FLASH SPOILER Review: Episode 2×05 – “The Darkness and the Light”

The Flash (2×05) – “The
Darkness and the Light”

Written by: Grainne Godfree and Ben
Sokolowski

Directed by: Steve Shill

Now that Firestorm is on his way to Pittsburgh it’s time to
start dealing with Zoom…

But first we find ourselves on Earth-2 eight months
earlier. Harrison Wells is introducing a
new line of technology to detect metahumans.
In the audience is Harrison’s daughter and what looks to me to be Kal-El’s
golden age rocket (bonus points for that set designers.)

The Flash shows up and
the two have an argument about who’s more responsible for the Villain’s
rampage. However, before anyone can say
“Boys, boys! You’re both pretty!” Jay runs off, presumably to find
and fight Zoom.

Back in the present on Earth-1, Harrison Wells is learning
about his “Counterpart” and receiving a rather chilly welcome form
Cisco, Caitlin and a high-velocity lead welcome from Joe. Meanwhile Barry wants to know what Wells has
come to their Earth for. Wells explains
that he’s come to help Barry defeat him because Jay Garrick was correct at E2-STAR
Labs; He did cause Zoom to come about.

At the Newspaper, Linda and Editor Larkin are arguing over a
story she wants to run on the Quarterback for Central City’s football
team. He eventually relents and Iris
congratulates her on breaking the story, Joe arrives and fills Iris in on
Wells’ arrival and she manages to take it well.
Still Joe gives her a gun for her protection.

Barry takes Cisco to Jitters and tries to calm his friend
before Patty shows up and causes everyone from Barry to Cisco to me to fall in
love with her before she is called back to the Police Station. Cisco tries to convince Barry to seize the
moment when it comes to women by asking out the familiar look barista unsuccessfully. As he walks away, Cisco has a vision of a
metahuman currently robbing a bank and sends Barry after her.

Barry confronts her but she blast him with light before
escaping. At STAR Labs, Wells identifies
the robber as Dr. Light and he now has a plan: capture Light and use her to
lure Zoom into a trap. Jay shows up and
calls the plan insane. He and Wells
continue their argument before Barry’s patience runs out and he separates
them. Cisco offers to re-task STAR Lab satellites
to find Light while Barry returns to the station to get Joe’s help finding her.

Barry runs into Patty instead and he decides to take Cisco’s
advice to heart and ask her out to dinner.
Patty agrees and they part in brighter spirits. Back at STAR Labs, Cisco and Wells get into
an argument about the Eobard/Wells and get into the heart of the matter;
Cisco’s memory of Eobard murdering him.
Cisco leaves and Wells checks his watch.

When Cisco returns to the main hub of the lab he claims that
the satellites have tracked down Light.
Jay urges Barry to talk things through with her and Barry leaves to stop
her. He arrives and tries to talk to
Light she removes her mask and reveals herself to be Earth-2’s Linda Park. When Barry calls her by name, Linda blinds
him and makes her escape.

Barry’s eyes have been temporarily damaged but the bigger
problem at hand is that Barry’s clued Linda into her local double’s existence. The team agree to keep an eye on their Linda
and Jay and Caitlin leave to do that.
Iris arrives and she and Barry take some time to talk about the
situation with her mother before Barry gets a text from Patty about their
date. Barry is saddened that he has to
cancel before Iris reminds him they are in Super-tech central with Cisco and
Barry concocts a plan that would only work on Three’s Company.

Barry arrives at the restaurants with a pair of
sunglasses. The sunglasses hide a camera
and Cisco is on the other end of the camera with a transmitter in Barry’s
ear. After a few early stumbles with the
chair, the server and the wine list Barry finally gives up and offers Patty the
menu. Patty asks Barry about the
lightning strike before she reveals that she knows Barry’s been blinded somehow. Barry plays it off as his pupils being dilated,
and their date takes a turn for the better including a kiss.

Outside the Newspaper, Caitlin and Jay are discussing why
Wells has come to their Earth and Jay is worried that something has changed and
that they can’t trust Wells as a result.
They also discuss Jay’s “friend” on Atlantis. With the pair distracted, Light gets the jump
on them before attacking the paper.

She tries to take our Linda and when Larkin tries to stop
her Light accidentally kills him. While
Light is distracted by what’s she’s done Iris shots her visor off and Jay
arrives. Light still manages to escape.

Barry and Patty arrive at the newspaper to deal with
Larkin’s death and try to figure out their next move. Back at the lab, the team try to figure out
what to do but Jay and Wells soon start arguing. First with words and then with fists before
Barry separate them.

Barry and Wells talk about Zoom for a moment but when Barry
brings up Dr. Light’s mask Wells comes up with an idea. He outs Cisco as a metahuman and theorizes
about Cisco’s powers. Cisco admits to
being a meta but when he touches the mask it doesn’t work. Wells quickly grows impatient and gets angry
he accuses Cisco of being too afraid before he slaps Light’s mask into Cisco’s
chest and in his shock Cisco gets a vibe from Linda.

Barry chases her to the train station and during the fight
figures out a new use for his powers with help from Wells and Jay. Much like Eobard was able to do, Barry moves
fast enough to create mirage-like afterimages of himself. He subdues Light and takes her to the
Pipeline.

The next day, the full team gather and Barry explains his
plan. He’s going to do what Wells has
wanted to do from the start; use Light to bring Zoom to them. Jay then tells him that he can’t help Barry
kill himself by fighting Zoom then he leaves.

Barry Caitlin and Cisco decide to go to Jitters later. Cisco sees the familiar barista and tries to
ask her out again, this times she agrees.
She explains that she’s new to Central City and she was a bit wary the
day before. She introduces herself as
Kendra Saunders then gives him her phone number. Barry Cisco and Caitlin settle in for their
coffee and to talk about their powers.
Caitlin suggests that he needs a name and Barry is able to provide;
Vibe.

On Earth-2, we see that Zoom has Wells’ daughter prisoner. She tells him that her father will save her
and kill him but Zoom promises that their fate is in his hands before he
leaves.

Much better episode this week. Barry didn’t kill anyone, nobody’s obnoxious,
the Legends of Tomorrow prep was
unobtrusive and everything worked together.
I liked the twist of Dr. Light being Linda’s double even if it might
have had even more weight if Barry and Linda were still together
currently.

The Wells/Jay rivalry is interesting and the way Wells blows
off the constant comparisons to Eobard/Wells is great. Especially when you realize that none of
these people ever actually knew Earth One’s Harrison Wells to begin with.

I’m intrigued to find out if E2-Wells is on the up and up or
if he intends to betray Barry to Zoom in exchange for his daughter.

Lastly, I was extremely thankful that the date scene ended the
way it did with Patty calling Barry out about hiding his blindness, it will be
interesting to see if she can figure out his secret as easily. Also, unless I’m mistaken, Patty is the first
person to ask when the lightning strike was like for him. That’s kind of odd, but I liked that she was
interested in his experience the night of the Explosion and not the powers he
received that night.

In the end, I’m much happier with tonight’s episode as
compared to last week.