The Flash: Attack on Central City
February 28, 2017 7:55 PM - Season 3, Episode 14 - Subscribe
Grodd and his army of gorillas bring the battle to Earth-1, but the Flash and his team try to stop them before they destroy Central City...
Meanwhile, Gypsy returns to join the fight; and Jesse Quick decides she wants to stay with Wally on Earth-1. (Also HR celebrates Friends Day.)
AV Club recap - The Flash thwarts an underwhelming gorilla invasion in a needlessly downbeat episode
Den of Geek - Review: Grodd returns with a veritable army of super intelligent gorillas on the latest episode of The Flash and In Grodd We Trust - 8 Great Plots by the Simian Mastermind
Meanwhile, Gypsy returns to join the fight; and Jesse Quick decides she wants to stay with Wally on Earth-1. (Also HR celebrates Friends Day.)
AV Club recap - The Flash thwarts an underwhelming gorilla invasion in a needlessly downbeat episode
Den of Geek - Review: Grodd returns with a veritable army of super intelligent gorillas on the latest episode of The Flash and In Grodd We Trust - 8 Great Plots by the Simian Mastermind
When wintertime rolls around, the gorillas simply freeze to death.
posted by FallowKing at 1:57 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by FallowKing at 1:57 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
A lot of it felt really forced: Vibe needing Gypsy for example. I'm sure he could have come up with Solovar's location without her. And how would she know it anyways? That was a big one, but there were little ones as well, including Jesse having such a hard time understanding the differences in war history between the two earths (by that point in the movie, it should be pretty obvious where it was taking place and the context of the war). We also didn't need to see Gypsy interacting with Earth 19's speedster (the figure in yellow and red) before Cisco showed up. I'd be happier if they tied off some loose ends, including the proposal, before starting new threads.
Speaking of that stupid cliffhanger, I don't think Barry has considered the easiest way to change the future. If I remember correctly, the future paper used the byline Iris West-Allen. That presumes Barry and Iris get married. What if they don't get married? Or at least don't get married before the date she is supposed to die? Would that be enough of a change in their personal histories to divert the timeline? Instead, it seems Barry is trying to play directly into the script the timestream has already set for him. (Speaking of Barry and Iris, how much income do they have if they can afford a two-floor condo? Iris certainly isn't making big bucks, so Barry must be hauling it in hand over fist.)
I do want to point out that finally, for the first time ever in this show, somebody has acted like an adult while handling a relationship problem and not lied or hidden the truth from the person they love. Hallelujah, Wally West. You can pass go, collect $200 and earn your grown-up merit badge. Sure he tried to avoid telling Jesse what Wells said, but when pushed he admitted to what he heard and why he was suggesting she stay on Earth-2. And good on Jesse for immediately confronting her dad and not dragging this scheme out over the course of the next three episodes. (Of course, given the nature of the show, Wells could actually be sick, so it may not be a fake-out after all.)
I guess there was no room for Julian in this episode given how overstuffed (Grodd, Solovar, Savitar, Gypsy, dual versions of Wells, Jesse Quick, new speedster cameo) this episode was. I think that's a good thing. At the very least it puts the relationship with Caitlin on the backburner.
The silly thing is, even though the episode was bursting its seams with characters, I kept thinking to myself, Barry, you've got an army of telepathic super gorillas getting ready to rip apart your city, so maybe now's the time to call in the rest of your pals in the DCCW-verse to help. Maybe ask Oliver to get in touch with one of his magic-user friends and see if they've got some suggestions. Or at least see if Ragman would be free for a couple of days (yes I know his powers are now gone, but I'm not sure if the timelines are in perfect sync between the shows). Heck, get in touch with Stein and Jax. I'm sure Firestorm would be helpful in fighting gorillas.
mordax, you're absolutely right that they're conveniently ignoring the Barry-has-already-killed elephant in the room, but I'd bet good money, they'll keep doing that for the rest of the show. It's just not convenient to his current characterization.
posted by sardonyx at 8:21 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Speaking of that stupid cliffhanger, I don't think Barry has considered the easiest way to change the future. If I remember correctly, the future paper used the byline Iris West-Allen. That presumes Barry and Iris get married. What if they don't get married? Or at least don't get married before the date she is supposed to die? Would that be enough of a change in their personal histories to divert the timeline? Instead, it seems Barry is trying to play directly into the script the timestream has already set for him. (Speaking of Barry and Iris, how much income do they have if they can afford a two-floor condo? Iris certainly isn't making big bucks, so Barry must be hauling it in hand over fist.)
I do want to point out that finally, for the first time ever in this show, somebody has acted like an adult while handling a relationship problem and not lied or hidden the truth from the person they love. Hallelujah, Wally West. You can pass go, collect $200 and earn your grown-up merit badge. Sure he tried to avoid telling Jesse what Wells said, but when pushed he admitted to what he heard and why he was suggesting she stay on Earth-2. And good on Jesse for immediately confronting her dad and not dragging this scheme out over the course of the next three episodes. (Of course, given the nature of the show, Wells could actually be sick, so it may not be a fake-out after all.)
I guess there was no room for Julian in this episode given how overstuffed (Grodd, Solovar, Savitar, Gypsy, dual versions of Wells, Jesse Quick, new speedster cameo) this episode was. I think that's a good thing. At the very least it puts the relationship with Caitlin on the backburner.
The silly thing is, even though the episode was bursting its seams with characters, I kept thinking to myself, Barry, you've got an army of telepathic super gorillas getting ready to rip apart your city, so maybe now's the time to call in the rest of your pals in the DCCW-verse to help. Maybe ask Oliver to get in touch with one of his magic-user friends and see if they've got some suggestions. Or at least see if Ragman would be free for a couple of days (yes I know his powers are now gone, but I'm not sure if the timelines are in perfect sync between the shows). Heck, get in touch with Stein and Jax. I'm sure Firestorm would be helpful in fighting gorillas.
mordax, you're absolutely right that they're conveniently ignoring the Barry-has-already-killed elephant in the room, but I'd bet good money, they'll keep doing that for the rest of the show. It's just not convenient to his current characterization.
posted by sardonyx at 8:21 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
I kept thinking to myself, Barry, you've got an army of telepathic super gorillas getting ready to rip apart your city, so maybe now's the time to call in the rest of your pals in the DCCW-verse to help.
Yes, I was thinking this exact thing. You've got a woman who can channel the spirit of a number of animals that would wipe the floor with these gorillas, and a guy that can shoot fire. Also, Barry said "go for the legs", and then none of them, including him, did that. I was dumbfounded when he ran straight into Grogg's shield. I know the gorillas have fast reflexes, but faster than how quick the speedsters are seem implausible (I also thought this during the fight with Solovar in the last episode).
When did Barry kill? I can't remember. Was it with all the time-traveling stuff?
posted by numaner at 6:50 AM on March 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
Yes, I was thinking this exact thing. You've got a woman who can channel the spirit of a number of animals that would wipe the floor with these gorillas, and a guy that can shoot fire. Also, Barry said "go for the legs", and then none of them, including him, did that. I was dumbfounded when he ran straight into Grogg's shield. I know the gorillas have fast reflexes, but faster than how quick the speedsters are seem implausible (I also thought this during the fight with Solovar in the last episode).
When did Barry kill? I can't remember. Was it with all the time-traveling stuff?
posted by numaner at 6:50 AM on March 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
He killed the meta made from sand, whose name I've forgotten, and didn't seem particularly upset about doing so. I think he may have killed one other person as well.
posted by plastic_animals at 7:21 AM on March 2, 2017
posted by plastic_animals at 7:21 AM on March 2, 2017
I know the gorillas have fast reflexes, but faster than how quick the speedsters are seem implausible (I also thought this during the fight with Solovar in the last episode).
posted by numaner at 6:50 AM on March 2
I had exactly that same problem with the gun-to-Joe's-head situation this episide. I thought we've been shown that Barry is faster than a speeding bullet and certainly faster than a trigger finger. This shouldn't have even been a low-level threat to Joe. This was part of what I mean when I said the episode felt forced.
According to a very quick search and cursory skim of the Internet, Barry has directly only killed on villain, but I could have sworn that his body count was higher.
Kett Turton portrays Eddie Slick / Sand Demon, based on the DC Comics character of the same name.[109] From Earth-Two, Slick has the ability to turn part of his body into sand. He has had encounters with "The Flash" (Hunter Zolomon) on Earth-Two and is killed after The Flash (Barry Allen) throws lightning to his chest, shattering him like glass.
posted by sardonyx at 8:44 AM on March 2, 2017
posted by numaner at 6:50 AM on March 2
I had exactly that same problem with the gun-to-Joe's-head situation this episide. I thought we've been shown that Barry is faster than a speeding bullet and certainly faster than a trigger finger. This shouldn't have even been a low-level threat to Joe. This was part of what I mean when I said the episode felt forced.
According to a very quick search and cursory skim of the Internet, Barry has directly only killed on villain, but I could have sworn that his body count was higher.
Kett Turton portrays Eddie Slick / Sand Demon, based on the DC Comics character of the same name.[109] From Earth-Two, Slick has the ability to turn part of his body into sand. He has had encounters with "The Flash" (Hunter Zolomon) on Earth-Two and is killed after The Flash (Barry Allen) throws lightning to his chest, shattering him like glass.
posted by sardonyx at 8:44 AM on March 2, 2017
About Iris, what's kind of driving me crazy with that story is that the easiest way to circumvent that future is just to ensure Iris isn't where Barry saw her die at the moment of truth. Take a trip! Better yet: Take a trip to a parallel world. I realize Team Flash isn't the smartest, but this one isn't hard.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 9:12 AM on March 2, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by kittens for breakfast at 9:12 AM on March 2, 2017 [3 favorites]
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
* Needed either more gorillas or less.
Of course, I understand CGI gorillas - and these ones looked pretty good for TV - aren't cheap. That said, having a small war band attack a modern city full of gun-toting cops was pretty sad after seeing the hordes of them lined up last week. I feel like the episode either needed to promise fewer gorillas in the first half, (by having Grodd's plan explicitly involve a small band of saboteurs for something like the nuclear missile plot), or they needed to do a couple bottle episodes this season to save up and really go for it. Splitting the difference didn't work for me.
(I do think having Grodd use more catspaws would've been fine - the military officer he controlled was pretty hilarious.)
* Had a sufficient quantity of Harrisons Wells.
I suspect HR vs. Dick Wells is the closest we're going to get to my wish of 'The Council of Wells,' but it was lots of fun. I can really identify with them both, here - I think I'd be just *incredibly* weirded out by having a goofball doppelganger hanging around with people I used to see every day, acting all weird and comedic. Spitting in the coffee was a bit much, but I suspect I wouldn't take that any better than he did.
(Also, I suppose it says a lot about me that I immediately identify with the joyless egomaniac Wells, not the kind one who's all giving everyone handmade Friends Day cards.)
Anyway, for once, I feel like there was enough Tom Cavanaugh.
* The fixation on Barry not killing felt outta place.
I don't mind the discussion, but Barry has totally killed people before. I feel like if they're going to have that talk, they have to acknowledge that, rather than pretending it never happened.
* I agree with the AV Club reviewer: we shouldn't see Solovar and Savitar in the same episode.
That really is just asking for typos.
All in all, it was all right, just not at all what the first half promised.
posted by mordax at 8:47 AM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]