The Flash
Season 1 Episode 18: “All Star Team Up”
Directed by Kevin Tancharoen
Written by Grainne Godfree and Kai Yu Wu
Starring Grant Gustin, Jesse L. Martin, Danielle Panabaker, Rick Cosnett, Candice Patton, Carlos Valdez, Tom Cavanagh
The CW
Air Date: Tuesday, April 14th, 2015, 8:00pm

The Flash! Oh how we’ve missed you the last two weeks! We did have awesome videos to console us like “Superhero Fight Club,” an inside look at this episode, and even got a little preview of “All Star Team Up”.

Last week we got a mega geek treat with Mark Hammil as the Trickster. We all swooned when he told his protege, “I am your father.” On top of that, the Master-Padawan moment I referenced was Dr. Wells (Tom Cavanagh) guiding Barry (Grant Gustin) on how to get to a speed to pass through solid objects, and all but said, “Feel the Force.” This led Barry to be sure that he was the Reverse Flash. Flashback to the night Barry’s mom was killed. Dr. Wells is… not Dr. Wells? We see the entire ugliness. Happy Dr. Wells was run off the road, his wife Tess died, Reverse Flash sucked the life out of him and assumed his identity, all because he got locked in the past after murdering Barry’s mom.

The Flash 1.18 “All Star Team Up” review: The verdict? This episode is deserving of the mega-buildup it generated. Each millisecond was hypnotizing.

Ok. Gross! New villain du jour causes death by bees. Shiver! Sick guest alert in Emily Kinney, formerly of The Walking Dead, as Brie Larvan aka the Bug-Eyed Bandit!

Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) walks in and she has something to show them.

Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker): “Is that a bird?”
Cisco (Carlos Valdes): “It’s a plane.”
Felicity: “It’s my boyfriend.”

Felicity brings the one liners to Central City and Cisco’s new bestie, Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh), and he brought a toy for them to play with — The Atom suit.

Although they worked the bug case as a team, the bigger picture is of course the mystery of Dr. Wells. It is an all-encompassing entity affecting every character, even those left in the dark (Iris, Caitlin, Cisco — maybe?). Cisco is having weird visions. They look like flashbacks to the day that Barry erased… the day the Reverse Flash killed him. But how could that be?

Felicity is a shoulder to Barry, and gives some great advice, and of course inadvertently makes awkward sexual innuendos. Eddie and Iris need a shoulder but don’t have one, and are both upset.

I’m sorry. I’m kinda mad at Iris (Candice Patton) for insisting on knowing when she is not that secretive. On the other hand, pretty much the whole city knows Barry is The Flash so what’s one more?

Can you tell I loved this episode? I had said that “Tricksters” was the best episode of the season so far, but it’s been knocked out by “All Star Team up.” That’s how you do it!

I have a confession. I love Arrow. I really do. The show is excellent. And Stephen Amell is divine. But right now, The Flash is winning the superhero contest in my brain.

The Flash airs Tuesday nights at 8pm ET on The CW.

Trailer

Loyalties will be tested. Sides will be chosen. The fight for the truth begins Tuesday, April 14!