The Flash is back after the break from the Olympics, but it’s not exactly a grand welcome back. For while we got some interesting progress on the Duvoe storyline, “Subject 9” wasn’t all that it was meant to be.
I would like to note that the beginning of the episode, where Barry returned to the CCPD with pride and joy only to be met with glares and whispers was very powerful. As Captain Singh elegantly put it, they live in a world where anything can happen…so why should they believe that Duvoe is actually alive? It’s a fascinating point, and a contrast to what these shows have done in the past after a major status quo shakeup. I appreciate the fallout aspect of it.
With Barry not on “leave of absence”, the team focused on the next bus meta, who turned out to be a country singer named Izzy. It was a nice twist on things that this was a girl who didn’t even know about her powers until recently, and wasn’t using them at all outside of being in touch with music more. And I sympathized with her in regards to her working her whole life to try and get her “big break” only for Duvoe and Team Flash to basically shatter that dream.
This is where things get tricky. For on one hand, I dig that Team Flash tried to help her control her powers (which were working well against Duvoe) so that she could help them fight Duvoe, but on the other, some of the interactions came off as forced. Barry suddenly becoming a harsh instructor, Ralph actually truly caring for her, and then her thinking that she could take on Duvoe by herself, it just didn’t add up to meaningful scenes overall.
In contrast, the Harry/Cecil subplot was not only hilarious, but plot forward as the “Cerebral Inhibitor” was born, which was something that Savitar (aka future Flash) noted last year was something that would be made. I’m glad they did that twist where it didn’t work at first, proving that the future isn’t always what you think it is.
Also, I like that the “body swapping” aspect of Duvoe’s plan is having harsh effects on his new bodies, thus he has had to rush things without properly thinking things through. You have to wonder though where this is all going, and why he hasn’t tried to take Ralph’s powers yet. Oh, and how Marlize fits into all this too.
In the end, “Subject 9” wasn’t a bad episode, but it was one that lacked punch in many ways. Next episode has a lot of potential though, we’ll see how it goes.
Todd Black
Todd Black is reader of comics, a watch of TV (a LOT of TV), and a writer of many different mediums. He's written teleplays, fan-fictions, and currently writes a comic book called Guardians (guardians-comic.com). He dreams of working at Nintendo, writing a SHAZAM! TV series, and working on Guardians for a very long time!
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