TV - The Flash Season 1, Episode 7

The Flash

The ultra fast Steve Taylor-Bryant takes on the challenge this week of Power Outage as he continues his viewings of The Flash...

On the night of the explosion caused by the particle accelerator at S.T.A.R. Labs, three friends are up on a hillside drinking and hoping to see something. Farooq Gibran climbs an electrical pylon for a better look just as the cloud of particles reach the group, electrocuting him and killing his friends. In the present, The Flash is out and about helping people and capturing petty criminals much to the annoyance of Dr. Harrison Wells, who wants him to take his powers and responsibilities seriously.

When Farooq, now known as Blackout, feeds his need for electric again at a power station, Barry runs to the scene to put a stop to him, as he has has now caused a power cut across the city. During the face off though Blackout hits The Flash with a stream of electricity and manages to draw all his power, leaving The Flash as just normal Barry Allen again, no speed, no quick healing, and leaving the team trying to devise a way of turning Barry back to The Flash and Harrison annoyed as, in his secret little den, all trace of The Flash has gone from his super computer putting a stop to whatever naughtiness he had planned.

During the power outage a criminal, William Tockman AKA The Clock King, takes the police and Iris hostage at the Central City Police Department. He demands a helicopter and an escape route but, during the negotiation, Eddie Thawne creeps up on him. The Clock King turns and shoots Eddie much to the dismay of both his girlfriend, Iris, and his partner Detective West. Iris is left wondering why The Flash hasn’t turned up to save them but West knows that Barry is at S.T.A.R. Labs trying to fix himself.

The plan for Barry is to connect the back up generator to his treadmill and hit him with enough power to replicate the lightning bolt which they hope will work and not kill him. To buy them some time Harrison releases Metalman, Barry's bully from last week Tony Woodward, to try and kill Blackout. Barry doesn’t die from the experiment but the team are still left wondering whether the speed will ever come back. Tony dies from Blackout's attack in front of Barry, who turns on Harrison for letting him out, screaming that the doctor doesn’t care about people. Barry eventually overcomes Blackout and, at the station, Iris has sneaked a pistol from Eddie and taken down Tockman.

Barry's powers are back and, after a heart to heart with Harrison where the doctor admits he cares for Barry and humanity in general rather than specific people, Barry promises to help out more especially since the power blast he took when trying to restore him has made his speed even stronger and faster. Eddie survives the shooting and Barry shows Detective West his speed is back before appearing as The Flash and apologising to Iris, promising never to be late saving her again. Harrison disappears to his secret lair and is pleased to see that The Flash is still about in the future and his plan, whatever it is, is still working.

Whilst the criminal of the week element wasn’t the strongest to date, the signs of anger and control shown by Dr. Wells are exciting me as we build towards whatever his masterplan is going to be. Seeing Barry as a helpless young man again was an interesting take on the character and the enhanced power he now has is sure to drive future storylines. It was the quote versus quote section between Detective West and The Clock King that impressed the most this week though, showing West to be a little smarter than maybe we have given him credit for thus far. Not a season high by any stretch of the imagination but certainly very watchable and an episode that sets up future stories rather than concentrating on its own.

Image - CW.
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