Spoilers The Flash - Season 4

[Christopher]

"Elongated Journey Into Night." I love that title so much.

Ralph is an interesting addtion to the show, and to the team, at least provisionally. They've kept him surprisingly faithful to the source in some respects, while reinventing his origin and relationship with Barry. Having them be rivals making a fresh start is interesting. And the actor's fairly good.

I'm saddened, though, to see Mayor Bellows turn out to be crooked. That's two doppelgangers of characters from the '90 show who've turned out poorly on Earth-1 -- Julio Mendez was murdered and Anthony Bellows solicited murder. Well, three if we assume Henry Allen was a doppelganger of the '90 Barry Allen. At least Tina McGee's still okay. For now...

I don't see the big deal about Danny Trejo. I didn't find his acting very impressive. It seems he's basically known for being intimidating and just coasts on that.

 

[Jayson1]

"Elongated Journey Into Night." I love that title so much.

Ralph is an interesting addtion to the show, and to the team, at least provisionally. They've kept him surprisingly faithful to the source in some respects, while reinventing his origin and relationship with Barry. Having them be rivals making a fresh start is interesting. And the actor's fairly good.

I'm saddened, though, to see Mayor Bellows turn out to be crooked. That's two doppelgangers of characters from the '90 show who've turned out poorly on Earth-1 -- Julio Mendez was murdered and Anthony Bellows solicited murder. Well, three if we assume Henry Allen was a doppelganger of the '90 Barry Allen. At least Tina McGee's still okay. For now...

I don't see the big deal about Danny Trejo. I didn't find his acting very impressive. It seems he's basically known for being intimidating and just coasts on that.

That might be true about Trejo but then again that worked for Arnold Swartzenegger for years so it is a skill that can be useful. Plus he was "Machete" so he will always be seen as cool for that much like Arnold will always be the Terminator. I think that might preferable than someone like Vincent Schiavelli or Micheal Berryman who always ended up playing the scary/creepy weird guy.

Jason

 

[Dick Whitman]

I was curious how many episodes of the current series feature cast members of the 1990 series. Some have appeared in the same episodes. Sometimes sharing scenes often not in scenes together though.

All together the 1990 cast have appeared in 22 episodes. Which is ironic because the original had 22 episodes. Counting the Pilot as a single episode. When rerun on the Sci-Fi it was split into two.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Very fun episode, and while I was worried about how they started off with Ralph, I really liked where they left off.

Also, Danny fucking Trejo! He just rocks. But I can't shake the feeling that this role was really Plan B as DC wouldn't allow the DCW to use Lobo.

I doubt Lobo was ever part of their plans. The character was written as Gyspy's father. It's not like it was written as some random bounty hunter. His appearance was solely because he was hunting Cisco for dating his daughter. Lobo looks nothing like Gyspy!

 

[Christopher]

That might be true about Trejo but then again that worked for Arnold Swartzenegger for years so it is a skill that can be useful.

No, Schwarzenegger has more going for him than that. Whatever his limitations as an actor, he has a lot of charisma and is really pretty good at comedy.

Plus he was "Machete" so he will always be seen as cool for that much like Arnold will always be the Terminator.

Yes, that's exactly my problem. His appeal depends on the audience being familiar with his trademark role. I'm not familiar with it, so to me he's just some guy who gave a very clumsy performance.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I'm not familiar with his trademark role either, but I found him entertaining enough in this role...he delivered what was called for.

 

[Christopher]

I'm not familiar with his trademark role either, but I found him entertaining enough in this role...he delivered what was called for.

Up to a point, yes, but there were aspects of his performance I found clumsy, particularly his body language when using his powers.

Also, Gypsy obviously got her looks from her mother.

 

[kirk55555]

If they get him close to his normal self, it'll be more then most characters (Wally) got. You didn't feel any excitement at the end, with the nose twitch, and I smell a mystery??

I didn't watch it. Like I said, I will no longer watch the Flash fuck with characters that deserve better then their stupidity. With Wally, he's (barely) an adaptation of the second Wally West, who in the comics currently exists along with a variation of the original Wally west so he doesn't really bug me. I actually like the Elongated Man, and the hack writers/producers just sacrificed a classic (if B-list) DC Hero because they were too fucking lazy to find a character that fit better or to make an original character.

All that said, if the outright corrupt, asshole cop "smells a mystery", what does it matter? This terrible original character is much more Harvey Bullock (without the gruff charm or eventual turn to good/good cop at his core) then he is Elongated Man. If anything, its a final fuck you to fans of the real Elongated Man. At least Atom Smasher and Dr. Light were basically just villain cameos that, while shitty, didn't actively try to insult the fans. This is almost as bad as what Legends of Tomorrow did to the JSA, but on a smaller scale

So, much like any episode that involves the inside of the speed force, any Flash episode that fucks over a DC hero is getting a skip. Luckily The Flash only tends to fuck over one or two DC heroes a year, so unless Shitty Corrupt Cop returns I probably won't have to skip an episode until the speed force inevitably tries to stick Barry back in its magic prison that should actually need anyone in it but the writers suck and they will keep bringing back the Prohpets...I mean "Speed Force".

 

[Snaploud]

I still think there's at least a one-in-five chance that Gypsy is Cisco's doppleganger.

 

[Christopher]

I still think there's at least a one-in-five chance that Gypsy is Cisco's doppleganger.

I don't think they'd go there on a family show.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

"Red Dwarf" wasn't a family show?! Shit, my sister-in-law will be pissed.

 

[Phoenix219]

How do you know how they characterized the "terrible dirty corrupt cop" if you never watched the episode? Its really not half as bad as it could have been.

 

[Gaith]

Supervillain Barry Allen returns! "Let's throw Ralph in the pipeline despite not having committed any major crimes - good people don't ruin others' lives for no reason! Although, sometimes, they knowingly imperil the whole damn world to save their own mother... twice!"

Okay, show of hands, who missed Wally this ep? ... Yeah, that's what I thought. And, though it pains me to say it, now that he's moved on, I'm now questioning Harry's necessity as an active member of the team. I certainly don't want Tom Cavanagh out, though, so I hope the writers will find a better purpose for the character this season than just the "working on his social skills" Cisco used to get him to stick around.

Trejo was fun enough, though I agree his comic timing is lacking. He can play intimidation straight, and he can play intimidation straight while the show/movie around him plays his doing so for laughs, but as an actor he does only seem to have that one strength.

It would've been nice to see the team follow up with the murder case that got Dibey expelled - did the husband really do it? Is he still around? Also, do those two goons now know Barry Allen is, if not the Flash necessarily, a meta?

 

[Turtletrekker]

I still think there's at least a one-in-five chance that Gypsy is Cisco's doppleganger.

Wouldn't they have the "same" father?

 

[Guy Gardener]

Oh. Cisco's brother is an asshat on the Good Doctor now...

someone is adopted.

Voidbabies are less than virgin births.

One child fractured and spat out near infinitely across time and dimensions.

Josh is also Cisco.

 

[Gaith]

Wouldn't they have the "same" father?

Yep. Also, ew - more ew than Barry/Iris, which is ew enough, thanks.

 

[Snaploud]

Wouldn't they have the "same" father?

I don't think that guy was Gypsy's biological father. He seemed too quick to say there was no resemblance.

 

[Christopher]

I don't think that guy was Gypsy's biological father. He seemed too quick to say there was no resemblance.

That just sounded like he was complimenting her looks in contrast to his own. Like I said, she must take after her mother in that respect, though she has her father's powers.

 

[theenglish]

I didn't watch it. Like I said, I will no longer watch the Flash fuck with characters that deserve better then their stupidity. With Wally, he's (barely) an adaptation of the second Wally West, who in the comics currently exists along with a variation of the original Wally west so he doesn't really bug me. I actually like the Elongated Man, and the hack writers/producers just sacrificed a classic (if B-list) DC Hero because they were too fucking lazy to find a character that fit better or to make an original character.

All that said, if the outright corrupt, asshole cop "smells a mystery", what does it matter? This terrible original character is much more Harvey Bullock (without the gruff charm or eventual turn to good/good cop at his core) then he is Elongated Man. If anything, its a final fuck you to fans of the real Elongated Man. At least Atom Smasher and Dr. Light were basically just villain cameos that, while shitty, didn't actively try to insult the fans. This is almost as bad as what Legends of Tomorrow did to the JSA, but on a smaller scale

So, much like any episode that involves the inside of the speed force, any Flash episode that fucks over a DC hero is getting a skip. Luckily The Flash only tends to fuck over one or two DC heroes a year, so unless Shitty Corrupt Cop returns I probably won't have to skip an episode until the speed force inevitably tries to stick Barry back in its magic prison that should actually need anyone in it but the writers suck and they will keep bringing back the Prohpets...I mean "Speed Force".

You should actually watch the episode because it is not what you think...

Spoiler: Ralph Dibney in the Episode

It turns out that Dibney was never corrupt in the sense that you are thinking and Barry realizes he judged too quickly when he was younger. There is also a great bonding moment at the end when they realize they are both detectives at heart.

 

[Snaploud]

Supervillain Barry Allen returns! "Let's throw Ralph in the pipeline despite not having committed any major crimes - good people don't ruin others' lives for no reason! Although, sometimes, they knowingly imperil the whole damn world to save their own mother... twice!"

Yeah, I really wanted one of the team to lay a verbal smackdown for Barry's judgmental authoritarian nonsense. He was clearly planning to cross a line, but none of the group was willing to say "No. We're not letting you do that...and, if you try, you become the villain and we'll have to lock you up..."