder him, which I wasn't expecting a couple episodes in. We'll see if that can manage to keep that balance once the time travel and psychic gorillas become explicit.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 5:49 AM on December 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yeah, perhaps unsurprisingly I agree with Bulgaroktonos; I'm actually enjoying Cisco now which I did NOT see coming, and I'm finding the Ronnie stuff interesting (I am also enjoying The Flash more than Arrow but I tend to prefer goofy to gritty so that's to be expected). I LOVE Joe and I just want him to be okay, and I'm glad they've gotten one of the two huge Everyone but Iris Knows things out of the way and didn't really stress the other one too much so I could have an episode where I just liked her and didn't yell at the screen about how they are making her stupid.
I also thought the fight with the Reverse Flash was nicely foreshadowed by the Arrow crossover episodes; Barry really doesn't work hard at being the Flash and so far it's all been like a game to him, so having him recognize that this is serious business is working for me. I think it creates a really nice opportunity for character development and for him to step up his Flash game and I'm looking forward to seeing where the show goes as Barry starts taking his powers seriously.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 6:31 AM on December 10, 2014
I also thought the fight with the Reverse Flash was nicely foreshadowed by the Arrow crossover episodes; Barry really doesn't work hard at being the Flash and so far it's all been like a game to him, so having him recognize that this is serious business is working for me. I think it creates a really nice opportunity for character development and for him to step up his Flash game and I'm looking forward to seeing where the show goes as Barry starts taking his powers seriously.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 6:31 AM on December 10, 2014
At this point, my working theory is that Eddie Thawne will become Eobard Thawne/Reverse Flash and that Wells is Professor Zoom. I am not sure whether Zoom will come down on the side of intentional villain or deranged fan/admirer wreaking havoc, though. And I don't have an explanation that fits my theory that would explain the connection between Thawne and Wells.
So really, I don't have much, just a feeling that there is both a straight up Reverse Flash (who the name connection suggests is Eddie) and that Wells isn't that guy, but is likely a related, more morally ambiguous entity.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:43 AM on December 10, 2014
So really, I don't have much, just a feeling that there is both a straight up Reverse Flash (who the name connection suggests is Eddie) and that Wells isn't that guy, but is likely a related, more morally ambiguous entity.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:43 AM on December 10, 2014
oh dear god
it's a gold band. Must be a replica of the one you lost 10 years ago!
it's the best microscope on the market - out of box! Yeah i just swiped it off the shelf at MicroMart, hope all the pieces are there.
posted by rebent at 7:47 AM on December 10, 2014 [4 favorites]
it's a gold band. Must be a replica of the one you lost 10 years ago!
it's the best microscope on the market - out of box! Yeah i just swiped it off the shelf at MicroMart, hope all the pieces are there.
posted by rebent at 7:47 AM on December 10, 2014 [4 favorites]
Oh yeah, that was irritating -- if she actually got him the best microscope on the market she is clearly a secret supervillain because that's the only way she could afford it.
Actually I would kind of love that, if it turns out Iris knows everything and is manipulating everyone, cackling behind the scenes.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 7:59 AM on December 10, 2014 [3 favorites]
Actually I would kind of love that, if it turns out Iris knows everything and is manipulating everyone, cackling behind the scenes.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 7:59 AM on December 10, 2014 [3 favorites]
Yeah, I'm of the Wells is not Reverse Flash - he just has the suit - and Eddie will become Reverse Flash at some point in the future camp. Eddie's Flash Task Force will crash and burn, Iris will leave him for Barry, and Eddie will learn the Flash's identity right when he's at his worst. Wells will get him the suit and newly minted Reverse Flash will go after Barry and will lose due to Barry having actually been training. Reverse will then somehow go back in time to stop young Barry/take away his mom/etc, Flash will manage to save his young self, and Eddie will go off to get Real Good/become unstuck in time until he shows up to steal the tachyon macguffin.
Reverse stays vibrating so that his past self will not see what he's become, thus preventing the birth of the Reverse Flash in the first place. Wells, who has access to the suit now (and was charging it up with the macguffin), pulls the strings easily being very smart and also from the future.
Also, someone needs to make an animated gif of Jesse L. Martin bashing on all sorts of technology with that comically oversized wrench.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:37 AM on December 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
Reverse stays vibrating so that his past self will not see what he's become, thus preventing the birth of the Reverse Flash in the first place. Wells, who has access to the suit now (and was charging it up with the macguffin), pulls the strings easily being very smart and also from the future.
Also, someone needs to make an animated gif of Jesse L. Martin bashing on all sorts of technology with that comically oversized wrench.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:37 AM on December 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
Ok, you all clearly know comic-based stuff about all this that I don't because I'm totally confused as to how Wells could end up with both the suit and the tachyon thing. I had assumed Wells WAS the yellow suit guy who killed Barry's mother and threatened the cop, until there he was fighting the guy.
posted by dnash at 9:47 AM on December 10, 2014
posted by dnash at 9:47 AM on December 10, 2014
I had assumed Wells WAS the yellow suit guy who killed Barry's mother and threatened the cop, until there he was fighting the guy.
He still could be! Because time travel.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 10:25 AM on December 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
He still could be! Because time travel.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 10:25 AM on December 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
My impression was that the guy in the yellow suit was built better than the actor playing Wells, and had more the build of the actor playing Eddie. I know, suits, blur effect and all... but I am still thinking that Wells is Barry come back in time, and that Eddie will turn out to be the Reverse. There's also this from wikipedia on Zoom: "He is able to use a machine to amplify the suit's speed energy, providing the abilities of the Flash as long as he wears it. In the process, the colors of the costume reverse..." which partly fits into what we saw -- but note that when Barry first sees the guy in the yellow costume (before he chases him to the stadium, on the rooftop) his costume seems to have more yellow at the bottom than it does later. I'm almost convinced we are seeing two Reverse Flashes, one who is after the Macguffin, and one who is after revenge.
posted by Catblack at 11:28 AM on December 10, 2014
posted by Catblack at 11:28 AM on December 10, 2014
So Firestorm is officially a character on the show now. It will be interesting to see if Caitlin ends up the way she does in the comics.
posted by homunculus at 12:07 PM on December 10, 2014
posted by homunculus at 12:07 PM on December 10, 2014
I guess if Wells is Professor Zoom, he is quite possibly an admirer/imitator of The Flash who goes a little bananas and orchestrates a bunch of terrible shit happening to him to "make him a better hero." Therefore time travel, therefore enabling Thawne/Reverse Flash, etc.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:20 PM on December 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:20 PM on December 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
I wish Sisco would give me a nickname.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:23 PM on December 10, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:23 PM on December 10, 2014 [3 favorites]
This show continues to pleasantly surprise me. Barry finally confesses his love to Iris, but he does so acknowledging that she's with Eddie, and expecting nothing. And then he wishes Iris and Eddie well, like an actual decent human being.
Agreed. I like that Barry Allen is actually shaping up to be a good person - it's one of my favorite things about this show. I hope that DC is maybe getting the hint that not all of us want everything grimndark all the freaking time, too - while I enjoyed the Arrow crossover, it also convinced me to pass on actually watching Arrow.
I guess if Wells is Professor Zoom, he is quite possibly an admirer/imitator of The Flash who goes a little bananas and orchestrates a bunch of terrible shit happening to him to "make him a better hero." Therefore time travel, therefore enabling Thawne/Reverse Flash, etc.
From Wells' magic computer in his Forbidden Room of Mystery, it's pretty clear that the Flash goes missing in about a decade. It looks to me like Wells is trying to orchestrate events so that Barry is better prepared for that event in particular. In the power loss episode, the 'red skies' event wasn't even mentioned, and Wells steered history back toward it.
posted by mordax at 3:32 PM on December 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
Agreed. I like that Barry Allen is actually shaping up to be a good person - it's one of my favorite things about this show. I hope that DC is maybe getting the hint that not all of us want everything grimndark all the freaking time, too - while I enjoyed the Arrow crossover, it also convinced me to pass on actually watching Arrow.
I guess if Wells is Professor Zoom, he is quite possibly an admirer/imitator of The Flash who goes a little bananas and orchestrates a bunch of terrible shit happening to him to "make him a better hero." Therefore time travel, therefore enabling Thawne/Reverse Flash, etc.
From Wells' magic computer in his Forbidden Room of Mystery, it's pretty clear that the Flash goes missing in about a decade. It looks to me like Wells is trying to orchestrate events so that Barry is better prepared for that event in particular. In the power loss episode, the 'red skies' event wasn't even mentioned, and Wells steered history back toward it.
posted by mordax at 3:32 PM on December 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
He still could be! Because time travel.
Oh, and on top of that? It might have been the plan to get Reverse Flash out of the force field all along. (Getting beat up by the man in yellow could be a preemptive move to remove suspicion that Wells is involved with him. He's done crazier stuff on screen.)
posted by mordax at 3:34 PM on December 10, 2014
Oh, and on top of that? It might have been the plan to get Reverse Flash out of the force field all along. (Getting beat up by the man in yellow could be a preemptive move to remove suspicion that Wells is involved with him. He's done crazier stuff on screen.)
posted by mordax at 3:34 PM on December 10, 2014
The ease with which we saw Mustard kill those armed guards earlier makes it kind of obvious that the attack on Wells was not intended to be lethal.
Kind of annoyed Barry decided to tell Iris while holding on to her. That has to be awkward. At least we can maybe move on for a while, hopefully?
Also not super impressed with Barry using threats with the support of the police to get people to reluctantly turn over their property for some stupid sting operation.
posted by ODiV at 11:31 AM on December 11, 2014
Kind of annoyed Barry decided to tell Iris while holding on to her. That has to be awkward. At least we can maybe move on for a while, hopefully?
Also not super impressed with Barry using threats with the support of the police to get people to reluctantly turn over their property for some stupid sting operation.
posted by ODiV at 11:31 AM on December 11, 2014
OH SHIT
Did my theory (I've been calling it since episode three or four) possibly come true?
posted by Kitteh at 5:17 PM on December 11, 2014
Did my theory (I've been calling it since episode three or four) possibly come true?
posted by Kitteh at 5:17 PM on December 11, 2014
Kind of annoyed Barry decided to tell Iris while holding on to her. That has to be awkward. At least we can maybe move on for a while, hopefully?
I sincerely wish they would not get together. Shows break canon all the time though, so... here's hoping.
Did my theory (I've been calling it since episode three or four) possibly come true?
What's your take?
posted by mordax at 6:03 PM on December 11, 2014
I sincerely wish they would not get together. Shows break canon all the time though, so... here's hoping.
Did my theory (I've been calling it since episode three or four) possibly come true?
What's your take?
posted by mordax at 6:03 PM on December 11, 2014
I have been positing that Harrison Wells is Reverse Flash for a while as I do not buy for one second that it is this version of Eddie Thawne. Wells has a vested creepy interest in ensuring Barry's future disappearance that I don't think is quite as kindly as one could wish for. While it sounds daft, I think Wells is grooming Barry to be a worthy nemesis for that future.
My money is on time travel for the Yellow Suit's appearance as well.
posted by Kitteh at 5:31 AM on December 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
My money is on time travel for the Yellow Suit's appearance as well.
posted by Kitteh at 5:31 AM on December 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
Gotcha. I definitely agree Wells is someone from Flash's rogue's gallery, out to shape events.
The only fly in the ointment with Eddie not being involved is the man in the yellow suit sparing him, but there are multiple possible explanations for why he could have, if he were a past or future incarnation of Wells.
While it sounds daft, I think Wells is grooming Barry to be a worthy nemesis for that future.
Well, we do know that's the motivation of at least one classic Flash enemy. (I think he's trying to save the Flash, but for his own ends - possibly a 'nobody kills him but me' riff, as those are classic in the genre.)
posted by mordax at 12:16 PM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
The only fly in the ointment with Eddie not being involved is the man in the yellow suit sparing him, but there are multiple possible explanations for why he could have, if he were a past or future incarnation of Wells.
While it sounds daft, I think Wells is grooming Barry to be a worthy nemesis for that future.
Well, we do know that's the motivation of at least one classic Flash enemy. (I think he's trying to save the Flash, but for his own ends - possibly a 'nobody kills him but me' riff, as those are classic in the genre.)
posted by mordax at 12:16 PM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
My money is on time travel for the Yellow Suit's appearance as well.
That pretty much has to be true, I think.
posted by mordax at 12:17 PM on December 15, 2014
That pretty much has to be true, I think.
posted by mordax at 12:17 PM on December 15, 2014
Oh yeah, that was irritating -- if she actually got him the best microscope on the market she is clearly a secret supervillain because that's the only way she could afford it.
That seriously chapped my ass. Nobody on that show could google up what a scope really costs? Could figure out some other science-y thing to have her give him that would make more financial sense?
The simple solution would be for it to be, say, from their old high school's fundraiser sale of old equipment. But that's too much a parallel with Barry's sentimental gift (though it would have worked for the Realization Of Love we'll someday be saddled with), I suppose.
posted by phearlez at 11:50 AM on December 23, 2014
That seriously chapped my ass. Nobody on that show could google up what a scope really costs? Could figure out some other science-y thing to have her give him that would make more financial sense?
The simple solution would be for it to be, say, from their old high school's fundraiser sale of old equipment. But that's too much a parallel with Barry's sentimental gift (though it would have worked for the Realization Of Love we'll someday be saddled with), I suppose.
posted by phearlez at 11:50 AM on December 23, 2014
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I know I have low expectations on this, but it's unsual that a TV show actually meets them.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 2:37 AM on December 10, 2014 [5 favorites]