The Flash Review: Impulsive Excessive Disorder (Season 8 Episode 6)
The Flash returns with a quirky and fun episode that reminds me quite a bit of Season 1. Although the titular hero does nothing more than show up for a couple of cameos, there is still enough speed to go around.
The Flash Season 8 Episode 6, “Impulsive Excessive Disorder,” is a fast jaunt between the past and the future. Nora and Bart’s actions during the Godspeed War have created a series of hiccups in the timeline that quickly come to a head. These time anomalies start with the survival of Uncle Jay and climax with the erasure of Aunt Joan.
These major turns of events emphasize the overarching moral of the episode: every decision we make has unintended consequences.
As Nora and Bart explore the Star Labs archives, they pinpoint where they believe everything went astray. They feel if they can prevent Joe West from being shot in 2013, all things will be remedied.
Oh, if life was ever that simple!
How often do we do the same thing? At least once a week I stare up at the ceiling at 3 in the morning wishing I could change one tiny thing I did in elementary school — altering my entire life forever.
But alas, we are not superheroes.
Nora and Bart’s hasty moves prove that even if we were, not everything can be tied up with a pretty little bow.
Bart’s well-intended steps towards saving Joe instead creates more trauma. This leads to The Royal Flush Gang forming earlier than in the original timeline, creating a very deadly casino heist.
Yikes! Several casualties are much worse than a non-lethal bullet to Joe West. Worse yet, this heist becomes a fixed point in time.
Can you imagine, every positive step you take towards correcting a problem only adds more strife? No wonder Bart wants to throw in the towel — I can feel his pain.
The truth is we never know where life is going to take us. We make decisions and see what unfolds afterward. Sometimes we end up in a good place, while other times, not so much.
The important thing is that we learn along the way. That way, we don’t make the same mistake twice. Or in my case, three or four times.
Nora does her best to talk Bart down. She shows her brother examples of numerous times she had failed as a daughter and a hero. Everyone has these moments in their lives, and we must share them with others in their times of need.
Every hurt we have has the potential to bring healing to others if we use them properly.
This pep talk brings back Bart’s resolve, helping him to gather the courage to carry on. Together, Nora and Bart run to Utopia Casino with a well-thought-out plan that Bart promises to stick to this time around.
Nora: Don’t go rogue!
Of course, plans are always perfect until placed into reality. After all, it isn’t only our decisions that form our lives but others as well.
The King and Queen of the Royal Flush Gang notice their hostages are disappearing in a blink of an eye, and that makes them far from happy. Without leverage, they can quickly lose control of the situation.
The Queen steps up and calls out Bart, causing him to alter his and Nora’s agenda. Nora screams foul, but Bart acts selflessly to correct his errors.
Bart’s original actions to save Joe were done sloppily and selfishly. He was too tied up flirting with Avery to make it to the scene on time. But now he is working solely to save others — these are the actions of a true hero.
Disguised as a casino manager, Bart tries to de-escalate the situation with his words. For me, this is a throwback to Season 7 where so many supervillains were simply talked out of their evil schemes, and trust me, I am not a fan.
While it is refreshing to have the heroes not always using their fists to snuff out the crime, it comes off as anti-climactic.
When so much action leads up to a scene where everyone just simply walks away from a fight, I can’t help but let out a miserable groan. The fans never signed up for a “let bygones be bygones” moment — no matter how much sense it makes.
Luckily, this isn’t where the credits roll. Nora still has to empty the casino of all the bombs.
This time it is Nora who doubts her abilities to save the day, causing Bart to step up to the plate. He returns Nora’s kind words to her, soothing her anxiety with the lessons she just recently taught him.
Truth be told, we all need to hear words of encouragement at some time or another. Just knowing somebody is out there rooting for us can make all the difference. The world isn’t ending, and our family is always by our side.
With so many positive themes brought forward in the episode, we are left with thought-provoking words from Uncle Jay. He points out that we all make mistakes, but we can always attempt to make things better.
We fall hard sometimes. We scrape our knees and blame ourselves for stupid mistakes. It is a fact of life, and nobody can change it.
It is what we do with those mistakes that matter.
Will we use them to bring healing to ourselves and others? If so, we are truly on the right path.
What did you think of this episode of The Flash? How will these events shape the future of Team Flash? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Flash airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.
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Charles E Henning
Charles E. Henning lives in a quaint town of Illinois with his ever-loving wife since 1998. He is new to writing reviews, but has over thirty years of fictitious writing for his own personal fulfillment. His interests range from science fiction to character-based dramas, but he is a sucker for anyone in a cape.