THE FLASH 8.2

 

RECAP - THE FLASH  8.2:  "Armageddon Part 2"  

Bad enough a new guy with dubious means shows up in Central City as we began Season 8, and make things difficult for Team Flash....but within the first two episodes of this latest season, The Fastest Man Alive already has himself--AND his team--behind the 8-ball.  And it only got MUCH worse this week for Flash especially.  Tried as he might to convince Despero---the new alien being who arrived from 2031 to kill Flash before he became a supervillain and destroyed the city---Despero was keeping eyes on him as the Monarch of Motion had to battle yet a new baddie invading the city this week who could screw with people's minds---and really whammied Flash.  

Despero continues to warn Flash this week that there WILL be one thing that will make him break, and when that happens, he'll be there, ready to put an end to the Fastest Man Alive.  We see that Despero sees everything forthcoming in his mind, and is preparing to kill Flash where he stands.  He had warned  Barry that the following day will be the beginning of the end.  

Barry and the team are trying to ensure that this reality doesn't happen, as his main concern is always Iris.  Iris ensures him that she's fine and that she can handle herself.  She just wants him to find out how to stop Despero, and prevent this so-called future from happening.  So, they call upon Alex Danvers, and as for her assistance in learning about Despero.  She says that she doesn't know anything about him, but she and the new DEO will conduct some research and get back to them...and tells them to stay safe. Frost has returned, and is somewhat a voice of reason...keeping things real in the sense that they SHOULD prepare for the worst-case scenario.  Also, she pulls Chester aside, and says that he needs to build a weapon capable of killing Despero.  Chester isn't big on the idea, but Frost puts it to him like this:  they have to save Barry at all  costs.  

Things for Barry start going bad when he answers a call about a security guard at a bank who went crazy, and ended up shooting at the ceiling before trying to make off with some cash...and then collapsed.  Before Barry can go into CSI mode, Captain Kramer comes up to him, asking for his badge.  Barry is confused as to why, and Kramer says that when Carver had his little Black Hole Gang over a year ago, and had people on his payroll, they somehow believe Barry was one of them.  Barry knows it's not true, and Kramer doesn't either, but he's quickly fired, by having Kramer ask for his badge.  He relents as much as he doesn't want to, but he needs to see the guard to figure out what happened to him.  Despero is keeping eyes on him, and Barry notices.  Cecile says she's going to help Barry fight by filing a lawsuit against the CCPD.  

Caitlin then calls Barry, as he's quickly needed at STAR Labs---apparently, there's a radiation leak on the premises, and they're closing the building off, and they'll destroy it.  They can't understand how all this has transpired, and Chester notices that the wiring that supposed to tap into their warning systems is faulty.  Barry tells them to grab what they can, and he'll seal off the inner core, where Team Flash holes up their HQ.  They grab what they can, and Barry goes into the Time Vault, and orders Gideon to wipe any and all records for Team Flash---Gideon says that the only way to ensure that the records are wiped, is if she herself is destroyed---so, Barry says goodbye to his creation, and then she's ultimately erased.  Team Flash leaves their only home, and now regroups at Barry & Iris' loft.  They have to figure out what's going on, and they discover this new villain that whammied the guard is named Zotar, and she's just a thief.  When Flash goes to take her in, she zaps him, and he's instantly back at his loft---where Caitlin as a gun pointed at him, and everyone is saying that Barry came in and trashed the place, trying to kill them.  Barry has zero idea how he got there or what happened.  Caitlin scans him and believes him, but they're a bit concerned about him.  Despero shows up again, and tells his story about someone evil on his planet who tried to take it over, and though he did stop them, that person escaped and took over the planet anyway.  He then made Earth his new home, and said that he swore he'd protect it...and that means killing the Flash as soon as he goes bad.  

In Chester's garage, Allegra notices Chester is upset, and he tells her about what Frost wanted to have him do.  He says he's a pacifist because when he was younger, he saw Marvin the Martian build a weapon on TV, so he did it with a friend of his, but ended up burning their house down, and almost killing them.  Allegra says then don't build the weapon.  Find a way to stop Despero and help Barry WITHOUT resorting to lethal force.  They get a notice that Zotar is at it again, and tell Barry about it.

Flash meets her once again, and she gets the better of him again, trying to snap his body like a twig.  Chester doesn't think Flash can stop her without moving to generate kinetic energy to generate lightning.  But it turns out Flash finally finds a way to control all of his molecules to generate the kinetic energy enough to blast Zotar and cuff her before she becomes a bigger threat.  Turns out that when he did that...everyone she whammied returned to normal.  Barry says they should go to Joe & Cecile's for lunch, but they look at him like he's said something inappropriate.  He doesn't get it, and they said Joe died six months ago.  Barry goes home to investigate for himself---and Cecile berates him for not knowing and not "letting go" that Joe died.  Barry sees the folded flag and plaque on the mantle.  Barry had no idea what happened, and is still confused.  Despero shows up again, and says he's seen enough, and blasts Barry.  Cecile powers up and tries to order Despero to leave, but he's not affected by her powers.  He'll kill anyone that gets in his way of his mission.  The distraction is enough to allow Barry to take off.  

Alex talks with Team Flash again, and she says she got more info about Despero.  He's Kalanorian, and he's wielding something called the Flame of Pytar.  She tells them to continue being safe as she tries to find a way to help them...but they're not sure about Barry...or what HE will be like when he returns.  We see Barry at the Hall of Justice...confused, upset, and unsure about what's going on.  So, he's looking for help, and he's called up on his old friend Jefferson Pierce.  Jefferson wonders what the big threat is.  

These first two episodes have been pretty damn good to start this season off.  They have given us some intrigue, and a mystery about what is going on with Barry, and his downfall...as news reports have shown him turning against the public.  I honestly wonder if Despero is still behind it (because I still feel HE is the villain of the piece), and has warped Barry's reality enough to make him crack.  Joe's death six months prior is still a mystery (How did it happen?!), and why is HE the only one who can't remember it?  I wanted to place that blame on Zotar, but I know Despero can screw with people's minds.  So, what will be the next domino to fall for Barry?  He lost his job, he lost STAR Labs, and he lost Joe....the ONLY thing left to do to send Barry over the edge is losing Iris----and with her condition, it could happen---and it could be the result of Despero.  Barry has already lost his entire family for all intents and purposes, and to lose Iris WOULD be that final straw.  

It was good to see Frost back, but for her to ask Chester to get extreme and build a weapon of death goes against his nature, and it's good we see that discussed.  I love that Chester is a pacifist, and we see that Allegra and his friendship has gotten more solid.  It was great to see Alex, and she does help explain why Supergirl and the Martian Manhunter aren't available for this problem as they are "off planet" at this point in time.  So, that frees up Alex to come to the aid of Team Flash.  And now we got Black Lightning back, which is awesome.  Jefferson can be that calming influence and co-leader that Barry needs at this point in time.  A voice of reason, and a hero with experience.  

Good to see the writers really begin to understand the scope of Flash's powers.  Now....I'm just hoping that soon, we'll get to see those damn gold boots.  

And what have YOU all thought of this crossover so far?  Subscribe to the blog and leave me YOUR thoughts and theories below.  

Until next week....keep on running.