THE FLASH - Season 5.4

REVIEW:  THE FLASH - SEASON 5, EP. 4:  "News Flash"

This week's installment of the adventures of the Scarlet Speedster brought us a nice mix of humor, some drama, and more layers of a mystery being peeled back.  This season thus far has done a fairly nice job of providing that balancing act, while not bogging down the overall story.

We find out a few more things with the Allen family this week.  In so much as Iris can't cook worth a damn, has a love for Cyndi Lauper, Barry is an incredibly BAD softball player (thought athletics was never Mr. Allen's strong suit), and Nora apparently loves social media, which is the crux of the villain of the week.  We also get the heaviest dose of family drama, as that took center stage this week.  With Nora having her own cell phone, she's happily enjoying what most millenials do---social media.  Inasmuch as following a gal named Spencer Young's blog about The Flash and Central City's newest hero:  XS.  Iris does pass along that she knows Spencer from when she worked at Jitters, and always felt that Spencer was just a gloryhound---for which Nora says that Spencer's blog is out pacing Iris' in viewership...a nice bit of shade thrown Iris' way, showing the animosity Nora has for her mother.  Things LOOKED like it would improve when Spencer's metahuman (or "Meta Tech", as it's later discovered), uses signage to create sensationalistic headlines before they happen, because the headlines she creates and sends to various signs around the city seem to hypnotize people---including Barry and Nora.  At first, her powers effected Nora and a cop who was supposed to be at the game, but instead showed up with a bomb, which Nora pulled the save on everybody, but neither had any recollection of the incident.

Iris decided to have a little chat with Spencer, telling her to quit while she's ahead, and someone gets hurt, but Spencer just laughs it off.  Later on, a fire breaks out in town, and both Barry & Nora go to put it out.  But Spencer strikes again, and Barry's zapped by the headline she throws up on a marquee...prompting Barry to take off, and wind up in Vegas.  Iris then coaches Nora on how to put the fire out.  Nora gets the job done, and it looks like the ice might be broken a bit between the two.  Once Barry returns, they figure out what Spencer is up to, and try to stop her before she strikes again.  They try to use Nora in the set up, but she ends up getting flirted with by Spencer, to which Iris has to intervene.  

Apparently, Nora's temper gets the best of her, and she fesses up WHY she's so pissed at Iris:  When Nora was younger, Iris put a speed dampener on her to prevent her from using her powers.  Nora feels that a choice was taken out of her hands, and Iris, at first, feels guilty about it, but Barry reassures her that if she did it, she did it for a good reason.  When Iris tells Nora that, it creates an even bigger rift, and she takes off.  The team then finds out Spencer's next story, and they head to the stadium, where Nora gets hypnotized by the new headline....to where she's supposed to kill her dad.  Barry & Nora zip through the stadium, and Nora eventually trips up Barry, and is about to kill him.  Iris, having had enough, and figured out where Spencer was, breached through with a tranq gun, and managed to subdue Nora.  Barry then captured Spencer, and off to Iron Heights she goes.

However, Nora and Iris are on opposite sides, and when Barry comes in to defend Iris, it's a big blow to Nora, who takes off yet again, only to show up at Joe and Cecile's door.  She'll end up crashing there for awhile, and probably have a chat with Joe.  We can only hope Joe can set her on the right path.  Iris cries, as Barry tries to comfort her.  

Another part of the episode that took place was Sherloque and Ralph tracking down info on Cicada.  Ralph figured out something about the mask, and how, when in battle with Cicada, he was breathing heavily the more he exerted.  Ralph's deductive skills prove to be a big key in Cicada's mystery as they find the plant that Hesh actually works at, and see that the employees there use the masks for protection.  Later on, Wells has the same mask, asks Caitlin to punch him, and when she does, he begins to breath heavily, just like Cicada.  So, between the two sleuths, the managed to figure out that he's weak, but also a metahuman, who got his powers during the Thinker's "Enlightenment".  With the combination of Dark Matter and the falling satellite pieces, that's where Cicada probably got his powers, as they deduced.  Wells actually gives credit to Ralph for the piece of the puzzle, showing a mutual respect there.  I should also note that that's the same time Spin (as Spencer has been called for this episode---NOT by Cisco!  The streak is over!), had her phone infected with dark matter, hence the now dangerous "Meta Tech", which has infected technology all over Central City---putting meta power in the hands of EVERYONE.  

We get a brief glimpse of Cicada this episode, as Hersh is shown to be in tremendous pain, due to his own ill heath as a result of the shrapnel he took to the shoulder during the Enlightenment.  But we also witness him discover his super strength, as he crushes a beam with his bear hands.

This episode I enjoyed for the fact that we got some decent humor between Iris' attempt to play wife AND mother for Barry & Nora---and fail miserably at it, Barry's ineptitude with sports, plus Ralph and Wells' interaction of one-upsmanship over who's the better detective.  Finally getting some insight on Nora's beef with her Mom took a turn that I had KIND of figured out for the most part---Iris WAS responsible for holding her daughter back, but had no idea about the power dampener.  I believe it was future Iris' fear of losing Nora the same way she loses Barry.  To lose Barry was devastating enough...to lose Nora would be unthinkable.  So I DO see Iris' point on this issue.  However, the fact that she held Nora back, and took that choice OUT of Nora's hands, I can see WHY Nora has such resentment towards her mother.  And with Barry siding with Iris, it now puts a wet blanket over the feelgood aspects of Barry and Nora's relationship.  Still...I KNOW that Nora is STILL keeping secrets from BOTH of them.  She may have given her reason for coming to the past to see her Dad was one thing, but as Wells pointed out last episode, he knows there's more.  Her finally fessing up as to what made her pissed at her Mom is one thing, but she's still hiding the fact that she's here to attempt to save her dad from ever disappearing. There's more drama along the way for the Allen family before it's going to get better.  Will Iris and Nora manage to ever mend their bridge?  And will Nora suddenly just start avoiding Barry now because he took her mother's side?  And can Joe and Cecile knock some sense in to her?  

We got no movement on Caitlin's Dad this week, which was fine, it's a backup story, and the Allen Family dysfunction needed to be center stage.  Plus, Ralph and Wells putting their heads together and actually having to work together to solve the Cicada mystery was needed so that teamwork could be established between the two.  There's still egos to be had there, but at least there's a more mutual respect and understanding.  I feel Joe and Cecile's roles will be a tad less due to them spending more time with daughter Jenna, and Cisco taking a break keeps him out of Cicada's sights, and gives him a break from having to be the total comic relief on the show.  Ralph and Wells can carry that for awhile, being more productive in the process.  Iris and Caitlin are more than capable of holding down the fort at STAR Labs without Cisco's help as he recovers from his injuries.

While Spin felt like the "flavor of the week" villain, and had very little backstory, aside from what was provided by Iris, and what we saw at the beginning of the episode, she didn't die, and she's someone that can be used again at a later date.  Many may complain that she's used as filler, and to the extent, yes.  It gave Flash and XS a new villain to deal with, but not one they couldn't eventually handle.  Not every villain has to be as intense, or have the exceptional depth that Cicada does because he's the "Big Bad" of the season.  The focus can't ALWAYS be on him, and him alone.  There are several other bad guys looking to make their mark in Central City, and it's okay to have the occasional "geek villain" to get through an episode.  She provided a way to increase the tension between Nora and Iris, as well as give Barry fits as well.  Flash already has a huge Rogues Gallery...it doesn't need to be Justice League size.  And as I said....being put into Iron Heights, just means that she can be used at a later date to cause more problems.  Hazard, Black Bison, and Kilg%re served that purpose last year...as minor villains who were eventually expendable because they served a greater purpose.  But overall, they were minor league villains.  Flash's "core" Rogues such as Heat Wave (who does his stint with the Legends now), Weather Wizard, Grodd, Trickster, and The Reverse-Flash are still out there (and trust me...Eobard's going to pop up again...book it!).  So, expect a couple of more "geek villains" to show up before the season is over...if only to lighten up the drama of the show if it gets weighed down.  Thankfully, this season is a lot like the first two, where the balance between humor and drama was there.  

Anyway, that's my take on this week's episode.  Please feel free to leave a comment, they're always appreciated, as well as you guys checking out my blog...I'm grateful beyond belief.  There will be NO review next week, as Election Day coverage on the 6th will preempt any new episode.  So, join us back here in two weeks for another review of this show.

Until two weeks from now....keep on running!