Last time, I stated that I was going to finish off this blog series on “The Flash”. But I want to give adequate coverage to the seventh season of this show; I think it will be this one and then one more. Season 7 is something of a mixed bag. I’ve decided to organize my thoughts in this way: the good, the bizarre, the changes, and the takeaways.
#1:
The good Season 7 had good moments. One of my favorite moments was when a
memorable villain from season 3 – Abra Kadabra – returned. He intended to destroy all of Central
City. Ultimately, Barry stopped him, and
he did so without even throwing a single punch.
As Chester said (the new guy, a little more on him in a moment), “Barry
doesn’t need big fists; he’s got a big heart.”
Barry had confessed to Abra that he had lost someone in Crisis as well; he
lost his friend Oliver Queen. Oliver had
made the ultimate sacrifice in the epic crossover event the year before. Barry had gotten through to Abra. It was an amazing moment: Abra Kadabra, a once
hated enemy, was a friend now.
Without warning, they were suddenly interrupted by a
monstrous beast, eventually named “Fuerza” (I’m told that’s Spanish for “strength”);
really it’s just because “She-Hulk” was taken.
This massive beast grabs Barry, Abra tries to help, but the behemoth kills Abra Kadabra. “Fuerza”
eventually runs off, leaving Barry not only to heal, but to mourn the loss of
Abra, who died an ally and a hero.
Secondly, I enjoyed the Godspeed storyline in season 7. Godspeed A.K.A. August Heart is a speedster
from the future, who mysteriously showed up in 2019, or season 6. But Team Flash just kept encountering numerous
Godspeed clones, not Godspeed himself.
This storyline continued in season 7.
I found the Godspeed clone saga intriguing. It eventually even morphs into a compelling
Godspeed Civil War, where one faction of clones wars against the other. Finally, near the end of the season, they
find August Heart, but he had amnesia.
The actor who played Heart/Godspeed in season 7 was Karan Oberoi. He was absolutely riveting in this role.
#2:
The bizarre While season 7 had good aspects, there were
also bizarre moments. I could give
several examples, but let me give just this one. As I explained last time, Barry and Iris
mourned the loss of their daughter, Nora West-Allen in the finale of season
5. This grief storyline continued in
season 6, and even into season 7. But
then, all of the sudden, there was Nora in all of her glory (played once again
by Jessica Parker Kennedy) to help fight the Godspeed clones. Presumably, because the audience was as
thoroughly confused as I was, Nora had to quickly make a reference to “the
other Nora”; the one who had been lost at the end of season 5. The decision to bring this character back –
even if it was Nora 2.0, so to speak – seemed like a lazy decision by the
writers. Let me explain.
In season 5, when Nora met Eobard Thawne for the first
time, he correctly deduces that she was Barry’s daughter, and but then
incorrectly refers to her as Dawn.
Thawne is the smartest guy in the room; it was an odd mistake you
wouldn’t think he’d make. I did some research;
it turns out that Dawn Allen was an Easter egg.
In the comics, Barry and Iris’ children were Dawn and her twin brother
Don. So after having the emotionally
gripping loss of Nora in season 5, why not be more creative; upon meeting
Barry’s daughter in season 7, why not actually have her be Dawn Allen this time?
Instead, we are just introduced to a second
Nora who is exactly like “the other Nora” in every way. Once again, this seemed lazy.
#3:
The changes Team Flash looked different in this season;
Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes), a character who appeared in every season since
season 1, left the team. While Chester
P. Runk (Brandon McKnight) performs well in his absence, it still felt weird to
be without Cisco.
Tom Cavanagh’s presence was significantly diminished
too. After Harrison “Nash” Wells nobly sacrificed
himself (a great moment from a story that deserves a full blog), the original
Harrison Wells arrived to help Team Flash.
For some reason, he had the ability to travel through time – I’m not too
sure why, but I digress. After his aid,
he departed. Then we were left to wonder
if that was going to be it for Tom Cavanagh on the show. Even his Eobard Thawne hadn’t appeared for a
while; once again, it just felt strange to have a Team Flash without Cavanagh.
Furthermore, Ralph Dibny left Central City with his
girlfriend, Sue Dearbon, to travel the world and face new adventures together. This scene was to provide closure for the
character; in real life, the actor who played Ralph, Hartley Sawyer, was fired
for derogatory, offensive, and controversial statements, made in the vein of
humor, in 2012 and 2014.
#4:
The takeaways I read Hartley Sawyer’s controversial words. They were problematic and wrong. I have two takeaways: first off, this is a
good reminder that a life marked by virtue and integrity is a blessing. Proverbs says, “A good name is to be chosen
rather than great riches” (22:1).
Further, a good name, a good reputation, is fragile. All it takes is one bad decision for it to go
up in smoke. Then all you can do is rebuild,
and move forward.
However, secondly, I wholeheartedly believe in forgiveness and second changes. I also read Hartley’s apology; he stated that he is “ashamed and disappointed in myself for my ignorance back then” and that he “regrets [the words] deeply”. Apparently, like his TV counterpart Ralph, Hartley had grown. He went on to write: “I want to be very clear: this is not reflective of what I think, or who I am now. Years ago, thanks to friends and experiences who helped me to open my eyes, I began my journey into becoming a more responsible adult – in terms of what I say, what I do, and beyond.” (You can find the article I’m quoting from at this link)
Kevin
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