The Flash Review: King Shark (Season 2 Episode 15)

John and Lyla Diggle arrive in Central City to catch a metahuman in The Flash‘s “King Shark,” but Barry needs more help with his emotions than the shark.

King Shark is my least favorite of all the The Flash villains. He’s ridiculous and no amount of CGI will fix it.  Surprisingly, King Shark is not the focus of “King Shark.” The Flash focuses less on the villain and more instead on the emotional fall out from Jay Garrick’s death and Earth 2.

I can watch John Diggle read the phone book, so an extra visit to Central City from the Diggles is always welcome. Diggle  brings a gravity to Central City’s more unbelievable plots. At first, I thought sending Diggle to chase after King Shark was a poor use of the character. Not to mention silly. It turns out Diggle isn’t in Central City for King Shark. He’s here to do what Diggle does best: dispense sage and worldly advice to young and evolving superheroes.

Barry is having difficulty coping with Jay Garrick’s death and the events from Earth 2. As Barry progresses in his hero’s journey, he’s learning it’s not all about keys to the city. It’s not all about reward and being known as  a hero. Barry is fighting a life and death battle and there will be casualties. Sadly, the decisions he makes as The Flash will determine who lives and who dies. The responsibility is weighing heavily on Barry and it should.

As Barry grapples with grief and guilt he begins to pull away. Immediately, Joe and Iris notice and force Barry to come clean about what happened on Earth 2. Grant Gustin crying is my favorite kind of crying. The man should teach a class.  Watching Joe die on Earth 2, losing Jay and being unable to save Earth 2 is taking its toll on Barry. He’s wants to listen to Jay’s advice and not become emotionally attached, but that’s simply not who Barry is. Barry Allen is emotion. He forms attachments readily. He talks about his feelings. He cries. He may think withdrawing will help him survive the pressures of superhero life, but ultimately it makes him weaker.

It’s why Barry needs John Diggle. If there is any man who knows how to talk to emotionally shut down superheroes it’s John Diggle. The hole Barry is digging for himself is a one Diggle knows all to well. He knows it from his experience in Afghanistan and with Oliver Queen.

Diggle warns Barry carrying the weight of the world is dangerous. Instead of letting his losses define him, Barry needs to learn from them. His losses can be a source of strength. In the end, the tragedies Barry endures will make him the superhero he’s destined to become. If he holds onto what makes him Barry Allen – his humanity.

In the Arrow world, Diggle is Yoda. His sage advice reigns supreme and Barry recognizes as much. Barry listens when Diggle speaks. As much as Joe and Iris want to help, Barry didn’t need advice from his father or his love in “King Shark.” He needs advice from a man who has sustained losses and survived. He needs advice from a man who’s been in the hole Barry is in right now. He needs advice from a man who’s clawed his way out and can show Barry the way. Barry needs advice from a fellow solider.

Barry ultimately embraces his losses and does something so very… Barry. He believes in the impossible. He has no idea how they are going to beat Zoom or save Earth 2. Barry just knows they will.

Barry isn’t the only character struggling to hold onto their humanity. Caitlin is shutting down emotionally after Jay’s death. She’s detached and cold. So cold Cisco fears she’s on the road to becoming Killer Frost.

Caitlin cares for Jay very much, but as much as she grieves Jay’s loss she’s also grieving Ronnie. Jay helped distract Caitlin from Ronnie’s loss, but now that she has lost both men she is forced to deal with her grief. It’s almost crippling, so Caitlin tries to stop feeling. She bounces back enough to reassure Cisco Killer Frost will never exist on this Earth, but I am not quite convinced.

Speaking of Jay Garrick, it turns out he is Zoom. The reveal isn’t as suprising as it is confusing. The Man in the Iron Mask is certainly another Jay Garrick doppelgänger, which brings the count to three: Dead Jay, Mask Jay and Zoom Jay. Are they triplets? Is Zoom collecting doppelgängers? Are they forming a boy band? These questions require answers.

The Flash is slowly integrating Wally West and there’s obvious friction between him and Barry. Barry isn’t quite himself and some miscommunications intensify the strain between the two men. Ultimately, Wally is feeling uncertain of his place in Joe and Iris’ life since they have Barry. In an exceptionally beautiful scene, Joe reassures Wally he loves both his sons equally. It can be difficult for children to understand a parent’s capacity to love their children equally, so a little reassurance from Joe is certainly not out of hand. Hopefully, Wally and Barry can move past the friction into real friendship.

Stray Thoughts

• Cisco is working on Diggle’s helmet. A chorus of “hallelujah” erupts from the Arrow fandom.
• I realize they’ve barely spoken two words to one another, but I am sensing a Cisco/Jesse vibe. There is shipping potential  there, I know it.
• Diggle’s reactions to Barry will never not be funny.
• Iris is noticing she’s married to Barry Allen in every alternate universe. Yeah, Iris… that’s a thing.
• I prefer sharks who cheat at kitten poker.

What did you think of this episode of The Flash? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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

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