The Flash - S1E2 - Fastest Man Alive
Previously on The Flash, ‘Pilot’
The Greater Good vs. The Hunt For Metahumans
With some assistance from Cisco, Barry’s been using his new suit and speed to help Central City. When the episode begins he’s saving people from an apartment fire. Caitlin is furious. They agreed to track metahumans not be superheroes. Barry believes he can do both.
Metahuman of the Week
Danton Black can split himself into numerous copies and uses his metahuman ability to rob a gun shop, killing the shop owner in the process. Even though the security camera only captured one man before he shot it, Barry is able to deduce there were six sets of identical footprints, plus six guns stolen. He’s proven right when six armed men show up at a university event honoring the scientist, Simon Stagg. Despite Iris’ presence, Barry uses his power to stop the men from killing a security guard, but he faints in the alley before he can follow them. Black’s research involved cloning and Stagg stole his work then fired him. Black and his clones want revenge.
Black isn’t upset because of the glory and money Stagg stole from him. Stagg was close to using his research to grow a new heart for his ailing wife when Stagg stole it. After Caitlin is able to use a blood sample from Black to grow their own clone, the team figures out that the prime (or real Black) will show signs of weakness or fatigue, much like Barry faints when his powers cause his glucose levels to spike. Barry saves Stagg from Black and his many clones, but Black dies after going through a window trying to lunge for Barry.
Stagg isn’t off the hook, though. When Wells learns Stagg saw the man with the super speed, he pays Stagg a visit and kills him to protect Barry.
You’re Not My Dad
One of the best scenes in the pilot was Joe yelling at Barry to finally accept what everyone else already knew: his father killed his mother. He mentions that he raised Barry as his own without asking for so much as a simple thank you. You could tell this man loves Barry like a son. This is explored further here as Joe completely loses it when he finds out Barry is not only investigating his mother’s death to free his father, but running around town trying to stop criminals. Even though Joe’s own life is saved when Barry stops Black from shooting him, he still tells Barry he is in over his head. He also has harsh words for Harrison Wells and his assistants. “You don’t know what you don’t know. Hopefully you’ll figure it out before someone gets killed,” he said, pointing to Barry. In front of his team, Barry reminds Joe he’s not his father. That was a punch in the gut for Joe and the audience.
Through flashbacks we see how rough it was when Barry first went to live with Joe and Iris. He kept running away, trying to see his father and convince everyone he was innocent. Finally, Barry’s father tells him to stop coming to see him and to listen to Joe.
After Wells points out to Joe that Barry won’t be successful at anything without Joe’s faith in him, Joe comes around. He still wants Barry to keep his secret life from Iris, which is going to be harder to do now that Iris is studying journalism and writing a paper on the red streak going around saving people.
Thoughts & Questions:
- Barry’s still learning. He first overshoots the apartment fire by six blocks.
- The end scene with Barry and Joe where Joe tells him they’ll work on proving Barry’s dad’s innocence together was my favorite of the episode. Yes, it’s fun seeing Barry run around and learn his new powers, but where this show really shines is when Grant Gustin and Jesse L Martin share scenes. I loved that Barry apologized for saying Joe wasn’t his father. Joe kept him clothed and fed, taught him how to shave and drive. That’s a dad.
- Is Caitlin going to fall for Barry? She seems to be so protective of him, but shows it by being constantly pissed off at him.
- Iris now looking into the Red Streak is a little too much like Chloe always investigating the Blue Blur on Smallville, but I’ll allow it for now.
- Why do I think Harrison Wells will kill Joe West?
