Episodes like this make me feel relieved about the long-term future of the show. There is a feeling that the writing and performances and what shows up onscreen is slowly jelling into something approaching great. The Flash is helped by being a part of a larger universe and so that means crossovers feel natural instead of a gimmick designed to play as a life preserver. It does well on its own, too. 

This episode starts out slowly, but then builds up momentum until it clicks on nearly all cylinders by the end. Part of that is in the nature of the villain(s) that oppose The Flash in this episode. Captain Cold returns with a partner in Heat Wave (an onscreen reunion for Prison Break leads Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell) and he's proven to be the greatest test for the Fastest Man Alive so far, excluding the Reverse-Flash.


The assured feeling of the episode plays out in Captain Cold's methodical plan. He has a single-minded obsessiveness about the Flash, with his one goal being to expose the Flash for all the world to see. This is arguably a much better, much more showy tactic than something as static as Iris' blog posts about an anonymous red blur that rescues people. I love that the episode marks its acts by showing the ramped-up steps in Captain Cold's plan. It starts small-time, with the villains busting into a warehouse full of exotic cars with no intention of stealing any of the cars. Cold just waits to see if the Flash shows up so that he can shoot him with his stolen cold gun. 

He's positively annoyed when the Flash doesn't show. Heat Wave is just annoyed that he can't do any of the usual criminal stuff that he's used to doing. There's a real great chemistry between the two of them (that may come from acting together long ago, but also from the writing here), with Cold's almost serene manner bumping up against Heat Wave's twitchy, explosive, and unpredictable-at-all-times nature. They have a collective intelligence about them that makes them an even greater threat than the other metahumans Team Flash has encountered before.



That collective intelligence allows them to escalate the crimes that bait Barry into fighting them. They nearly commit murder in the process of committing grand larceny (only to burn the valuable piece of art later), and then kidnap Caitlin. Meanwhile, we also get to see Barry's side of the story. And it's paired very well as a counterpoint to the rogues. Barry is aiming to increase his speed, and his other abilities along with that (throwing the missile at the drone was very cool), in order to adequately combat the Reverse-Flash whenever they meet again. The Reverse-Flash doesn't make a physical appearance in the episode, but his presence hangs like a storm cloud over Barry, his loved ones, and Team Flash. 





Barry knows that they are all in mortal danger if he doesn't step up his abilities. This is keeping an eye on the bigger picture, which means ignoring what's happening in the short-term. The police does get a handle on the rogues with some help from Cisco and Dr. Wells, but it's clear that the Flash is the only one who can stop both of these guys from tearing Central City apart. The Flash ultimately does beat both men by getting their "streams to cross" (a nice nod to Ghostbusters), though it very nearly killed him in the process. If Eddie hadn't interfered, that may have come to pass.




The dichotomy is personified through the actions and philosophies of Joe, who advocates the approach of Barry being able to save whomever he can, whenever he can, and Dr. Wells, who is training and encouraging Barry because he has foreknowledge of the future. That foreknowledge does come into play with the rogues. If Dr. Wells knew that Barry's battle with the rogues would be the first time the Flash is revealed to the public at large, it would stand to reason that he doesn't do anything to stop that from occurring. 



He's once again manipulating events for his own personal gain, something we've already seen him do multiple times on this show. This may be so that he can ensure that the future he knows will still exist. Also, if he truly is the Reverse-Flash, this is a diabolical way to mess with his pupil/rival's mind. Joe definitely sees that Wells is manipulating and/or controlling Barry in some way here, but he isn't sure to what extent the not-so-paralyzed scientist is doing so. It'll be fascinating to see how this battle of wills between mentors/father figures plays out in the near future. Joe's immediate concern is now having Barry as a roommate with Iris moving in with Eddie. The series is moving at a tight and immediate pace. It's great to see.