Central City just can’t seem to get a week off can it? With metahumans and Zoom terrorizing it, why not have Gorilla Grodd return to the fold?
With the second season quickly gaining it’s feet, I felt that “Gorilla Warfare” was a pleasant change of pace. No Zoom, no other baddies, just a single linear story with a small dose of side story. In a way, it’s a slow episode within the main story, but gives a very strong push for character development.
With a broken spirit and back, Barry faces a road to recovery that doesn’t seem to come quickly compared to his other injuries. Zoom’s postering of him across the city, showing his true vulnerabilities to the city that views him as their champion, leaves Barry in that typical hero’s mindset. If he isn’t winning, he’s letting the whole city down.
But that story is on hold, for now.
Zoom is gone, Jay has been a no show for a few weeks now, no metas have been sent to Earth One and King Shark has been the Gorilla Grodd of last season – a one off waiting to make his return to center stage.
With all eyes focused on the telekinetic ape, we see an emphasis on the true nature of Team Flash. Despite being beaten down they return, week after week, to take on the next problem.
Following a series of pharmaceutical company lab technicians mysterious changes of hearts and the theft of some chemicals, Patty and Joe discover traces of gorilla DNA. Coming to a shock to Patty, Joe quickly realizes the true caliber of the recent attacks.
Furthering the character development, Cisco is finally getting his date with Kendra. Things seem to be going great on their way to the theater, where we are led to potentially seeing their first kiss. But, in a twist of fate, the first touch led to Cisco’s first vibe in a bit. An unsuspected vibe shows a vision of a floating person, with wings like an angel, or hawk.
Yes, we are treated to the first in-show look to Hawkgirl, one of the newest members to the future Legends of Tomorrow.
Obviously confused and taken aback from the sudden vision, Cisco shuffles off, stumbling over his vision and away to make sense of everything.
Turning the focus back to Grodd, things are getting tense between Harry and the team, minus one Caitlin Snow.
Disheartened from the lack of progress in saving his daughter, Harry expresses his interest in returning to Earth Two. Hoping to find an answer to catching Zoom, Wells leaves S.T.A.R. Labs to mixed feelings, some saying that if he wants to go, then he should go. Caitlin expresses her desire in having him stay in Earth One, knowing he is close to figuring out a way.
His idea, close all of the breaches down, except for the one that leads right into S.T.A.R. Labs’ basement. With hopes that he will resurface at some point, through the only opening possible, Harry hopes to use the speed canon to in fact lock him in a trap in Earth one. In theory, he has a good idea, but we have yet to see this plan in action against the likes of Zoom, who has thwarted their first bait and tackle attempt. However, it does open the door to an interesting trap for Grodd down the road.
With her sights set on helping Wells, Caitlin and Cisco were conversing in the basement, looking for a solution to closing the breaches. Suddenly, Caitlin goes catatonic and strikes Cisco before disappearing at the hands of Grodd.
Still depressed follow his first battle. Barry falls victim to a post-traumatic stress disorder, one which is hindering his ability to regain his ability to walk and his ability to speed away. After a struggle on the treadmill and a spill, Iris calls in the one person who she knows will restore his strength – Dr. Henry Allen.
After his release from his life sentence, Henry quickly exited from Central City just as quickly as he was released.
I always like an episode that features a man who Barry spent the better part of his short career setting free. His guidance was simple, “protect the city.” With Barry’s second father in Central City, you can clearly see the strong rapport that drove Barry to don the crimson costume in the first place. But without his key ability, he would put his faith in an eerie sight, Harrison Wells in the yellow Reverse Flash suit previously held by the former Wells.
Feeling no restraint, Barry instinctively sped to Wells, clearly lashing out at his former enemy, or the image of him.
Discovering Caitlin’s whereabouts seemed an easy task for the team, being held in a clocktower. Grodd looks to Caitlin for one reason, to make more gorillas like Grodd. While the science behind it was explained, the lack of a blast of dark matter was an obvious hinderance to that goal being accomplished.
With the help of Wells, Barry leads him and Cisco on a rescue mission. Obviously not as well-versed in the art of the yellow suit, Wells nearly performed his Earth One self to a tee, but was quickly foiled by Grodd. Calling out that his master never asked, just took, he threw Wells across the room and took control of Caitlin once more as she fled for the door.
Quickly thinking, Barry coached Wells into over-dosing Grodd with the stolen chemicals to overload his brain just enough to escape. Leaving the final encounter, some quick tinkering with the speed canon and a baiting scheme, Barry flushed out Grodd and brought him to the open breach.
Still in his PTSD mindset, Barry flashed into his fall against Zoom, with vivid images of his near-lifeless body being dragged around Central City. Frozen enough for Grodd to get close, he was struck and pinned by the angry ape. With a connection to Grodd, Caitlin quickly jumped to the center of the canon and brought him off of Barry. All it took then was a quick run from Barry and a flick of a switch and they had nearly captured him.
With unbelievable strength, Grodd was able to clamber away from the breach, but a last minute pep talk from good ol’ dad found Barry racing away and back to throw one last punch to throw him into the void.
Overall, this wasn’t an over the top action episode as compared to last week, but it was still a great addition to a growing show. Characters are in-depth and developing, and really nothing is holding back the multiverse from creating a bigger impact some point down the road.
When Grodd was first announced and appeared last season, it was only a matter of time before we saw Gorilla City. The famed city of sentient simians hidden in the center of Africa. After hitting the breach, Grodd was dumped off in a jungle and emerged at the top of the hill near the entrance to the city.
Thus leading the question, will we soon see the Flash’s Gorilla friend in Solovar? While Gorilla City was just a small sight, can we assume that Solovar is the leader of the ape utopia?
Also, Cisco kissed Hawkgirl. While he has no idea who this person is other than a barista at CC Jitters, let’s all just enjoy the fact that Vibe kissed Hawkgirl. Soon to be a staple in the Legends of Tomorrow, of which we will see a small hint of what is to come in 2016 with the show when the Flash and Arrow crossover event takes place in two weeks.
Flash gets a small break for next week, with the return being part one in the two-part, nine superhero event on December 1st.
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below!
