Episode: The Fastest Man Alive
Original Airdate: 10-14-14
One of the things that Flash took from Smallville that was a great idea was to have this big event that quickly and easily explained how meteor freaks slash meta humans appear throughout their respective towns for them to battle over the course of the show. But where Smallville fell into the “freak of the week” hole, the Flash manages to avoid feeling like it’s falling into that trap here in the second episode. While on the surface, the episode is about the current “freak of the week” Multiplex, there is enough meat on the bones that further the other ongoing plots and also develop several of the characters and their interrelationships. I’m already a fan of Danielle Panabaker’s Caitlin which is a departure from the 90’s Tina though there is a very small hint of a possible relationship between her and Barry down the line. But at this point, it’s just a hint. I also like the love triangle between Barry and his kinda-step sister who he keeps blowing off to be the Flash while she is yet another superhero friend going into a journalism career, kinda. What this episode really does well is explore the adoptive father-son relationship between Joe and Barry and it works very well here aside from the cliched moment where he yells that Joe isn’t really his father. And the special effects continue to look amazing with Multiplex’s many doubles all looking realistic. And while I imagine this is something true for all versions of the Flash, I like to think that it’s another nod to the 90’s series how they work out his increased appetite. All in all, another great episode.
Channel: Superhero 