The Flash: Season 2, Episode 1: The Man Who Saved Central City

The Flash started off a little slowly last season, but ended up being a fantastic first season. Not only did it bring a beloved and iconic comic book character to life in a much better way than previous attempts, but it cemented the existence of a shared DC universe. There was a lot going on in this episode. It wasn’t bad for a second season premiere, but the structure was a little weird. Instead of starting the episode off with that massive cliffhanger from last season, we were brought to a few months later and then given a flashback to the cliff hanger.

The reason I say the structure was weird, was because of the beginning fantasy scene where Barry is back with all of his friends and then we were given a flashback to show us what happened. Honestly, they would’ve started with the flashback and just gone from there. Just show us the cause of the pain instead of making us wait ten minutes. Had they shown the flashback later in the episode, it would’ve made more sense, but this way worked as well. I think the only reason they did things in this order was to show his regret and motivation and to have the fantasy scene. It wouldn’t have worked anywhere other than the beginning of the episode.

One thing that clicked for me during the episode was the fact that it was so obvious that Ronny was going to die. Not necessarily for watchers of the show, but definitely for anyone who noticed his absence in the “Legends of Tomorrow” trailer. I was kicking myself for not having realized it until I saw his fate here. To be completely honest though, I’m not very wounded by the fact that he’s gone. Dr. Stein is kind of necessary with Wells/Thawne being absent, but Ronny was a little touch of overkill that could contribute to stealing the Flash’s spotlight. Also, his CGI wasn’t the greatest on a show that’s constantly getting recognized for its special effects. I feel sorry for Caitlin though, which I’m sure is the main reason for Ronny disappearing… again. However, it was great to see how characters are affected by the things that have happened to them. Also, Cisco is awesome and I’m ready to see his powers.

Thawne and Barry have such a great character relationship. They are enemies, but Thawne was willing to admit that he doesn’t hate Barry as much as he hates his later self. Leaving him Star Labs and confessing to his mother’s murder were both amazing gestures, even though it felt too good to be true. Alas, it was, making his father’s release from prison and immediate departure kind of predictable. Killing Henry Allen would have been too cruel, but I understand why he’s gone. There wasn’t much more the writers could have done with him, at least right now. I’m sure we’ll see him again in the future. However, it kind of felt like a bit of a cop out when he gave the excuses he gave. It seemed like a father that was leaving to get cigarettes for a few years. As happy as the occasion was, you would’ve thought he would have at least spent a week or two with his son he hasn’t been able to hug for fourteen years. Let’s not even mention his best friend Joe and all of his son’s new friends. It was definitely understandable, but also felt a little rushed. They could’ve waited until next week’s episode for that.

Now let’s talk about the bad guys. Atom Smasher is a pretty awesome character in the comics and he’s also a good guy now. I think they could’ve treated him much better than his mediocre CGI, not quite complete power set, nonexistent back story and full on stupidity (more on that in a second). The Flash has fought super strength before with the likes of Girder and Grodd, so I was wondering what the big deal was. Apparently Atom Smasher is much stronger than those two, but WAY stupider, seeing as how he fell for the most obvious trap I have probably ever seen on television. His ominous mention of Zoom worked well though.

I would have honestly preferred to see a different villain as the big bad, but this show hasn’t let me down so far, so it’s okay. The reason I say this, is because the Zoom is so similar to Reverse Flash. Even their costumes are the same. I know we’re definitely going to get much more wacky science though, so it’s okay. Especially seeing as how Jay Garrick (looking younger than expected) made his appearance. I’m now wondering what exactly is going on since Thawne seemed to recognize his helmet last season. Maybe the explanation for that will also include why Eddie dying erased Thawne from existence, but for some reason didn’t effect anything he influenced. The inconsistent time travel rules are definitely my biggest gripe with the show, but it’s still awesome so I’ll do my best to let it slide, especially if we get a better explanation later.

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Jonathan Jones

Jonathan Thomas Jones is a speculative fiction author and founder of geekhavenreviews.com. He has been passionate about all things geek for his entire life. See more about him at jonathanthomasjones.com and follow him on twitter @jtgloryjones.