Amunet threatens to kill Caitlin if she doesn’t help perform a tricky medical task; The Thinker traps The Flash in a speedster-proof prison; Iris is forced to choose whether to save Caitlin or Barry.

The Flash gets back running with an episode following up on the four part crossover. Barry and Iris are married and they’re going over their presents. But bliss isn’t going to last, where’s the entertainment in that?

The episode has two stories as two team members are kidnapped and Iris must decide where to focus. It puts her in an interesting place and it’s pretty clear what the decision is, so a little baffling as to why there’s much of a debate at all other than “emotions.”

Caitlin is taken hostage and we meet a new meta human. It’s a pretty standard story where the doctor is forced to help the patient under duress and threat. Then there’s Barry being kidnapped by the Thinker. The motives for this and the how are a bit odd and it might be best to not think about any of it but the point is for a major pivot of the character (which makes you wonder how it’s not causing a time rift unto itself).

There’s a big twist at the end with the Thinker and Barry and the concept of the story feels better than the execution itself, especially this episode. Beyond the final 10 or 15 minutes, the episode is rather forgettable. There’s nothing that really makes it stand out at all with some humorous moments but no amazing thing, not even actionwise.

Altogether, it’s a standard episode who has a goal and achieves it. There’s some key moments but the episode itself can be skipped for just the last 15 minutes.

 

 

Overall Rating: 7.0

Barry and Iris’ wedding brings the gang together, but things go awry when villains from Earth-X attack the ceremony and thus begins “Crisis on Earth-X”!

The Flash kicks off its entry on “Crisis on Earth-X” with an action packed episode where it’s revealed there’s a bomb that the Nazis have and so many questions.

Lets start with the awesome. We’ve got the Ray people!!!! Russell Tovey debuts as Ray Terrill who is also the boyfriend of Earth-X’s Captain Cold! We knew the character was coming and getting his own animated series but we get to see his debut here as a prisoner of the Nazis due to who he loves.

That’s some of the good of the episode, with a bit of “they went there.”

The episode features pink triangles and yellow Stars of David as the series doesn’t pull punches. Their Nazis are real Nazis who participate in genocide against certain groups. There’s also outfits that look like Holocaust prison outfits. Unlike some comic publishers, this event isn’t making these Nazi stand-ins or watered down versions. This is material that parents will be forced to discuss with their kids who are watching.

The action too is solid with lots of battles and lots of folks being injured but so many strange moments as well. Nazis run into the one platform that’s being turned on, not around it. Why Nazi Supergirl isn’t under the light for the heart transplant is never explained. There’s just small moments over and over but Terminator references are the types of things that make up for all of the small mistakes.

This is an event that feels like it’s getting going in the third with part of its climax full of excitement and some drama. But, this episode in particular stands out for the event’s willingness to make a Nazi a Nazi with visuals to match and genocide against super groups in the forefront multiple times. While this event is supposed to be fun, the writers haven’t forgotten the serious material underneath.

Overall Rating: 7.70