As “The Flash” reaches the end of its second season, the CW has succeeded in the building of a television multiverse. With “Arrow” and “Legends of Tomorrow”, the network is quickly shaping up to be a connected DC TV Universe- with “Supergirl” transferring from CBS. Yet Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and Geoff Johns continue to produce consistently good work with “The Flash”, and this season finale is on such example.
Picking up from the last episode, Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) pursues Zoom (Teddy Sears) after the death of his father, Henry Allen (John Wesley Shipp). The burial scene is a quiet, somber moment, in which Barry, Iris, and Joe (Jesse L. Martin) come together in their grief. When Barry is unable to speak, Joe talks about how Henry lost both his wife and son after being framed for murder. Afterwards, Wally West (Kenyan Lonsdale) is able to confide in Barry, whom he now knows is the Flash. Barry admits to Iris (Candice Patton) that he was almost ready to move on after Henry had been exonerated for his mom’s death. Suddenly, Zoom shows up to face Barry again. He demands to know who is the faster man of Earth-1 and Earth-2. Barry warns him to leave his friends alone, but Zoom warns him that he cannot guarantee their safety.
Team Flash is skeptical as to whether a race is all that Zoom wants. Dr. Wells reveals Zoom stole a magnetar from Mercury Labs that could destroy the Multiverse. Since Zoom is hellbent on being the fastest man of both worlds, the device can syphon off the energy off of Barry and the rest of the Multiverse. Despite Joe’s protests, Barry states he has no choice but to race his foe, because he doesn’t want anyone else to die. However, he seems to forget the last time he raced brought Zoom back to terrorize their world Ultimately; this leads to the team placing him in a cell for his own protection.
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With Barry sidelined, Team Flash decides to move ahead with sending Zoom back to Earth-Two. Cisco (Carlos Valdes), Wells, and Joe manage to corner him in a tense confrontation, but it results in Zoom and Joe being. Desperate to save his father, Wally frees Barry from his cell. Back on Earth-2, it is revealed that the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask is the real Jay Garrick. The Flash tracks down Zoom and agrees to race him in exchange for Joe’s freedom. As the two speedsters begin to race, Barry has to act quickly in order to stop Zoom’s magnetar and save both worlds, but is it possible for him to do so?
Directed by Antonio Negret, the episode is one of the series’s finest to date. Grant Gustin’s acting is one of the episode’s highlights. His monologue about nearly having moved on from his mother’s death is heartbreaking. Candice Patton is given a great material to work with in this episode. The post-funeral scene shows the emotional support Iris gives to Barry in moments of grief. Jesse L. Martin’s quiet, firm plea to Barry is another intense moment, in which Joe begs his foster son to not risk his life again.
“The Flash” has proven itself to be consistently good in its storytelling, acting and technical achievements. Berlanti and company should be proud of their work. Now all that remains is to wait for the third season.
