Episode 2.16 of THE FLASH gives us a theme of losing faith in heroes. In some cases, that faith can be won back. In others, it may take time…but what if your hero turns out to be the biggest bad guy of all? Oh, yes, you think I’m talking about…him…and to a certain extent I am, but it applies across the board in a very well-executed episode of THE FLASH!
Want to know more? SPOILERS are lurking after the jump!
There is a new speedster in town, a new “red blur” that steals from everyone in a six block radius while the Flash team is out clubbing (and dancing very badly, in Cisco’s case). The town only knows one “red blur”, so it is very easy to wonder if The Flash has gone rogue (pun intended). In fact, the editor of the Picture News, Scott Evans, is all too ready to accept this villainous picture of the Scarlet Speedster. One hero (almost) down, as Scott is pressuring Iris to help him with an expose issue, revealing the Flash to be a “fraud”. Iris does her best to slow this process down, and it leads to a very awkward scene at Jitters (we’ll come back to that one).
Of course, Barry has nothing to do with this crime spree. He chases down the woman who will soon be known as Trajectory, only to find that she is faster than him!
Eventually, they find that this speedster is Eliza Harmon, a scientist at Mercury Labs, who is frustrated at being passed over for grants and promotions…and who was trusted by Caitlin Snow with parts of her research into Velocity-9. (NOTE: another version of Eliza Harmon was a speedster with a different origin…and demise, in the comics as part of Lex Luthor’s “Everyman Project”). Harmon reverse engineers the drug and has become hooked on the speed drug. Like the original Velocity, Harmon’s version of V-9 is causing her serious harm. But, she can’t stop going for more…and she is getting more unstable by the moment, both mentally and physically. It eventually causes her to completely dissipate, the ultimate side-effect of the Velocity drug.
Meanwhile, Jesse is learning just how far Harry has been willing to go to ensure her safety. She didn’t know about Harry’s willingness to help Zoom earlier – but she saw his willingness to make more V-9 for Trajectory in order to protect Jesse, and it shatters her hero worship of her father. Eventually, this will lead her to look for a life on her own in Opal City (hopefully this isn’t the last we will see of this character).
Finally, we find more and more clues being dropped throughout the episode regarding something we as fans already know…that Zoom has Jay Garrick’s face! Every time Cisco gets near that display case with the iconic winged helmet, he vibes a picture of Zoom. Add to that Trajectory’s last burst of speed before she dissolves (literally) and we find her lightning turning blue…just like Zoom’s.
Let’s put this together. Eliza was hooked on V-9, just as Jay was hooked on a version of Velocity. Eliza’s lightning turned blue, the same color as Zoom’s. Could the color change be related to the deterioration noted with Velocity? Could be…so, could Zoom be hooked on Velocity? Could his search for Barry’s speed be an attempt for a cure? And if so, who else was hooked on Velocity? Oh yeah…Jay!
A bit convoluted but it works for the team…and it’s confirmed when Cisco finally grabs the helmet directly. Jay is Zoom! (NOTE: Of course this could all still be a swerve for a Hunter Zolomon reveal, but it’s more than interesting).
SO, here’s where we are with believing in heroes: Flash was suspected of being a bad guy, but has been cleared. Jesse’s faith in Harry was shattered, and even though she seems to forgive she is heading out for a life on her own in this new world (new to her, at least). But, the entire Flash team must now deal with the loss of their faith in Jay.
Now, for that awkward scene at Jitters…Scott misunderstood Iris’ invitation to be a date. It wasn’t, not then. It was really an attempt to delay the “Flash is a bad guy” story. But, it did allow Scott to explain why he has such trouble believing in heroes. And, it leads to what may become a relationship in future episodes.
SUMMARY: Hero worship is difficult to maintain when we see all the flaws a person can have, and in this episode we see a lot of flaws…some real, some mistakenly attributed. But, the pain with any loss of faith is significant. That’s what we see in multiple threads of this show, and it is carried off exceptionally well. Cisco’s (Carlos Valdes) reaction to finding Zoom’s identity was heartbreaking, and acted perfectly. Barry has managed to gain a bit more speed, going to Mach 3.3 in this episode…and isn’t far from being able to make that ultimate run into the Multiverse (apparently beginning Monday night on SUPERGIRL). Another great episode of THE FLASH!
What do YOU think? Add your comments below.
I am honestly surprised that the episode didn’t end with a lead-in to the Supergirl crossover.
I hated this episode. Here’s another random villain of the week — someone we’ve never mentioned before, but she was there the whole time, honest! Here’s a new love interest for Iris just because we need more romantic tension. And Barry is now having trouble running at Mach 3.3, even though we’ve seen him run faster than lightning, and fast enough to travel through time. Ugh.
And why was Barry so distraught at the end? He barely even knew Jay Garrick! He was away from the team a heck of a lot more than he was with the team. Seriously, he never did anything beside randomly being forced into a relationship with Caitlin just because the CW demands more romance.
Finally, I have to complain about the lazy origin Jesse Quick. It would have been far more innovative had she followed her comic counterpart by discovering a mathematical formula to give her super speed. Now, I suppose they could still use an element of that idea later on, but now that she’s got Velocity 9 in her system, it really doesn’t matter.
I’m confused at some of your complaints. Trajectory is a new character on the show and was not there “the whole time”. It was specifically stated Caitlin contacted her just a few weeks ago and that she only recently got her speed. You are making a mountain out of a molehill.
Jesse got the V9 out of her system due to the blood transfusion. No suggestion that she developed speed powers. Plus, V9 is temporary, so it should not have any lasting effects.
But, I can’t totally argue that the Iris stuff seemed like filler and Barry’s speed is portrayed very inconsistently throughout the show – just like the comics!
I guess I worded my complaint weirdly. I was mad that we had never previously seen or heard of this girl who became Trajectory, but then we were told that she was there helping develop the V9 all along. It just felt lazy to me. That and the fact that they only interrogated one person at Mercury who just so happened to be their perp.
With Jesse, I’m predicting that she’ll become Jesse Quick from the comics and they’ll use the V9 as the impetus. That’s where I see the story going, and it makes me disappointed.
This show has some great moments and occasional wonderful episodes, but about half the time it’s more or less like this — lazy and frustrating.
It’s weird how they’re introducing Trajectory and setting up Jessie Quick as speedsters before they’re even starting to bother with Wally West. I mean…after all the fuss of introducing him, the character’s been given nothing to do. He’s not a member of team Flash, he’s not a speedster. He’s been providing Iris and Joe with good character development, but otherwise he’s just wasted.
I’d rather they do him right than just cram it in randomly. Wally as a speedster is a whole season arc with Barry as a mentor and there is a lot already going on this season in Flash’s world. I like that they are taking their time with it. Establish the character and his role with these other characters, then give him the speed powers. No need to rush.