‘The Flash’ episode 12 review: Is Grodd the new Slade?
Thank goodness the “The Flash” has established a slightly different tone than its sister show “Arrow.” Otherwise, we feel about 90% confident that there would be zero way in which we could actually buy into having Gorilla Grodd on this show. He’s a telepathic ape! He works wonders in the comics, but he could be a hard character for casual fans to buy into watching the show … at least if things were a little more similar in tone.
With that being said, the writers have come up with an interesting way to make Grodd work. “Crazy For You” last night was the third time we’ve seen at least a reference to the character, and this time around, it came via watching him inflict carnage in what seemed to be his own personal sewer. We don’t see Grodd becoming a big villain this season; it’s just too early, and it feels like given his stature within the comics, he worthy of getting his own arc.
This is why we envision in many ways the Slade Wilson comparison we referenced in the title. He was the Big Bad on “Arrow” season 2, and we envision something very similar happening here as we start to find out more and more about who Grodd is, and what he’s capable of.
Ironically, the two minutes or so teasing Grodd at the end was more important to the long-term story of “The Flash” than the majority of the episode. “Crazy For You” had a lot of filler in it, even if much of it was entertaining. For example, Barry and Caitlin doing karaoke was hysterical, and him taking care of her after she got completely hammered was also sweet. There were a few little teases in here for SnowBarry fans, though with the arrival of Linda Park this week and with Ronnie Raymond still out there, you are probably not going to get a whole lot more there for a while. Plus, we still feel like the show has not shifted that much from Barry and Iris as the endgame.
The story with Peek-a-boo, who was actually named by Caitlin rather than Cisco, was fast-paced and entertaining. The villains were somewhat take-them-or-leave-them, but it created a great opportunity for Barry to actually spend time with his father, who was able to help track down the Bonnie & Clyde duo using some contacts in prison. It got him hospitalized as a result, but he seemed pretty happy with his contribution to helping the Flash (who he suspects is his own son).
“Crazy For You” is probably not an episode we’ll remember much in a month or so; Harrison Wells was barely in it, and other than Grodd, Linda’s arrival, and Hartley Rathaway escaping, there was not anything that really separated it from the mold. Even if it was not the biggest episode of the year, at least the writers did enough to keep us entertained. Grade: B.
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