The Flash: Family Matters, Part 2 review S7 E11
This current storyline in The Flash is pretty lousy. Family Matters, Part 2 wasn’t good but so many wack elements came together that it made for one of the worst installments of the series.
Team Flash Roll Call: Iris, Cisco, Chester, Allegra, Caitlin, Bashir and Alexa.
Last episode’s big cliffhanger of Nora killing Iris, Bashir and Alexa was a Psyche fake out. He’d created an illusion that she succeeded, but in reality she only took out some holograms. And apparently Nora sees Iris as competition so we possibly have an Oedipus deal going on here.
This is so bad. Almost as bad as the continued awkward, forced insistence that Deon, Bashir and Alexa are Barry and Iris’ kids. “You two really are like brother and sister.” Except they’re not…at all.
Since Nora won’t stop coming for them, Barry takes Iris, Bashir and Alexa to the Speed Force Ghost House from the past. The special effects for this looks like it was 1992. It looks awful. At least Bashir’s figured out a way to communicate directly with Alexa now so they have some bond at least.
This episode was a big budget blower all around, but I’m not sure the results were really worth it as some of this CGI looked impressively weak.
Nora wants Alexa and Bashir or else she’s going to destroy Central City. To sell that she’s bad now Nora is wearing black and darker eye shadow along with a choker. Deon tries to convince Barry that killing Nora is the only way to keep everyone safe. This checks out given what we’ve seen the last few episodes.
At some point in the episode, there’s some major confusion as to who is actually creating all the problems. Is it Nora or the combination of Bashir, Alexa and Deon or the dysfunction that exists with them all battling each other?
Barry and Iris somehow take that to mean they’re lousy “parents” that can’t keep their own family safe. OK, enough. This isn’t their family. They’re a bunch of random strangers that got powers and the physical embodiment of his mother.
My favorite part of The Flash is how no villain has to pay the consequences for their actions. #JusticeForAbraKadabra
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And in another random subplot, a freak storm took down a wall at Iron Heights, opening up an escape route for a bunch of the criminals.
We don’t focus on these random criminals and instead the attention is on Killer Frost — in costume no less — to stop Chillbaine, who also has a costume now? Why in the world are they doing this goofy flirting?
This is exactly why Kramer wants to use the power stealer death ray on the metas. If only we had a police chief to keep these two criminals in line.
Sadly, Joe quit and did not set up an actual successor. What is the police chief doing now anyway? This is probably where Kramer should be showing up and taking the lead. This is such an idiotic subplot for Joe and so completely out of character for a guy who’s always been about taking on responsibility for the greater good.
Barry has to stop this massive energy surge while Deon, Alexa and Bashir have to convince Nora they’re on the same page.
With the negative energy gone and The Forces on the same page, Barry and Iris take them to the now renewed Ghost House. So does this mean Alexa is no longer working for the Central City strong group to help rehabilitate the city? And shouldn’t she be dealing with Kramer now since she actually killed someone as Fuerza instead of Frost?
Speaking of, Frost’s actions in recapturing prisoners allowed her to get released on probation despite just a few weeks back being sent to prison with no chance of probation.
This show is not keeping up with its own ridiculous plot holes. Bringing Frost back after a whopping two episodes on the sidelines does not have me excited, especially with her giddy like a schoolgirl to talk with Caitlin about her crush on Chillbaine.
Barry and Iris say this is what it must be like when their kids go off to college. You know what? Nevermind. Iris said she’s tired of wondering and is ready to start a family. Barry’s response: I love that impulse. You see because in this wacky TV continuity their son instead of grandson is going to be Bart Allen aka Impulse. Sigh.
Family Matters, Part 2 seemed to manage the impossible and speed up the decline of this season. I’m really not optimistic about a turnaround at this point especially with Cisco being written off next week.
What’d you think of this week’s episode?
Rating: 5 out of 10
Photo Credit: The CW