Flash fans across the country are waking up concussed and confused this morning, victims of a plot that attempted to beat viewers over the head before choosing to defy logic completely.
“Girls Night Out” was an amazing chance to see the women of Team Flash (plus Felicity) tackle a case on their own. And for that we loved it. It wasn’t without its flaws, however, and some of those stemmed directly from the writers’ exuberance.
We know that Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker), Iris (Candice Patton), Cecile (Danielle Nicolet) and Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) are strong women. You’ve written them that way for years, so acknowledge it. Their ups and their downs, their victories and their defeats have all served to flesh out complex characters that define #feminism…all without ever having to actually employ cheerleaders to lead us in a “F-E-M-I-N-I-S-T” chant from the sidelines. Have faith in the personas you’ve created. More importantly, have a little respect for the audience’s intellect. Show us a fierce woman and we’ll connect the dots from there.
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Just as importantly, don’t hamstring our heroes with a bad idea. Going up against Amunet (Katee Sackhoff) and her lackeys with some souped-up guns and an attorney on overwatch? Probably not for the best. Going in with the Boot and the CCPD on call? Yes, please.
Speaking of Amunet, what’s with her escape? Killer Frost/Caitlin had her pigeonholed, removed from all available sources of alnico. And yet, the leader of the meta underground was allowed to take her impression of Doctor Who’s Missy and quickstep off-screen. Sure, her arrest could have posed a few complications — she knows Dr. Snow’s alter ego after all — but she’d also be safely locked away in Iron Heights (or as secure as one can be with a crooked warden in play.) Instead, Sackhoff’s murderous villain is free to marshal a vendetta against our heroes.
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Although, based on Barry (Grant Gustin), Cisco (Carlos Valdes), Joe (Jesse L. Martin) and Ralph’s (Hartley Sawyer) time in lockup, we’re not entirely sure the Central City’s finest would have been much help. How can Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh), a dead man wanted for a litany of charges including, you know, murder, just waltz into the precinct without landing in a cell himself? Is he using H.R.’s transmogrification device? Or has three years without the science mogul wiped his face from the memory banks? It’s kind of hard to forget the man whose legacy includes blasting a hole in the city and sparking a rash of rogue metas.
It’s mistakes like these that cause series to relegate women to the background. With a failure on their hands, will the Arrowverse ever give its heroines a chance for another team up? Could The Flash masterminds have spit-shined that plot before delivery? Sound off in the comments below.
Catch The Flash Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW. In the meantime, stay up to date on all things Flarrow over at BuddyTV’s Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of The CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
