The Flash - S3E13 - Attack on Gorilla City
Previously on The Flash, “Untouchable”
We didn’t need a news crawl from the future to tell us Grodd would be returning to The Flash. The comic character is a fan-favorite, and the show has done the storylines (and CGI) surrounding the telepathic, sentient gorilla fairly well. Until now.
Jesse explains that her father deciphered an invitation from Grodd, leading him and a team of 10 to Gorilla City. The team died, Harry is missing, and Jesse needs help finding Harry and bringing him home. Team Flash agrees, mainly to save Harry, but also to prevent the gorilla news item from the future. Caitlin, Cisco, Julian, and Barry head through the breach while Wally and Jesse remain behind with the others to protect Central City.
Soon after they arrive, the team realize they’ve fallen for a trap. In cages, and with their powers dampened, Grodd explains he needs Barry to kill the gorilla leader, Solovar, before he launches an attack on Central City. Once Solovar is out of the picture, Grodd can take control of the gorilla population and allow Barry and his people to go home. Though Barry is skeptical they can trust Grodd, and not really up for killing a gorilla, he does know the news story is real and wants to change the future as much as possible. The decision is made for him once Solovar is alerted to their presence and challenges Barry.
In the arena, Barry eventually overtakes Solovar, but spares his life in an effort to show the gorillas that humans mean them no harm. Grodd goes back on his word and plans to use Cisco to open a breach so he can lead the gorillas to Earth-1. Faking Barry’s death provides them with an opportunity to escape, taking Harry back to Earth-1 as well.
Meanwhile, Jesse keeps Wally at arm’s length and eventually admits to being unsure of their relationship. Was Wally only attracted to her because of her speed? Now that he’s a speedster, how or why would he leave his life as Kid Flash to be with her? Wally makes it clear he wants to be with her, and Jesse agrees to move to Central City.
Up to Speed
There wasn’t much I liked about this episode, but there were a few things.
Wally. Motherfucking. West. This guy has become the heart of the show. It’s been so fun watching him grow into a member of the family and the team, and watching him grow into his role as a speedster. Keinynan Lonsdale brings such genuine sincerity to the character; it’s impossible to root against him.
H.R. and his interactions with… everyone, but especially Harry. The glee he took in Harry’s reaction to Jesse and Wally was hilarious.
That WestAllen goodness: “Everything I do is for you.”
Speed Bumps
Let’s talk about this convoluted plot. Grodd wants to go home and fuck shit up because he’s still in his feelings. For some reason, he can’t beat Solovar on his own so he decides Barry can. Barry couldn’t even kill Grodd, but okay. He sends a complicated message from Earth-2’s Africa to Earth-2’s Central City how, exactly? Once he has Harry, he waits for Jesse to decide to contact The Flash. Once he has Team Flash, he tells them his plans for Cisco and Central City, Cisco suggests that Caitlin kill him to keep that from happening. Did anyone take this seriously?
Barry fakes his death, hoping it will stop Grodd from using whatever power dampening ability which is never explained and is conveniently directed at specific powers. It works, they get away, but it’s later revealed Grodd has Gyspy and he’ll use her to open a breach anyway. Where did she come from and why the hell didn’t he just do that to begin with? Oh, right. He needed Solovar’s army and he knew Barry could beat Solovar even though Barry can’t beat him. *sigh*
I’m all for #QuickWest. I love Wally and Jesse and the actors portraying them. But when did this relationship happen? Jesse says she hasn’t heard from Wally since he got his powers, and he hadn’t heard from her before she got hers. How do we go from one kiss and no contact to “I’ll leave my world for you”?
We spent an entire episode in the much-hyped Gorilla City, and most of this time was spent in cells that looked like leftover props from Zoom’s lair.
If Grodd is going to speak through the people he’s controlling, either have them deliver his lines in their own voices, or use Keith David’s voice. Please.
Leave your thoughts on the episode below or on our Facebook post for this review, and we’ll read them on tonight’s podcast.
The Flash S3E13
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Plot - 6/106/10
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Dialogue - 7/107/10
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Action - 5/105/10
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Performances - 8/108/10
"Attack on Gorilla City"
Starring: Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Jesse L. Williams, Tom Cavanagh, Carlos Valdes, Danielle Panabaker, Keinynan Lonsdale, Tom Felton
For the podcast
It was ok. I was never a real hype Grodd person so I was meh on Gorilla City. They brought in Keith David tho so it better be for more than one episode! The episode was pretty funny tho.
WestAllen is adorable and Barry is all about that no sleep. 😉😙 That boy is so freakin happy to be with Iris and thirsty af!
How have Jessie & Wally been communicating? Is Cisco sending love notes for them thru the multiverse? I’m all for QuickWest but huh? I need proof of this before Jessie moves to another freakin earth!
Why are the good guys always so gullible? Hell, even Solivar was gullible. Grodd played all of them from jump. And what was Cisco talking about killing himself? WTF? That was a big ass leap!
That’s it. Hope this isn’t too long. I’m still looking forward to next week cause Team Flash vs. a shit ton of gorillas should be interesting. Can’t wait to hear the podcast! And the show’s explanation of how Cynthia got there. She looked like she was being mind controlled. Do you think Grodd sent out some kind of message to Earth 19 to make it look like someone from there was on Earth 2 to lure her there? How powerful is he with his telepathy and mind control?
I saw this whole switcharoo coming a mile away. I don’t know why the team didn’t think that maybe them going to Gorilla City is what actually causes the attack on Central city. Barry’s ole Harambe loving ass. I figured Grod was lying anyway but even if he wasn’t Barry going back on killing Sovantar would’ve def made Grod mad anyway. Also I like Jesse and Wally together but I don’t really feel like the drama between them this episode was really earned. Of course I knew that they liked each other but not enough for them to be all of the sudden so heartbroken about being on different Earths. But I’m happy to see them together. How in the heck did Grod get Gypsy to earth 2 exactly?
Hi y’all. Grodd isn’t a fav of mine so I had low expectations. It was ok but this storyline doesn’t need 2 episodes. What was Caitlin’s purpose in this entire episode? Other than using up precious oxygen & screen time with ‘bad-face acting’. WestAllen was life!!! I’d love to see more domestic bliss from them. Wally & Jesse need to slow things down. Isn’t she the same person who was dying to go back to E-2? The only thing I’m looking forward to next episode is the HR-Wells scenes & Barry’s episodic professions of love for Iris. Grodd needs to just Harambee himself back to E-2 Africa (so they couldn’t think of an African countries name? Ok, I see you writers). John, in the Flash comics what’s evil Grodds motivation cos this ones kinda dumb. Cynthia better be helping under duress! Anyhoo, yay for the Flash & yay for y’all!
Hi 🙂 I hope this isn’t too long. This episode was lowkey but highkey trash. Amazing CGI though.
I hated the Wally and Jesse stuff. They’ve had no real development at all and suddenly they’re in love and Wally is asking Jesse to move earths for him? Mate what!?! Flash writers please 🤚🏾. They literally shoved a good season’s worth of development into 10 minutes. Talking about “I’m not complete without” do they even know each other like that!?! And then she actually has the nerve to be thinking about it. Sis where are you even going to live?
Caitlin was just 🙄. DP can’t act. Barry got his ass flung and dragged as per usual 😂 why did he take so long to throw the lighting?Cisco volunteering himself for tribute made me scream. How the hell would they have made it home? And if anyone should die it should be Caitlin because that would for sure change the future, killerfrost would no longer be at large 🙃.
Westallen was cute. “EVERYTHING I DO IS FOR YOU!” Shook. “I PLAN ON LIVING A LONG LIFE WITH YOU!” Shooker. “AND NOTHING’S GONNA TAKE THAT FROM ME!” The shookest.
FOR THE PODCAST:
This could have been so good,.
Oh well.
Harry and Wally were the only good things this episode. And as much as I love them, that’s not going to be enough.
FOR THE PODCAST.
1. That damn dirty ape had my boo y’all. Then HR said “I’m sorry I took the smile from your face.” Y’ALL my heart melted. I have two Wells. Tom speaking as Grodd? Fucking amazing. And they had him in a long sleeve black shirt! Hearteyes! If I could just be in his presence! It’s okay, I’m not going to be explicit!
2. Out of all the things Semi-crisp fade would show Jesse, it would be DAT hand. He showed it like it was an invitation. You can’t be showing that in front of company.
3. ARE YOU GOING TO PLANET OF THE APES? I LOVE ORANGE JULIUS AKA BIG HEAD SMALL BODY for now. But no country for Orange Frosty they are the embodiment of COTR.
4. Semi crisp IS SO BLACK. When Joe said “he can hear you” and the camera cut to Wally, I cackled. The head shake he gave when he opened his arms, I swear! I love him.
5. ONE LAST THING! NIGGA WHAT? CW? SO Y’ALL CAN DO CGI BUT Y’ALL COULDN’T MAKE SURE MAYO MAN AT THE END DID NOT WALK RIGHT INTO THE CAMERA? HE WALKED SO FUCKING SLOW STEVIE COULD SEE IT. THAT WAS PROJECTED ON SCREEN LIKE THE WRINKLES ON INDIANA JULIUS’S RIPPLED FOREHEAD. WHY? FOR SHAME!
Overall great episode!
FOR THE PODCAST: So, this was an episode. It happened. I saw it. That’s pretty much all I have. Oh, I will add this. I need these people (I’m talking to YOU Bart and Jessica) to STOP hating on my man Wallace and his speed. Let the young nigga shine! Shit! Speaking of Bart. Fuck him. He’s been a whole ass bitch all season and I’m tired of him. I was hoping Grodd would eat him. And speaking of Grodd, HOW do you make an episode that featured Grodd in Gorilla City boring??? HOW? I don’t know, but these fucknecks found a way to do it. The preview for nest week looks good tho. But then again, so did the trailer for this shit.
For the podcast:
I’ll try and keep it short because, compared to this week’s Agents of Shield, this episode really doesn’t deserve my attention:
- When they were saying how Caitlin had a bond with Grodd, was anyone else like “Wait, when did she date a gorilla?!? Wtf?!?”
- Jessie is the absolute worst to Wallace. Oppressing him for having speed! Putting the responsibility of correspondence on him when she is equally able to send a message! Wallace deserves better!
- Barry is also the worst! Acting like Jessie should teach Wallace when Wallace is faster than both of them, and Jessie is just as inexperienced! Fuck Barry! #StopOppressingWallace
- So where in Africa are they? That seems racist. Fucking white ain’t shitness COTR behaviour strikes again!
FOR THE PODCAST:
Hey girl! I’m a little irritated that they said they were going to Africa in Earth 2. No country…just Africa. Not only that, there are no humans? That wasn’t lost on me. I think this was also the 3rd episode in a row where Bartholomew says something negative about Wallace and has to apologize. I hate him. Caitlin made me laugh out loud with that “Fear me” bullshit. Go get your “fill it” steak and hush. I’ve never been into Grodd, so this episode was meh.
It makes sense that there were no humans where they were. Gorilla City is a hidden city away from humans.
Naw, man…There’s no part of Africa that’s not inhabited by people and not within the confines of a sovereign nation. On any Earth.
I’m not saying it wouldn’t be in the confines of a country, I’m saying that like they said in the show and every time Gorilla City is mentioned in the comics, it’s far from human eyes.
The fact that it’s on a different earth makes specifying a country that may or may not even exist on “Earth 1” containing a hidden city that definitely doesn’t exist on “Earth 1” a bit of a moot point. The comics never specified either I’m fairly sure because you couldn’t just stumble into Gorilla City. In the show it’s depicted as an ancient city partially in ruins but the comics always depicted it as a futuristic city with cloaking capabilities and defenses to keep anyone away who was not welcome. The most the comics specified about its location was jungles in Africa. From this you could assume Congo river basin if it was this Earth, but who is to say that earth doesn’t have more jungle left or if it’s even called the Congo?
Usually I’d be more mad about not specifying a country in a huge continent, but there are reasonable factors in this case.
Leif, they’ve not said it was hidden on the show, though. They even knew to send a search party there when Harry didn’t return for two weeks.
That’s a valid point. I just think country lines are arbitrary when the ones you’re talking about don’t identify with those lines, especially when the lines and names don’t add up to something we would necessarily recognize. Who’s to say Earth 2 doesn’t have a United States of Africa or something of the like? Meh. One could call the writers lazy. At least Marvel makes up a country name of Wakanda, right?
Oh but before Harrison Wells got their message, no one knew where they were. They communicated where he should go so that does explain how they knew where to go.
FOR THE PODCAST:
Hi Nina, Donny and John! This episode was okay. I guess I’m really glad for it’s “meh” conflict and resolution because I watched this right after watching This Is Us. I’m not sure if I really feel the chemistry between Wally and Jesse, but I’m interested in seeing how it plays out. I like Caitlin and Andrew (is that his name? Whatever) together a lot more than I did Caitlin and Ronnie. I’d say I’m really excited for the next episode, but TBH I can’t remember the preview and I just watched it like 10 minutes ago.
Hi Nina, Donny and John!
I like the opening this episode; when Jesse mistakes HR for her dad. Of course Julian has an Indiana jones outfit just in case. Ridiculous yes, but at least he was prepared. Also I will never get tired of watching Barry kiss Iris, she better not die Berlanti, or the ghosts of the ancestors we unleashed on sleepy hollow will follow you.
And I totally see Caitlyn and Julian becoming your typical codependent super villain couple and him dying and her continuing her black widow status.
The plot was ok, graphics were dope, I wasn’t a fan of grod possessing Harry, mouth work seemed off. I’m glad Wally closed the deal with Jessie and I will forever love the episodes ending with a shot of Iris and Barry at home. Perhaps we’ll see him in his boxers soon? Can’t wait to hear the podcast! 👋🏽👋🏽👋🏽
FOR THE PODCAST
“I won’t kill anyone, even a gorilla” - are y’all gonna act like you don’t eat meat, like y’all haven’t killed actual people without any moral qualms? Like you didn’t age a 17 year old to death? Why this moral outrage now? Because plot.
I’m not feeling the writing in this episode. ALL of the conflict could have been made mute by the gorillas using their psychic ability to determine each other’s intentions and the intentions of team struggle-Flash. Unless there is some kind of other reason keeping gorillas from outright reading minds, a lot of events don’t make sense. If there is some kind of rule against mind-reading (which wouldn’t make sense since mind-control is totally OK) how did they know to go after Cynthia? Assuming that the knowledge of Cynthia is from mind-reading, why were the gorillas so gullible at every turn? The plot is dependent on this circular argument.
I liked socially awkward not well adjusted Julian much more than trying too hard to be funny Julian.
HR is literally out here walking into rooms, dropping wisdom while twirling his drumsticks, and strolling out. He’s like Dr. Phil, Iyanla, and Oprah all in one.
“Well that last part is entirely up to you” I’m deceased.
Thanks for the podcast!
For the pod:
Hi guys! 👋🏾
When Jessie came though the Portal and said “It’s my dad, Grodd has him!” Did y’all expect Wally to say “Who?” Cause he wasn’t around when Grodd was. I winner of it was national news or if Joe just talks about it ask the time.
How did Grodd get XX chromosome Cisco?