THE FLASH "NORA" REVIEW
Season 5 Episode 1:
Hey everyone, we are back with a brand new episode3 of the Flash where we are picking off seconds after season four as we are introduced to Nora West-Allen, the daughter the Flash and Iris who is in 2018, and is stuck. This episode is directed by David McWhirter and has plenty of references to previous seasons of the show, and what is to come later in the series of the Flash. Spoilers ahead, let's recap the episode.
We start off with an opening monologue from Nora who has super speed from her father and is named "XS". In present-day Nora reveals to the team at the house party that she is the daughter of Barry and Iris and that she is stuck in 2018. At STAR Labs, the team runs tests on Nora where they confirm that she does have Barry and Iris' DNA. Nora reveals that she is inexperienced with her powers and that she can not time travel back to the future. Barry sends Wally to go to the Waverider to see what they can do. Barry goes back to the police station where he stars making his way through a pile of new work. Nora invites herself into the lab as she tells Barry that she is also a forensic scientist. The two bond, as they realize that they are more or less the same. Barry gets an alert that a new Meta-human is causing harm, with no suit, Nora picks up the season one suit which Barry puts on and goes to the scene. Barry fights this new Meta, however, he is beaten down when Nora shows up in costume, and the Meta leaves.
Back at STAR Labs Nora tells the team that they were supposed to stop "Gridlock" as she learned in the Flash museum. Iris and Nora get some coffee as everyone works on stopping Gridlock and getting Nora home. With the tachyon accelerator on Nora, she gives her father a hug as the two run in the pipeline to try to get Nora enough speed to go back to the future. Wally shows up and tells the team that Nora cannot go back, as Nora and Barry fail to open up a breach. In the med lab, Wally explains that Nora has negative tachyon energy in her cells and therefore can not open a breach in the speed force. Ralph, Cisco, and Caitlin go to the crime scene of Gridlock as they find that he is creating dark matter when he moves. Iris and Barry have a conversation about Nora being in present day and that Barry feels like he missed most of her life, even though it technically hasn't started. Barry confronts Nora and asks why she is so eager to be in the present, as he asks his daughter what happens to him in the future. The two go to the brail room where Nora explains the future newspaper from 2024 and she gives a new newspaper which reads "25- Years Later- The Flash Still Missing". Nora explains that she was only a few years old when Barry vanished. Nora reveals that she used a device to give her negative tachyon cells, as she just wanted an excuse to stay with the father she never knew.
The team assembles as Nora spills information on Gridlock. The team tracks him and find that he is on an airplane. Meanwhile, Gridlock uses his powers to shut off the engines on the plane. The team realizes that there is a ten-second window where the plane will be in zero-G, meaning Gridlock cannot use his powers. With the plane heading towards Central City, Cisco needs to vibe Barry, Nora, and Wally onto the plane to phase it through the buildings. Nora gives Barry the flash ring which unveils a new suit made by "Ryan Choi". The three speedsters run through Cisco's portal as they get onto the plane. Wally knocks out Gridlock as Barry teaches Nora how to phase with Eobard's season one speech. The three speedsters phase the plane through a series of buildings, saving the day. At STAR Labs, the team is about to send Nora home again, and Barry tells the team that maybe Nora should stay and be taught how to use her powers. Wally explains that the minor events the team goes through such as Gridlock will not alter the timeline in a significant way. Nora shows the team a new room in STAR Labs which is a lounge where Joe is sitting. Ralph tells Caitlin that he has found a lead on her 'dead' father, while Joe talks to Wally about his journey. Nora is about to sleep in the lounge, however, she and Barry go out to get their favorite ice cream. The episode ends with a mysterious man with a lightning bolt killing Cicada in police custody.
To start off, I really did enjoy this episode a lot more than I thought I would. The one thing which worked in the episode and I loved was the relationship developed between Nora and Barry. That father and daughter relationship worked on a number of different levels. The way that the episode played with the idea that Nora is about the same age as her parents were interesting to play upon. However, it was the idea that Nora grew up without her father which was special. There was this interesting dynamic where Nora essentially became Barry, taking up being a forensic, sharing their favorite ice creams, and their personalities felt the same. It was almost like seeing a clone which was interesting to play upon. However, the episode did use subtle ways to envoke the family relationship of Barry, Iris, and Nora, in the way that Nora really is acting like a child. I suppose it is because of the idea that Nora feels like she can get the childhood she deserves with both of her parents.
The changes that were made with Nora in the tv show than in the comics was interesting and worked well. I am glad that they chose to name the character Nora instead of "Dawn" like in the comics, it creates a stronger connection between Barry and Nora. The XS suit and name is actually in the comics the alter ego which the character's daughter had. Maybe we will get a hint that Nora passes on the XS mantle to her daughter in the future. In the show, the character played a little like Bart Allen in Young Justice season two. This is when the character was super excited to be back in the past, and he also faked being stuck in the past like what Nora did in the episode. In the episode it did not seem like Nora had a twin, maybe some timeline changes will alter that in the future. But it seems like, in season seven or eight of the show, we will see Nore being born, making her the few years old in 2024.
The other characters in the episode did feel like they had a back seat to the Barry and Nora plot which was fine, and it allowed for more development of the main season arch. One plot which was dabbled on was the whereabouts of Killer Frost. Ralph in the season seems like he will help out Caitlin in the episode, to find her father and eventually get Killer Frost back. It was announced that the team was going to split into different groups in the season, and I expect the two to be in their own investigation group. The other person I expect to be with them is the new Harrison Wells, who is going to be a detective. Wally had an interesting path in the episode where is still struggling to find his place in this superhero community. He is helping team Flash, and the Legends, however, we know that he is going to leave, and that was discussed a little bit towards the end of the episode.
The ending of the episode was something that kind of surprised me because we meet our season villain, Cicada. I was surprised that we have been introduced to the character this early on in the season as we usually get the reveal to who the main villain is a little later on the season. The character is wearing a mask, however, is not a mystery as he is played by Chris Klein and is no one significant to team Flash. The villain is out to kill Meta's, good or bad, as we saw with Gridlock. The idea behind the charcter is that Meta's have ruined his life, and know he wants revenge. It is possible that his family was killed, or some other tragic events happened. However, Cicada is also a threat to team Flash, because he will still see them as a threat with their powers.
Jessica Parker Kennedy was amazing in the episode as Nora West-Allen. The character bought this sense of childish innocence which worked well for the plot of the episode and helped create this unique family dynamic between her Barry and Iris, and although it is a little weird to know that in real life she is older than Grant, the dynamic still works. The way that story beats teased in season one was used to help create the backstory of Nora was well done and showed that the writers of the show really can pull off some amazing series long stories when they try.
Grant Gustin was also amazing in the episode as Barry. The way that the character was acted and directed bought to life a concerned father figure, a unique side to the character which does not feel drastic from the forensics scientist we have become familiar with. The character had some insane scenes from learning to his own disappearance in the future, to the simple interaction with his future daughter.
The rest of the cast in the episode was also brilliant even though their roles were reduced. Starring in the episode we had Grant Gustin (Barry Allen/ the Flash), Jessica Parker Kennedy (Nora West-Allen/ XS), Candice Patton (Iris West), Carlos Valdes (Cisco Ramone/ Vibe), Danielle Panabaker (Caitlin Snow/ Killer Frost), Hartley Sawyer (Ralph Dibny/ Elongated Man), Jesse L. Martin (Joe West), Danielle Nicolet (Cecile Horton), Keiynan Lonsdale (Wally West/ Kid Flash), Daniel Cudmore (Gridlock), Chris Kelin (Cicada).
Overall, this episode of the Flash was an exciting way to start off the season, and is a promising start of what is to come as it paints a clear picture of the continuing plots of the season, and the way we will see the stories develop with Barry and Nora, Killer Frost, Cicada, and the other characters be explored in this season of the Flash. Because of a well-directed episode and the Nora and barry relationship, I will give this episode an 8.5 out of 10.
What did you think of this episode of the Flash? let me know your favorite scenes, characters, and future easter eggs down in the comments section below.
Click on the left for more Flash, or on the right for more DC, and if you haven't already subscribed, and share this with someone who might enjoy it.
As always thanks for reading, take care.
Hey everyone, we are back with a brand new episode3 of the Flash where we are picking off seconds after season four as we are introduced to Nora West-Allen, the daughter the Flash and Iris who is in 2018, and is stuck. This episode is directed by David McWhirter and has plenty of references to previous seasons of the show, and what is to come later in the series of the Flash. Spoilers ahead, let's recap the episode.
We start off with an opening monologue from Nora who has super speed from her father and is named "XS". In present-day Nora reveals to the team at the house party that she is the daughter of Barry and Iris and that she is stuck in 2018. At STAR Labs, the team runs tests on Nora where they confirm that she does have Barry and Iris' DNA. Nora reveals that she is inexperienced with her powers and that she can not time travel back to the future. Barry sends Wally to go to the Waverider to see what they can do. Barry goes back to the police station where he stars making his way through a pile of new work. Nora invites herself into the lab as she tells Barry that she is also a forensic scientist. The two bond, as they realize that they are more or less the same. Barry gets an alert that a new Meta-human is causing harm, with no suit, Nora picks up the season one suit which Barry puts on and goes to the scene. Barry fights this new Meta, however, he is beaten down when Nora shows up in costume, and the Meta leaves.
Back at STAR Labs Nora tells the team that they were supposed to stop "Gridlock" as she learned in the Flash museum. Iris and Nora get some coffee as everyone works on stopping Gridlock and getting Nora home. With the tachyon accelerator on Nora, she gives her father a hug as the two run in the pipeline to try to get Nora enough speed to go back to the future. Wally shows up and tells the team that Nora cannot go back, as Nora and Barry fail to open up a breach. In the med lab, Wally explains that Nora has negative tachyon energy in her cells and therefore can not open a breach in the speed force. Ralph, Cisco, and Caitlin go to the crime scene of Gridlock as they find that he is creating dark matter when he moves. Iris and Barry have a conversation about Nora being in present day and that Barry feels like he missed most of her life, even though it technically hasn't started. Barry confronts Nora and asks why she is so eager to be in the present, as he asks his daughter what happens to him in the future. The two go to the brail room where Nora explains the future newspaper from 2024 and she gives a new newspaper which reads "25- Years Later- The Flash Still Missing". Nora explains that she was only a few years old when Barry vanished. Nora reveals that she used a device to give her negative tachyon cells, as she just wanted an excuse to stay with the father she never knew.
The team assembles as Nora spills information on Gridlock. The team tracks him and find that he is on an airplane. Meanwhile, Gridlock uses his powers to shut off the engines on the plane. The team realizes that there is a ten-second window where the plane will be in zero-G, meaning Gridlock cannot use his powers. With the plane heading towards Central City, Cisco needs to vibe Barry, Nora, and Wally onto the plane to phase it through the buildings. Nora gives Barry the flash ring which unveils a new suit made by "Ryan Choi". The three speedsters run through Cisco's portal as they get onto the plane. Wally knocks out Gridlock as Barry teaches Nora how to phase with Eobard's season one speech. The three speedsters phase the plane through a series of buildings, saving the day. At STAR Labs, the team is about to send Nora home again, and Barry tells the team that maybe Nora should stay and be taught how to use her powers. Wally explains that the minor events the team goes through such as Gridlock will not alter the timeline in a significant way. Nora shows the team a new room in STAR Labs which is a lounge where Joe is sitting. Ralph tells Caitlin that he has found a lead on her 'dead' father, while Joe talks to Wally about his journey. Nora is about to sleep in the lounge, however, she and Barry go out to get their favorite ice cream. The episode ends with a mysterious man with a lightning bolt killing Cicada in police custody.
To start off, I really did enjoy this episode a lot more than I thought I would. The one thing which worked in the episode and I loved was the relationship developed between Nora and Barry. That father and daughter relationship worked on a number of different levels. The way that the episode played with the idea that Nora is about the same age as her parents were interesting to play upon. However, it was the idea that Nora grew up without her father which was special. There was this interesting dynamic where Nora essentially became Barry, taking up being a forensic, sharing their favorite ice creams, and their personalities felt the same. It was almost like seeing a clone which was interesting to play upon. However, the episode did use subtle ways to envoke the family relationship of Barry, Iris, and Nora, in the way that Nora really is acting like a child. I suppose it is because of the idea that Nora feels like she can get the childhood she deserves with both of her parents.
The changes that were made with Nora in the tv show than in the comics was interesting and worked well. I am glad that they chose to name the character Nora instead of "Dawn" like in the comics, it creates a stronger connection between Barry and Nora. The XS suit and name is actually in the comics the alter ego which the character's daughter had. Maybe we will get a hint that Nora passes on the XS mantle to her daughter in the future. In the show, the character played a little like Bart Allen in Young Justice season two. This is when the character was super excited to be back in the past, and he also faked being stuck in the past like what Nora did in the episode. In the episode it did not seem like Nora had a twin, maybe some timeline changes will alter that in the future. But it seems like, in season seven or eight of the show, we will see Nore being born, making her the few years old in 2024.
The other characters in the episode did feel like they had a back seat to the Barry and Nora plot which was fine, and it allowed for more development of the main season arch. One plot which was dabbled on was the whereabouts of Killer Frost. Ralph in the season seems like he will help out Caitlin in the episode, to find her father and eventually get Killer Frost back. It was announced that the team was going to split into different groups in the season, and I expect the two to be in their own investigation group. The other person I expect to be with them is the new Harrison Wells, who is going to be a detective. Wally had an interesting path in the episode where is still struggling to find his place in this superhero community. He is helping team Flash, and the Legends, however, we know that he is going to leave, and that was discussed a little bit towards the end of the episode.
The ending of the episode was something that kind of surprised me because we meet our season villain, Cicada. I was surprised that we have been introduced to the character this early on in the season as we usually get the reveal to who the main villain is a little later on the season. The character is wearing a mask, however, is not a mystery as he is played by Chris Klein and is no one significant to team Flash. The villain is out to kill Meta's, good or bad, as we saw with Gridlock. The idea behind the charcter is that Meta's have ruined his life, and know he wants revenge. It is possible that his family was killed, or some other tragic events happened. However, Cicada is also a threat to team Flash, because he will still see them as a threat with their powers.
Jessica Parker Kennedy was amazing in the episode as Nora West-Allen. The character bought this sense of childish innocence which worked well for the plot of the episode and helped create this unique family dynamic between her Barry and Iris, and although it is a little weird to know that in real life she is older than Grant, the dynamic still works. The way that story beats teased in season one was used to help create the backstory of Nora was well done and showed that the writers of the show really can pull off some amazing series long stories when they try.
Grant Gustin was also amazing in the episode as Barry. The way that the character was acted and directed bought to life a concerned father figure, a unique side to the character which does not feel drastic from the forensics scientist we have become familiar with. The character had some insane scenes from learning to his own disappearance in the future, to the simple interaction with his future daughter.
The rest of the cast in the episode was also brilliant even though their roles were reduced. Starring in the episode we had Grant Gustin (Barry Allen/ the Flash), Jessica Parker Kennedy (Nora West-Allen/ XS), Candice Patton (Iris West), Carlos Valdes (Cisco Ramone/ Vibe), Danielle Panabaker (Caitlin Snow/ Killer Frost), Hartley Sawyer (Ralph Dibny/ Elongated Man), Jesse L. Martin (Joe West), Danielle Nicolet (Cecile Horton), Keiynan Lonsdale (Wally West/ Kid Flash), Daniel Cudmore (Gridlock), Chris Kelin (Cicada).
Overall, this episode of the Flash was an exciting way to start off the season, and is a promising start of what is to come as it paints a clear picture of the continuing plots of the season, and the way we will see the stories develop with Barry and Nora, Killer Frost, Cicada, and the other characters be explored in this season of the Flash. Because of a well-directed episode and the Nora and barry relationship, I will give this episode an 8.5 out of 10.
What did you think of this episode of the Flash? let me know your favorite scenes, characters, and future easter eggs down in the comments section below.
Click on the left for more Flash, or on the right for more DC, and if you haven't already subscribed, and share this with someone who might enjoy it.
As always thanks for reading, take care.
tyianna Lawson
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