The Flash S3 Ep. 16 Thoughts

"Into The Speed Force"

This week's episode of The Flash was almost beat by beat exactly what I've been asking for during the course of this season. By utilizing the Speed Force in all of its fantastical lesson giving methods for Barry, it felt as though I was finally seeing the writers show some sign of evolution within its characters. The drama component is solid enough within some of the relationship issues currently taking place, but what really highlights here is the feeling of progression taken place within some of the current central character(s) of the show.

One of the biggest issues that I've been dealing with for the current season is the characters constantly feeling trapped in the same week to week problem causing ignorant mistakes without any true sign of legitimate maturity in the process. However, due to a great utilization of previously deceased characters showing up in sort of a "Christmas Carol" manner through the Speed Force, we get to see Barry finally confronting his mistakes head on (as if the Invasion episode wasn't a good enough attempt regarding Flashpoint). Seeing Eddie, Ronnie, and even Snart was a welcoming surprise for fans to enjoy while also acting as the perfect characters to show Barry the consequences of his actions. 

As far as the Speed Force's more physical consequences, having the Black Flash show up was by far one of the biggest highlights of the episode. Not only was I completely geeking out at the sight of him showing up out of nowhere and chasing down Barry like a speedster serial killer, but as a fan of Legends of Tomorrow, one does start to think about what his character's current priorities are. Does the Speed Force simply summon him whenever they desire to make a point or is the version shown here sort of a replicant while the real one hunts for Eobard? It's pretty fascinating when you start breaking down the type of power and sensibilities surrounding the Speed Force as a character in itself. Also, the scene with Barry decomposing from Black Flash's grasp was amazing.

What I also really loved (although not the central focus of the episode) was seeing Wally also showing an indication of maturity stating that he'll never make the mistake of blindly taking on threats on his own after experiencing his own version of Hell in the Speed Force. We're still only in the tip toeing stages of explaining what the Speed Force actually is, but it's nice to see the writers utilize its fantastical elements to push our characters forward in necessary and profound ways. It's important to note that through Wally's nightmarish loop, we also learn why Savitar hates Barry so much as he too must've undergone a similiar situation. What was Savitar's personal Hell like in the Speed Force? Here's something we can now sink our teeth into with speculations.

Speed Force speculations aside, I also liked that we got to see Jessie being placed in the spotlight a little bit more here. Having her undergo her own "I'll take the world on by myself" moment was a nice standalone segment as it allowed audiences to spend some time with her superhero story arc despite it seeming like background noise to everything else. She is able to damage Savitar (whose visual presentation looks better here than in the previous episode) revealing his potential vulnerability which is a pretty big deal to be given to any character at this point. The fact that we just might miss her for a while given her eventual decision in the episode, having her offer up a major step in the Savitar battle strategy was a fine way of having her leave on a high note.

This signifies that the writers are well aware that Jessie isn't some easily expendable side character but one that actually has an impactful position on the show. As a matter of fact, she does allude to taking on various "monsters" on Earth 2 as the Flash. It's a great way of reminding the audience that Jessie is in fact a capable superhero whether we get to see it or not. The reason why I get excited with offhand comments like these from characters is that, as fans watching, we're able to piece together our own stories of what life is possibly like for these people day by day. It's a great show of expansion to have a character imply their daily tasks even if we don't get to necessarily see it.

Speaking of Jessie being the Flash, I was really intrigued by the idea of her temporarily take Jay's place as Earth 3's Flash while he's trapped in the Speed Force. There's quite a bit of stuff that takes place during this episode, so it's perfectly understandable if anyone forgot about Jay's tragic situation. However, I will say that the moment where Jay sacrifices himself to keep Barry and Wally on their paths was a pretty powerful scene and one where the performances truly shined (John Wesley Shipp is always a treat to have on the show). There's a strong sense of history within his character that is felt just from his speech to Barry about every marathon having a finish line. I do hope that we get to see him in the near future especially considering his currently bleak situation.

So, with a fantastic use of arguably the most mysterious component of the Flash universe, a powerful sense of characters moving forward, a highly appreciated handout of well incorporated fan service, and a solid dose of drama and spectacle to keep things entertaining, this was by far one of the strongest episodes of the season. I can now safely say that The Flash is fully back where my highest expectations are concerned. These are the type of episodes that we need popping up more frequently in the future where strong character development is central focus and character drama is balanced with a sense of wonder and fun. More importantly now however is how the show will handle my personal issue with this season's currently unfulfilling big bad, Savitar. We shall see. 

Bonus Content:

1. Jessie's Lightning Throw/Savitar's Abilities

Two cool things to point out here. Jessie is able to throw lightning like Barry (which I don't remember seeing her do previously) and Savitar having the ability to absorb and reflect it back. This shows that Jessie is getting stronger as well as how formidable Savitar seems to be as a season villain. Also the visuals are fantastic.

2. The Black Flash's Power

We finally get to see the Black Flash utilize his power which almost completely reduces Barry into nothing but a costumed corpse. Now, was the Speed Force actually going to let this happen? Probably not. But it was a great show of power for this character and what Eobard Thawne is constantly running from.

3. H.R. Is Surprisingly Helpful?

H.R. has been one giant question mark ever since his initial debut earlier in the season. Here he displays a sense of intelligence and awareness during Jessie's confrontation with Savitar which one might argue to be suspicious or actually consistent with the character's random beneficial outbursts. 

4. The Expanding Speedster Family

In other iterations of the Flash universe, there is usually a sense of family surrounding the speedster heroes despite their backgrounds or locations. Here we're starting to see the beginnings of this slowly growing inner circle amongst speedsters looking out for each other despite what Earth they may originate from. I look forward to possibly seeing this circle expand with a certain Accelerated Man nearby.

5. Sins of the Past

One of the best components of this episode was getting to see deceased characters appear via the Speed Force's powers. It's an awesome way of reminding the audience of the impact that characters had on the story from previous seasons. Also, for Legends of Tomorrow fans, it's a great callback to Snart during the Season 1 finale.

6. Cisco Continues To Grow Stronger

We're starting to see Cisco grow more powerful throughout the season. In this episode, we can see him becoming much more efficient he is getting at tapping into the speed force. This is something that is alternately shown with Gypsy who is able to cancel a speedster's speed. Perhaps this will come in handy against Savitar down the line.

Rating: 9/10