3/30/2021
“I lost someone too. He was like a brother to me. And ever since, I’ve tried to honor his sacrifice.” – Barry Allen/The Flash
In the aftermath of Eva’s defeat, Central City begins to rebuild, but not before an old foe returns to cause trouble. SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
After a disappointing conclusion to the Mirrorverse arc, this episode served to kick off Season 7 proper, setting the stage for what should be one of the most exciting storylines for the Flash. Though it also was a bit rocky in terms of the execution, overall the episode proposed some intriguing mysteries that will undoubtedly drive the rest of the season.
The main plot of the episode surrounded the return of one of the shows best villains, Abra Kadabra. I’ve always wondered when and if he would show up again anytime soon. His cool abilities paired with David Dastmalchian’s diabolical performance made him easily one of the best side villains the show has ever had. It’s a shame he had to die at the end, but it did serve as solid way to cap off his mini-redemption arc he experienced. In relation to that, I appreciate that his character was given more depth here, as we learned that the Crisis erased his family from existence, driving him to come destroy Central City in an attempt to stop it from happening (also another neat way to show the continuing ramifications of Crisis).
(Side Note: Abra Kadabra did seem more brutal than usual here in this episode.)
With him being from the future, it was obvious that we were gonna get some hints as to what is in store for Barry. Apparently, Barry will soon be “obsessed with the future”, and there’s a villainous entity called the Chronarch that will be coming after him. This is likely to be a villain from the comics who exiled Abra Kadabra. I’m not too familiar with him, but I believe he had something to do with time travel and things of that nature. This very well might be the show’s next big bad, and I’m looking forward to learning more about him.
The big surprise of this episode, was the appearance of a hulking creature that neither Barry or Abra could stop. He unfortunately kills Abra, before running off to who knows where. This is likely the first appearance of someone who has absorbed the Strength Force. While the CGI on him looked especially wonky, I’m excited to see the Force Quest story being adapted to TV, especially since it’s such a recent story. Not to mention, the fact that Barry was barely able to effect him means he will be a serious foe to be reckoned with. On top of that, based on the trailers it looks like we’re gonna get our first Sage Force user in the next episode. Team Flash doesn’t have much time to breathe do they?
Outside of Barry and Abra, other members of Team Flash got a little bit of focus here as well. Iris joined a support group for people who were trapped in the Mirrorverse, and though the Mirrorverse arc itself wasn’t handled the best, it seems like the fallout is being handled much better. The episode’s cliffhanger saw Caitlin and Killer Frost finally splitting into two separate people, which hopefully will be explained more in depth during the next episode. I also hope this means the writers will have a better time handling the two characters going forward.
IN SUMMARY:
Overall, I thought the episode was a decent start to the show’s next arc, and though it was a bit shaky, it provided enough to keep me hooked going into the real Season 7 storyline. Also, all the characters seem like they are being given plenty of room to grow, which is always a plus. Let’s just hope it doesn’t fall off the rails.
Rating 7.8/10
Walk The Multiverse 