THE FLASH Lightens Up With a Double and a Date

Episode 205 “The Darkness and the Light”

[photos: Katie Yu & Cate Cameron/The CW]

Love is blossoming among Team Flash with dates all around, conflict at the collider, and a new meta is revealed and it’s not Dr. Light!

Earth 2 is the setting of the episode’s opening. Harrison Wells is a celebrated scientist and is debuting his new meta-human detection gear when Jay Garrick aka the Flash appears. He shocks the crowd by casting accusations about Wells’ connection to the creation of the meta-humans and Zoom. Back on Earth 1 Harrison is being grilled by Team Flash and again is the subject of accusations as the connection to his doppelganger is debated. Joe shows up unannounced and with John Woo flair empties his clip into Harrison. Barry’s speed is the only thing that keeps Joe from killing Wells.  For now the group is willing to tolerate the non-Reverse Flash.

I am thrilled that Tom Cavanagh has returned this season. He is a great compliment to this cast of talented actors. With such a great start to the season I expect only great things to come.

Shantel VanSantan is delightful as the Patty Spivot, a true joy to watch as a new partner to Joe West and nerdy tech enthusiast smitten with Barry. I am eager each week to see how their relationship develops and this week did not disappoint.  Patty catches up with Barry and Cisco at Jitter’s. The nervous romantic energy between her and Barry is infectious.

We get our third glimpse of Hawkgirl’s civilian alter ego, Kendra Saunders, at Jitter’s. Cisco has better luck this time securing a date with her. Now we just have to find out what Hawkman thinks about it. Cisco gets another vision or vibe, this time of Dr. Light robbing the Central City bank. He dispatches Barry to stop her.

Flash confronts Light and attempts to talk her out of working for Zoom. She is set on her mission to kill him, but chooses mysteriously to end this encounter quickly with a blast of light that send the Flash into rescue mode, saving the bank patrons.

Back at the collider Jay shows up and adds complications to the working relationship with Harrison. Cisco delivers one of the best lines in the shows history as a result. Barry has to run interference to keep the team on track to catch Dr. Light. Harrison and Cisco have a heart to heart (better than a hand to the heart) in an attempt to improve their collaboration.

Barry finally takes action, thanks to urging by Cisco, and asks Patty out. With their first date set let’s hope Team Flash keeps Barry out of trouble long enough to make a love connection.

Negotiations progress slightly, until Barry discovers that Light is the Earth 2 version of Linda Park, an old flame. Catching him off guard, Light temporarily blinds him and escapes.  Thanks to his accelerated healing he does not have to wait long for his sight to return. The only problem is his date with Patty. This is where the show shines with some light comedy. Cisco aids Barry with a set of video glasses and guides him through the date. Patty looks gorgeous, a fact Barry determines at the end of the date. But it’s a success sealed with a kiss. Nerds unite and get your tuxedos ready for season 3!

Since we are the topic of relationships, Jay and Katelyn draw closer together during a stake out to keep and eye on Earth 1’s Linda Park.   Light is wise to their plans and ambushes the pair. Injured in the flipped van, they lie unconscious while Light moves in to kill her doppelganger. Iris rises to the occasion defending Linda, but not before the cities newspaper editor Hal Larkin is dead.

Conflict arises again in light of this tragedy at HQ as the stress to catch Light increases. Barry and Wells have a talk about trust where Barry reveals that he has a piece of Light’s costume. Wells shocks the team revealing that Cisco has powers. The team understands under the circumstances and urges him to use his powers to locate Dr. Light. His revealed abilities lead the Flash to an encounter at the local train depot.

Wells steps up to give Barry the courage to try a new aspect of his power and create a speed mirage to confuse Dr. Light. The tactic works, allowing him to get close enough to capture her. This sequence is a great example of how the show’s producers have accepted the need for complex VFX to tell this story properly.

Against Jay’s protests the team develops a plan to lure Zoom into an encounter using Light as bait. Jay attempts to convince the team not to trust Wells and without further bravado leaves. His complaints and weariness about committing to dangerous action is setting up as the coward Wells says he is. Team Flash still believes he will come through when it counts. I am not sure he will.

Cisco is on the receiving end as he gets his name – Vibe, from the team. We get a clear look at Zoom finally on Earth 2 and learn that he has Wells daughter held captive. What implications this will have on Well’s cooperation is unknown. I just hope they do not have plans of betrayal in store for this gruff genius.