The Flash clashed with Clyde Mardon and his weather control powers in the series pilot, and was saved by Joe West shooting the villain dead. Now Mark Mardon, the Weather Wizard of the comics, has come looking for revenge on the man who murdered his brother. Can the Flash stop him? And what has Cisco discovered about Dr. Wells and the Reverse-Flash? Find out after the super speed jump, for my review of “Out of Time!”
The Weather Wizard
Flash’s Rogues Gallery on the small screen is filling out very nicely. We’ve had Captain Cold, Heat Wave, the Pied Piper, Captain Boomerang, and coming up we have Grodd, the Golden Glider, and both Tricksters. We have even seen peripheral Rogues like Girder, Peekaboo, and the Rainbow Raider. Now even though you saw a weather manipulating metahuman sociopath in the series pilot, we have yet to see the real Weather Wizard of the comics, but he shows up in this episode.
Mark Mardon is the original Weather Wizard of the comics, first appearing back in the December 1959 110th issue of The Flash. His brother Clyde was a scientist who came up with an amazing weapon called the Weather Wand, dying shortly after. He’s been a frequent foe of our hero since then, altering his costume, his methods (and in the New 52, changing his ethnicity), becoming more murderous, and eventually gaining metahuman powers of weather control himself rather than depending on the Weather Wand. He remains one of the Flash’s (either Barry Allen or Wally West) most dangerous foes.
Brothers
We open this episode one year ago, as the Mardon brothers are on the run after killing Joe’s partner, Fred Chyre. Joe witnesses the brothers’ escape via small plane, just before the particle accelerator blows up and takes the plane with it. We’re getting it from Mardon brothers’ point of view though, as opposed to what we saw in the pilot, and Mark is established as the older, more protective, better looking brother.
In the series opener, Clyde Mardon emerges to the public with weather manipulation powers right around the time Barry Allen comes out of his coma from the lightning accident. It’s six months later and he’s the Flash’s first adversary, but one he can’t quite beat. Joe ends up shooting him dead. Now, six months after that, Mark Mardon is back. And as if there aren’t enough “Spartacus” alumni in the Flash/Arrowverse yet, Mark is played by the man himself, Liam McIntyre, the second actor to portray Spartacus.
Another Flash?
While Joe is being pursued by a revenge seeking metahuman, our hero has another problem. On his way to the scene of a crime he sees another Flash running alongside himself. He’s in red so it’s not the Reverse-Flash. Wells drops the bomb that it’s perhaps a mirror image or a speed mirage. I think the showrunners know what they’re doing to us comic readers every time they drop a mirror clue. After all, the Mirror Master has to show up sooner or later, right?
But what it really be? Sure, Mirror Master is a possibility, but what if, just think about it, what if it is Barry? What if they are finally introducing Wally West? Granted, he will have to be much older (or is that younger?) but wouldn’t that be cool if it was him? But what if it’s Barry traveling back through time and passing himself? We’ve been promised time travel for some time now, is this finally it?
Barry and Iris and Eddie and Linda
Things have been getting better for Barry and Iris, but getting worse for Eddie and Iris, and Barry and Linda. It’s almost as if everyone in the world knows they belong together… except for them. As someone who knows from the comics that Barry and Iris’ relationship is a love that transcends time and space, and life and death – it’s getting old.
Bowling night is a perfect example. No one is having fun except for Barry and Iris. Both Eddie and Linda know too well what’s really going on. I’m surprised Eddie didn’t slug Barry right there. We know it’s coming. We saw it in the previews, damn you, CW. And as far as Linda goes, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, she belongs with Wally. Maybe… maybe… it’s going to happen… or not…
Assault on Precinct Flash
Some of the strongest scenes in the first part of the episode include Weather Wizard’s assault on the police station looking for Joe. There are some very powerful visuals, but really not much happens honestly. And as long as we’re being honest, the Weather Wizard really doesn’t have all that much to do with this episode’s real story as anything but generic threat A. I am sure we will see more of the Weather Wizard later on, but for now, it seems a bit of a waste of time for Liam McIntyre.
Besides posturing about causing minor destruction, and creating a tsunami that threatens to destroy Central City (although what coast exists in Missouri that could generate a proper tsunami is a mystery), Liam really has little to do. Captain Signh’s injury seems unnecessary to me, but I liked meeting his fiancée, and applaud the nurse allowing him to see the Captain. There is one cool scene where he makes it rain just on Joe’s car, but that’s about it. I’d love to see him play against or alongside Wentworth Miller’s Captain Cold though, that would be some cooool chemistry.
Harrison Wells Revealed
Iris’ editor Mason Bridge has started to push her to investigate Dr. Wells. He’s suspected by him of having something to do with Simon Stagg‘s disappearance. Not only that Bridge claims to have digital footage that ‘explains’ Wells being in a wheelchair. Well, we already knew that. Cisco is also still haunted by the bugaboo of his trap not holding the Reverse-Flash back in “The Man in the Yellow Suit.” There’s something up with Wells and Cisco is determined to find out what it is.
While Kaitlin takes Wells to breakfast, Cisco starts his own investigation, discovering that his trap is not only in perfect working order, but that it also seems to have caught a ghost – the reverse-Flash is still in there, or at least appears to still be in there – a speed mirage. Wells arrives, and in true James Bond villain style, reveals his entire plan. He’s Eobard Thawne, the Reverse-Flash from the 25th century, and yes he was there at the murder of Barry’s mother, but was there to kill Barry. And now, Barry is his only way back to his own world – we know he means time, but he says ‘world.’
Killer Vibe
Here is where I began to suspect something was up with this episode. There were just too many game changers in play. When Wells left his wheelchair at Jitters to confront Cisco’s research alone at S.T.A.R. Labs, I knew where this was going. Yes, the death of a major character would be tragic and mind-blowing to viewers, but let’s face it – it’s ratings suicide to kill off everyone’s favorite character just for dramatic effect. Ironically, Harrison Wells/Eobard Thawne takes Cisco out with a super speed vibrating hand.
My first thought, outside of this being the time travel episode, or the set-up for the time travel episode, was that this vibrational death might lead to Cisco’s comic book fate – the superhero known as Vibe. I actually thought that earlier in the episode when Wells and Cisco were watching silent films, and talking about the latter’s family, I thought we might get a Vibe name drop. We did get a great line from Wells however about having never seen these films – they were before his time.
Out of Time
Speaking of time, I hit the nail on the head with this one. Say hello, time travel. After Cisco was murdered, and Barry not only kissed Iris, and revealed himself as the Flash, I knew we were going to see a massive ‘restart’ button. That was Barry passing himself earlier in the episode, because as he races up and down the shore at a faster and faster rate to stop the tsunami – he pops out of time and appears where and when he was just after he saw the speed mirage.
Now we know the Flash will change time, correct all the bad things that have happened in the last day. Cisco won’t die, Joe won’t be kidnapped, Wells won’t be revealed, he won’t tell or kiss Iris, Eddie will punch him, and… but wait, things could also get worse… Aren’t Captain Cold and Heat Wave back next week? And aren’t they bringing Cold’s sister the Golden Glider? …and do they know Barry’s secret identity??? Do not miss next week’s episode!
Next: “Rogue Time!”
