The Flash Round Table: Is Zoom Doomed?
Carissa Pavlica
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Joe was having trouble being a father to Wally on The Flash Season 2 Episode 12, while Iris was besting Cisco with her investigative skills. Harry proved he wasn't the bad guy this time around and we wonder – will Zoom ever be the big bad we expected?
Discuss all this and more when you join TV Fanatics Allison Nichols, Whitney Evans, Hank Otero and Carissa Pavlica on the latest round table for The Flash!
What did you think of Joe's sudden inability to be a father when it came to Wally?
Allison: It made sense. I understood why Joe was trying to win him over first. Joe had been absent for all of Wally's life, and Wally probably wouldn't have reacted well to Joe coming on strong with the parental advice after just losing his mom.
Whitney: I agree with Allison. Joe doesn't want to alienate Wally, so it makes sense that he'd be a little unsure how to relate to him at first.
Hank: Same here, I think the relationship has evolved really well. I am glad Iris helped both Joe and Wally find their way to one another. Yep, she made me tear up this week.
Carissa: I loved that it bothered Iris, because she really stood out as a big sister. I don't think Joe did the right thing by standing by while Wally did something illegal, and because of that Iris got hurt. But, it worked out in the end and they all learned something.
Iris could find information unavailable to Cisco. React!
Allison: I would have preferred that Cisco found his mug shot, and then Iris provided everything she dug up on him, things that you wouldn't find just searching for his mugshot. It should have been more of a collaboration than Cisco failing.
Whitney: While definitely far-fetched, it was nice to see Iris using her investigative skills. Iris has been sorely underutilized this season, so it was nice to see her get a worthwhile story.
Hank: I love Iris this season, but beating Cisco at his own game was a stretch. I mean, I get it but like Allison said it should have been more of a collaboration.
Carissa: I thought Iris was kicking ass with her family situation and stretching her "powers" beyond Ciscos was too much. Beyond her dad's though? That worked.
What did you think of the way what Harry did to Turtle was revealed?
Allison: I'm so glad that Harry was the one who came clean. You could tell that Harry was wrestling with his decision throughout this episode. He was growing to like Barry, and Harry struggled with what was right. He was honest with Barry. We could have easily had Cisco find the tech in the suit, but it wouldn't have been such a great moment for Harry.
Whitney: I wasn't expecting him to come clean, but it was a great moment to show that Harry does care about Barry and the team. He could have easily kept his mouth shut, but he couldn't because deep down he's not necessarily a bad guy.
Hank: I'm still not crazy about Harry, but he's proven to have a heart. I thought it was really ballsy of him to come clean and though Barry was hurt, he was able to put himself in Harry's shoes. This is the start of a new relationship for them. I may start liking the guy from here on out.
Carissa: I'm so glad that Harry admitted it himself. And, no, I really don't care that a bad dude was killed in the meantime. Sorry, not sorry. Because of it, we also saw how much he's grown to care for Barry, despite himself. And he even still stole some of Barry's speed. Win all around for interesting story there.
Do you think Zoom is ever going to live up to the badassary with which he was introduced?
Allison: No. Zoom doesn't really scare me, and he doesn't entertain me either. He and Barry have a fight/banter session and then Zoom runs away and hides until he feels like coming out again. What does he do in the meantime? Crochet? Also, I have this crazy idea that Zoom is Earth Two Wally because Wally was telling Joe and Iris about his love for speed, which was why he wanted to be an astronaut.
Whitney: I hope so! At times, I forget that he's the big bad of the season because he's become sort of forgetable over the past few episodes. I'm thinking the trip to Earth Two will bring him back into sharper focus and I'm excited for that.
Hank: Nope, to be honest I've grown a little bored of Zoom. The Reverse Flash arc was so well written and paced-out throughout The Flash Season 1, so Zoom has been a bit of a letdown. Hopefully the big reveal changes my mind. I'm just not feeling Zoom right now.
Carissa: If they don't pick it up in the next couple episodes, they should just cut bait and run. The lack of a really good big bad has allowed The Flash Season 2 to falter at points and it's not worth continuing if that's all they have. Zoom reminds me of the Road Runner but without an explosion before he runs away again.
What was your favorite and/or least favorite moment?
Allison: "I told you we're a team, and now you're a part of it." I really loved Barry's speech where he realized that Harry didn't exactly do the wrong thing. He did what he had to for family, much like Cisco had done in the past and like any of them would. I also really just loved Barry hanging around and deciding he was going to help Harry. The two of them are so much fun to watch.
Whitney: I obviously didn't want Iris to get hit with a shard of loose glass, but boy did I love that whole scene. Barry in slow motion being just a second too slow was something we don't often see and it was a powerful image.
Hank: That scene was definitely spectacular Whitney, nice choice. Grant Gustin never fails to impress me and the moment Barry stood up for Harry was simply brilliant. Sometimes I can't believe I originally had my doubts about Gustin's casting. Personality-wise The Flash/Barry Allen is my favorite character in all the Berlanti-verse.
Carissa: I really enjoyed Iris and Joe talking about Wally as well as the Harry stuff. The moment that made me laugh out loud was when Barry didn't have enough speed to save Iris and it looked like he was swimming through the air the way the rest of us sometimes try to fly in our dreams. Hilarious!
Get a look at The Flash Season 2 Episode 13, "Welcome to Earth-2" right now!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
