deerstalker

Season 4 / Episode 16 / The CW

And you say C-City!

Rough Start

We kick off this dope episode of The Flash with Cisco and Harry turnt off the esibles having a Bill and Ted type thinking session, where Harry comes up with a way to “be smarter than DeVoe”. His big breakthrough involves recreating DeVoe’s thinking cap transformation. Cisco ain’t wit the shits. He like, “Sooo you want to blast yourself with hella dark matter to boost your intelligence? Soo a super smart guy wants to do the same exact thing a super smart guy did before he became a bloodthirsty megalomaniac?! Good on all dat shit fam.”

Ralph storms off like a kid who doesn’t get his way in Toys ‘R Us. He salty as the Dead Sea cuz his head still on the chopping block, but Cisco refuses to help Harry go all Megamind. In comes a classic Flash pep talk! Iris stops him at Pep Talk elevator and hits him wit that real talk. She tells him he can’t let the fear of DeVoe coming for his fade take control and leave him cooped up in his room all day, but Ralph won’t hear it. He calls out Iris for her behind-the-keyboard leadership skills (Bast help me, the boy hasn’t seen the truth yet) and leaves her with that orange juice after brushing your teeth, bad taste in your mouth.

Down at the only Central City bank that ever gets robbed, some pompous idiot is using his hotter than lava, S Rank fire powers to rob the joint…but Jet Li’s lil cousin ain’t about to let this dude take it. The boujee British bafoon punches this brave citizen in the face. Then tries to roast him but them powers be gone…Dun dun dun..and so is the robbery stopping man.

Dusty Christian Grey is taken into custody as Cisco and Joe check out the scene. Turns out dude produces some serious heat cuz he melted through 10 inches of reinforced steel. They question the Bummy Bachelor and find out he got his powers from the OG Particle Accelerator explosion and wasn’t on the bus. His usefulness ended before it began, sooo Cisco gets on his 1920s mobster flow and tells the cops to gethimouttaHEEEERRREEE!

S.T.A.R. Labs

Cisco is still deading Harry and his Thinking Cap endeavors, but it does look like progress is being made. Harry correctly predicts some hilarious things about Ralph before the cap goes up in flames mad Home Alone 2 with the flow.

Central City Hospital

Iris and Joe go down to check Kim, but Iris gets herself yoked up with a knife to her throat so Barry is emergency alerted to suit up. The Scarlett Speedster whips out his newly perfected Flash Time move to disarm Kim but gets Kirby’d in the process. Now his powers belong to Iris and the real fun begins! Matthew Kim runs and they head back to HQ for testing. Everything comes back all good. Kim accidentally swapped the metahuman DNA from Barry to Iris aka Iris has all the Speed Force juice, so Barry implements her into a training regimen and Cisco names Kim, Melting Pot.

Speed Lab:

Booooyyyy is Iris puttin in that Marion Jones Jackie Joyner-Kersee WORK! Iris looks like a damn natural out there glistening in electric lavender fashion. And she has that look, that feel, that joy that all new speedsters have on their face. It’s a great moment. Theeennn Barry decides to take her Black girl swag away by telling his wife how sad he is now that he’s lost his powers and his job and DeVoe is winning. YO, they really went and upped this marshmallow tempurpedic cotton candy moment by breaking out the harps for this soft ass scene!

Sidebar

Iris looks sooooo fucking dope with her boss purple lightning steaks! Out here looking like Prince in a thunderstorm. Lookin like the Queen of Asgard. Lookin like Kakashi Sensei puttin in that work. Get your hero game on girl! Purple Reign all day baby.

C. City Streets

A fire breaks out in some building and the team is all “Uhhhh… Ralph too shook to step outside, so what we gonna do??” Of course, Iris steps up to don Jessie Quick’s eye mask and become The Flash. She zooms down there in all her royal purp glory and saves every civilians with ease. Then gets into her advanced Flash maneuvers when she tries to put the fire out, but only makes it worse. The roof collapses and she is pinned to the ground. She tries to dig into the Jonin level attacks and phase through the debris but needs to be vibed out right before the room collapses, ending her short-lived superhero life. Ralph writes his will.

Realizing the situation with DeVoe and finding all these bus metas is getting dire (and our veteran hero being replaced with a red-shirt freshman), Cisco decides to finally help Harry but threatens immediate breaching if he goes Dr. Moreau. DeVoe made the cap work by neuro-chemical engineering the dark matter from the particle accelerator explosion, so it’s time for the bright minds at S.T.A.R. Labs to re-engineer that experiment and get their own extremely advanced thinker on the team.

Speed Lab

Barry is training Iris when she drops some really dope bars on our boy after he suggests that Vibe or Killer Frost should handle the next meta that causes problems. She tells him that ever since Savitar painstakingly paralyzed her with fear, she’s been trying to find the fearlessness she once had in herself.

She was a journalist before leaving Central City Picture News. She was in the thick of explosions, shoot outs and robberies all the time. Then a whole season of stalking and that predicted moment of homicide she was forced to endure did something to her. Now she wants her courage back. She refuses to live behind the communication lines. It’s time for front line Iris. And not a moment too soon, as Caitlin informs the caramel love nesters that the guy who Melting Pot transferred those fiery powers to, has appeared and (no, I’m not kidding) is screaming in the middle of the city for someone to bring him money. I just…I can’t.

Cisco whips out a #PurpleReign worthy costume for our heroine who pulls up to the scene. Joe and his CCPD crew already have guns drawn, ready to let it go! Melting Pot is there trying to diffuse the situation. He’s about to get his ass roasted when Iris saves him before slapping cuffs on him immediately afterward. Then she turns her attention to this new guy who I’m going to call Melting Point because that’s a dope ass name and people can’t seem to get Kim’s name right as Pot or Point. I digress.

Melting Point is busy turning up the heat on our girl, stopping her from getting close enough to drop his ass like Deebo. When he goes full FLAME ON mode, he becomes a thermo cyclone which threatens everyone and everything in the surrounding area. Dude out here looks like a hurricane of embers, Charizard with the fire spin flow. Impressive CGI in this scene. And the team has nary a clue what to do with heat of this level. So they resort to their only option: Harry’s thinking cap. He realizes out of all the possibilities in the world, there is only one solution that will end this hell. Iris has to create a tidal wave and direct it at the vortex of flames. Barry gets on the comms and hits her with that tried and true Flash mantra:

Iris listens to Barry’s advice and digs deep to whip up a massive tidal wave. It stands insanely high when she condenses her path, zigs and zags for the coast, tsunami in tow. Melting Point, the guaranteed-to-get-bodied idiot, is doused and banished to villain of the week purgatory.

S.T.A.R. Labs

After saving the day, Joe got jokes! “Barry ain’t never made no tidal wave! Iris did that!” They bring Melting Pot into the Cortex so he can get Barry’s powers back from Iris, then extend an invitation for him to join Team Flash. After he agrees, Barry requests a training session from his boss and Iris Da Melanin GAWDESS obliges with a 6am report time. It was cute.

Iris just continues to drop the illest bars on cats. Barry tells her that he would not have blamed her for keeping her speed powers, cuz she didn’t have to give em back. So she breaks it down for Barry’s 2% milk behind. Iris tells him that now she knows why being the Flash is the reason her husband wakes up and is what he’s passionate about. It took her getting powers to remember that there are things that do that for her too. This is why her Saved by the Flash blog is getting a revival!

She ends the episode following up on her pep talk with Ralph. She’s surprised to see how quickly he agrees to buddy up with Kim. But we all know it’s hard to keep your shook one stance after seeing someone who never had powers, assume the mantle of a crime fighting legend because she felt it was her duty. Cocoa Butter Kisses for the win 2 weeks in a row!

Flash Facts

• Cisco and Harry testing the limits of this thinking cap is bad news. I hope Harry doesn’t become Professor Ivo with the flow.
• Joe telling Barry that he isn’t getting reinstated and the mayor wanting to talk to the DeVoes is intriguing.
• What’s more intriguing is why Marlene DeVoe is missing.
• Damn, robbin season on Atlanta and The Flash!
• Ralph’s redemption Arc: It just keeps getting better!
• Remaining Bus Metas: Edwin Gauss (aka Folded Man) could be DeVoe’s solution to expanding his pocket dimension jumping or be the key to helping Team Flash uncover and stop Devoe’s pocket dimension escapes. Janet Petty is not an OG hero name, so we’ll see what the writers come up with for her.
• Quote of the Episode: “I got hangers”

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Today is Simone Biles’s birthday, and the gymnast and Olympic gold medalist is turning 21. She’s obviously still pretty young, but in such a short time, has already made history. With four Olympic gold medals, the Houston native set a …

Writer: Magdalene Visaggio / Artist: Sonny Liew / DC Comics

I’m honestly not sure where to start.

The opening line of Eternity Girl #1 has a particular resonance to it. The latest title in DC’s Young Animal imprint is difficult to describe. There is a part of me that wants to compare it to its sister title, Shade, the Changing Girl (or rather, Shade, the Changing Woman), as both are surreal titles with a woman protagonist at the forefront. But whereas Shade is an exploration of the girlhood experience, Eternity Girl feels like a reflection on surviving it. As a result, the story embodies an experience closer to ennui than anything else.

Eternity Girl #1 is an origin story, but rather than reveling in the uncovering of power, it is a somber walk through the life of Caroline Sharp, a.k.a. Chrysalis, a.k.a. Eternity Girl. The issues opens with a Caroline in a therapist’s office, recounting a relatively happy childhood that dovetailed into a venture into superheroics and super-spy shenanigans, that have ultimately left her fractured.

It’s a potent tale of depression, what happens in the aftermath of traumatic events. The reality-bending nature of Eternity Girl’s powers grant some combination of immortality and matter manipulation. Visaggio’s leverages this idea beautifully in how Eternity Girl’s perceptions can literally shape the world around her, complement with the beautiful visuals provided by Liew’s artwork and Chuckry’s colors. The creative team infuses these larger-than-life elements into the slice of story, creating beautiful juxtapositions that create some magnificent moments.

Eternity Girl #1 is a dense story. It’s a beautifully realized story, but one that requires precise reading and a willingness to be led along the narrative arc. The exposition occurs in intermittent bursts, and it’s a dark tale in more ways than one. It very much exists in conversation with the other Young Animal titles, so if you’ve enjoyed any of them, you’ll be at home. Individual panels and pages left me absolutely floored but when I was finished reading, I was left wanting. Perhaps given the context, that is an appropriate reaction. We’ll see what happens in #2.

8.5 “Progression of Life Metaphors” out of 10

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Exciting things are happening this season on Jane the Virgin, the twists and turns, the novelaness. No recapping the recap, we got a lot to cover.

Xo and Rogelio and Baby

So after the debacle with Eva Longoria, Rogelio knows he has got to get River Fields on board, but she will NOT see him. At the same time, Rogelio knows he can be a bit self-interested so he is trying to be more attentive to Xiomara. Ro asks her about her day and Xo is very distracted, smiling like she knows a secret and rushing out because “she has to take this call,” so suspicious.

Later on, Rogelio confides in Jane about how secretive Xo has been, Jane suggests doing something special for her, keeping it small and meaningful. Pretty sure Rogelio doesn’t understand the concept. He fills his car full of yellow roses and goes to surprise Ro at the dance studio where she has been working extra hours. When he arrives they say Xo is not there, hasn’t been there all week.

Rogelio is shocked, uses the app “Find My Pals,” tracks her down and finds her at some guys house, hugging him in the window. Rogelio bangs on the door and takes the guy into a headlock – He’s saying stuff like, “I know about the affair!” Xo is like “What! He’s my dance partner.” And then the guy’s boyfriend comes out upset about his boyfriend being attacked by some random man! Oh Jeez.

Xo comes clean and says she felt embarrassed that she was doing the competition and tried to keep it on the low. Rogelio just wants to be supportive and swears he will do anything to make her feel proud. He then is… sitting in on rehearsals, being an active cheerleader, watching their every move, making t-shirts, recording the sessions, offering lemon wedges- it’s just all too much and Xo snaps and tells him off. Says she is exhausted by his presence. Makes a lot of sense, sad it took all this time to tell him.
He leaves all introspective walking by the water…now Rogelio has alter ego daydreams- WHAT!

His inner critic reams him about his intensity and inability to think about others. Rogelio comes back to apologize to Xiomara. They are just adjusting to each other and the newlywed phase, but their commitment to each other is real.

Xo enters the competition and everything looks like it is going well – then her partner drops her to the floor on a difficult move! It looks hard too. They rush her to the hospital where she has a broken rib and the doctors have much more concerning news, they found a lump in Xo’s breast…

Alba
As we thought, the family totally knew about Rafael and Jane. Alba the wisest of them all, guessed the day they would fess up and definitely gloats in her victory. Getting Ro and Xo to pay up! Another winning episode for Alba.

Petra + Lawyer Jane
Petra has a sit down meeting with Jane and Rafael, and they announce they are dating. Petra’s sarcasm is on point when she hears about the dating – what a waste of time for her. I have to honor her growth, in the past this may have had a big affect on her and the relationship she has with the both of them. She threw that off her back like a pesky mosquito. She literally said, “If you don’t mind, I’m going to go into a meeting with my defense lawyer about my murder case.” That’s fair, totally fair. I like Petra more and more these days.

She meets with Lawyer Jane and is impatient about not hearing back from the blackmailer ad blames Lawyer Jane. She reassures Petra that, “You go down, I go down” hehehehe…
Petra gives Lawyer Jane a long ass list of people who want her in jail. This list is crazy, but you know who else it could be, maybe it’s Chuck from the hotel next door. I’m just gonna keep guessing, but this novela always has sharp twists so – who knows who it is!

We then see Lawyer Jane in her car with a new burner phone. Hhmmmm – a message tells her to meet them somewhere – alone. She heads straight there without telling Petra, we’ll just never know if we can trust her. At the rendezvous point, Petra is there – “catches” Lawyer Jane “meeting” blackmailer without her, then Lawyer Jane kisses Petra!!! I was like, is this another dream?

Thankfully no! But she did it as a distraction cuz she’s being followed. We find out Petra had planted the burner phone and set Lawyer Jane up to see if she was really loyal. Lawyer Jane didn’t tell Petra she had heard from the “blackmailer” (not really them) because she was being followed and didn’t want Petra to ruin things. She gets a message from the blackmailer later asking “what was that kiss about?” As a cover Lawyer Jane said she had to seduce Petra to get closer to her. Petra says “will they believe that?” About the seducing and Lawyer Jane is like… you were pretty into that kiss. Yea she was! She had been dreaming about it.

Later Petra is at the hotel and gets a text from Lawyer Jane, you have to see Petra’s face – so giddy – right in front of Jane. Jane-Jane, regular Jane. It’s official Petra is crushing!!! During one of their late night meetings (mmm-hhmm) Petra asks if Lawyer Jane needs to stay over… in order to solidify their lie about the seducing. Rrrriiight – Petra is so not slick. Lawyer Jane gives her the ‘girl please’ side eye and says, “not into being some straight women’s guinea pig.” Petra says she has been with women! Lawyer Jane and Petra are going for it. I wish I could just make a sentence of exclamation points!!!!

The next morning, it literally feels like Petra is in middle school, fixing her hair in the bed tryna be like Oh “ I woke up like this.” She comes clean that she had never been with a woman and Lawyer Jane is like, “yea I know.” Then in comes the room service breakfast for two – maybe trying too hard Petra…

Later we get a glimpse of what Lawyer Jane has to deal with trying to care for her mother while dealing with this overwhelming blackmailing situation and case. We see at the end, someone had placed a note on her mother’s sweater while she slept that says get a confession or we’ll take mommy with us next time. Who is doing this??! Maybe it’s Luisa – she has connections and motivations for sure. Whoever it is they are – cold blooded!! (in the key of Rick James.)

Jane + Everything
So, of course, everyone knew Rafael and Jane were together, no surprise there. They both thought the fam was gonna lose their ish! Nope, they literally were like, of course. Even had a bet going on when Jane and Rafael would tell. A little bit of a disappointment for the revealed couple, but the payoff was telling Mateo. He was so thrilled like a kid on a candy rush. (I still think they are missing a teachable moment about alternate family structures with him, but I get it, he wants his parents to be together – it’s cute.)

Now Jane is sure the only thing she desires doing is being a writer, she’s back at the computer and… still has writer’s block. She feels so strongly that she needs to write to the critic that gave her that bad book review. She can’t get it out of her head, getting on the critic for “his warped white lens” — Don’t know if its a white man… But wouldn’t be surprised. Jane’s self-critic comes out in full force, just breaking her down at every turn. Rogelio shows Jane his ‘failure folder’ or.. ‘Motivation folder.’ A folder of all his worst reviews, that he uses to fuel is growth and ability for greater achievements. He convinces Jane to take an improv class.

I think it’s a great idea, it sparks a lot of creativity. She does terrible – improving a scene saying robbers of the Statue of Liberty took her virginity by force! What?? She really went there, too much there. She gets homework where she needs to observe those around her and draw up a character – even this is difficult with her own critic getting the best of her.

Rafael helps her see the helpful parts of that bad review, that the critic may have some truth. Those truths can be used to inspire her writing, to be better, to move forward. After getting a check+ in the class, she realized she did find it useful, and decides she wants to take a writing class. It’s true, she does really well when she is pushed. Wow listen to me, I’m talking like we’re besties and I know the intricacies of her personality – I may watch too much TV, lol!

Rafael is researching for his birth parents and found info on his birth father marrying someone whose name is on his birth certificate! Jane does some fast Googling and thinks she may have found her. They start thinking there’s a resemblance (not really), you know wishful thinking. We find it wasn’t her, that she was actually just a pass-through between his father and the orphanage.

Rafael’s birth mother didn’t want her drama to follow him so she didn’t want her name on the birth certificate. What drama?? I can’t wait for this to really unfold! Jane urges Rafael to keep looking – try to get further records from the orphanage. He calls them and asks if there are any records at all on his adoption. They say, someone BOUGHT the records – you know who… Luisa, Raf’s sister! And the plot thickens. Also how does one buy records? Couldn’t she just have them given to her? This orphanage is like a front for something, taking money to give away records.

I’m beginning to believe more and more Luisa is behind so much of what is happening this season – like where is she? She still is the majority shareholder of the Marbella, was committed, found out it was on false information, is out and then has not been seen??…Suspicious.

Well see you next week on “Jane, the ‘stick to writing’ writer.”

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