THE FLASH 7.5

 

RECAP - THE FLASH  7.5:  "Fear Me"  

It's something we ALL have....something we deal with every single day:  Fear.  Fear is a hell of a motivator, and it's also paralyzing.  And it's the latter part that Team Flash deals with this week, as they face yet a new villain who has the power to make you live out your worst fears.  As they try to figure out how to stop the giant monster they saw last week, and dealing with the death of Abra Kadabra...this new villain arrives and immediately makes trouble for everyone involved.  Plus, we get a mysterious woman from the State Logistics Department looking to talk to Joe this week, and she's piqued Iris' interest.  And then....there's the issue with the two separate personalities that are Caitlin and Frost.  

Barry is a man with a relentless desire to find out who this new monster is, WHY it was able to absorb his lightning, and what it's purpose is.  As much as Iris tries to get him to take a break, he feels he can't.  Barry is tormented this entire episode, and this new villain---Psych---exploits his fears.  First, Psych makes Flash confront both Reverse-Flash AND Savitar.  As much as Flash says he has no fear, it's Savitar that stabs him in this nightmare....only for him to snap out of it and actually be wounded.  When he, Frost, and Cisco try to stop Psych again using the mental dampeners they had against Grodd a long while back.  Those turned out to be useless, as Psyche was able to break through them, and zap the trio and make them relive their worst fears.  Frost--now separated from Caitlin--fears that she's been turned into the police for her past crimes....only to find out Caitlin was a turncoat.  Cisco's fears surround Kamilla and losing her.  But Flash's fears are the worst:  losing EVERYONE, and not being fast enough, nor good enough, to stop Psych from killing them.  

Barry doesn't want to share his nightmares, but Cecile---who was the first to feel the effects of Psych's powers when she herself had a nightmare about not being able to control her powers, tries to get Barry to open up.  She expresses HER fears, and she also lets him know that while he HAS fear, he runs towards it.  That when SHE is afraid...she wonders what HE will do.  He's worried about the Speed Force...which has returned in the form of his mother Nora, but the Force is in trouble.  It's weak, and it appears that BOTH the monster....whom Cisco dubbed Fuerza...and Psych---are a like the Speed Force...as she/it said--they're connected.  The only way Barry believes that they can stop Psych is for Cecile to connect to The Thinker's chair, and expand her powers to be able to counteract Psych's.  It works, and allows Team Flash to win, by having Psych dissipate.  But how the Speed Force is connected to Fuerza and Psych is still a mystery.  As for Cecile...she got to fully expand her powers, and managed to fight through her own fears, and did it with flying colors.  As for Barry, however, he got overwhelmed by the powers that hurt the Speed Force.  He puts himself in the bio-chamber to heal, but whatever is happening to the Speed Force is connected to Psych and Fuerza.  

The other storyline running through this week's installment was with Caitlin and Frost.  Cicsco was looking for a way to help merge the two back together, and ended up modifying the Firestorm Matrix, and was setting it to charge to use later.  However, Frost wasn't thrilled about the fact that everyone---Caitlin included---was so quick to get the two merged back together, that she smashed the Matrix to prevent that from happening.  In dealing with HER fear, she actually talked to Caitlin about it her nightmare, where Caitlin turned her into the police.  Caitlin said she would never do that....Frost is her sister, and she needs her.  At the end, Caitlin says that she can use a roommate, and that it would allow her and Frost to still be connected, while in separate bodies.  

However, things are about to get worse for Frost, as a new character hits the Central City canvas.  This Logistics Expert sent down by the Governor wasn't very forthcoming about her arrival at first, which set off Iris' alarms, urging her father to dig into her background.  Once Iris tells him that she has a military past, and that's been mostly redacted.  This expert...named Kramer...coughs up her reason for being in Central City once Joe corners her.  It turns out, she's looking to arrest Frost.  This is definitely going to create some SERIOUS problems for Joe, the CCPD, quite possibly Singh, and the Flash down the road.  

The first few episodes of this season have dealt A LOT with emotions...and the ramifications of what happens when you don't address them.  This week, it was fear.  We've KNOWN Barry's....fear of not being able to save the city, his friends, his family.  This has often been an overwhelming hinderance to Barry Allen over the course of 6 plus seasons.  But this season seems to be focusing on him trying to overcome them, and now dealing with threats that somehow seem to be connected to the Speed Force.  When Iris used her temporary powers to charge up the Speed Force machine, that lighting of different color splintered across the sky.  Not long after that, we got Fuerza....who is a Strength Force.  And then there's Psych....the Sage Force.  It will be interesting to see what OTHER Forces appear.  And how connected are they to Barry?  Another thing:  With Barry getting HIS powers back....what about Wally?  Wally has been TOTALLY  M.I.A., and I wonder if he got HIS powers recharged?  They need to address that issue before Godspeed appears (and he's comin').  

Cecile finally got to be the big hero of the piece, as she got to really stretch her powers in helping stop Psych.  And Cecile's main fear has been losing control of her powers....and becoming a villain like The Top or The Thinker.  But as long as she can rely on Barry and the team to be there, we know she won't.  

Frost and Snow as separate twins.  This will be an interesting dynamic, and I'd love to see them interact together OUTSIDE of the team....could be good for some comedy bits, as well as some great bonding for two people who are---essentially---sisters.  It seems that this was all thanks to Mirror Monarch as to why they were split apart. A few stories to mine here, but with Kramer looking to get Frost's head on a pike, the sisters are going to have to work together to keep her out of trouble.  

Allegra and Chunk were absent again as was Kamilla, and it seems that the showrunners are rotating the members of the team to fit certain scenarios during this season (and I guess cost-efficient, and ensuring they're obeying COVID protocols).  We learn that Ralph and Sue are in Europe, going after Black Hole, and we got ONE crossover reference this week, as Flash saved two members of The Crows security team that happened be travelling through Central City.  So, we've gotten SOME things to keep us connected to the rest of the Arrowverse, but there won't be any crossovers this season.  

I am sure there is an endgame to all this emotional stuff that's been happening, but I DO hope it doesn't become a crutch for this show.  And I can't say I'm all for this different aspects of the Speed Force UNLESS they're just offshoots of Barry himself.  It's hard to say, and I am sure it will make sense at the end.  But how will all of this tie into Godspeed?  And when is HE coming?  Again, a show with some emotional beats....but hoping they get this team OUT of the doldrums, and lighten things up.  We need more Cisco and Kamilla---who we have seen literally NONE of since last season.  And have we also forgotten about Jenna?  The littlest West is a good year or two old at this point---and should NOT be forgotten.  This makes Joe and Cecile look like bad parents.  Again....it's the little things that the let slip through the cracks that can bring down the show.  Plus...when you get TOO heavy on the drama, you run the risk of dragging the show down.  With The Flash....you should have a balance.  

So....what do YOU guys think of this new chapter of The Scarlet Speedster so far?  I'm curious to see YOUR thoughts on the matter, and all you gotta do is just subscribe to the blog, and leave a comment.  Or...leave a comment.  Either way, I'd love to hear from you.

Until next time....Keep on running.