SUPERMAN & LOIS 2.12

 

RECAP - SUPERMAN & LOIS  2.12:  "Lies That Bind" 

Superman's life just went from normal (for HIM, anyway), to beyond his control AT ALL.  This episode, we get to see a tiny recap of Clark's time with Lana when they were kids, and he fills her in on how he became Superman.  Lana, of course, is in total shock. And, naturally, she's pissed off at him for keeping such a huge secret.  She blows him off, and refuses to talk to him, while she's trying to process this new information about her best friend.  Clark, meanwhile, just feels miserable about it, but knew it had to be done. Lois says she'll talk to Lana and try to smooth things over with her, but she also tells the boys to get back to school, since they're finally allowed to.  For Jon, that isn't easy, as he's still getting picked on by the other members of the football team, as they're still pissed as well at him for blowing their season.  Natalie shows up just in time to pull the boys away on a side project of hers:  the new battlesuit she'd been building.....for Jon.  But they need some X-K to power it---so they head into the quarry to get some.  

Superman makes the rounds to get some answers and help.  He first talks to Bizarro Jon at the DoD, looking for help in stopping Ally.  Jon tells him that there is no way of stopping Ally from merging, and bringing Bizarro World to Earth.  Jon says that Ally is a god.  Kal-El than makes a stop to visit his brother Tal, and tells him about what's about to happen. Tal says that he'd be able to help, but he wants something in return.  He is aware of the Bizarro version of himself.  Superman figures the combined effort of Tal and himself could destroy the pendant, and thus preventing Ally from merging. He agrees, but wants something first.  Meanwhile, Lana is in her office after telling Kyle to pick up the kids from school, when she's visited by Lois.  Lois explains to her why Clark hid who he was, but there's more---and it involves Jordan.  Lana realizes that she isn't so much mad at Clark---she understands he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, but at Lois---for not telling her about Jordan and Clark.  So when Lois arrives home, she is met by Clark and Tal.  Tal goes out of his way to apologize for his transgressions, and wants to start making amends.  Sam shows up, and he doesn't believe they can trust Tal to help out---but Clark explains to him AND John Henry Irons, whose also in on the plan to stop Ally.  But Superman tells them it's the only shot they got.

In the quarry, the youthful trio are trying to gather more X-K, when Jordan tries to use his heat vision to slice a few more pieces out, but they almost cause a cave-in.  They manage to escape, but they revel in their little adventure.  But they know they need more X-K to power the suit.  But they'll figure it out for another time.  

Lana has been distracted with all the revelations regarding the Kents, and while she's about ready to tell Sarah, she decides against it.  Meanwhile, Kyle asks his eldest daughter about what's going on with her, and thinking she might be dating someone new, but Sarah puts that off.  Meanwhile, Kyle takes her to the bar that Tonya used to work at, and it's an open mic night, so he encourages Sarah to sing her songs there.  

Tal and Superman are in a volcano, while Sam and John Henry are monitoring them.  They begin using their heat vision on the pendant to destroy it.  Ally shows up, however, to stop the proceedings, and as Tal goes to battle her, she stops him cold, and begins to drain his energy.  He's blasted back, and Superman tries his hand at stopping her, but he too is having his energy sucked away by her.  John Henry arrives in his Steel battlesuit to knock Ally away.  Tal and Superman recover enough to destroy the pendant, and Ally manages to get past Steel, who distracted them enough to destroy the pendant.  Ally takes the pieces and leaves.  Far as Tal goes...he too has disappeared. 

Lois and Clark fill Lana in on what happened, and tell her about the Bizarro Lana that might be after her.  They promised full transparency, and they wanted to make sure Lana was in the loop, so she knows what's going on.  Lana then drops a big bombshell on the Kents:  while she'll eventually forgive them for lying to her...she wants to make a break of things for awhile.  So, the Kents are not allowed around the Cushings.  Lana doesn't want anything to do with them....for now.  It's devastating to Clark, but it's how it's got to be. 

For Tal, however, he's been captured by Ally and the Bizarro Lana, who wonders just how they're going to finish their mission.  Ally tells her not to worry.  And Tal tells her that he's seen her plan in action....and it will ultimately fail.  Ally retaliates to his words by draining him of his entire life essence...killing him. 

This episode had ONE very big important beat to it:  the lies, and how they effect those around them.  And for the Kents this installment---that was a heavy price.  For Clark....telling his best friend his greatest secret was hard...and having her mad at him....then ordering him AND his family to stay away from hers is heartbreaking.  But we feel Lana's pain, and her anger towards Clark, at first, then Lois...because she considered Lois a friend.  When Lana's life was falling apart, she turned to Lois.  Now that betrayal is and open wound.  And Lana doesn't want the Kents around until they she works it out.  Not only that, she's lied to her kids, and that's not cool with her.  So you feel for Lana.  But you also feel for Lois for having the reasons for not opening up to Lana more about Clark....it was ultimately Clark's story to tell.  As for Clark...it's a HUGE gut punch, because he just lost his best friend.  And while Lana isn't AS mad at him as much...after all...he's Superman, and she understands the weight he carries---but that still doesn't sit well that he kept this MASSIVE secret from her.  Knowing Jordan is also a part of that mix, and it's going to be hard for him to keep away from Sarah, seeing as how he wanted to tell her everything.  But he's forbidden to do so now, and that's going to be hard to tell a teenage kid no.  So, the boys will have to deal with that fallout as well.

Speaking of the boys---and Natalie.  It seems we got a trio here looking to do their part in helping stop Ally from following through on her master plan.  While they had a mishap in the quarry, it seems as though the boys and Natalie will get closer in doing the hero thing, as she builds a suit for Jon.  It's good to see Nat open up, and for her to bond with Jon and Jordan.  So, we'll see how well this trio works together when called upon when Ally finally makes her big move.

As for Ally herself, she and Bizarro Lana are looking to bring more of their people to Earth in order to initiate the merge.  And they killed Tal in the process to help further their agenda...and because he knew the outcome:  it would fail.  And now with Tal dead, it's another member of Clark's family that is gone.  This is going to motivate Superman even moreso to stop her.  But his act of destroying the pendant with his brother, then standing up to her is his final redemption act.  And it raises the stakes before the final couple of episodes.  

This show continues to raise the drama, get better character interaction and depth, and the dangers this season have been raised.  They've expanded on what they've done last season, and it's flowing better.  Dare I say that this has supplanted The Flash as the best CW Arrowverse show right now.   So....what did YOU all think of this episode?  How do you think the season will turn out?  Subscribe to the blog and leave me a comment below. 

Until next time....Up, up, and away! 

THE FLASH 8.16

 

RECAP - THE FLASH  8.16:  "The Curious Case of Bartholomew Allen" 

This latest episode of our Scarlet Speedster saw the hero face a new villain.  Not a super villain, per se, but a man who managed to use some super technology to cause physical harm to our hero in the form of aging him.  It's an episode that takes a look at aging, and how to learn to appreciate the life ahead, instead of dwelling on the past, and having regrets.  Because not only did Barry have to face the fear of not stopping this new villain before he died because of his powers---but we also see how time and age has effected our patriarch of Team Flash:  Joe West.  

For Barry, the episode begins fairly simple:  saving lives and then racing home to toss some dice onto the West kitchen table, as the team has gathered for a game of Dungeouns & Dragons.  He said he tried it with Iris, just to try something different.  But he gets interrupted by a call from CCPD, as he races out to meet Police Chief David Singh, who asks him to look into a special case involving a machine that's emitting gamma radiation.  When Flash arrives to check it out, it zaps him.  The perpetrator - a man named Dr. Peter Orloff, tells the Monarch of Motion he's on borrowed time.  Back at STAR Labs, they look Barry over, and he's feeling a little worse for wear---and it turns out the gamma radiation he got nailed with is aging him within.  They urge him to take it easy, of course, but he's insistent on finding this guy before he does something worse.  They get a hit on him again, and Flash races off to face him, only he's slowed, and his powers don't work as well.  Orloff informs him that he's going to die, and there's nothing he can do about it.  

Barry is now not just again internally but EXTERNALLY as well.  Cecile urges him to slow down, otherwise he's going to die.  This Orloff, they find out, is collecting other pieces for this machine in order to help him turn back the clock---as all the people he's absorbed energy from, has rapidly de-aged him.  His work was questioned because of his ethics, and thus fired from his job.  But once he completes the machine fully, he'll kill everyone in Central City so he can achieve immortality.  Barry and Cecile try to gather more info, but his memory is starting to slip, and they wind up on the Great Wall of China.  She sits him down, and he is scared that he's going to forget everyone...including Iris. She tells him the story of her grandmother...who continued to live her life, despite her age and her body slowing down, for as long as she could.  It's what made Cecile aspire to live her own life to the fullest, and Barry should embrace the life he HAS.  He can't outrun time...but he can embrace it.

With that in mind, they the team figures out that the only way to stop Orloff is to contain the gamma radiation energy...by speeding it up.  Flash says he's the only one that can stop it....and if it means he dies...so be it.  So, he meets Orloff yet again, and the machine goes off.  And despite his body breaking down....Flash speeds up just enough to cause the energy to implode into itself.  With the threat over, Flash is back to normal, if not better than before.  As for Orloff---he's now aged again, and wonders what to do with the little time he has left.  Flash tells him he can ponder than in prison.  

Now, while Team Flash is dealing with the Orloff threat, Joe has been feeling old and useless in his retirement---unfulfilled.  This brings David Singh into the fold, as he sits Joe down for a real heart-to-heart.  The reminisce about work in the past, and embrace the future himself.  Joe has been so set in his ways, that he hasn't adapted to retirement well.  But, apparently, the talk does him well, as he and the team play a little D&D at the end of the episode.  However, Barry gets a call from Carla Tannhausen, as she's been worried about Caitlin...who hasn't returned her calls or texts.  Barry races over to her apartment, and notices the lab that Caitlin has set up there.  He sees that she is trying to resurrect Frost, and she asks him what it would be like for him if he could bring back his parents, and that she has the ability to do so.  Barry tells her that no matter how hard it is for her to let go, she has to move on, and this isn't the way.  He apologizes to her, as he unleashes his lightning power to destroy her recent work.  He then takes off...leaving her to her own devices, and wondering what to do next. 

This episode, directed by Caity Lotz, hit on the emotional nerve, as we had the two main men of Team Flash dealing with having to face the next step....and their resident medical scientist.  For Joe...he's been so set in his ways, and it's worked for him.  But now in retirement, he's having trouble adapting to a world that's moving by him at a high speed, and it's alarming to him.  He feels useless when he's not, and he's not sure how to handle the future.  But thanks to David Singh...being the great friend he is, manages to show Joe that change is not a bad thing, and that it's just the next evolutionary step in life.  He tells Joe to embrace the next step, and we see that Joe takes his advice to heart, and it will allow Joe to move on gracefully (and allow for Jesse L. Martin's exit smoothly).  

For Barry....his life is in constant motion.  So, when he realizes that his biggest power is now his greatest enemy, he's worried that his rapid deterioration....along with Iris being gone somewhere in the Still Force...that he'll eventually forget those he loves---mostly her.  Cecile, recalling her grandmother, tells Barry that he needs to embrace the life he has NOW---live in the moment, and embrace what future may come.  Cecile, as always, being the fantastic mother hen that she is, helps provide Barry the ability to face down Orloff and stop him.  And speaking of the villain---he too was facing this issue.  Orloff wanted immortality---he didn't want to face old age or death---but was willing to kill others in order to obtain it.  His reasons selfish, and those selfish reasons backfired on him at the end---because he wanted to play God.

Finally, there's Caitlin.  For all that pomp and circumstance when she gave that eulogy at Frost's funeral, it was nothing more than simple lip service.  Caitlin cannot HANDLE life without her sister, and she's doing the same thing she did when Ronnie died---she shut down emotionally, and pushed everyone away.  Before Ronnie had been found the first time, being a part of Team Flash helped Caitlin realize that there was life to live.  When Ronnie died again, she was willing to shut herself off, but the team didn't let her.  Caitlin has been stuck in neutral for the last few years, and she's never really moved forward. With Frost, she had a companion of sorts to fill that void where Ronnie wasn't.  But losing her, Caitlin feels more alone than ever.  Despite having a whole family that loves her, she's once again pushing them away, so that she can have what she wants....Frost back.  And she's willing to violate her own moral codes and hypocratic oath in order to fulfill HER selfish means.  Barry....who has lost more than ANYONE on that show NOT named Caitlin...tried to bring back his mother, and that caused Flashpoint.  Her death is a fixed point, and he cannot bring her back, nor can he bring back his dad.  Henry Allen always told his son to move FORWARD.  Barry has leaned on Joe, Iris, and the rest of Team Flash to get him through the hard times....and he's always found a way to pull through.  But Caitlin would rather push everyone out, and do it her way.  This is going to end BADLY, and I feel we'll see her cross into the dark side.  Especially since Barry destroyed all her work.  She'll now do what she can to not only get her sister back, but make Flash pay for destroying her chance to get her sister back.  

Will this send Caitlin over the edge?  Will she come to her senses?  And, in the aftermath, will Caitlin leave Team Flash for good?  Only time will tell, as we only a handful of episodes to see how it all plays out. 

How did all of YOU like this episode?  Subscribe to the blog, and toss your thoughts and theories down below.

Until next time.....keep on running!

THE FLASH 8.15

RECAP - THE FLASH  8.15:  "Into the Still Force"  

Iris has disappeared...and it's now a race against (still) time itself for the Flash and his team to help her before time completely fractures, and she'll be gone forever.  So the Fastest Man Alive this episode had to take a journey with Dion--the essence of the Still Force itself---into his realm to find his wife.  And we find out a few things on this journey that makes his job a tad more difficult.  But this is how it is when it comes to The Flash, and we expect some twists and turns along the way.  

With Iris having disappeared after talking to Taylor about her wanting to find out more about those who help Flash in his war on crime, and bring them to light---Iris tries to push it off, not wanting the team to be exposed, went about working on another story before she fizzled out of her office last episode as she was working on another story.  As Barry arrives at her office, we see she was working on a story about Fast Track Labs and their sudden emergence.  He tries to call her, but her phone is there in the office.  He races back to STAR Labs to meet up with Cecile and the rest of the team to inform them what happens.  Cecile's been avoiding a current client of hers for some reason, so she's eager to help in the search for Iris---but as she, Chester, and the team realize---they can't locate Iris anywhere on the planet.  Cecile also mentions that Dion hasn't been able to be located, and Tinya Wazzo's mother had disappeared due to Iris' illness.  Barry races out to try and find Tinya to see if she can help him find Iris, but because of her missing mother, she can give a damn less if Iris dies, and she does her Phantom Girl thing and is gone.  Dion then suddenly appears, and says to Barry that Iris is trapped in the Still Force, and she's getting sicker.  He needs the isotopic sensor Iris used to find Tinya, and that would help them find Iris, but they have to hurry, the clock is ticking.

Back at STAR Labs, Barry runs through the plan to go into the Still Force with Dion, but Joe wonders if this is a solid plan or not.  He's very wary about Dion, as his cop gut instincts tell him something is off---but Barry is convinced that this is the only way to get Iris back...so he's doing it. Meanwhile, Chester is called into Captain Kramer's office as a special consult on a case involving some weird technology that appeared at an apartment complex.  They retrieved the device that was used, and Chester recognizes the specs of the device is something HE would've built.  Knowing that he's shared his technology to the world through is blog...he's instantly guilty that people could've died because his designs were used for evil purposes.  He shuts down his blog in remorse.  

Barry and Dion enter the still force, which is in a severe state of flux, as past, present, and future keep smashing together in fragments.  Iris can be detected, but when they try to locate her signature.  Barry sees everything from newspaper articles about Godspeed and Zoom destroying Central City, to seeing an argument between Allegra and Taylor argue about Taylor wanting to expose Allegra for her involvement with Team Flash, to finding Tinya's mother.  But Barry can't save them.  When they do reach the energy signature, Dion absorbs it, and then bails on Flash, and sends him crashing into another part of the Still Force...trapping him there indefinitely.  

In 2049, we see Nora trying to write an article for her paper, when she hears Dion's voice saying that Flash is in trouble.  Nora is then sucked into the Still Force as well.  She and her father reunite, and she tells him that she ended up taking her mother's path in becoming a reporter, and hopes that her dad isn't disappointed in her---he couldn't be prouder.  But they end up trying to put their minds to work in figuring out a way to get OUT of the Still Force.  They both realize that Barry could hear Nora before she appeared, and remembered Iris' hairbrush that disappeared after they left for dinner that one night.  By using that and focusing on the Still Force energy he still has inside him, Barry reaches out from it to connect with Joe.  He tells him they're trapped, but Barry can't stay connected long.  The connection disappears, but Barry and Nora head to the park, determined to escape the Still Force.  As they reach the park where Barry and Dion first popped in at, they try to run to escape, but are blown back by a wall of Still Force energy.  But knowing that the past, present, and future are fracturing here all at once, they have Nora focus on their escape from in the future, and they managed to break through and get back to Earth.  They fill Joe and Cecile in on the events that transpired in the Still Force, and conclude that the other forces are probably infected as well, but since Barry and still FEEL Iris, he knows she'll be okay.  Nora races off back to 2049, and they work on another way to get Iris home.  

As for Chester, he finds out that the tech that was used was only being used to help the people of the apartment complex get better and cleaner running water.  So, Allegra tells him that not everyone is there to steal his designs for evil purposes, and to cut himself some slack.  He agrees, and they take off from his lab to go out.  But....as he kills the lights...someone is downloading everything off his computer.  

We end things with Caitlin still hiding out in her apartment, looking to find a way to bring her sister back.  Mark returns, and agrees to help her, because he misses her too.  

Okay....few things to unpack here.  First and foremost----the fact that Dion's illness seems to have corrupted him to the point he was willing to stab Barry in the back in order to absorb this energy to help revive him.  It's interesting to note that they did mention the other forces, and their lack of communication could mean they're infected as well...and being around Dion means they too could also be corrupted.  So, we are not completely sure if Dion's just been toying with everyone from the outset, or whatever Iris' illness is, it's caused him to be corrupted and betray the very people who created him.  Either way, the Forces sill play a factor in the Scarlet Speedster's life.  

Two:  some of the tiny little (possible) easter eggs we get here, is a newspaper article that says that Godspeed and Zoom destroy Central City---possibly a future that might happen, and that means the return of August Hart, and Hunter Zolomon, whom we haven't seen since Season 2.  Then there's the argument between Taylor and Allegra....where Allegra is defending herself against Taylor.  We KNOW Taylor has had it out for Allegra, and this could be the thing she uses to destroy her life in her petty revenge.  Taylor is ambitious, and just wants the big sensationalist headline---and she wants to expose Team Flash...a story Iris said she'd "think about", but knows that means that her friends, her family, and herself would be exposed, and that would mean BAD things for them.  So, this is a possible future that we may have to see the team deal with, as Taylor's ambitions overtake her better judgement. Three:  we see that in this Post-Crisis reality, THIS version of Nora West-Allen is a reporter---having followed in Iris' footsteps instead of her father Barry's as a CSI.  Some people complain about this, but I can't see why.  It doesn't deter in ANY SINGLE WAY from her ever NOT being like her father.  If anything, this makes Nora a more well-rounded version of her parents.  She's more mature.  The recklessness and Impulse behavior all belong to Bart.  Four:  whomever it is that Cecile is supposed to be defending, apparently it's a meta who has done some VERY bad things to the point she's avoiding them altogether.  Five:  the article Iris was writing about Fast Track Labs.  where Avery Ho works.  It could be a predecessor to her becoming the new heroic speedster down the road.

We also seem to have ANOTHER threat looming on the horizon, as someone has downloaded all of Chester's designs...with, no doubt, some nefarious intentions.  This could be the kind of thing that comes back to bite him back, and not sure if Allegra can pick him up if he feels the guilt trip again.  Finally...there's Caitlin---whose isolated herself from her loved ones in order to desperately try to regain her sister back....even if it means violating a few laws in the process.  Mark has been against this initially because it goes against nature itself...but since he's lost her too, and he's kind of liked the guy he's become because of Frost....he agrees to help Caitlin get her back.  This is NOT going to end well...and I wonder how much fracturing this is going to do between Caitlin and her loved ones to the point she leaves Team Flash.  I keep sensing her departure is coming, and I am wondering if this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back.  The ONLY thing that has STILL disappointed me is the lack of Cisco here.  Even for a few episode guest spot, it would help this story MORE, because of ALL the people Caitlin would REALLY listen too---it's not Carla, it's not even Barry---the one person who can truly understand what losing a loved one is like---having lost BOTH parents to murder---but Cisco...her best friend.  If ANYONE can talk her off this ledge...it's her.  This is where I feel a Carlos Valdes appearance would REALLY help this story.  

What did YOU all think of this episode?  As usual, subscribe if you haven't...and leave your opinions, thoughts, and theories below.  

Until next time....keep on running! 

COMIC BOOK PROFILE: FIGHTIN' 5 #40

COMIC BOOK PROFILE:  FIGHTIN' 5  #40

It's been QUITE a long while since I've peeped into the comic bins of history to find a book to profile, but I DO believe I have found one inspired by a TV show that began airing in early 2022:  Peacemaker.  So, digging through, I managed to find THIS gem....Peacemaker's first appearance.  Of course, it wasn't published by DC, since they didn't get the ownership rights to him (or the OTHER characters that were a part of his previous publishing company), until the 1980's.  But in honor of John Cena's performance as the titular character, we're going to take glance at Peacemaker's first appearance in a comic...and this book comes with some unusual parameters, as there are only TWO of the stories we can cover...the rest are not owned by DC, and thus have no history...but that will not deter us from talking about Peacemaker anyway, and give you a little insight as to where HE came from.  

FIGHTIN' 5  #40 

COVER ART:  Bill Montes, Rocke Mastroserio

WRITER: Joe Gill

ARTIST:  Bill Montes

INKER:  Ernie Bache

LETTERS: N/A

COLORS:  N/A

EDITOR:  Dick Giordano 

COVER DATE:  November 1966

PUBLISHER:  Charlton Comics  

TAGLINES:  What's THIS?!  Hank has turned on his comrades and joined...The Agents of D.E.A.T.H. (Dedicated Enemies And Traitors to Humanity)

STORY TITLES:  "The Agents of D.E.A.T.H", "Introducing: The Peacemaker"

Fightin' 5  #40 hit the shelves in November of 1966, as it provided yet another adventure of the title team in action yet again, but it was the backup story that is what we're focusing on, as it brought to the comics world yet another superhero:  Peacemaker.  Christopher Smith hit the pages of this issue, and cemented his legacy as one of the major heroes of Charlton's comics line...along with the likes of Captain Atom, the Blue Beetle, the Question, Judomaster, and Nightshade.  All of these characters were new and fascinating, and brought to life by the likes of Steve Ditko in his post Spider-Man work, Bill Montes and Joe Gill, and edited by future DC stalwart writer/artist/editor Dick Giordano once Charlton stopped printing altogether.  And while it took awhile, DC managed to acquire the characters in the 1980's, just in time to introduce the lot of them into Marv Wolfman and the late George Perez's 12 issue maxi-series, Crisis on Infinite Earths.  It allowed Wolfman to integrate the Charlton Characters (much like DC had done earlier with Fawcett's SHAZAM characters), into the proper DC universe.  Peacemaker...along with the Ted Kord Blue Beetle, the Question, Judomaster, and Captain Atom, to have a brand new lease on life in modern day comics (at the time).  Peacemaker's had quite journey coming from THIS comic (and I DO believe that DC owns the Fightn' 5 as well), and into his own series, and now...with the help of James Gunn and John Cena, bringing the character to live action with last year's hit movie The Suicide Squad, and his recently finished 8 episode arc on HBO Max, entitled Peacemaker.  

THE STORY:  "The Agents of D.E.A.T.H." - Our team of heroes encounters a new group called The Agents of D.E.A.T.H.:  a group extremely disillusioned wealthy people hell-bent on taking revenge on society.  One of the 5 - Hank Hennessey - infiltrates the group, and pretends to be one of them in order to stop them from the inside.  

"Introducing:  The Peacemaker" - We meet Christopher Smith, who is informed by his secretary Miss Blair, about a man named Emil Bork, who'd had agents within two countries who were at war with each other.  While in Geneva, Smith runs afoul of Bork and his men, and is almost killed.  He then later on gets into his secret armory, and puts on a new outfit, and confronts Bork as The Peacemaker, as Bork is looking to escape, for which Peacemaker would not allow.  

________________________________________________________

I hope you enjoyed this look at the first appearance of Peacemaker, and hope you will once again check back in with me, as I peruse the comic bins of history for yet another title to profile in our next installment.  But, until then, check out this book if you can, and everything else starring Peacemaker, to gain a better understanding of our hero.  

NEXT TIME:  Another classic book from our collection!

THE FLASH 8.14

 

RECAP - THE FLASH  8.14:  "Funeral For a Friend"  

Well...it was a somber installment of our Scarlet Speedster and the rest of Team Flash, as they all find a way to mourn the loss of Frost, who died fighting and stopping Deathstorm last episode.  We get to see different perspectives of some of the team as they try to find ways to honor their friend and colleague, who sacrificed her life to save her sister's...and the city's.  So, this episode spent it's time hitting the emotional beats of the various members of the team, and how THEY handle the loss.  But this episode also shows us that there is ONE member NOT taking the loss well:  Caitlin.  And amidst the backdrop of this upcoming funeral for Frost----is a new villain named Blockbuster, who shows up to create trouble for the team as well.  

When Mark Desmond---the villain known as Blockbuster---shows up in town to steal stuff and make trouble, Team Flash heads out to stop him before he becomes a bigger threat, but Flash, Cecile, and even Allegra are unable to stop him, as their emotional grief over losing Frost has created enough of a distraction for him to get the best of them, and beat a hasty retreat.  This is also the only REAL time we see him in the entire episode, as his going underground is a way to keep him off canvas, while still mentioning him a couple times throughout the episode in order to let you know there's still a villain on the loose they'll need to stop.  But they all realize they're NOT in the right headspace to deal with him right now, and Joe reminds them that maybe they need to take a breath, allow themselves to process the loss of Frost, and manage to find a way to honor her memory...but do SOMETHING to take stock and remind them of what Frost meant to them.  Joe himself started taking art classes, and Cecile decides to donate part of her salary to pro-bono cases for metahumans needed a defense attorney.  

As for Allegra and Chuck...they argue back and forth about how to find a way to honor Frost.  Chuck comes up with an idea of taking her costume and putting it in a case like Green Arrow's, and instead of a flame, something akin to something Frost-like.  Allegra thinks the idea is lame, because she can't figure out a way to honor her, And, with some bickering about other personal stuff, they realize that they're time being with each other is what makes their lives better.  So, they take her old coat, and put it in the museum to honor their fallen.  They also get a call about a disturbance at O'Shaughnessy's, where they find a VERY drunk Mark Blaine, messing with the DJ equipment, and NOT handling the loss of his lady love well. They drag him back to STAR Labs where he's passed out, to sleep it off.  

Iris...who spent VERY little time with Frost, has one of her staff write the obituary of Frost, because she can't quite put pen to paper and write about someone she know little about.  And while the obit is good, she runs it by Frost's mom, and while Carla feels it's not bad---it lacks an emotional touch.  This leads Iris to interview those who were effected by Frost's presence in their lives...having saved them, or just by being at her trial.  So, the podcast she puts out helps paint the picture of who Frost was as a person.  Meanwhile, Carla encourages one of the young men working at Jitters to ensure the name of the Killer Frost beverage is changed.  

Barry's way to cope is to complete Frost's bucket list...by white water rafting to building a snowman atop Mt. Everest.  But somehow....it's just not enough.  He's also tormented a bit by the fact the Caitlin refuses to go to Frost's funeral, and knows Caitlin will regret it if she doesn't.  When he tried to mention the funeral service to her, she gave it to her mom to handle, and she wasn't going.  Caitlin instead went home and packed Frost's stuff away....and just sat there and moped.  When Mark awakes from his hangover, he and Barry talk about the bucket list, and talk about how Barry still feels empty.  Mark talks about all the times they went out and did stuff....and was not so much about DOING or FINISHING the tasks on a list...it was just the experience in itself.  And Mark hits the key note in everything---it was Frost's destiny...her mission...to protect and save Caitlin.  She cared about saving the city, about standing up for those who couldn't.  It was then during the day of the funeral that Barry pays one last visit to Caitlin.  He tries to convince her that she'll regret not going.  Speaking from his own experiences (because if there is ANYONE who can relate to the loss of a loved one---especially family---it's Barry).  He tells her that as long as they remember the people they were...what they meant to them...they're never truly gone.  It's enough to convince Caitlin to show up at the funeral...in a blue dress (which just seemed appropriate, knowing her sister), and delivers a very touching eulogy to her twin.  They all gather at the casket to pay their final respects to their fallen comrade...and sister.  

Back at Joe's, they all toast Frost, and talk about their favorite Frost stories.  It helps Caitlin feel a little better.  Then, as everyone takes their leave to go stop Blockbuster, who's popped up again, Caitlin makes a phone call, asking for someone's help.  Turns out that she called Mark over to her apartment, and it looks like she's borrowed some equipment from STAR Labs, and set it up at home.  What we DID NOT see at first was her clipping some of Frost's hair from the casket.  She's asking for Mark's help in bringing Frost back.  

At CCMedia, Taylor has written up the story of the Flash stopping Blockbuster, and she wonders about whether or not he's had help.  She asks Iris about maybe investigating that story, and find out the team of players behind the Flash's heroic efforts.  Iris says she'll think about it, and tells Taylor to celebrate her front page story.  She brings up how things seemed okay in her absence when she was in Coast City, and Taylor ensures that not everything was great...in reference to her continued hatred of Allegra.  But she goes to leave, then forgets to ask Iris something, only to discover Iris is gone.  Iris' illness has finally caught up with her, and now she's lost in time.  

We knew they'd devote an episode to honoring Frost, and they did a pretty decent job with how the members of the team handled her death...but you KNEW Caitlin would have the hardest time letting go....because she didn't want to.  And she pushed everyone away in the process.  She refused going to the funeral because that meant saying goodbye, and having to let Frost go, and Caitlin isn't ready to do that...not by a long shot.  Even though Barry...who--above ANYONE else---having lost both his father AND his mother...was the ONLY one to be able to reach her and convince her to show up.  Mark helped him get through to her, because it was Frost herself that told Caitlin that no matter what happens, to NOT push her friends away, or those she loves, because she can't cope.  And while that looked like that speech worked, it's also set Caitlin on a dangerous path, as now she's roped Mark into helping her seemingly CLONE a new body and resurrect Frost in some manner.  This is not a good sign for Caitlin, and we can only imagine how BAD this is going to turn out.  And it's hard to say if THIS will put Caitlin down that dark path towards being a villain, but it will be interesting to see what happens.  Now...in regards to Frost's funeral service, I was pissed off about ONE thing:  WHERE WAS CISCO?!!  Couldn't we get Carlos Valdes at least ONE little guest spot this season if only for THAT?  Or will they save him for the end of the season, when he's needed to help talk Caitlin from that ledge of evil?  Again, the possibility is there.  

As for Iris, her illness has now reached critical mass, and she's Casper-ed out.  What this does for CCMedia will be interesting, as Taylor has made it known she still hates Allegra, and STILL probably wants to get rid of her once and for all and destroy her.  With Iris missing, Taylor will see this as her chance to take the reins of the paper, and find a way to exile Allegra out.  Meanwhile, I'm sure Allegra will be busy trying to help Barry find Iris.  But I have a feeling that Barry will have to do this alone.  But we do have a couple plots hanging now before the end of the season, which will wrap up in 6 more episodes.  Can Barry save Iris?  Or is Iris lost to the time fracture forever, and will time start falling apart around them?  And is this something the Flash can stop?  

What did YOU all think of this episode?  Subscribe and drop me some comments and theories below.

And until next time....keep on running!