In the past, I have complained extensively about The Flash’s constant use of a “villain-of-the-weekâ€. Too many times the villain is uninspiring and underdeveloped in a way that it just feels like a forceful way to move the plot along. This week the flash was back with another villain, but this time it was one that deserved ample screen time. Abra Kadabra, a magic wielding man from the 64th century was stuck in the present and was robbing various tech companies so he could build a time machine and go home.
Abra Kadabra (played by David Dastmalchian) may sound like a typical Flash villain, but what makes him different is his futuristic and advanced powers. Because he is from so far into the future, he actually posed a legitimate threat to Barry and the rest of Team Flash, something most of our weekly villains haven’t done.
So, if Abra Kadabra was such a refreshing villain, why am I so disappointed with this week’s episode? Because the show virtually ignored the potential challenge he posed to Team Flash and instead focused on the secrets he knew about Savitar. Because I haven’t enjoyed Savitar or the broader plot of the season, it was disappointing to see such a cool character forced to play along. In the end, it just felt like a wasted opportunity, especially because he never ended up giving us any information on who Savitar is.
This week’s subplot, which focused on the relationship of Caitlin and Julian, was equally as disappointing because frankly, I’ve never bought into it. There’s nothing in television that annoys me more than forced and unnecessary romantic drama and this is exactly how this relationship feels. Just because two characters aren’t involved with anyone, doesn’t mean they need to be.
The episode did end on an interesting cliffhanger, however. After Caitlin was injured fighting off Abra Kadabra, she was forced to guide Julian threw an operation, on herself, to remove some shrapnel,. While she was awake! This scene was painful and made me cringe (both in a good way) because I couldn’t help but feel her pain. Although it initially looked like a successful surgery, she eventually went into cardiac arrest and died, That is until Julian ripped off her necklace and she came back as a vengeance filled Killer Frost. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Has she finally gone past the point of no return? Is this the end of Caitlin and Team Flash?
With The Flash going on hiatus, we’ll have to wait about a month for answers. I was a little surprised we didn’t get more information about Savitar to ponder over the next month as well. Hopefully when the show returns it’s fast paced and swinging right up to the finale but I’m not optimistic because of how stale the season has been in general. Hopefully, I’m proved wrong.
Score: 7/10
