It's about time I upgraded this logo, huh? I'll have to do that this week...
Anywho, we're back! And both seasons are off to pretty solid starts too. Yes, even Arrow.
The Flash: "Flashpoint" (Season 3, Episode 1)
"Flashpoint" was a solid start to The Flash's third season, even if I found Barry's time in the infamous alternate reality to be rather short and disappointing.
From some of the interviews with the cast and writers prior to the premiere, it was made clear that we would not be spending a whole lot of time in the Flashpoint timeline, and I was under the impression we'd be there for maybe two or three episodes before shifting back to the original timeline. Instead, it was just one episode. 45 minutes. Hmm.
The brevity of the story made it difficult for me to believe Barry's decision to heed the Reverse-Flash's warning and allow Eobard to kill his mom. I mean, sure Wally's down and Barry himself is losing his powers and previous memories, but his change of mind was strange seeing as how he defiantly said he was living the dream just 20 minutes earlier. If Barry's struggle in his decision was spread across two or three episodes and developed with more time, I'd probably be singing a completely different tune here. No one says "Sure, kill my mom," as quickly as Barry did. Also, getting some more time to explore this new reality wouldn't have gone unappreciated. How would the events of Arrow or Legends of Tomorrow have played out in this timeline?
Maybe I'm being too harsh too soon, since it looks as though Barry's antics still have repercussions even in the original timeline. So let's talk about what I did like. The highlight was the same as last season's "Earth-2" double-bill: seeing the different versions of the characters. Wally's running around as Kid Flash. Cisco's a Trump-esque (wealth-wise, not personality-wise thank goodness) billionaire tech mogul. Caitlin's an animal eye doctor, a hilarious reveal. Joe's an alcoholic, and Iris is...basically the same. Barry's interactions with his parents were definitely the emotional highlight, and it's always a pleasure to see Matt Letscher's Reverse-Flash.
So, "Flashpoint" wasn't the grand start to the season I was hoping for, but it wasn't the worst way to start the season either. Maybe as the season progresses and more effects present themselves, my feelings towards "Flashpoint" will warm up?
Other Thoughts:
- I like the idea that Reverse-Flash is running around again in this universe again. It explains how he's showing up in Legends of Tomorrow. And, like I said,it's always a pleasure.
- Don't think about the time travel logic. Don't think about the time travel logic. Don't think about the time travel logic. Don't think about...
- So, at the end, wouldn't the Barry that Eobard returns to the original timeline fade away?
- Furthermore, if this version of Revers-Flash escapes after killing Nora and doesn't get trapped in the past, wouldn't that mean there'd be no Season 1 evil Harrison Wells in this timeline?
- I should probably stop thinking too hard about the time travel in these shows, huh?
Rating: 7.5/10 missed basketball shots
Next week, s'more effects from Barry's timeline-tampering...
Arrow: "Legacy" (Season 5, Episode 1)
Wow. That was an honestly good episode of Arrow.
"Legacy" took the series back to its gritty, street-level tone. It felt like a proper follow-up to Seasons 1 and 2 rather than Seasons 3 and 4. That's great.
After the events of the Season 4 finale, things haven't gotten too peachier for Oliver. He's struggling to balance his newfound duties as mayor and his vigilante-ing, and he's waiting, seemingly in vain, for Diggle and Thea to return to the fold. Oh, and he's killing again. Despite me hating last season's finale, I really did like the way we saw how it affected Oliver here. It seems like a natural progression, and it works very well.
Tobias Church was a serviceable villain, obviously a lot less threatening as Darhk, but still a force to be reckoned with. There's nothing much that differentiates Church from Arrow's past. He seems like an echo of Brick from Season 3 and Kingpin from Daredevil. I'm hoping we get more development for him in episodes to come.
My favourite part, surprisingly, was the flashbacks. We're finally in Russia and we finally get to see Oliver reunite with Anatoly (the Russian guy from Season 2). Oliver's quest to kill that Russian mob boss whose name escapes me will hopefully allow the flashbacks to end on a high note rather than a whimper. Also, the tie-ins to the present were very well done. From the subtle and hilarious "getting your hands untied" trick to the theme of moving forward, they were really well-executed.
I really don't want to get too ahead of myself here and start proclaiming that Arrow is saved, but it's good to see that the writers have acknowledged some of the previous two season's flaws and are working to fix a few of them. Still, this is only episode 1 of 23. Things can still go wrong, but it's safe to say this season is off to a good start.
Other Thoughts:
- I liked the callback to the Oliver interrogation scene in the pilot. This whole episode was pretty much Community's "Re-Pilot"episode.
- Press conferences are not safe places anymore in Star City, are they?
- The guy Oliver was fighting at the beginning: was that supposed to be Lonnie?
- Prometheus is either Tommy or Robert Queen. Calling it now.
Rating: 8.5/10 arrows to the knee
Next week, Team Arrow gets some new recruits...
Noah
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