THE FLASH 7.10

 

RECAP - THE FLASH  7.10:  "Family Matters Part 1"  

Is it ME...or has Barry Allen made a litany of poor choices lately?  It seems as if The Fastest Man Alive has been extremely SLOW upstairs.  Since he's gotten his speed back, he's made a series of miscues, and looks one step behind every situation he's in.  This week, he continues to not be able to make the right choices, and it's putting him....AND Team Flash...in a bad position.  You have Alexa, whom Barry and the team are now trying to help in gaining control of Fuerza---the Strength Force---and Psych...the Sage Force....on the loose.  The Still Force---Deon---has now been confronted by Nora---The Speed Force---and she's ready to kill him.  And while ALL of this is going on----Cisco is pondering his next move with Kamilla, and Joe has a situation of his own brewing....

Barry...for all the good he tries to do, can often times be a little TOO much for people.  Such as the case THIS week in preparing Alexa to try and control Fuerza in preparation for any confrontation with Nora.  While Nora talks to Deon about Barry, and how they BOTH feel abandoned by him, and she's trying to get him to her side, Barry is putting a TON of pressure on Alexa to train in the use of her abilities in order to be ready for when Nora makes her move.  However, Barry comes off as ultra pushy, and a real dick.  We all get that Barry always puts the weight of the world on his shoulders...when he honestly doesn't HAVE to.  But Barry is sooooo overridden with guilt for all that's transpired, that when it comes time to prepare either the team, or someone like Alexa in the use of their abilities---he comes on too strong, and it has a negative backlash.  He didn't see this entire episode just how much pressure and stress he put on Alexa in order for her to get control of her other self.  Much like how he was with his daughter Nora back in Season 5, he gets to be too authoritarian, and puts undue pressure on those who are just learning about what they can do, and ends up stressing them out more.  In a failed attempt to get control of Fuerza, Barry was insistent that Alexa keep working, despite not understanding how scared she is at losing control.  She's under enough stress, and Barry just adds to it this episode.  Thank goodness for Caitlin putting him in his place to get him to see that he can rush her into this situation, and can't press her to get it right.  Once Barry learns to back off, and let Alexa figure it out ON HER OWN...we see the results later on.  

Iris and Barry explain to Alexa that she...like Psych, Deon, and Nora...are all connected because of what Barry and Iris did in reviving the Speed Force---they all share a genetic code.  So while Barry and Iris are somewhat "parents"...Nora, Deon, and Alexa are like their "children".  Nora is pissed off at Barry, and they're trying to keep tabs on her before she does some real harm.  On top of that, Team Citizen is investigating a crime...as is Barry in CSI mode...a rich guy who got put into a coma.  There starts to become a pattern when several OTHER rich individuals all turn up in the hospital in deep comas...mostly due to undue stress and fear that has put incredible stress on their bodies.  Through tracking down the clues, Iris and company discover that the person behind the attacks is Psych.  They do more digging into his human past, and find out that he's named Bashir, who has had it out for rich people for quite some time.  Turns out through Team Citizen's investigations, that his adopted parents were billionaires, but through shady dealings, had lost their money.  Those around him in school made fun of him, and when his parents died in a plane crash, he was orphaned again.  And those he thought were his friends seemed to turn their back on him.  So, he's out for revenge, and it turns out that all his victims were members of and Ivy League club he once belonged to.  He manages to claim another victim--a female--before Iris could try to talk him down.  He looks to go after her, but Flash arrives in time to save the ladies before Psych whammies them.  Psych then demonstrates a new power, and attacks Flash with these purple tentacles.  Flash suffers some bruising, but knows that Psych has got to be put down before he grows stronger.  

Cisco is having something CLOSE to a mid-life crisis---but not quite.  As Kamilla's career outside of Central City is taking shape, she's found opportunities in South Beach, where she can work.  She's kind of dropping not-so-subtle hints to Cisco about moving there.  Cisco does think it's nice, but he's also unsure about who and what he is.  For so long, he's been defined by STAR Labs, and what he's done with Team Flash, that he doesn't even know what exactly he's qualified for.  Kamilla assures him that he doesn't have to rush to make this decision.

As Team Flash prepares to face Psych one more time, Joe has had his own battle to fight:  with Agent Kramer, who is not going away quietly.  She starts inquiring about past metas such as Rainbow Raider, and Joe refuses to answer her about him, and also questions him about Patty Spivot and Julian Albert, both of whom were "reassigned".  Kramer's suspicions about the CCPD's connections to the metas also leads her right to a big target for questioning:  Barry Allen.  What Joe also discovers is extremely disturbing, as he sees weapons in the armory that are made to have ammo geared to shooting the metahuman cure at any meta criminal.  It appears that Kramer as the backing of the Governor of the state, and this doesn't sit well with Joe at all.  Joe talks to Cecile about investigating her, but Cecile puts the brakes on that idea, saying that Kramer is crafty, and she's now got the Governor on her side.  Cecile says that he gotta let her get to the truth on her own.  

Team Flash has found out where Psych plans on striking next.  As he stops his last classmate on the highway, his classmate looks to try and reason with him.  But Psych isn't having it, and just as he's about to induce his fear power on him, Flash and Alexa...who decides to go, save the last victim, and try to talk Bashir down.  He's isn't reasonable at first and attacks Flash, but Alexa brings Fuerza forth (by talking to her with Cait's old device to help her talk to Frost), and she convinces Bashir to stand down.  They tell him the truth about all his friends actually setting up a fun for him after his parents died to help him, but they never got a chance to tell him about it.  They also inform him about Nora's rampage, and want him to come back with them.  He agrees, and eventually, his victims revive.  Once back at STAR Labs, they fill him in on what's happening with Nora and Deon.  He's still not 100% board, but he doesn't get much more to say as Nora and Deon show up.  She says this is all on Barry, and she starts draining power from Bashir, Alexa, and Iris.  They all collapse because Deon all froze them in time, including Barry...who couldn't do anything.  Once they disappear, Barry snaps out of being frozen, only to see Iris and his "children" collapsed...unsure if they're dead or not.

Joe and Kramer have one last talk...and Joe reminds her of what he said about making sure she's on the right side of the line.  She says this is how it is now.  So, Joe turns in his badge, and his gun, and quits the CCPD, and walks out of the station as his fellow officers watch him leave.  Joe plays the only cards he has in his hand, and leaves the CCPD, as Kramer watches on.  

This episode is part one of a two-part arc that---HOPEFULLY---will end this whole Speed Force/ Sage Force/Strength Force/Still Force nonsense.  A rogue Nora Force just seems a tad cliche', and it's yet another person in Barry's life that betrays him.  It seems that this show falls back on that trope A LOT.  The concept has lost it's bite, and I'm kinda done with the "let's find someone close to Barry to stab him in the back later" concept.  And I get that, in a subliminal way, that treating these people like Barry and Iris' "children" is, in a manner of speaking, preparing them for their eventual parenthood when Bart arrives...along with Nora down the road....but this story just hasn't captivated me as much.  I was hoping for something with a little more substance and bite after the whole ordeal with Mirror Monarch.  But this story is just leavving me a tad lacking upon further reflection.  Now, if this leads to Godspeed and Bart...then I'll be okay.  But see, here is my OTHER problem:  shouldn't all of his be effecting Wally too?  Why isn't HE involved?  He's just as much a part of the Speed Force as Barry is.  It's a missed opportunity to give us an update on Wally, and to find out whether or not he's tethered to Barry's new Speed Force.  And I feel he'd be much better suited for this mission than anyone ELSE on Team Flash...especially with HIS zen-like wisdom. But I DO hope this wraps up soon...it's stalling the show out badly.

We are seeing the seeds further planted for Cisco's departure, but it appears that they'll drag it out long enough to get through the last 8 episodes (this season is slated for an 18 episode slant), and have his departure be a big, emotional one---Cisco DOES deserve that.  I also noticed that Chester took a back seat this week, in order to allow Cisco's final days to be told as a part of Team Flash.  It's good to see Team Citizen at work, and actually doing some investigating.  I love watching the ladies work...it's a nice break from seeing everything take place primarily at STAR Labs.  Plus, it also allows us to see Barry and Iris interact as reporter and CSI...working a case together in a sense.  

Joe blew us all away by quitting the force, but Cecile convinced him that there had to be a better way to get to Kramer other than investigating her, and nailing her to a wall.  She's got too much power now, and she's going to abuse the hell out of it now, considering the fact that the Governor will more than likely make her Captain of the department.  Joe leaving takes away Barry's shield from Kramer's prying eyes, and he's going to have to maneuver deftly around her to be able to function not only as a CSI...but as The Flash as well.  Sadly, we're also seeing that Kramer is no different from Black Lightning's Chief Ana Lopez...a good cop obsessed with destroying metahumans because of the fact they BOTH suffered tragedies due to metahuman interference.  It's unfortunate that we have two women in power who THINK they're for justice, but it's actually revenge, retribution, and prejudice BECAUSE of the other two.  Lopez has already fallen down the well, having been caught on a live stream courtesy of Jennifer Pierce, and exposed for what she is...and now she's taken metahuman genes to give her temporary powers, so that she can exact her revenge against Lightning.  I wonder how long it will be before Kramer crazily deduces that the only way to destroy the metahuman presence is by also destroying the so-called "source"...STAR Labs...and, possibly, The Flash himself?  Something to think about for down the road. 

Either way, I DO hope the show picks up steam in this last half, because it's kinda lagged and I've been treating it with a lot more kid gloves than I should've.  How about you?  Do you feel how I feel or do you feel differently?  I'm curious to hear YOUR thoughts and theories, and please do so by subscribing to the blog and dropping me a message below. 

Until next time....Keep on running!