the flash luck be a lady

“Every hero has their own journey. If yours is taking you on a new path, you owe it to yourself to go.”

Team Flash gets a bit of a shakeup as a new villain hits the streets of Central City, wrecking everything in her path. Plus…a baby in someone’s future?

Becky Sharpe seems to have embraced her Hazard persona.

We meet Becky Sharpe very early on from the Thinker’s point of view as he narrates her rise from greatest of the unlucky (with some shade thrown at Sarasota, Florida) to the luck-infused Hazard. Not only that, but the source of these new metas is revealed: none other than Barry’s return from the Speed Force. While the reveal is surprisingly early, as is Harry’s conclusion that everything that’s occurred since the Samuroid appeared led to this, we also see that the Thinker is still a step or two ahead of our heroes.

But even with the seriousness of the awaiting future, “Luck Be a Lady” was a fun journey of lighthearted fun. Sure, Wally wouldn’t agree with that, considering Jesse sent him a breakup cube to, well breakup (Earth-2’s version of the breakup text) and his decision to leave Central City, and yet everything else fell into that bag of Flash airiness.

<Harry’s back…let’s hope he’s here to stay.

The highlight of the evening had to be the return of Harry Wells. Though his initial interactions with the team and giving Wally the bad news showed Harry more uncomfortable than we’re used to seeing, it wasn’t long before the gruff curmudgeon we’ve come to know and love reared his grinchy head. As much as I loved H.R. and the heart he brought to the team, he couldn’t outdo the back-and-forth barbs Harry and Cisco spit at one another on a regular basis. Carlos Valdes and Tom Cavanagh’s chemistry has always been strong—we can even look to the Eobard Thawne version in season one for that—but it’s strongest when putting Cisco’s outgoing and silly nature with the aloof and irritable Harry persona.

“You’ll always have a home here.”

Though Cisco meant this line for the lonely Harry, who has no real place on Earth-2 now that he was booted from Team Quick (harsh, Jesse, harsh) the sentiment was at the heart of all involved in the episode. Joe and Cecile are all-in on the love train and, with it being an empty nest, she suggests they find their own place. Joe’s not too crazy about that idea at first, needing time to think it through. He confides his fear of losing what has been his home and loving memories for so long but, ever the optimist and even more so now since his rebirth, Barry reminds his adopted father that home is more than just where you lay your head.    “You’ll always have those memories,” he tells Joe, “no matter where you live. Trust me. When I came to live here after my mom died I learned that it doesn’t matter where you live, it only matters that you have people that love you.”

Despite being the episode’s antagonist (and future baddie) even Becky Sharpe/Hazard’s attitude is one of not truly having a home. The rundown of her bad fortunes is someone who believes the universe owes her one and the victims left in her wake can handle a few seconds of the aches and pain she feels have owned her life. Considering her three years in Central City have been terrible, it’s not unreasonable for her to have that attitude. If we’re being honest, I’d have a difficult time not feeling that way in her shoes. My one question on Hazard is that she never truly appears to be the villain and though she does brush Barry aside when he tries to explain the effect her powers have on her environment, does Hazard really understand the potential consequences? The resolution to the quantum field that threatened to swallow Central City—expertly diffused by Harry’s lucky guess about the Particle Accelerator going boom once more—and her incarceration is over so fast that we never really get a good answer for that. My thought is that she could be someone I could see being redeemed. If the Thinker doesn’t get his tentacles into her too soon…

“Every hero has their own journey…”

As Barry says, every hero needs to find himself. Wally’s ready for that journey.

And then there’s Wally. While I knew he was stepping away for a few episodes, I didn’t expect it to be such a heartfelt moment. With that said, I’m glad he’s striking out on his own to find the hero within. I hope the Kid Flash’s return will be one where we see the hero Wally West is destined to be and not the forgotten supporting side kick knocked on his back all too often.  We know the team is going to need him because, even with Barry’s newfound lease on life (and powers in overdrive) and Harry’s return to Earth Prime, Kid Flash will be integral to taking down the Thinker and his Twelve.

Flash Facts

  • First on the list has to be the post-credit scene where Joe and Cecile spend some time on the couch contemplating their future in Casa de West. But the bomb is dropped when Cecile tells Joe that she’s pregnant. To quote another speedster, Joe “you did not see that coming?”
  • There were some great lines and Easter Eggs littered through the show. Cisco’s lazer tag line when Barry is taken out (“You have failed this city”), Harry mentioning that the breakup cube is made from Atlantean plastic, the fact that Becky Sharpe still has a MySpace page, and finally Cisco (again) popping the t-shirt swag. Haikus are easy/ But sometimes they don’t make sense/Refrigerator. (Yes, I searched for this shirt online and I may/may not decide that he must find its way into my wardrobe…). Even Wally heading to Blue Valley, which was the original home of Kid Flash in the comics. I’m sure there were a few more that I missed but, does any show do these fun facts and Easter Eggs better than The Flash? I think not…pun intended!