Let's face it, "The Icicle Cometh" sucked. It just did.
But this episode? This is a good one.
If "O Come All Ye Thankful" did anything right, it was developing Cicada as a character. So far he's been a faceless killer who seems to be having some physical issues and this episode dived into him. He had a compelling backstory that while it could be considered cliche, honestly worked for me. I loved seeing him go from not wanting to parent his niece at all to actually loving her and going into a depressive rage filled murder spree over her. It was nice development and a great thing to have for a villain.
The other plot of the episode? It's fine. Weather Witch is a solid enough villain even if she is a tad over the top and it was amazing to see Mark Mardon again, as he's my favorite rogue the show as done. I thought her vendetta against Mardon was a bit one dimensional but overall it came together well enough and the final action scene of the episode was super solid.
Nora and Barry's arguments in this episode did feel a bit forced at times but in the end, I get where Nora's coming from. I just wish the show presented her in a better light so she didn't seem to be pitching a fit every other episode.
The icing on the cake, though, is the great Thanksgiving festivities that make this holiday special of a Flash episode the delight it is. Caitlin and Cisco describing Thanksgiving to Sherloque and them all going anti-Thanksgiving made for a great gag and finding out who Cicada was at the end was a super solid way to tie everything together.
A great backstory for a new and interesting villain, fun set-pieces and super enjoyable holiday festivities makes "O Come All Ye Thankful" a great time and a nice addition to the well done yet sadly uneven first half of Season 5.
But this episode? This is a good one.
If "O Come All Ye Thankful" did anything right, it was developing Cicada as a character. So far he's been a faceless killer who seems to be having some physical issues and this episode dived into him. He had a compelling backstory that while it could be considered cliche, honestly worked for me. I loved seeing him go from not wanting to parent his niece at all to actually loving her and going into a depressive rage filled murder spree over her. It was nice development and a great thing to have for a villain.
The other plot of the episode? It's fine. Weather Witch is a solid enough villain even if she is a tad over the top and it was amazing to see Mark Mardon again, as he's my favorite rogue the show as done. I thought her vendetta against Mardon was a bit one dimensional but overall it came together well enough and the final action scene of the episode was super solid.
Nora and Barry's arguments in this episode did feel a bit forced at times but in the end, I get where Nora's coming from. I just wish the show presented her in a better light so she didn't seem to be pitching a fit every other episode.
The icing on the cake, though, is the great Thanksgiving festivities that make this holiday special of a Flash episode the delight it is. Caitlin and Cisco describing Thanksgiving to Sherloque and them all going anti-Thanksgiving made for a great gag and finding out who Cicada was at the end was a super solid way to tie everything together.
A great backstory for a new and interesting villain, fun set-pieces and super enjoyable holiday festivities makes "O Come All Ye Thankful" a great time and a nice addition to the well done yet sadly uneven first half of Season 5.