TV REVIEWS: FTN Reviews The Flash Season 7 Episode 12: Good-Bye Vibrations

I recall a conversation I had with a friend of mine on Twitter that has been watching The Flash since Season 1 like me and has seen everything the cast of characters have done and during a key “Forces” episode noted that Barry was still acting like Season 1 Barry and not someone who has gone through a lot and evolved. And with “Good-Bye Vibrations”…I’m feeling that same way.

Because as teased in the preview, this episode was all about the “end of the line” for Cisco Ramon, aka Vibe. Someone who has been with the show since before the pilot (remember he premiered officially in the Arrow crossover late in Season 2) and in many ways was one of the hearts of the show outside of Barry and Iris. And yet, despite everything this team has been through together…they chose the absolute tropiest way to handle Cisco leaving and up until that ending scene…it was honestly insulting.

Now, they did the right thing by having Cisco and Camilla announce their leaving in front of everyone (the “we leave tomorrow!” was a bit much but at least they explained it). But everything that happened after that was like, “Say what now?”

Barry, Caitlin and to an extent Iris (she showed more emotion throughout the episode, we’ll be fair) showing no real emotion at first and all but “ushering Cisco out the door”, leaving Cisco to wonder why his friends were eager to see him leave was terrible. This is sitcom-style storylines and it’s horrible! This should’ve been tear-fest from the beginning and them honestly coming together to do that “one last mission” versus what happened with Cisco trying to get everyone to emote and then nothing happening and his blow-up occurred and I was like, “this is so dumb”.

And their explanations were just as horrible. Caitlin not wanting to show emotions and having a “tear-fest” and Cisco calling that out by saying, “Have you seen this group?” was the ultimate “what are you talking about?” Barry’s was somewhat better with not wanting to ask him to say, but it was just that, a line. We could’ve had a whole storyline of Barry not wanting Cisco to go and fighting that urge well and truly but instead we got him being all “happy to help” and then only at the end talking to him LIKE A BEST FRIEND!!!!

Only at the end with the “surprise party” did things feel like they should’ve with the karaoke, the reference shirts, and then all bonding. We could’ve had a whole episode of that.

Instead, we got the incredibly random arrival of “Rainbow Raider 2.0” (aka Prism 2.0) who went from stealing lots of money to being a “Rainbow Robin Hood” and wanting to drop all sorts of money over Central City to…help people? Did she not realize all the flaws in that plan? Not the least of which were people going and hurting each other to get that money and jewels, and then it likely all being reclaimed? And then her getting “community service” for that was ludicrous to say the least. Remember, Frost got life in prison for her crimes despite being a hero for YEARS and yet this girl gets a slap on the wrist? Wow.

Iris and her handling of Camilla’s leaving was better if not fully fleshed out like it should’ve been. At least she had emotions even if it was the very trope-y “no one can replace you!” bit which we all knew was bunk. But at least they had a scene breaking it down a lot better than OG Team Flash.

Oh, and the less said about Chester, the better, I really can’t stand him. Sorry, not sorry, Reeses.

In the end, “Good-Bye Vibrations” was a sad attempt at saying goodbye to a beloved character. You’d think that by now they’d be used to saying goodbye or letting go to characters and yet…apparently not, and that’s sad.