The Flash Review: The Fury of Firestorm (Season 2 Episode 4)

To bond or not to bond? That is the question “The Fury of Firestorm” faces head on as the The Flash characters face new relationships and the consequences accompanying them.

For Iris, she’s questioning whether to form a relationship with her absentee mother Francine. The choice of whether or not to bond with her mother creates a flurry of emotions in Iris. Emotions she needs time to evaluate.  When she does, the results are impressive.

Iris calmly and rationally tells her mother she wants nothing to do with her. While this might be the right time to bond for Francine, it’s not for Iris. Iris didn’t scream. She didn’t pitch a fit and throw her coffee mug across Jitters. Nor is she blaming Francine every time life doesn’t go her way. This is simply Iris West making a decision for herself.

The anger is bubbling at the surface, the tears are brimming in her eyes, but Iris remains poised. She is dignified, but firm. This woman is a class act. Iris is often a character whose agency is stolen from her, so to see her regain control of her life and choices is extremely gratifying. It is madness to believe a woman of this caliber, who defines maturity and grace, ever needs a man to make decisions for her.

Iris is a character who trusts her gut instinct. It’s why she so readily believes in the Flash. Iris knows in her gut he is a good person. It’s also why it was so ludicrous she wasn’t allowed to put the Barry/Flash puzzle together sooner. Iris’ gut is also what makes her an excellent reporter. If something doesn’t feel right, she trusts her gut and finds out why.

Iris didn’t have much information to go on about her mother, but something didn’t feel right. After Francine reveals her life threatening illness to Joe, Iris is still distrustful. Something still doesn’t feel right. So she digs because that’s what Iris West does. She sees people for who they really are and finds the evidence to back it up.

Once again, Iris is right. Her mother isn’t trustworthy. Eight months after she abandoned Joe and Iris, Francine gave birth to a son. Joe’s son. Iris’ brother.

And she never told either of them.

What’s that you hear? Oh just the sound of a nuclear bomb exploding in The Flash universe. No biggie.

Francine is the worst. Her weak story about coming back to help a grieving Iris is a lie. This is all about easing her conscience and bonding with her daughter before she dies. It’s understandable why Francine is motivated to come back, but those motivations are intrinsically selfish. It has very little to do with Iris. Then, on top of that, she lies about the existence of Iris’ biological brother and Joe’s biological son. Big no to the bonding, Iris. Excellent decision, my dear. Trust your gut, for it serves you well.

Taking a page from Joe’s playbook, Iris tells her mother to leave town and does not tell her father about his son’s existence… to protect him. Right or wrong is of little concern now. It’s Joe’s turn to spend a little time in “agency timeout”. See how he likes it for a change.

Professor Stein is about to go nuclear or melt (I’m still not sure which) unless he finds a new partner to bond with as Firestorm. Caitlin’s vote is for the “looks good on paper” scientist Henry Hewitt versus the high school graduate/mechanic/hero-resistant Jefferson Jackson. Caitlin embraces the whole “judging a book by its cover” perspective, and it’s bizarrely out of character for her. She cannot fathom how anyone willingly turns down being a superhero (awkward pause as we all look sidelong at Cisco).

Grief rears its head at the strangest of times. Without Jay Garrick as a distraction, Caitlin is allowed to process her pain. The truth is, Caitlin isn’t searching for another hero. She’s searching for Ronnie. Ronnie jumped headlong into danger. He put the lives of others before his own without hesitation. Caitlin’s frustration with Jax is more that he’s not a carbon copy of her deceased husband. Ronnie is irreplaceable, which is both comforting and painful to Caitlin.

Jax’s hesitation doesn’t make him a coward. It simply means he has a brain. Most people, when given the option to merge their body with another human, will give it some thought. Yet, when Jax sees Professor Stein dying, and Caitlin threatened by an out of control Henry Hewitt, he doesn’t think. Jax acts. He bonds with Professor Stein and helps Barry save the day. Sometimes we don’t know what we are capable of until we are forced to find out.

Barry also struggles both with his bond to Iris and his growing affection towards Patty Spivot. The Flash cast is a bunch of puppies. Put two puppies together, and it adds up to more cute. Quite frankly, it’s difficult to dislike any pairing on this show.  I’m constantly debating which puppy pairing is cuter, and it feels like splitting hairs (pun intended).

Barry and Patty share a lot in common and rate high on the adorable scale. But Iris is Barry’s first, and if we’re being honest, current love. He has loved Iris for as long as he’s known her. Barry does know how to love anyone else.

Unfortunately, Iris turned him down flat. She chose Eddie and now she’s grieving her lost love. In the words of the wise Felicity Smoak, Iris is “terminally unavailable.”

So, does Barry let go of his bond with Iris, to allow room to bond with Patty? Barry decides yes. He cannot let his feelings for Iris hold him back from experiencing love elsewhere.

For all the Westallen fans (or Snowbarry fans) having heart attacks right now, breathe deep. It’s all fine. Sometimes choosing a “forever love” requires experiencing love at varying levels in multiple relationships. It’s called dating. Every relationship is a step in the journey towards the person Barry is meant to be with. Experiencing different love simply informs Barry and helps shape his ultimate choice.

Patty Spivot is the “perfect on paper” love interest. As Team Flash discovered with Henry Hewitt, perfect on paper doesn’t guarantee bonding perfection. Barry doesn’t need the perfect fit. He needs the right fit. This relationship with Patty, and whoever else comes along, will only lead to a stronger bond with whoever Barry’s “right fit” is. Once Barry knows the love he needs, his certainty will bond him forever to his choice. No matter the obstacle, he’ll never let go.

Stray Thoughts…

• I have an irrational need for Jefferson Jackson to be Iris’ long-lost brother and Joe’s long-lost son.
• I challenge The Flash to go ONE episode without using the word ‘hero.’ Most heroes don’t references themselves as such so frequently. It’s rapidly becoming a curse word to me. The next time someone uses it I’m washing that character’s mouth out with soap. Let’s allow characters to develop and earn the title. Especially newly introduced characters. Then they can abuse it all they want.
• Sorry Henry Hewitt, but you didn’t get a back story. No way were you ever gonna be the new Firestorm.
• Joe tells Patty to lie to Barry, and she does. Francine lies to Joe and Iris. Iris lies to Joe. Cisco is lying to everybody. It’s like a lying version of spin the bottle. Everyone gets a turn.
• Nice shot Jacks! Kid has a serious arm.
• Bye bye Dr. Stein and Jax! Catch you on the flip side of the Arrow/Flash/Legends of Tomorrow crossover.
• Shouldn’t Caitlin and Cisco get code names? Diggle and Felicity are getting code names.
• Cisco really needs to tell Barry and Caitlin about his emerging powers.
• The water jug and cups died, but their lives will not be vain.
• Danielle Pannabaker’s hair game is A+ lately.
• I realize this is The Flash, but the meta shark is ridiculous. No amount of CGI will save that sucker.
• Enough with the dramatic Harrison endings. Let’s get rolling on this Earth 2 Doppelganger.

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The Flash airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW.