The Flash S05 EP01 Spoiler Review (Season Premier!)
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The infectious energy that is Nora Allen already sets her as one of the best new characters the show has ever introduced. Eager, energetic, and full of enthusiasm, Nora was the center point of the first episode and likely the season as a whole as we and the other characters got to know her. The episode started and ended with her giving the narration rather than Barry which was a surprise and a fresh deviation, one we'll have to wait and see if it continues. With her she brought plenty of future easter eggs such as mentioning Lightning Lad and then the battle between King Shark and Grodd! She also provided the gateway for the Flash ring to finally come into Barry's hands for true comic goodness, and with so many mentions of the Flash Museum I will feel cheated if we don't at least get a glimpse of it in full this season.
The story of this episode revolved around Nora's arrival but also the arrival of a new metahuman by the name of Gridlock who absorbs kinetic energy and set out to blow up a plane. While he wasn't the most characterized villain, he did his purpose for the start of the season an helped Nora and Barry come together in their efforts to defeat him. The climax in which they and Wally phase an entire plane through the city was monumental in scale and torn straight from the panels of a comic book!
My two favorite parts of the episode though was the initial conversation between Barry and Iris when he was asked why he was so intent on Nora being sent home. This lead to Barry revealing that he felt as though he had missed out on raising his daughter, that he wasn't there for her just like his parents weren't there for him. Iris assured him it would all happen, but then the stinger came that in the future when Barry goes missing in the red skies crises...he doesn't come back. It turns out that Nora was not really trapped in the past but faking it so she could spend time with her father who vanishes when she is an infant. This is our first real delve into what happened that night in the future, and it sounds like nothing good and something that will certainty be touched upon more this season. This revelation prompted Barry's decision in the end to allow Nora to stay, to get to spend more time with him, which I'm happy about because she's an awesome addition to the show.
A smaller part of the episode was devoted to Caitlin and her father, who Ralph found out faked his death certificate and is likely still out there somewhere. Personally, I'm finding myself a lot more interested in Caitlin's story this season, I think it may be in part because it isn't simply just her wanting to have Killer Frost and wishing she was back, it feels like something is actually happening and there's true mystery surrounding her past and her father. It's intriguing, and I'm interested in seeing where it goes.
Supporting character wise, each character got a moment to shine whether it was Joe being found out for his secret lounge, Cecil being shown to have retained her powers, or Ralph finally catching up on everything the team has been through in a very hilarious running gag. Cisco's processing of his breakup with Gypsy wasn't something given much focus but seeing him drunk and tired was comedic, as well as Iris' failed attempts at bonding with Nora.
As expected, the ending of the episode provided a teaser for where this season will be going, and that involved a masked figure intercepting the prison convoy carrying Gridlock and supposedly killing him. This was our first look at Cicada in the season and he seems like a powerful and menacing force so far, with a desire to kill all metahumans, and someone who I hope to see more of soon.
Overall it felt like a strong start to season 5 and I have a feeling this will be one their best seasons yet, with the future holding more exploration of Nora's character, the mystery of who Caitlin's father is, and the rise of Cicada as the new primary antagonist. Next Tuesday can't come soon enough!
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