THE FLASH 7.3

RECAP - THE FLASH  7.3:  "Mother"  

It was an emotional rollercoaster ride for Team Flash this past season, that carried over into this season, as Eva McCulloch has terrorized Central City and Barry Allen's life....all the while Barry has lost his speed...got it back, and then lost it again after he pulled Iris from the Mirrorverse.  Now, Eva is ready to spring her master plan, and Team Flash is without a Flash---and time is running out.  

Things are bad as Cisco wakes up in the aftermath of his battle with Barry, where he, Frost, and Allegra were taken out by an emotionless Flash.  As Barry is frantic to save Iris, Cisco and the team prepare to take out Barry again, but realizes that the Artificial Speed Force has been shut down, and that Barry is desperate.  They get Iris checked out and she's stable....for now.  However, they also ask Barry how he's doing.  Barry, as usual, blames himself and feels the weight of guilt placed upon him again.  However, the team rallies around him, saying that they shoulder the blame, because they're a team.  They WILL figure out a way to save Iris...and rescue Singh and Kamilla.  Cisco says they have an idea on how to fix the Artificial Speed Force, but Barry says he's done with it.  It's done more harm than good, and he's done being The Flash.  

The CCPD got massively flooded with calls, as people calling about their loved ones being "different".  Joe is then approached by the Dearbon's, who ask him to arrest Sue....as it's the only way to save her. An officer pulls Joe aside, and once out of the Dearbon's sight, she reveals herself to be Sue, who said that those people are NOT her parents.  Joe believes her, and she came back because she and Ralph were still trying to find a way to clear her name.  They almost got attacked by Eva's mirror hands.  

Eva is grabbing the citizens of Central City (and beyond), through EVERY reflective surface and replacing them with mirror dulplicates...her "children", that will make the world in her own image.  Barry tells the team to call Joe, and have him inform the Mayor to call for a State of Emergency, and shut down the grid.  They do as many lockdowns of STAR Labs as they can.  Barry sits alone...moping, wishing he could save everyone.  He then starts hearing voices as he looks at a closed window.  Eva appears.  She says that the only way Iris can be saved is if everyone goes into the Mirrorverse...she then spends this time to goad Barry about what exactly has he done as The Flash to make the world better?  She has a plan to take all humans out of the world, and stick them into the Mirrorverse.  She says she is offering him mercy.  She then takes off to continue her master plan.  The team is ready to get the Artificial Speed Force going again, and take down Eva, but Barry appears and says they can't win.  

Barry continues to mope when a shrouded stranger appears....Harrison Wells.  Barry is stunned to see him, and Wells explains on how he got there---through the other Wells.  Wells reminds Barry that HE is the Paragon of Love....and tells Barry to run towards love.  Barry's not sure what he means, but he goes to ponder it as he checks in on Iris.  Meanwhile, the rest of the team meets the original Harrison Wells for the first time.  

As Eva continues carrying out her agenda, Joe and Cecile are trapped in Barry's lab, as the officer who got replaced from last episode is going after them.  Joe manages to get Cecile into the vent, and stays behind to take on the duplicate officer.  Back at STAR Labs, Ralph and Sue arrive, as they were caught in a bomb blast at McCulloch where Ralph found evidence to clear Sue.  But Ralph gets massively burned and is melting a bit.  He goes to get care from Caitlin and Allegra.  

Barry is with Iris, begging her to come back to him.  He goes to touch her hand, and he feels a spark....the same spark Iris felt when she touched Barry when he was in a coma.  It turns out that she responds and looks at him.  Barry then meets up with the team, and says that the Speed Force is still in Iris.  It's his and Iris' love for each other that can power the machine...she still has residual Speed Force in her.  

Eva's continuing her assault on Central City, and Joe comes face to face with the mirror cop, only to have Cecile reappear....or, rather, her mirror duplicate.  She says the only way to save Cecile...is to enter the Mirrorverse.  Joe is prepared to do that.  As the team has reconfigured the Artificial Speed Force, Iris awakes, and says that the city needs The Flash, and attatches herself to the sphere....powering it up.  Barry takes off as Iris continues to power the machine....with him remembering all that he loves and has....and uses that as his focus.  The machine is powered up and Barry gets hit with the energy....thus getting his powers back.  Flash, Cisco, and Frost join the fight against Eva, but she's still very powerful, and still faster than Flash.  They soon are about to fall to the numbers game when Iris appears.  She tries to reason with Eva, but Eva seems committed to her cause.  She tries to reason with Eva that for what Eva wants to do---make a better world---she's using duplicates filled with hate...and for her to see what they're doing to people.  Eva then sees what Iris means, and tries to reign in her "children" but they're too strong.  But Iris joins her with Flash...and together they destroy the mirror duplicates, and Eva ends the threat.  At this juncture, Singh AND Kamilla have been returned to Earth, and all is right with the world.  Eva realizes that she has a chance to make a better world....in the Mirrorverse.  She will build that world right.  Flash and Iris wish her luck, and she disappears into the Mirrorverse. 

Harrison Wells bids farewell to Team Flash...as he now can traverse time, and decides to relive the moments he had with his wife...and after another awkward Cisco/Wells moment...Harrison is gone.  Ralph is in a suit until he can recover from his injuries.  Caitlin asks Sue if she wants to join Team Flash, but she says that her and Ralph still have Black Hole to take down, so they're off on their own adventures.  

At the end of the episode, we flash back to 18 hours earlier, when Iris was powering the Speed Force...and we see this lightning hit the sky, and fracture off into different directions...each one a slightly different color....and thus the new threat begins.

I have to admit....they definitely sped things up in this episode to get to the finish line of this story.  We got Eva coined as the Mirror Monarch this episode, and Flash got his powers back.  Caitlin/Frost are back at full strength, Cisco had his toys, and---of all people---it was IRIS who ended up REALLY saving the day---by appealing to Eva's sense of humanity.  Plus, with her having the residual Speed Force energy, it powered Barry back up.  Harkening back to Barry being the Paragon of Love from CRISIS helped fuel his return.  

It was great to get a Ralph & Sue to appear!  And glad that Sue got her name cleared.  And it also showed us fans that the showrunners felt that the couldn't kill off Ralph.  So, the possibilities are open to having him return...and with his injuries, a different face won't be a shocker.  And I loved Iris' comment about them making a great team.  To ME....THIS is where the CW can go with a new show.  Elongated Man lends himself to some crazy adventures...it's a thought.  

Kind of sad that the original Harrison Wells was only around long enough to help Barry get back in the game, and help Team Flash save the day.  And he gets some closure as well.  It brings the Wells story full circle.  I'm still of the theory that when we get an actual physical manifestation of the Speed Force....it will be a Wells.  But I think his story is done.  It was sweet to see Allegra go up to Harrison, thinking he was Nash...but Harrison DID let her know that Nash thought highly of her.  

Eva got some redemption at the end here...not sad about that.  Once Iris showed her the folly of her plan, she realized that this isn't the path to peace....to a better world.  This mirror Eva is still trying to find her humanity a little.  And it's been Iris through this whole arc that has been Eva's biggest weakness....because Iris saw right through Eva's facade....and knew Eva's heart---that she hadn't moved on from Carver.  But we'll see whether or not the Mirror Monarch returns some day...and whether or not she's made HER world a better place.

Okay....the different colored lightning that shot out from the sky when Iris powered Barry back up----I wonder if part of that went to Wally?  See, Wally was just as connected to the Speed Force as was Barry.  Could Wally have gotten HIS power back?  We KNOW Godspeed is coming.  But whom else has been hit by this lightning?  Our answers WILL come soon.  

I know like it seemed very rushed this episode...and perhaps it was---but considering they needed to wrap this arc up, so they could get to the next story, they had to speed things along.  Either way, it's better than having it drag on another 1 or 2 episodes.  This felt right, and we can begin a new chapter for Team Flash.  What were YOUR favorite parts of this story arc ending?  Subscribe and comment below.  

Unitl next time...Keep on Running.

 

BLACK LIGHTNING 4.6

 

RECAP - BLACK LIGHTING  4.6:  "The Book of Ruin - Chapter Two:  Theseus' Ship"

Changes are rampant in Freeland, and none moreso than within the Pierce Family itself.  After becoming dissipated amongst the ionosphere, Jennifer is rescued by Jefferson, only to undergo a metamorphosis of a physical nature that changes her appearance completely (and thus, allowing actress China Anne McClain to exit the role).  On top of that, we have Tobias making bold moves, Lala and Destiny continuing THEIR war, and Chief Ana Lopez assigning Det. Shakur to the Metahuman Task Force.  The cauldron of trouble is brewing once again for the fair city, and it's going to take the return of Black Lightning to set it right.  NOW....if the Pierce Family can just park the squabbles, get on the same page...they can work on exposing Tobias and finally taking him down. So, let's break down what happened this week...

The big story this week was Jennifer's reappearance....albeit with a DIFFERENT appearance.  To say that the family is taken aback is an understatement.  And TC...supportive of Jen as always...shows her the new look she's now sporting.  And to say the least---she's freaked out!  The family is also taken aback...understandably so.  Everyone is trying to figure out what happened, but with testing and re-testing, Gambi's concluded that---compared to Jennifer's old DNA sample...that it's a match, and that this IS Jennifer Pierce.  While Anissa, TC, Gambi, and Grace are more receptive to this being Jen, Lynn is still a bit cautious, and Jefferson----nope.  He can't handle it.  He keeps thinking that he "lost" Jen somewhere in the ionosphere, or that he did something when he absorbed her into him that changed her, and he wants the "old" her back---but Gambi TRIES to convince him that no matter what he says...that's Jennifer, and he's just going to have to accept it. 

Things don't get easier as Jen is then examined by Lynn at her lab....just to double check.  But everything seems to check out.  Lynn warns Jen to not use her powers and rest, and lay low for awhile.  Val---Tobias' assistant---arrives for her checkup with Lynn.  Val has ALS, and she's trying to see if she can get treated and possibly cured for it.  Lynn is going along with it because she feels she can help.  Val walks in on Jen and Lynn, and Lynn lies and tells Val that Jen is her niece.  With that, Jen takes off, and Lynn goes to work on Val.  Val looks suspicious, and reports the incident to Tobias, who does a facial scan based on the picture Val took of Jen, only to find out that Jen's face isn't found anywhere....she's virtually and unknown.  This makes Tobias even MORE interested in what's going on.  

We see Jennifer and Anissa reconnect, and it's like they were never apart.  Despite the change in physical features and stature...Jen is starting to accept her new body, and Anissa is supportive.  As is Grace, who had earlier told her how difficult it was when she started using her powers as a shape-shifter.  Anissa also tells Jen to be patient with their dad, as he's gotta have time to come to grips with it.  Anissa also tells Jen about her and Grace being married.  Jen encourages her and Grace to take a honeymoon, which the newlyweds DO discuss later on in the episode.  

Jen bumps into TC, who says he can get her a new ID, new everything, and it would help when she's out in the field.  Jen isn't sure, however.  And wonders if she made a mistake in the first place.  TC shows her clips of people and kids who were and are inspire by Lightning.  This brings a smile to Jen, only to be interrupted by an alert that shows there's a crime in progress.  TC encourages Jen to go out, and she does wind up at The Sanctum, where she bumps into Gambi.  Gambi says that she can't fit into her Lightning suit anymore, but she can go out in something else he whipped up quick.  She then heads out, and assists Black Lightning in subduing some cops who were doing no-knock searches in town for anyone having a gun or is a meta.  Black Lightning happened upon a couple of cops who broke into a couples home, and the man had a gun, ready to fire.  Black Lightning had a dream about what would happen should those cops kill an innocent black man, but snaps back to disarm them without harm.  He was warned early on by Det. Shakur about the raids, and Shakur asked if he was back...and he said yes.  Jen and him easily dispatch the cops and their weapons, and take off.  Later on, we see Jen outside her bedroom window, and Jefferson comes out, and they finally chat.  Jefferson is finally convinced that this is his daughter.  

As for Jeff and Lynn, however, there's still some work.  They took a step back this week, when Tobias made a bold move to have a press conference to announce the police being given the new DEG guns, but that he was running for Mayor of Freeland.  Jefferson finds out from Lynn that not only is Val afflicted with ALS, but that she has meta powers.  As he and Gambi discovered earlier through video footage, the Mayor's assassin came from far away, and wasn't Jen or Lala as everyone had thought.  When Black Lightning met up with Det. Shakur, he got the bullets from the autopsy, and they were magnetized.  Bringing this info to Lynn, he wondered what Val's powers were, and Lynn wasn't sure.  He asked her to inject herself to find out, see if they could use it to their advantage, but Lynn was worried about her sobriety, and he basically told her to shoot up.  They fight about it, and Lynn throws him out of the lab.  Bad move by Jefferson, who'd been SO critical of Lynn's use of Green Light and these meta powers.  

Lala meets up with Destiny for a showdown, intent on killing her, but she's got a few surprises for him...namely an assassin with super powers.  Lala thinks he got the drop on her, but she saw him coming, and was prepared.  Lala is shot, and even though he's "dead", the Tattoo Man always rises.  However, Destiny made it a tad more difficult, as she had Lala encased in concrete, like Han Solo frozen in carbonite from "Empire Strikes Back".  She then has him in her office, and offers the assassin more work.  As he's used to tracking down metas, she gives him more work---and shows him pictures of the Pierce Family.  He agrees to the deal.

Finally, we see Gambi continue to work Lauren over at Montevista, by helping her with her energy source.  She hits a snag in yet another test, but they figure out that what she needs is Promethium.  Turns out, the woman has quite a stash in that building, which causes Gambi some concern.  So, he brings her a gift later:  a copy of the game that she beat him at the one time.  While she's flattered by the gift, it turns out that he hid a camera in it, to get her eye signature, so that he can open up the vault where the Promethium is.  

This was a good episode.  It didn't take a very long juxtaposition to explain away Jennifer's change, and it allowed the family time to readjust---thought it seemed to take Lynn and Jefferson longer.  Anissa and Grace jumped right in, as well as TC and Gambi...so she's got a support system to help her adjust to her newfound looks.  This is going to be beneficial to an extent as that means the police don't have a name to link to the face of this new Lightning.  Tobias thinks it's the "niece", but has no idea it's Jennifer.  How long this ruse lasts before Chief Lopez, Tobias, and anyone else catches on...we'll have to see.  I am NOT sure what kind of game Gambi is playing with Lauren, but I have a feeling it's NOT going to end well.  And I feel the Chief has bitten off more than she can chew, but she likes to flex her power, and she has NO IDEA just how manipulated by Tobias she is.  He's still pulling all the strings, and with him possibly being Mayor, it sets up the team to have to deal with him sooner than later.

And how long will it be before Shakur is exposed as working with or even associating with Black Lightning?  And the Pierce's have a whole OTHER bunch of trouble in the form of this assassin who just took the job from Destiny and the Kobra Kartel to take them out.  So, look for THAT fight to come up real quick.  And what of Lala?  Will he escape his prison and fulfill his quest to eliminate the Kartel, and put The 100 back in the driver's seat of the Freeland Underworld?  We shall see?  

What do YOU think of New Jen?  And what do you think of this assassin on the hunt for the Pierce's...as well as what Tobias has in store IF he becomes Mayor?  Subscribe and leave a comment below....wanna hear YOUR theories!

Until next time....the Power is OFF!

BATWOMAN 2.7

 

RECAP - BATWOMAN  2.7:  "It's Best You Stop Digging"  

All roads lead to Coriyana...and what happens when these roads all MEET will be interesting in and of itself.  For now, however, we got some BIG revelations this week in Gotham City, as we dive more into Alice's missing past with Ocean, Ryan's continued deterioration of health, and Jacob and Sophie's desperate hunt for the map to the island, so they can rescue Kate.  This isn't even to leave out what Catherine Hamilton had been doing behind closed doors at Hamilton Dynamics.  

This installment saw Jacob and Sophie looking into whatever deadly experiments that Catherine and her company had been doing behind closed doors.  This has been unsettling for Jacob...especially in the wake of finding out that Mary had been running an underground clinic beneath his nose, and he shut it down....and, in the process, shut out his daughter.  He and Sophie investigate a crime at the company, when they find a room with Dr. Rogers...who had been looking into using the Desert Rose for his "miracle cure"...and thus make a boatload of money...and several of his assistants...all dead at a table.  Blood spattered everywhere, and IV's hooked up to all of them.  Whomever killed them was looking for the map.  Jacob also isn't happy that Sophie knew about Mary's underground clinic, and all Sophie could do was tell him that he's not making it easier by taking the ONE THING she loved away from her.  

They later investigate Roger's home to try and find the map....and they find the container the map was in, but it's gone.  Jacob is frustrated at this point, and vents it.  His failure to find Beth and now Kate is causing Jacob some despondent thoughts.  Sophie tries to reassure him that they will find Kate.  

Mary and Luke, however, spend this episode trying to figure out how to get the map so that they can save Ryan, because the Desert Rose is the only thing that can cure the Kryptonite poisoning she's suffering from.  And with it now in her bloodstream, in her brain, and permeating her bone marrow, she's losing time.  Mary and Luke talk about what they need, and in their conversation, Ryan flies the coop.  Batwoman is on the hunt for Ocean, and she tries to hit the street to find him by going to the one source for information she has at her disposal:  Angelique.  However, upon meeting her ex, she notices that her ex didn't take long to hook up with someone else.  It looked like she was going to fess up as to who she really is, but she instead asks for Ocean.  Angelique informs Batwoman of where to find her, and then pushes her off the fire escape of her apartment.  Batwoman, too weak as it is....crashes through the roof of a car below.  

Luke and Mary in disguise, come to Ryan's rescue in a van, and they take both the van AND the Batmobile out of sight before the authorities get closer.  Once in the cave, Mary sends Luke to get some medication and other medical supplies so that she can help Ryan out more.  Ryan and Mary talk, and Ryan figures that if she's going to die, she's going to get justice for her mother by going and killing Alice once and for all.  Despite Mary trying to convince her it is NOT the way, Ryan makes enough of a convincing argument to let Ryan go.  Ryan has had hallucinations all episode long about the death of her mother, and having a dream about Alice and killing her.  She's now dead set on gaining closure for her and her mother...and what she believes is Mary too.

The big part of this week's episode centers on Alice, as she and Tatiyana have a chat about Alice's missing memories that she's now regaining.  Tatiyana talks about how Safiyah and Catherine Hamilton had a deal about some weapons, but at the last minute, Catherine backed out on it, and Safiyah wanted revenge.  Safiyah then sank Catherine's boat that just happened to have Alice stowing aboard it.  It was also during this time that Safiyah had issues with Kate as well.  But she saw something in Alice, and decided to train her.  Turns out, Ocean and Alice didn't see eye to eye at first as he trained her.  Tatiyana also went on about how Safiyah fell in love with Alice, and wanted her to be a part of her army.  That's why she wanted to train her.  Safiyah tells of the legend of the Desert Rose, and how only a woman's touch could make the Desert Rose bloom and grow, and be used to save mankind.  But Safiyah feels that the island and its assets needed to be protected at all costs.  

Alice DOES get Tatiyana to admit that she loves Safiyah, and that her only quest is to get revenge on her sister and father.  Safiyah hoped she would change her mind.  But Alice talks with Ocean, and she convinces him that there is life beyond the island, and he says he wanted to take the Desert Rose out into the world and do some good with it.  She and him planned on leaving, and they got closer, and eventually hooked up.  They were caught, and both Safiyah and Ocean argue about the Desert Rose, and about leaving.  Alice takes heat for betraying Safiyah, and she decides that Alice and Ocean need to be punished.  So, she has their minds wiped of each other, and...as it turns out...Safiyah used hypnotic suggestion to turn Alice into the psycho we all know and love.  After Tatiyana reveals all to Alice, Alice gives her a key to the truck, and they load the body of "Ocean" into it, with Alice needing to make a stop before she meets with Safiyah.  

This brings us full circle to Alice meeting up with Ocean, and telling him what Tatiyana told her.  He's not surprised.  She kind of hopes that he'll ask her to go with him, but he feels he needs to stay off the grid, and she has a face-to-face with Saifyah.  Ocean takes off.  As for Alice, she ends up meeting Batwoman face to face.  Ryan then shows her who she is, but Alice has no clue and honestly doesn't care.  They end up getting into a fight, and Ryan is too weak to keep it up forever.  As Ryan gets Alice in a choke hold, she gets a vision of her mother...asking her what she's doing.  It's not how she raised her.  Ryan lets Alice go, and says she's not worth it.  Alice takes off, but saying her mother's death wasn't her fault, to which Ryan replied that EVERYTHING is her fault.  

Ryan arrives back at the Cave, where Luke is about to lecture her, but she then reveals that during the scuffle with Alice, she put a tracer in her boot.  They follow Alice, they get to Coriyana....and in finding Kate...and saving Ryan.  As for Alice...she meets up with Tatiyana, and she drives off.  

This episode was REALLY good.  We got Ryan to finally confront Alice...and just as she wanted to kill her...it was her delirious visions that saved her from landing the death blow.  Plus....I think it's safe to say that Ryan KNEW she couldn't really kill Alice---that's Kate's sister, and it's not how her mother raised her...and that's not Batwoman.  But credit to Ryan for thinking on her feet...even in her desperate hour.  Ryan was getting some catharsis in this episode, but also showed us that she's getting better at this Batwoman gig.  

Alice's missing past gets filled in for us, and it's no surprise that Safiyah took a shine to her.  But to find out that...because of Alice's betrayal...that Safiyah's hypnotist warped Alice's mind to not only steal her memories, but also turned Alice into the psycho machine we now know her as.  That there was actually an OUT for Alice with Ocean...even with Saifyah had she stayed on the island...it makes for a sad story.  And for Tatiyana to consider Alice a distraction...and try to get snide with her...and mock her...only to have Alice put a knife to her throat without batting an eye.  Tatiyana has VERY little clue as to what kind of monster Safiyah created.  

Jacob is starting to lose his grip a little more.  He's lost Kate (temporarily), and had lost Beth before...and now pushed Mary away...AND learning that Catherine was doing some VERY unethical stuff behind her company is just taxing his emotions to the limit.  Sophie is there steadfast by him...but even SHE has kept a secret or two form him.  Can he pull it together to be able to find Kate before Alice does?  These are all questions that we'd like to see answered.  But the journey is the fun part.  

What did YOU all think of what happened this week, and the revelations that were exposed?  Where do you think this all ends up?  Subscribe and leave a comment below with YOUR theories.

Until next time....the Signal is OFF!

SUPERMAN & LOIS 1.3

 

RECAP - SUPERMAN & LOIS  1.3:  "The Perks of Not Being A Wallflower"

Just when you think the Kents have made strides with the boys---something ELSE mucks up the family dynamic.  This time around, it's Clark's own powers and is overbearing parenting at times that gets him into trouble.  This week was no different, as he tries to let the boys be boys and find their own way, without having to be paranoid about Jordan's powers...limited as they may be.  And then there's Lois....hot on the trail of whatever it is Morgan Edge has in store for Smallville, and it's DEFINITELY getting her some unwanted trouble....but that's expected for the world's most intrepid reporter.  Also...we finally get the showdown between mother and daughter as Lana and Sarah finally hash it out with each other.  Just another fun day in the small Kansas town...

The episode started off nice enough...the Kents looking to paint the house, horsing around with each other until Clark hears some screams from far away, and then he's off like a shot as Superman.  The Man of Steel winds up in China, where a bridge is collapsing due to some earthly disturbance.  The Man of Might manages to save a fisherman from being squashed by part of the bridge, and saves the day yet again.  Later on at dinner, the boys ask their dad about how he hears things, and how he's learned to tune out all the sounds he doesn't need to hear.  They then tease him about whether or not he's misused his powers for....other things.  He teases them, and they all laugh about it.  But, in all seriousness, Clark does try to get the message across that it's about using his powers responsibly and learning how to control them. 

We finally get to delve more into the Cushing family and THEIR issues, as Lana and Kyle pick up Sarah from therapy, only to argue, and have Sarah completely sick of all of it.  As we've seen from the get-go...Lana and Kyle's marriage seems to be on extremely rocky terrain.  And with Sarah already having attempted suicide, the family dynamic sucks...especially with the younger daughter turning into something of a Mean Girl.  At school, Jordan was hoping to hang out with Sarah and talk, but she bolts off to be with her boyfriend before he gets the words out.  It goes from bad to worse for Jordan when her boyfriend and the rest of the football team pick on him, and look like they're about to beat him up.  Jonathan tries to stick up for his brother, but he's held back, as we see Jordan close to unleashing  his powers again.  Clark is at home when he hears this, and---fearing the worst---races to the high school, just to see what's going on, saving Jordan from himself.  But this doesn't sit well with him OR Jonathan, and they argue with Clark, with Jordan saying he liked it better when his dad wasn't around much.  

Lois is still chasing her story on Morgan Edge and his connection to Smallville and Carthidge, but she's meeting some resistance from her editor, Chrissy, who isn't used to this kind of story for the paper.  But before Chrissy can say more, a woman shows up whose son, Lawrence Powell, was one of the missing miners in Carthidge, and she wants to nail Edge to the wall.  So, Chrissy and Lois listen to her son's last message before he went missing....all the while, they're being watched by somebody...who more than likely works for Morgan Edge.  

Jordan is still being picked on, but then he overhears Sarah ending things with her boyfriend.  We later see her at cheer practice---where Lana happens to be the coach---and Sarah can't focus.  Lana wants to know what's wrong, but Sarah blows her off and quits the team.  Jordan, however, gets it in his head that he's going to join the football team with his brother, who thinks this is a bad idea.  Jordan, with a little help from his powers, manages to make quite the impression on his coach...who admonishes his brother for keeping him a secret.  This is NOT lost on Jonathan.  The boys and Sarah meet at the diner a little later after practice, and Jonathan wonders how long Jordan can keep this secret from their dad.  Sarah talks about her own mother being nosey, and---sure enough---Lana shows up, wondering what the issue with Sarah is.  But they argue in front of the boys, and then they take off.  Clark then shows up, and the boys play dumb for their dad.

Chrissy and Lois are still debating about the validity of the Powell woman's story, but Lois' gut feeling tells her there's a story here.  Before they can say more, they hear a loud noise, as Lois' car is blown up.  Now Lois knows FOR SURE there's something going on.  And again...the same guy spying on them earlier had something to do with the car.  Kyle comes to put out the car fire, but still isn't thrilled with Lois bashing Edge.  She knows he's dirty, but Kyle isn't buying it.  She later tells Clark about what happened, and he tells her that whatever happens, he'll be supportive of her.  The next day, Clark is in town, and he catches up with Lana...and she drops the bombshell about Jordan trying out for the football team.  This doesn't sit well with Clark who shows up to practice after Jordan goes through another practice, actually taking down Sarah's now ex-boyfriend.  However, he extends his hand and offers up an apology to him for having kissed Sarah.  They boys come to a mutual understanding, and practice ends.  When the Kents get home, Clark lectures the boys about Jordan using his powers irresponsibly, but Jordan reacts like a typical teen does, and then he's ordered up to his room.  Jonathan tries to side with his dad, but Clark sends him up too....for hiding it.  Lois and Clark talk about how he screwed up with his powers when he spied on Lois after he first arrived in Metropolis.  He said he was lucky, and that he almost lost her.  Lois assured him that she still loved him, but that he's got to adjust to letting the boys go through things on their own.  

Lois gets a call from the Powell woman, and agrees to meet her and a few others who're looking to give statements to her about Edge's dirty dealings in Carthidge.  When she arrives in town, she goes to a motel, only to find it trashed, and meets Powell's assailant.  Lois tries to buy time until Superman arrives, which he does.  He battles this big man, and soon discovers he's got super powers.  He's a bit of a handful, as the Last Son of Krypton has to work overtime to take him down.  Meanwhile, Lois looks after the Powell woman, who is alive, albeit barely.  Superman manages to defeat the assailant by freezing him with super breath, than punching him out a few dozen times before the man is incapacitated.  Lois calls to him, and has him take the Powell woman to the hospital.  

Lana goes to see her daughter at home, and tries to get Sarah to open up.  Lana admits that...because how SHE was raised...that she always must put on the best face possible in public.  She says she's the most full of crap woman in Smallville, and feels she has to hide her pain and sadness to the rest of the town.  Lana is worried about losing her, but Sarah says that she's figuring it out, and that she's much better than she was.  The two hug it out, and it seems that they've reached a mutual understanding.  

We later see Clark and Jordan talk, and Clark discusses how his father never let him play sports because of his powers.  Clark doesn't want Jordan to miss out on that opportunity, but he's going to be there to help him out to control his powers.  So, he's now the assistant coach of the football team.  Clark does his clumsy Clark routine in front of Sarah for Jordan's sake, and Sarah seems like she'll stick around for Jordan's game.  But now we can see father and son bonding a bit more.  

Lois and Chrissy are at the Gazette discussing what happened to the Powell woman and Lois, and it looks like she's been busy while Lois was out:  she's picked up some evidence about the stalker they had, and now realize that they are most definitely onto something with Morgan Edge.  Lois wonders WHY he would need a super powered guy in his employ, though.  The episode ends as the man is driving when we catch up to a mysterious woman named Leslie Larr...who's in the middle of the road late at night.  She ends up frying the guy with heat vision, and then calls Edge to inform him that the job is done.  

Another solid episode, as we got to peel back some more layers to our happenings in Smallville, and just what the hell is going on with Morgan Edge.  The Luthor story took a back seat, which was nice, so that we could see Lois in full investigator mode, while Clark continues to try and build a better bond with the boys.  We see some Superman action this week, but it wasn't overwrought with it.  A nice balance, considering that the big story is how the World's Greatest Superhero deals with being a parent.  While he's still struggling trying to connect with Jordan, we have seen some great strides the first few episodes.  It also looks like it's possible for Lana and Sarah to get back on track with each other...though Lana STILL needs to sort out her marriage to Kyle...it seems that it's hit the rocks, and not sure what it will take--if ANYTHING--to save it.  Kyle is still hard-headed about the whole Edge thing with Lois, because he doesn't quite see the big picture of what Edge can and will do.  On the surface, he looks like the town savior, but Lois knows better...and come Hell or high water...Lois will expose the truth.  

Jordan seems to be coming out of his shell more, and maybe the football thing will work for him.  But I wonder what that will do with Jonathan and HIS dreams of being a football star?  So far, he's a benchwarmer, and hasn't made ANY impact whatsoever.  So, I'm curious how long it will be before the jealousy REALLY kicks in?  As close as they are right now....this COULD be the one thing to fracture the brotherly relationship.  

And what DOES Morgan Edge need with super powered people?  Who is this guy that got fried by Leslie Larr...and just WHO is SHE anyway?  Hopefully, more answers on the way.  I'm loving how the relationships are developing on this show, and we see that EVERYONE has flaws...but that's what makes it interesting.  And I'm curious how Superman will deal with these other-worldly threats down the road...especially the Luthor one.  I feel he and the General's relationship is going to be severely tested as well as the season goes on.  And how long before Lois stands her ground with her dad about Clark and the family?  The General has ALWAYS been a military man FIRST, and a father SECOND.  And we KNOW his relationship with Lois treads water at best.  But when push comes to shove, I don't think the General can dodge the barrage that is Lois Lane Kent.  

How did YOU all feel about this week's installment?  Who are YOUR favorite characters on this show thus far?  What are YOUR theories on these superpowered villains, and their connection to Morgan Edge?  Subscribe and toss your ideas at me below.

Until next time.....Up, up, and away!

THE FLASH 7.2

RECAP - THE FLASH  7.2:  "The Speed of Thought"

One step forward.....two steps back.  That seems to be the motto for Team Flash in critical situations when a supervillain is about to pull off their master stroke.  And this week was no different, as Flash and his cohorts tried to find a way to rescue Iris, Kamilla, and Singh from the Mirrorverse, while Eva pondered her own sense of self, as well as try to finish off her husband's gang, and destroy his weapons.  What resulted in happening was---well....putting it mildly---highly illogical.  Let's break down what happened, and the shocking little twist at the end of the episode, and the ramifications THAT will have on the future of the team.  

While the team held a memorial for the lost Nash Wells (and, therefore, ALL the Wells from the other worlds), Iris was on the hunt for Kamilla, now that she's been able to adapt to using the Mirrorverse to her advantage.  It was great to FINALLY get Cisco back from his trip to Atlantis (as I had mentioned last week, he was looking for tech to help get their friends out of the Mirrorverse), and Caitlin, who returned from working with her mom in getting treatment (for Frost as well), but Chunk was absent this week....family issues.  But the core of the original team was intact, and they were trying to find a way to get their friends out of this other world.  

Sadly, the tech Cisco obtained from Atlantis wasn't up to snuff, and the team tried to brainstorm a way to get it to work.  Cisco had an idea how, but before he could finish his thought out on one of the boards, Barry had logically deduced everything Cisco was going to write down.  We soon discover that Barry has developed a new power:  speed thought.  Barry was able to use his superspeed cognitively to put together a plan to retrieve Iris, Kamilla, and Singh.  It was around this same time that Allegra, mourning the loss of Nash herself, and had the picture of him and her doppleganger from his world, was at the Gazette office when she saw and email from Iris to Kamilla, saying she was going to the hospital to look for Singh, and get to the Lab in the Mirrorverse.  Upon showing this to the team, that's when they theorized how to get their friends out.  

Eva, meanwhile, is contemplating upon the revelation that SHE is the mirror duplicate and NOT the real Eva McCulloch.  She asks Sunshine, one of the new villains in her employ, if she noticed anything different about her, and Sunshine didn't. But she informs her boss about the latest Carver Tech being moved, and Eva says she's going out to destroy it---flex her muscles, so-to-speak.  So, the team is alerted, and Cisco joins Flash and Frost, as they try to absorb some of Eva's energy to help power the machine to get their friends back.  Flash takes the hit, but he's able to absorb her power.  Frost provides a distraction while he does it, but she ends up getting hit when they're pinned down.  Instead of rescuing her immediately, however, Flash hesitates.  Turns out that in getting his speed back from the artificial Speed Force, Barry's cognitive powers have a negative effect:  he's using all logic for his solutions, and not basing anything on emotion.  So, now the team is concerned with Barry becoming more Mr. Spock-like, and less human.  

We got a nice calm interlude between Cecile and Allegra, as they discuss their lives.  We learned a few things from Allegra, such as her father abandoning her as a kid, and we learn from Cecile about her family's legacy of being in the military...and she went against the grain to become a lawyer.  Cecile tells Allegra that only SHE can carry on the memory of Nash, and it's up to her if she wants to.  

Eva is being interviewed on TV about the future of her company, and what her plans are.  Barry manages to hack into McCulloch's computer system to discover the video of her dying the night of the Particle Accelerator exploding.  Barry than makes a brash move, and hacks into the TV feed to show the video to the viewers and the host, causing them to question Eva.  This sets Eva off, and she bails, all the while Sunshine is watching from behind the curtain.  The team then realizes that Barry's logical outcomes are coming without thought of consequence, and lack the emotional input.  It really hits the fan when Barry decides to go into the Mirrorverse to rescue Iris....and Iris ONLY.  He theorizes that the ONLY logical outcome is to rescue HER, because she has the most knowledge of Eva, and it will be effective in stopping her, but the decision would cost two lives:  Kamilla and Singh.  The team isn't having it, and they try to stop Barry from carrying out this plan, even so much as attacking him, with Frost even using Velocity 9 to try and bait him into a surprise attack, and subdue him long enough to shut down the Artificial Speed Force.  Sadly, their plan backfires, and they're taken out, as Flash's speed thinking calculated all outcomes before they could attack.  With them incapacitated, Flash executed his plan to save Iris.

Meanwhile, Iris DOES find Kamilla, and they both head to the Lab in their universe, and they eventually find Singh.  But things go from bad to worse, when BOTH Kamilla and Singh start suffering from the dissonance from the long term exposure to the Mirrorverse.  With them in danger, their at risk of dying.  It is just then that Flash appears, trying to get Iris OUT of the Mirrorverse.  When she realizes that Barry isn't QUITE Barry, she resists him as long as she could, using the powers she's getting from the universe to try and stop him from taking her without their friends.  However, Barry's increasing the power on his end, and she can no longer resist.  Iris is pulled through, and Barry succeeds in rescuing her.  She then begins to convulse, and Barry finally realizes what he's done...so he eventually shuts off the Artificial Speed Force, and gets hit with a blast of energy.  Everyone is still out on the team.  Iris is back...but she's in danger.  Barry just shut his speed off, and now the team has to start back from the beginning.  Cisco realized that when Thawne powered his Negative Speed Force, he was using his emotional response to his hatred of Flash and everything related to Team Flash...and when they created THIS Speed Force....it was made with inert energy---no emotion driving it.  So, until they can figure THAT out...they are back to Square One.  And now Iris' life hangs in the balance...as does Singh's and Kamilla's in the Mirrorverse.

In the end...we see Eva curled up by the big mirror in her office....rocking back and forth, telling herself that this isn't her world.   But then she stops....looks at the mirror....and theorizes that it COULD be...thus putting Eva on the fast track to her new master plan.  But NOHTING prepared us for the shocker in the final scene---where we got a flashback of Eobard Thawne killing the original Harrison Wells....and taking over his identity.  We saw where Thawne had buried the body of Wells...and for some reason, after Barry had shut down the Artificial Speed Force...it appears that SOME neural energy got out...and reconstituted right at the burial site of the original Harrison Wells...and now he's BACK!  OR...is he?  What does this mean?

This episode moved very quickly it seemed, and we got a team that acted out of desperation...and for Barry....the price of having a brand new power---the loss of humanity within himself.  Now with this revelation....will he sulk and blame himself for everything, or will the team realize it was a collaborative mistake when they though this whole plan through in getting him his powers back?  Barry is NOTORIOUS for shouldering the blame...as the hero always does....but this time around...I think the team can share SOME of the heat for Barry's actions.  Look, I know it's not a popular opinion, but it's fact.  But we KNOW Barry is going to feel the WORST about it....because HE was the one that committed the act.  And now....Iris' life hangs in the balance.  

Eva's been exposed as a fraud, and that is NOT good news for Central City.  This is a woman whose own employees, as well as Sunshine and any OTHER minions she may have will now question her, and will it lead to them attacking HER instead?  There's nothing more dangerous than when a villain has their back against the wall.  And what HER game-changing plan is will spell disaster now that Team Flash put the truth out there.  To reshape the real world in her own image...she's already beginning, by putting out a mirror image of a female cop...looking to make EVERYONE into a duplicate...and eliminating the REAL people.  We've now reached the apex of this story, and the resolution has to come quick.  

And WHAT THE HELL?!!!  The ORIGINAL Harrison Wells is BACK?!!  Or is this Eobard Thawne?  THIS has become an interesting development.

Overall, another enjoyable episode...with us getting some more insight into Cecile and Allegra's background (and it was cool that Allegra had Nash's bandolier on her to honor Nash.  Eva's in total maniacal villain mode, and Team Flash's back is against the wall.  Going to be an interesting couple of episodes to get to the end of this arc.  What did YOU all think of this week's installment?  Subscribe and comment below....would love to hear YOUR theories!

Until next time...Keep on running!