THE FLASH: City of Heroes, “City of Coincidences” {Recap}

There are few things that have kept my interest over the summer after pilots were announced, and The Flash was one of them. Unfortunately for me, this is the first time I’m actually watching the pilot (SDCC schedule being what they are), though I loved Barry Allen when he appeared in Arrow.

So with that said, Barry Allen was a very adorable tech back in Starling City, but now that adorable tendency is also up against some very gruff looking police detectives, including one who helps covers up for his tardiness on the bad story of picking up chocolate in the form of Joe West (Jesse L. Martin). That all happens before Barry came to visit Sterling City, and after a quick cut-away, Barry’s back and has so many thoughts on relationships and girls (how fitting giving all that chemistry he had with Felicity that few have forgotten) with his best friend Iris (Candice Patton).

Barry’s able to attend the opening of the particle accelerator at Star Lab, but Isis’ laptop is stolen (with her dissertation) and all of that means that the audience is introduced to Detective Thawne (Rick Cosnett), and as the particle accelerator is having problems in a huge storm, Barry’s hit by lightning and now he’s going to get his awesome powers to move faster than anyone else.

For an origin story, it’s not bad, don’t you think?

Barry has been kept at Star Labs while he was in a coma for nine months. After the first forty-five minutes of the particle accelerator science went haywire and Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh) was injured and many more died. Iris did visit Barry (let’s all go aww!) but there are some strange things that happen too – like say a coffee cup basically vibrating and cracking.

In another part of town, a guy who can do something with sand and wind is robbing a bank and Detective West has a new partner in Thawne after West’s previous one died in their investigation of a farm before everything went wrong. Because of course the guy who Barry didn’t like would have to be the one who works with West now. Is it too soon to put a hypothetical bet on when that relationship sours?

The team that still helps Wells in his lab is around to make sure that what Barry things happen actually does (he really is that fast) and he can heal very quickly (because of course he would remember what killed his mother as a negative influence in this life and feel like what he is now is what killed her). Because of course! Nothing like more tragic backstory for our hero.

So too soon to call that tension between Barry and Thawne? Now that Barry knows he and Iris are dating. Let’s worry about that later when the bank robber and Barry are having it out in the middle of the street, shall we? One of the men who was responsible for West’s first partner dying is the one Barry saw as the bank robber, but West’s not one to easily believe Barry’s story of a man who can control the weather. Thawne comes back moments later with a sketch and a match to who Barry said. How long until West believes Barry?

Central City, in the wake of the particle accelerator disaster, has a rise in Meta-humans, as Wells calls them. Barry wants to know how many more are like him, but Wells is dead set against it because right now Barry’s too valuable for myriad future explorations.

Running away from Central City, Barry runs to Starling City to ask Oliver Queen for advise. Not that Oliver has much to say, except that Barry’s job can be more proactive than reactive. Wow, that was a lame speech, but that also feels right for Oliver Queen who is like the model for a platitude a day calendar.

With Barry’s job being what it is, he has all the access to police records to help find all these meta-humans, particularly Mardon. In the way of all things superhero related, Mardon is having it out between West and Thawne at his old farm before Barry comes in at the right moment – just before Mardon’s tornado goes massive. With science that only half makes sense, Barry runs in the opposite direction of the tornado, but it’s not enough. Cue Wells having a supportive (and well-timed) peptalk, and soon Barry’s circling the tornado fast enough to stop Mardon from destroying all of Central City. Horray! Who’s popping champagne for the city now?

Thanks to well-timed shots, West knows Barry’s secret and West puts together enough to know that Barry’s dad is falsely imprisoned while also saying that Barry can’t tell Iris about it.

One last scene between Barry and his dad tells us that Barry’s got a new lease on life where he can be a strong person. Because of course this is all uplifting and heroic today. If Oliver Queen is the anti-hero, then Barry here is the real mensch, the hero of heroes.

But wait, there’s one last thing here, Wells really isn’t paralyzed and he has an article from 2024 that says The Flash disappears. DUN DUN DUN!