The Flash 2.06 'Enter Zoom' Review

NOTE: This review is written under the expectation that the reader has watched the episode under review. Spoilers will be discussed freely and unlabelled, so if you’ve not watched the episode read at your own risk.

I’ll just get my major complaint out of the way. The opening scene which flash-forwards to the middle of the episode was entirely pointless. Really struggle to see what the point of that was.

There. Now that’s outta the way…my word what an episode. It’s true that this episode was largely just build up for the first appearance and confrontation of Zoom, but this is how you do build up ladies and gentlemen.

With Doctor Light’s capture Barry decides it’s time to confront Zoom directly. To do this Barry and co plans to make it look like Doctor Light has killed The Flash in order to lure Zoom out. A conventional idea but the twist comes when Eath-2 Linda Park escapes from Star Labs by turning invisible and tricking Cisco. Rather than give up on the plan however Barry comes up with an alternative; have their version of Linda Parks wear the Doctor Light costume and pretend to be the Earth-2 version. Such a decision could’ve made Barry seem selfish and too extreme in his methods but having Linda be so enthusiastic about playing the part saved Barry from that. From beginning to end it completely felt like Linda’s choice.

This lead to two of the funniest moments of the show, rivalling last weeks literal blind date. Some would argue that the training segment was just filler, but my response is ‘who cares? It’s hilarious!’ Seeing all the carboard cut outs of the various characters was just hilarious, especially Cisco who you can totally believe would have this sort of hobby. The entire scene was an utter delight, as was the mock battle between Barry and Linda which an awkwardly hilarious scene. This episode got pretty damn dark so it makes me all the more impressed that this show can still pull off such lighthearted and silly moments in spite of that. It’s a constant reminder of just how amazing this show is.

Throughout this Barry’s overzealousness is touched on with not one, but two scenes with Joe talking to him and trying to convince him to rethink things. The scenes try to peg Barry being largely in the wrong but a minor complaint I have is that Barry really isn’t, or at least partly. While he is rushing into things it’s perfectly understandable that he wants to get to Zoom as quickly as possible. After all people are getting hurt with all the Meta-Humans from Earth-2 being sent to their world, so taking out Zoom ASAP is an understandable decision. Of course though it isn’t just about that with Barry but also his pent up frustration he has at Reverse Flash, and how he’s channelling that onto Zoom. It leads to him essentially getting over it and having a sweet scene with Patty, defying Wells claim that Barry won’t ever be happy.

But of course, Zoom arrives and turns what was a good but uneventful episode into one of the best of the series. Zoom is nothing short of amazing in this episode. While his voice still sounds eerily too much like John Noble’s Scarecrow it’s utterly menacing, and while I wasn’t keen at first at him losing the vibration effect his mask as really won me over this episode. The way it looks like a twisted, malformed version of the Flash’s mask and how it feels like it’s ripped straight from a horror film is spine-crawling. This coupled with his rather bulky physique makes for an imposing figure, almost like if Jason Vorhees gains the Speedforce.

We’ve seen The Flash lose on this show before, but Zoom does more than beat Barry. He utterly HUMILIATES him. After a brief spar he manhandles Barry and proceeds to display his victory throughout the city, heading to the Newspaper company Iris works for and the Police station. You can’t help but feel embarrassed for Barry on his behalf. He’s been paraded around the city by Zoom and shown the people he’s sworn to protect that he is mortal, beatable and that there is someone out there who can not only beat him but can treat him like a mere toy and destroy him on a whim. Suffices to say the after effects this will have in Central City next week are gonna big.

After all of that Zoom returns to Star Labs and then proceeds to CRIPPLE Barry, as we later learn that Barry has lost all the feeling in his legs. Naturally Barry is gonna get better and that admittedly does lessen the effect of that scene, but damn does it not show how much of a threat Zoom really is. Honestly as much as I’m enjoying Damien Darhk in Arrow Zoom in this one scene quickly became the most terrifying villain in the Arrow-verse. In Arrow the show has relied a lot on people telling us that Damien is bad news, but here we were SHOWN that Zoom is one menacing motherfucker.

Some Minor Points…

. I love the fact that Patty Spivot has been going so far as to brainstorm potential abilities Doctor Light has (and being right about one too!). My fucking god if she isn’t one of the most endearing characters I’ve seen since Leslie Knope.

. I also like that they seem to be building up to her figuring out Joe and Barry’s secret. I do wanna see her join the group, even if it would start make it a bit overcrowded.

. Your mileage may vary on whether Cisco’s attempts to ‘vibe’ Harry was unnecessary or not. Considering his fear for his daughter he may have straight up accepted had Cisco just asked and explained himself, but it’s quite likely that he has even more hidden from the group. That, and the fact that he’s a hard guy to interact with.

. Zoom catches Barry’s lightning attack and throws it back at him. What a badass.

. As we all guessed last week; Harry is trying to save his daughter and if nothing else his fear for her is genuine. The scene at the end when he asks Cisco if she is okay was the most he’s opened up so far and briefly showed the heart of the man whose so far been very cold.

. Speaking of Harry’s daughter, she’s called Jesse and she’s nicknamed ‘Jesse Quick’. In the comics Jesse Quick is superhero and daughter of superheroes ‘Johnny Quick’ and ‘Liberty Belle’. She inherits powers from both of them – super speed and flight from her father, super strength from her mother – but considering she’s Harry’s daughter instead I think we may have another Speedster on our way.

. This may just be the ramblings of a mad man but if we believe that Iris’s place of work and the Police station were the only two places Zoom missed, and that he did it for reasons besides publicity, then this can support both theories that Zoom is Earth-2 Barry Allen or perhaps Earth-2 Eddie Thawne. After all both of them have relationships to Joe and Iris so both are possible. I would also say that Zoom’s bulky-ish figure reminds me more of Eddie than Barry, but that might not mean anything.

. Ho-ly Cow! Earth-2 Green Arrow is Robert Queen, Oliver's dad! In Earth-2 it is Oliver who dies on the boat and Robert who spends five years on the island. Damn that is one hell of a little extra!

Overall

This episode is a testament to how a cracking finale can turn something good into something great. Once again this show is able to make laugh just as much as it’s able to make me wince and cringe in horror. The bits with Linda Park were hilarious, anything involving Patty Spivot was just adorable, but everything with Zoom was nothing short of horrifying.

That this show does it all so seamlessly never ceases to amaze me. With two very strong episodes in a row it seems like early season teething problems were quickly overcome by this show, and I’m loving every second of it. A great episode and I can’t wait for next week!