Barry and Team Flash track down a meta that is stealing high-tech weapons, only to cross paths with a new foe named Cicada, who is hunting the very same meta, with nefarious intent.

The Flash seems to be laying out some of its themes for the seasons more clearly in this second episode. Relationships are on the mind of numerous characters but “family” is the real focus.

For the most part, the episode is broken into two parts. The Flash and XS focus on a meta and some issue involving weapons dealing. That’s all rather forgettable other than it’s a way to introduce the two to the big villain Cicada.

Beyond that though, the relationship between Barry and Nora is the key there. Nora is trying her best and has a little hero-worship for the father she didn’t know growing up. The “ah ha” moment comes when Barry talks to Joe about the relationship and it all becomes clear how that dynamic is playing out and why. It’s an odd father/daughter relationship but, Barry, Iris, and Nora are family, but a weird one.

The other story too is a distraction from the theme. Ralph and Caitlin decide to help Cisco who’s still depressed about the loss of his love. That involves what is the humor of the episode as Ralph has a system to help Cisco that has quite a few steps. It’s cute to watch friends helping friends and I could watch an entire episode of just this bit. But, that’s not the point, it’s a distraction. Caitlin wants to find out the truth about her father but is using Cisco to avoid that. It’s obvious and clear that’s what’s going on. But, the reason she wants to do that is touching and a bit heartbreaking.

The relationship between father and daughter is explored in these two ways and even more so, daughters who have their fathers missing in their lives. It’s an interesting exploration and very touching. A solid way to keep a theme running through an episode without it being a bit too forced.

This is a solid second episode. Not quite as good as the first but there’s still an energy about the series and the actors’ interactions that make it all a lot of fun. When it comes to the big villain, this episode gets things going and with some of the small details we see, it should be rather interesting.

Overall Rating: 8.0