TV REVIEWS: FTN Reviews The Flash Season 6 Episode 2: A Flash Of The Lightning

I personally love how Crisis On Infinite Earths is affecting both Flash and Arrow this season, as they both know it’s coming (eight episodes away!) and they both should be ready for it. And “A Flash Of The Lightning” does help set the stage for that while also setting the stage for the rest of the season.

Going back to Jay Garrick on Earth-3 was a nice touch. He’s retired now and being a full-blown scientist, and when Barry hits a wall with the Speed Force (literally), they team up to see the future that is Crisis on Infinite Earths. Including a harrowing shot of Flash living out his comic book destiny by running to both save the multiple and to his literal doom.

Now, I’m sure some of you will note that he basically pulled a Doctor Strange by seeing all the futures he could, and you are right in a way. The difference is that Strange saw a way they could all win and the sacrifice was Tony, whom he couldn’t tell else change the future. For Barry, HE is the sacrifice, and he struggles with what the sacrifice will mean, and that makes it infinitely different.

Granted, this is a slight repeat of the Savitar storyline where they “know the future” and “can’t change it”. But as Iris has already pointed out, the newspaper changed multiple times over their adventures, so why not this? And again, Flash Season 6 isn’t like Arrow. They’re not going to kill the Flash series just yet. So they’re not doing an Iron Man/Captain America sacrifice here. So clearly they get to work around it. We just don’t know how yet.

Seeing Jay’s wife being the Earth-3 version of Barry’s mother was already spoiled, but it didn’t ruin the moment too much when she arrived. Their reaction to realizing what she was to Barry was really well played, if not rushed to get back on track. Given their age though, it’s unlikely that they’ll have a child.

The rest of the episode was honestly played out really well with the other characters. Cecil, Iris, and Ralph all teamed up to prove a metahuman innocent of a crime she didn’t commit. And in the process, teased what might be the other “graphic novel” of the season via a metahuman assassin group. Cadmus maybe? Seeing Cecil want to help people, mainly metahumans, via her powers is actually really inspired. True, she’s basically now Matt Murdock, but still, it’s cool.

Not as cool was Killer Frost’s first “day” of her new life. I feel that her lashing out at everyone at the art gallery was a little over the top even for her. And while I liked where it ended up with her wanting to express herself and made that she can’t yet, I feel that there was a better path that they could’ve gone on.

Finally, the Bloodwork storyline is progressing, and our new villain has just found out he can make people undead…what could possibly go wrong?

While not perfect, “A Flash Of The Lightning” did help move things along really well, and certain elements stood out a lot. And that’s to be appreciated.

Just remember…A Crisis Is Coming.