The Flash - The Flash is Born

While introducing another of the Scarlet Speedster's lesser villains and providing Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) the opportunity to stand-up to his old childhood bully for the first time, "The Flash is Born" is more memorable for the time spent on the First Season's ongoing storylines. As the name of the episode suggests, "The Flash is Born" finally gets rid of "The Streak" and properly dubs the Fastest Man Alive with public moniker of the Flash.

"The Flash is Born" really plays on the Barry/Iris/Eddie dynamic more so than we've seen this season. The obvious frostiness between Barry and Iris (Candice Patton) brings out some concern in Eddie (Rick Cosnett). Knowing that Barry and Iris should eventually wind up together this foreshadowing also opens up a possible motivation of betrayal for Detective Thawne to become Barry's most dangerous adversary after seeing Barry "steal his girl." But he's not the only suspect to eventually become the villainous Reverse-Flash.


While Joe West (Jesse L. Martin) continues to investigate the death of Nora Allen he enlists the help of Dr. Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh) when Joe realizes what a young Barry described 14 years ago is very similar to seeing the Flash in action today. Wells' knowledge of the future, and the fact that Joe recieves his first visit from the Reverse-Flash after speaking with the the man, seems to point to the secretive scientist perhaps being the man in the yellow suit. Thawne or Wells? Or are both simply red herrings? And while investigating the impossible of a meta-human committing a crime well-before the particle-accelerator accident brought them into existence, how long before we hear someone mention time travel as a possibility?

As for the storyline of the week, I'll give the show some credit for making a simple but effect episode around a throwaway character like Girder (Greg Finley). Along with having Barry help lead Iris to christen the hero's rightful name, "The Flash is Born" also reaches another milestone as the speedster breaks the sound barrier for the first time in order to get up enough speed to do damage to the metal-skinned super-villain. I'm very much looking forward to see how the show develops other ways the hero has used his speed over time in comics and maybe even the possible introduction of a certain treadmill to send our character on all kinds of new adventures.