Gorilla Grodd is back and on the attack! Yes, this week’s episode of The Flash follows the excellent “Attack on Gorilla City” with a simian army on the loose. three speedsters enough to save Central City?
Last week, I spent most of the review singing the praises of the first part of this “Gorilla City” event on The Flash. But an intro is only as good as its conclusion. And while “Attack on Central City” doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor, there’s still lots to enjoy.
Speaking of love, everyone’s in a good mood at the start of the episode. Team Flash thinks that Grodd is gone for good and they can focus on more romantic gestures. But Gypsy’s arrival, possessed by Grodd, kills the mood. While they shake her out of it, the group knows that he’s made his way to Earth One and has his sights on Central City. Be warned: for those of you expecting 45 minutes of all-out gorilla warfare, that’s not what we get. But rather than letting the budget restrict the story, they make Grodd all the more threatening.
After the team uses Cisco to work out the location for the future attack, Grodd possesses Joe and forces him to shoot himself. Since Barry is a foot away, he saves Joe’s life. But that’s a distraction, giving Grodd enough time to kidnap and take control of a general. And of course, that general is in charge of nuclear weapons at a nearby base.
Given the threat Grodd represents, Barry goes back to questioning whether he should resort to murder. He brings up Oliver as an example of someone who kills but still walks the hero’s path. It’s a different conflict than we usually see play out for Barry, but not exactly a misplaced one. Grodd has proven to be extremely dangerous and always ahead of the team. But Harry dresses him down, speaking from experience that this type of moral compromise makes the next one easier to justify. In fact, Harry makes one such unsound choice in this episode, lying about his health to keep Jessie by his side. It doesn’t go well.
But back to the main plot! After stopping the nuke by entering numbers at super-speed (way too easy), Barry prepares for Grodd’s invasion. Wally and Jessie fight too. But even three speedsters aren’t able to defeat a horde of warrior gorillas. It takes the combined efforts of Cisco and Gypsy to bring Solovar over to Earth One, where he gets his revenge on Grodd. While the CGI for the gorilla face-off looks like a videogame, it’s cool to see the villains brawl. It’s also a smart, unexpected turn of events to repel the attack.
So all seems well for our happy couples. Wally and Jessie are together on Earth One, Cisco gets a smooch from Gypsy and Barry proposes to Iris! Her answer is left on a cliffhanger, but so is the return of Savitar! This Gorilla City special was a welcome addition to this season of The Flash. But it looks like we’re returning to the main plot next week.
Assorted Thoughts:
– This show needs to give Caitlin more to do. I get that lineup is pretty crowded, but it’d be nice for her to contribute to the team beyond her ice powers again.
– H.R.’s Friends Day thing is a bit much, even by his standards. But it’s a good time-killer until the gorillas show up!
– Joe: “You all want to put a bunch of magnets against my skull, to look into the mind of a psychotic, murderous ape?” Harry: “…Yeah.” Joe: “Fine.” Another day at the office for Team Flash.
– H.R. is a fan of “renowned poet” Alfred Yankovic.
– I know Harry’s a bit of a jerk, but spitting his toothpaste into H.R.’s coffee is a real asshole move.