Finally we got a season 5 episode (other than the season 5 premiere "Nora") that seemed to be pretty close to the "sweet spot" as far as The Flash episodes go. Was it one of the best of all five seasons? I don't think so, but it was a pretty dang solid episode.
I thought the tone was just about right. I only saw one thing that to me was over the top in a negative way, and it was minor. Let me clarify: There's over the top in a good way, and over the top in a bad or negative way. Mark Hamill as the Trickster is way over the top, but it's absolutely fantastic; it just works so seamlessly! The goofy scenes with Cecile trying to intimidate the FEMA guy into giving her records was over the top in a negative way. I did not see anything in this episode that was over the top in a negative or bad way.
I thought the gorgeous Reina Hardesty played the Weather Witch well, over the top but in a good way. Could we have used a little more of her in the episode? Sure, but I like what I saw. I especially like how, just like old times, Barry kicked her ass. I was fist-pumping when I saw that, after getting chills with Blake Neely's great Weather Wizard theme revived from season 1, as Barry encircled the lightning tornado created by the Weather Witch and ultimately took her into custody. Bravo!
Blake Neely's musical score was spot on in this episode. Fresh, but still harkening back to earlier seasons as needed. Excellent. The vibe (pardon the expression) from the musical score was really great.
I am digging Klein as Cicada. He's hitting the sweet spot. I like it. I like how the production team fleshed him out this episode. They gave us some great perspective. We now know why he does the things he does. Cliché? I guess you could argue that it is. But honestly, it's a cliché I can live with. I've seen life produce many clichés in my lifetime. Cliché is not always bad. If the things that happened to Dwyer had happened to me and the child I was raising, I'd probably want to wipe out every last meta-human as well. I can't blame him for what he's feeling. Is he right to murder people? Absolutely not. He has to be stopped; however, I can appreciate what he feels. Klein is killing the role, in my opinion.
I'm still not sold on the Sherloque Wells character. I would rather have seen a refurbished rehabilitated Harry for this season, but it looks like that is not going to happen. Sherloque was okay this episode. Just tolerable.
The revisionist Thanksgiving lectures by Cisco and Sherloque were goofy. C'mon. This was the one thing in the episode that I thought was over the top in a negative way, but it was minor, and we didn't get bashed over the head with it.
I liked the further development for Nora and her fears of losing her dad. This seems to me to be expected for someone who theoretically went through something like what our fictional character Nora went through. She's terrified of losing her father. He seems to be one of the main reasons--if not the primary reason--why Nora went back in time (at least from our perspective at this point in the season; this could change as more things are revealed to us about Nora and her time-traveling).
To The Flash production team: good work on this episode. Good stuff. I dug it. Give us more like this (or hopefully even better) and we will have had a good season, at least as good as season 3.
My rating: 8.5/10 (rounds up to a 9 on the IMDb scale)
Grade: B
I thought the tone was just about right. I only saw one thing that to me was over the top in a negative way, and it was minor. Let me clarify: There's over the top in a good way, and over the top in a bad or negative way. Mark Hamill as the Trickster is way over the top, but it's absolutely fantastic; it just works so seamlessly! The goofy scenes with Cecile trying to intimidate the FEMA guy into giving her records was over the top in a negative way. I did not see anything in this episode that was over the top in a negative or bad way.
I thought the gorgeous Reina Hardesty played the Weather Witch well, over the top but in a good way. Could we have used a little more of her in the episode? Sure, but I like what I saw. I especially like how, just like old times, Barry kicked her ass. I was fist-pumping when I saw that, after getting chills with Blake Neely's great Weather Wizard theme revived from season 1, as Barry encircled the lightning tornado created by the Weather Witch and ultimately took her into custody. Bravo!
Blake Neely's musical score was spot on in this episode. Fresh, but still harkening back to earlier seasons as needed. Excellent. The vibe (pardon the expression) from the musical score was really great.
I am digging Klein as Cicada. He's hitting the sweet spot. I like it. I like how the production team fleshed him out this episode. They gave us some great perspective. We now know why he does the things he does. Cliché? I guess you could argue that it is. But honestly, it's a cliché I can live with. I've seen life produce many clichés in my lifetime. Cliché is not always bad. If the things that happened to Dwyer had happened to me and the child I was raising, I'd probably want to wipe out every last meta-human as well. I can't blame him for what he's feeling. Is he right to murder people? Absolutely not. He has to be stopped; however, I can appreciate what he feels. Klein is killing the role, in my opinion.
I'm still not sold on the Sherloque Wells character. I would rather have seen a refurbished rehabilitated Harry for this season, but it looks like that is not going to happen. Sherloque was okay this episode. Just tolerable.
The revisionist Thanksgiving lectures by Cisco and Sherloque were goofy. C'mon. This was the one thing in the episode that I thought was over the top in a negative way, but it was minor, and we didn't get bashed over the head with it.
I liked the further development for Nora and her fears of losing her dad. This seems to me to be expected for someone who theoretically went through something like what our fictional character Nora went through. She's terrified of losing her father. He seems to be one of the main reasons--if not the primary reason--why Nora went back in time (at least from our perspective at this point in the season; this could change as more things are revealed to us about Nora and her time-traveling).
To The Flash production team: good work on this episode. Good stuff. I dug it. Give us more like this (or hopefully even better) and we will have had a good season, at least as good as season 3.
My rating: 8.5/10 (rounds up to a 9 on the IMDb scale)
Grade: B