The Flash: Rogue Air
May 13, 2015 5:18 AM - Season 1, Episode 22 - Subscribe

Barry and his allies try to prepare for the Reverse Flash's endgame, but their only way forward may be through Captain Cold and his Rogues.

This episode finally puts the particle accelerator prison to bed without ever answering The Pooping Question (which is probably for the best) and features not one but two team-ups -- Flash and the Rogues, which goes about as well for the good guys as you'd expect, and then the fight everybody's been waiting for. Discussion questions include "Why in God's name did Barry think teaming up with the Snarts was his best option?" and "Who shoots a speedster and then walks away without checking the body?"
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish (20 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
I get the impression there were a lot to scenes that had to be cut along the way, and presumably, all the legal/moral conversations about the pipeline were among them. Or at least I hope so, because having them all crammed into this episode and executed half-heartedly at that was a little awkward, though they did the best they could re: Joe saying "I thought the plan was rehabilitation" etc. But even that's not that great, because poison gas guy is just, well. Motivelessly homicidal. And it's true that Mardon could destroy the city, but the others, not so much, I think. As people have noted, Shawna shouldn't have been in there to begin with, and she only attacks Caitlin BECAUSE they locked her up.

Also, I have like, no memory of eye laser guy. Was he maybe in an intro to an episode as being put away? Did they just have him around because they didn't want any of the other potential rogues to get freezerayed in the face?

I almost feel sorry for Barry, as the show means us to. He's not a strategic thinker, especially under stress, and then to find out at the end that it wasn't even part of a WellsThawne nefarious plan ... ok, I gave an uncharitable lol.
posted by automatic cabinet at 7:10 AM on May 13, 2015 [1 favorite]


I liked that they finally addressed the whole "STAR Labs is totally a metahuman black site" and "maybe keeping out of the Iris of the loop was a Bad Idea" stuff pretty well. I really liked Wentworth Miller, who was easily the best thing about this episode, so much so that I wish they had done a "Rogues" spinoff rather than the Mehstice League. I wasn't a big fan of bringing Arrow and Firestorm in, though, as apart from the nanite arrows they were so useless that they could easily have saved them for the season finale/backdoor pilot.
posted by zombieflanders at 7:14 AM on May 13, 2015


Also, I have like, no memory of eye laser guy. Was he maybe in an intro to an episode as being put away? Did they just have him around because they didn't want any of the other potential rogues to get freezerayed in the face?

It wasn't just me! For a while I thought it was supposed to be Rainbow Raider but after he showed up separately I was just clueless on Budget Cyclops.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 7:15 AM on May 13, 2015


Also, for all that Legends of Tomorrow has a strange concept, Wentworth Miller and Victor Garber bouncing off each other for 13 episodes is going to be great.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 7:16 AM on May 13, 2015 [2 favorites]


For a while I thought it was supposed to be Rainbow Raider but after he showed up separately I was just clueless on Budget Cyclops.

It was also momentarily confusing because I never got a good look at Rainbow Raider without his glasses on, and was somehow mentally-visually confusing him with Robin Lord Taylor, the guy who plays the Penguin on Gotham (which I don't even watch, I don't know what's wrong with me) and actually he looks nothing like that.

Also, now that I'm thinking of them, the scene didn't really suggest that Rainbow Raider used his powers on Mardon and Poison Gas guy to make them fight, and they knew each other from before + they're both fighty anyway, but they did have a quick shot of him smirking to himself in the truck and I find it funnier that to believe that he did and no one picked up on it.

I wasn't a big fan of bringing Arrow and Firestorm in, though, as apart from the nanite arrows they were so useless that they could easily have saved them for the season finale/backdoor pilot.

They defeated the Reverse Flash with the power of friendship! THAT'S what makes you different, Barry!! You have friends! /mild despair at show
posted by automatic cabinet at 8:14 AM on May 13, 2015 [2 favorites]


On the plus side, fans finally got the expanding suit from the ring, which I honestly wasn't expecting.

What was wrong with Robbie Amell? He looked like he was having trouble walking. I don't remember Firestorm lumbering like Frankenstein in past episodes. Also how did Oliver get the message Barry needed help? Does the League have an answering service for its 1-800 number?
posted by sardonyx at 10:24 AM on May 13, 2015


How to improve transportation of meta-humans:

1. Move them one at a time, least dangerous to most dangerous. That way if the containment fails only one has to be dealt with. Faults in the system can be discovered early on low-risk prisoners.
2.Secure them. Wrap them in rope, chains, hand cuffs, full body restraints and duct tape. These are dangerous people so you don't want them running around if they wake up.
3.Block their powers physically. Two of them have eye related powers, spray them with pepper spray preemptively and make them wear head gear that covers their eyes.Put the gas one in anything air tight with a canister of oxygen. Cisco could probably build something so he couldn't suffocate or break free.
4. Have a guard inside to monitor the situation, adjust restraints and subdue the prisoner if necessary.
5. Don't use third party technology. Cisco was not trained or qualified to use futuristic technology and his setup failed. (Captain Cold claimed responsibility, but as we know he is a liar). Cisco should have used a power source he was familiar with.
6. Don't hire someone who starred in Prison Break to assist you in transporting prisoners.
posted by FallowKing at 11:18 AM on May 13, 2015 [11 favorites]


Also, I have like, no memory of eye laser guy. Was he maybe in an intro to an episode as being put away? Did they just have him around because they didn't want any of the other potential rogues to get freezerayed in the face?

Deathbolt was introduced in an episode of Arrow.
posted by homunculus at 1:00 PM on May 13, 2015 [2 favorites]


Ah, that's good to know. I was really happy to see Doug Jones on the show, but couldn't remember him being on The Flash. (He's a great character actor who has mostly appeared behind various masks.) I could hardly remember half the rogues they were transferring, either. I do think that they slid past the questionable morality of locking up these bad guys in those horrible little cells a little too easily. They could have tied the entire DCU together with the introduction of a single super powered prison, but instead we've got the 'heroes' resorting to black opsite containment. Welcome to the post-911 world, but at least there wasn't some mega corporation running it. The STAR labs I remember from the comics (in the 70s and 80s) was way more benign.

It really made no sense to me for the Flash to get Snart involved. Cisco could have made another cold gun and handed it to Joe.
posted by Catblack at 3:48 PM on May 13, 2015


Cisco could have made another cold gun and handed it to Joe.

Or Joe could have just used a regular gun... the cold gun seems equally lethal.
posted by FallowKing at 4:31 PM on May 13, 2015


Man, talk about awkward timing for Ra's al Arrow to show up in a crossover storyline, eh? (Sorry, that only makes sense if you're following both shows.)

I was so distracted by Firestorm's terrible low-budget outfit compared to Flash's stretchy leather ensemble and Arrow's new Black Cowl of I'm-Not-Batman-Darkness in this episode; I really hope Robbie Amell & Victor Garber get better tailoring on the spin-off show.

Also, poor Eddie. He went through nine circles of hell and dehydration just to end things with Iris post-rescue. That guy's the most realistically written character on the show, and he's also the only person who didn't treat Iris like some sort of inanimate object or child until the ep before this one.

I hated his character at first, but he's really grown on me.

Lisa Snart was channeling some young Jessica Walters realness last night -- I was getting Lucille Bluth/Mallory Archer vibes watching her alternately sneer and purr at everyone.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 4:37 PM on May 13, 2015 [4 favorites]


If you're going to run to try to save your blasted-away teammate, Barry, maybe get there before he slams into the building. Stopping the subsequent fall seems like little help.
posted by phearlez at 9:07 AM on May 15, 2015


Also how did Oliver get the message Barry needed help? Does the League have an answering service for its 1-800 number?

How did he get there at all? Wasn't he in pseudo-India with the League of Snappy Dressers, waiting to get on a plane?
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 3:39 AM on May 16, 2015


The joke was made upthread about Barry having the power of friendship, but I really liked that there was no macho BS "this time it's personal" thing happening at all. Barry knew he couldn't get Wells alone, and knew that he probably could with help. That's a very unusual note in a narrative like this, and one I thought was nice to see (even if it was also kind of a commercial for the Legends show, which sounds great).
posted by kittens for breakfast at 5:17 AM on May 16, 2015


Also, poor Eddie. He went through nine circles of hell and dehydration just to end things with Iris post-rescue. That guy's the most realistically written character on the show, and he's also the only person who didn't treat Iris like some sort of inanimate object or child until the ep before this one.

Okay, no, this is a thing I have to rant about. Iris is so poorly written because she's less of a character than a plot device and an object for the (mostly male) characters to obsess about. I am SO GLAD she's on the team and figured it out for herself and is working with Caitlin and maybe will be more of a character in S2. BUT this Eddie breakup is totally bullshit and worse, totally bullshit on Eddie's part. Eddie is pissed because she marries Wally in some future that we don't know for sure is even going to happen. Or maybe she married him and he died. But Joe turned Eddie down for his blessing and Thwells showed Eddie some stuff that hurt his fee-fees pretty badly and Eddie now has to make it all about his Noble Sacrifice because he loves her SO MUCH. No, that is passive-aggressive bullshit. He's upset because he thinks she loves Wally more, or better, or something. Own it, Eddie. You have been the stand-up dude for most of this season (you failboated by not telling Iris but at least you objected), so don't fuck it up NOW.

GRRR I like this show but the Iris stuff makes me so mad. /here endeth today's rant
posted by immlass at 9:45 AM on May 16, 2015


Does the League have an answering service for its 1-800 number?

1-800-NDA-PRBT

Please be aware that our menu options may have changed.
For The Demon's Head, press 1.
For the operating hours of the Lazarus Pit, press 2.
All other calls, press 3.
posted by Servo5678 at 1:27 PM on May 16, 2015 [3 favorites]


1-800-NDA-PRBT

There is no NDA about Nanda Parbat. Everybody knows how to get there and how to get in and out.
posted by immlass at 1:36 PM on May 16, 2015 [3 favorites]


Immlass, I think... we agree? My comment was about how realistic Eddie's character seemed to me, and you say he's also a stand-up guy but that Iris' character is poorly written (I 100% agree with you on that, by the way -- she seems less like a person and more like a plot device to me as well).

I think this last ep is supposed to be the turning point where Eddie ditches the nice-guy act and Eobard's ancestor takes form.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 8:55 AM on May 19, 2015


Trailer for Legends of Tomorrow is up.

It may or may not be from the finale(s) of Arrow and/or The Flash, so I can't guarantee there's not any spoilers in there (especially if you haven't watched the current season of Arrow), but it actually looks OK. We'll see how it ends up working out next year, I guess.
posted by zombieflanders at 10:38 AM on May 19, 2015


Real scorpion & frog vibe from Capt. Cold.

Legends looks really cheesy. Really, really cheesy.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:40 PM on May 19, 2015 [2 favorites]


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