The Flash
Season 2 Episode 11: “The Reverse-Flash Returns”
Directed by Michael Allowitz
Written by Aaron Helbing & Todd Helbing
Starring Grant Gustin, Jesse L. Martin, Danielle Panabaker, Candice Patton, Carlos Valdez, Tom Cavanagh
Created by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, Geoff Johns
The CW
Air Date: Tuesday, January 26th, 2016, 8:00pm
Last week on The Flash, the new meta (nicknamed Turtle) just might be what they need to capture Zoom. He’s heisting all over, seeming to move fast, but only because he’s slowing everything else down – including Barry (Grant Gustin). Meanwhile, Barry seems like lame duck because he disappears in the middle of Patty (Shantel VanSanten) being in danger, only to save her as The Flash. She doesn’t understand what is going on with him. He is on the verge of telling all (thanks to Iris), but she tells him she’s going away to school. Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) tells Jay (Teddy Sears) she knows he is dying. Joe (Jesse L Martin) finds out about Wally’s (Keiynan Lonsdale) drag racing, and is the best dad ever in my eyes (anyway and always). Eobard Thawne (Matthew Letscher) is back!
Spoilers below.
The Flash 2.11 “The Reverse-Flash Returns” review: Turtle is dead. We know Harry (Tom Cavanagh) did it. Jay keeps trying to warn them about Harry. Harry figures out that Cisco’s trigger to vibe is adrenaline, so scares him by dressing up as Reverse Flash (yelp!). He fashions Cisco (Carlos Valdes) some vibe goggles. There he has a vision of Thawne, causing havoc once again (or once before).
Francine is dying. Iris goes to see her. And she forgives her mother. This character has really evolved from where she was at the beginning. She’s getting some of Joe’s awesome family gluing tendencies.
Barry soon runs into Thawne and is floored. Harry tells them of a mind swirling theory called “time remnant.”
Patty keeps trying to talk to Barry. He keeps pushing her away (I mean she is leaving him). But she figures the whole thing out. And he crushes her completely and STILL denies it. But don’t worry, she’s an even smarter cookie than we gave her credit for.
They all soon realize that Cisco can vibe the future. “Those goggles are getting named… immediately.” So Barry is able to capture Reverse Flash. Eobard explains his obsession with The Flash to Barry.
Uh-oh! Messing with the timeline causes Cisco to have seizures, and bleed, and start disappearing.
The only way to save Cisco is to send Thawne back to the future. So Barry catapults him there. You can see Thawne’s mind working as he says his goodbyes. Letscher is a good actor. I could see him taking mental notes that will prep him to kill this Earth’s Wells in the past and Barry’s mom.
This episode had less comedy than most (but still had some zingers a la Cisco). The time thing is messing with my brain, but I love that stuff. It makes me feel like I am at S.T.A.R. Labs working to wrap my head around some science. The more a show hurts my head, the more I love it. I feel like “Good Will Hunting” some glass with some markers to understand the time threads.
The Flash airs Tuesday nights at 8pm ET on The CW.
The CW’s synopsis:
The Flash
The Reverse-Flash Returns (Ep# 211)
HE’S BACK–� — When Cisco (Carlos Valdes) gets a vibe of Eobard Thawne (guest star Matthew Letscher), Barry (Grant Gustin) and the team don’t believe it. But, after an attack at Mercury Labs, Christina McGee (guest star Amanda Pays) confirms that the Reverse Flash is back. Meanwhile, Iris (Candice Patton) and Francine (guest star Vanessa A. Williams) share a nice moment that brings Iris closer to her brother, Wally (Keiynan Lonsdale). Michael Allowitz directed the episode written by Aaron Helbing & Todd Helbing (#211). Original airdate 1/26/2016.
Image Gallery
Videos
The Flash | The Reverse Flash Returns Trailer | The CW
Death itself is reversed on Tuesday’s new episode of The Flash at 8/7c!
The Flash | The Reverse Flash Returns Scene | The CW
Reverse Flash takes off the gloves on tonight’s new episode of The Flash at 8/7c!
So bummed about Patty! I will ask this: Barry is the Fastest Man Alive (and getting faster weekly) so why does it matter how far away she is? He’s traveled through time and flirted with alternate dimensions. With both Central and Midway Cities being somewhere in the midwest, Barry could easily be in either place in no time. They ought to try for the long distance relationship!
Comment by PAUL — January 28, 2016 @ 11:20 am