The Flash Review: Runaway Dinosaur (Season 2 Episode 21)
The Flash’s “Runaway Dinosaur” brings Barry face to face with the Speed Force. He’s forced to choose, once and for all, between his past and present.
Season 2 starts strong in the premiere, but as it progresses it is becoming clear The Flash is lost. They lost sight of their hero. “Runaway Dinosaur” is successful because they find him again.
If you simply watch the premiere and “Runaway Dinosaur” Season 2 is stellar. Unfortunately, there are nineteen episodes of gobbledygook in between.
Every hero must deal with their god complex at some point, to maintain their sanity. Barry is a superhero who can time travel. His god complex is a bigger than most.
If you hold the power to change time itself… how do you ever accept what is?
Saving Nora Allen drove Barry in Season 1. When push came to shove, Barry let his mother die. Future Barry warned him not to save her.
There is probably a timeline where Nora Allen survives and the consequences are dire. The natural conclusion is by saving one life, Barry may condemn many more.
It’s a heart wrenching choice that has plagued Barry ever since. Or it plagued him in the premiere. We haven’t touched on it much since.
How someone defines the Speed Force is entirely up to them. I’m Roman Catholic, so we’re going to kick this old school okay? The Speed Force is The Flash’s version of God.
Essentially, Barry is stuck in limbo. The very essence Barry needs to become The Flash creates a vortex to hold him in stasis. The place where time doesn’t exist.
The Speed Force believes Barry rejected his power. Barry is ticked off at the accusation. He’s saved countless lives as The Flash and gave up his speed to save one more.
The Speed Force agrees Barry is worthy. It’s the reason the Speed Force chose him to begin with. Yes, Oliver Queen was right.
The lightening wasn’t an accident. The lightening chose Barry. The Speed Force chose Barry. Now, The Speed Force wants Barry to choose him/her/it back.
The Speed Force is hosting this little tête-à-tête to discuss the one life Barry didn’t save. Yup, it’s a Nora Allen episode. I paused to get the tissue box.
Barry confesses to the deeper reason he didn’t save his mother, “How can someone ever be at peace with letting his mother die? Deciding that his life was more valuable than hers.”
Barry knows Nora had to die, so he could become The Flash. The guilt is overwhelming. There’s a part of Barry, deep down, that wanted to give Zoom his speed. The Speed Force knows it.
When Barry Allen first became The Flash he thought it was all about being a hero. After Eddie, Ronnie and Nora died Barry knew the other side: loss, pain, sacrifice, regret and guilt. This realization weighs Barry down.
“What you’ve become is wonderful, a miracle even, but it won’t stop bad things from happening to you. Even The Flash can’t outrun the tragedies the universe is gonna keep sending your way. You have to accept that. Only then can you truly run free.” – Nora Allen
No matter how fast he runs or how many people he saves, The Flash will never truly stop death. Barry will never stop losing people he loves. With every triumph there will be sacrifice. With every joy there will be sorrow. This is the cosmic ying and yang. It simply is.
Yes, Barry is The Flash. Yes, Nora had to die for Barry to become The Flash. This is Barry’s triumph and sacrifice. This is Barry’s joy and sorrow. And it’s only the beginning.
Barry Allen is constantly striving to be faster, but he’s holding himself back. His pain is a weight slowing him down.
It’s like Barry’s put a wall up and it’s blocking The Speed Force’s full potential. Barry has to accept his loss. He must let go of his past to knock the wall down.
Barry listens to his mother read his favorite book as a child “Runaway Dinosaur.” It’s a story about a baby dinosaur who realizes his mother was made just for him. His mother’s love is what makes him special.
Finally, Barry is ready. He catches the shadow and becomes The Flash once again. Then, Barry hears Iris’ voice.
Nora whispers, “Run Barry, run,” and Barry reaches across time and space to Iris. Barry let’s go of his past and reaches for his future.
He visits his mother’s grave for the first time with Iris. Barry has found peace. He may have lost his mother as a child, but death can never separate Barry from her love. He carries it with him always.
Iris says she never liked “Runaway Dinosaur” because she never had anybody who was just right for her. Of course, Iris had Joe. This doesn’t diminish the love of a father.
However, the loss of a mother is a special hole. It’s one Barry shares with Iris.
It’s Iris’ voice that brought Barry home. He may not know what the future will bring, but Barry tells Iris she’s everything to him.
The ebb and flow of life. We must let go of the bad to make room for the good. We must accept what is to see what’s next.
For so long Nora Allen was the home Barry longed to return to. Her death has been The Flash’s propelling force. Now, Barry has found a new home: Iris. Their love will propel The Flash into the future.
There’s a peace to Barry. He’s let go of the past. Barry’s chosen The Speed Force. A weight is lifted. And now… he’s ready to run.
Stray Thoughts
- That was some of the worst TV CPR I’ve ever seen. She’s your daughter Harry! Put some muscle into it.
- The Speed Force chose Jesse and not Wally. Interesting.
- “And this didn’t tip you off that he’s secretly evil?” Iris West is Queen.
- “I’m so glad you’re back because we’re about to die.” Cisco’s entire monologue is hysterical.
- “Plan H.” Tom Cavanaugh and Carlos Valdes are comic gold.
- Henry is totally gonna die.
What did you think of this episode of The Flash ? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Flash airs Tuesday at 8/7c on The CW.
Jennifer Knutson
Wife, mother and TV enthusiast. She has a degree in Communications, a minor in English, a background in marketing, and a deep love for all story telling mediums. The TV obsession probably started from birth, but hit saturation level with Buffy The Vampire Slayer and hasn't dissipated since. She has a weakness for dark & twisty heroes and selfless love stories. When she's not working, raising her little human, or spending time with her spouse, she's writing, analyzing, tweeting, and obsessing about all things Arrow. You can check out her blog here: http://jbuffyangel.tumblr.com/ You can also follow Jennifer on Twitter: @jbuffyangel
3 comments
As soon as Henry said “You’re stuck with me, I’m not going anywhere,” I fist pumped because I was right about him dying. Then I cried a little because NO LET HIM LIVE.
This episode really did find Barry again, thank goodness. Barry with Nora was so heartbreakingly beautiful and then Barry with Iris healed my soul a little bit. <3
Hi Jen, thank you for this review! I agree with all of it (well that’s always the case with your reviews, wether on Arrow, Blindspot or The Flash). I find this season disappointing too, but I loved this episode.
First of all I’m glad I had tissues next to me when I watched it, because Nora Allen? Gets me every time, and for this one I was sobbing hard. I lost my mom 18 years ago, I wasn’t a child anymore, Iwas im my twenties, nand yet 18 years after I still miss her so much; so yeah this episode hit home for me. As always, Grant Gustin was amazing in these scenes.
I absolutely love all you said about how Barry’s pain slowed him down, how now that he’s let go of the past he can look toward his future – Iris. Like you said in previous reviews, I don’t like very much how they made Iris consider a relationship with Barry “because of destiny”. But Barry’s words at the end : “The truth is, Iris, I
don’t know what this is between us or where we go from here. All I know is you’re everything to me, and you always have been. And the sound of your voice will always bring me home.”? I like it much better.
Cisco was hilarious throughout the episode, and the comic relief was welcomed in such a heavy emotional episode. From the explanation about Wells-the other Wells-who was Thawne to the morgue-ish morgue “I’m not going there alone” and, of course, his hysterical monologue (and Harry’s facial expressions during it): I couldn’t stop laughing.
Totally on board about Henry’s fate, he’s so going to die. I’m also worried about Harry’s fate since 2×19 and his “I promise to be a father you can be proud of” speech to Jesse. So now that Jesse is on her way to becoming a speedster, I could see Harry’s death push her to become the speedster superhero Earth 2 will need (since AK stated they intend to have Barry be the only speedster hero for the near future – maybe that’s why Wally seemingly doesn’t have the Speed Force, at least for now).
About Wally… He was knocked out by the accelarator explosion, and then when he wakes up, he just says “I’m okay” and that’s it? Just go home, no medical examination to be sure you’re really ok? I know, they had a lot of urgent matters to attend to, and they had to get him out of Star Lab because he doesn’t know that Barry is the Flash blah blah blah, but… It bothers me a little, and if it turns out later on that, oh surprise! He wasn’t ok after all, I’ll find it cheap. Although, Joe did seem concerned later, and provided us with a funny scene 🙂
Other thoughts:
at the beginning of the episode, when Harry asked Jesse to come down, how was she supposed to do that? As far as Harry knew, wasn’t she supposed to be locked up with Wally in the safe chamber?
I know that how to take down the villain of the week is not the point of this episode, but the science girl in me can’t help it: “he’s using spin to charge the magnets – like an electric turbine”? No. Just no.
What will Caitlin choose? Leave and go back to Team Flash, or stay in the hope to take Zoom down from the inside?
Love the review! I’m really sorry you shut down your ask box on Tumblr, though I do get why you had to. Some people suck.
Actually, reading this in light of the last episode, it really does make Barry’s overconfidence in 2×22 a lot more out of place. Especially if the episode was supposed to be a realization that the Flash isn’t invincible. I admit I don’t retain a lot of RAM space when it comes to what goes on in the show (Arrow person here), but I’m so curious to read your review of 2×22!
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