Season 7 Episode 18 “The Flash enlists a host of speedster allies, including Iris and his children from the future – Bart and Nora-West Allen to end the speedster war and defeat a deadly new adversary: The villainous Godspeed.”
What I Liked?
1. The episode begins right where it left off, Joe and Kramer are shocked as they witness 2 Godspeeds fighting on the car hood, while Barry is still talking to the original Godspeed inside the mind of August. Heart tells Barry that it was Impulse who showed him that having organic speed is so much better than artificial speed, this is why they hate Impulse because Heart believes that Impulse is stubborn and doesn’t deserve the speed and that Heart does deserve it.
2. My next point was actually a small scene between Chester and Allegra, while Allegra is down that she thinks she failed her cousin, Chester actually explains that she chose to go out alone, she failed Central City where Allegra actually chose to stand up and save Barry from being killed and the city being destroyed. Chester was actually really decent in this scene and showcased a different side from the up and funky, laughing it up, joke-type character he usually is.
3. Barry comes up with a plan on how to actually get ahead in the Godspeed war, this is where we see the smart side of Barry comes into play although it happens off-screen to keep the suspense. We then get to see just how powerful the Speedforce Nora actually is, she charges and gives a boost to every speedster, including Iris, and even heals Bart at the same time.
4. This next point actually caught me off guard so much, we go back to the bridge and seeing Joe and Kramar obviously trying to save people, this is when Joe is caught by a Godspeed, he’s vibrating his hand ready to go in for the kill shot on Joe when we see Kramer get white lightning around her and she runs as fast as The Flash and saves joe but passes out just after.
5. The original Godspeed finally arrives towards the end of the finale, all suited and booted ready to cause pure chaos, he runs and Barry eventually gives chase, since Barry is a bit slower since Godspeed has organic speed and more since he absorbed his clones, he manages to get the best of Barry, is about to kill him when a red streak saves Barry, it’s none other than the Reverse Flash, this is where the team-up of the century happens and we get a fight scene between the 3 speedsters, this is where the fight scene gets a tiny bit crazy, each speedster uses their lightning as a sword, similar to a Star Wars lightsaber duel, while initially, I thought this was dumb, the second time I watched it, I actually really enjoyed it, its a new and unique power.
6. This next point was a quick point before the final scene, it’s just as Reverse Flash manages to stab Godspeed with his lightning, Reverse Flash then turns on Barry, believing that he’ll finally get the best of him, but Barry has planned this, he showcases his true speed and Reverse Flash runs off, could we see a return next season for the man in yellow?
7. Another small point, a true marriage ceremony for WestAllen, no interruptions, no villains showing up, just Iris and Barry married by Cisco with friends and family around them. Finally a perfect wedding.
What I Disliked?
1. The frost and Mecha-Vibe vs Godspeeds fight, I felt as though this scene was pointless, all we saw was the two heroes hold their breath while the Godspeeds retreated, and then the way Frost walks off was cringe, probably the worst scene of the entire episode.
2. while I loved seeing the Reverse Flash return, all we saw was red lightning, we then got it spoilt by seeing the computer screen in Star Labs, this was such a disappointing reveal, they could have just shown us the reaction from Team Flash.
3. While I’m happy we finally got some very much-needed answers to the Kramer story arch this season, the story ended up as the typical “I became what I despised” story, this was another letdown, not a major one but still a let down nonetheless.
4. While it most likely was because of Covid, but no tease, cliffhanger, or debut ready for next season? It’s very unusual for The Flash, I didn’t like it, it felt not normal.
Favorite Moment
My favorite moment, and I think a favorite moment for any longtime Flash fan, the team-up between the Flash family vs Godspeeds, each member received a special unique takedown for a group of Godspeeds, this was amazing, although the Godspeeds basically won because Speedforce Nora was there and they fed off her source.
Standout Character
This was a very hard choice, each member of Team Flash stood out in their own right, but I think I have to give it to Barry, not only did he come to his senses and listen to his kids, but he also outsmarted Reverse Flash which is an amazing feat on it’s own.
The Verdict
On my second viewing, my original thoughts and reaction were completely changed from the first viewing, the episode was actually really great and showcased different elements of different characters really well, as well as mixing in other stories really neatly, the action and story were fairly ok, although a couple of scenes did take away from the entertainment.
Rating: 8.3/10
Photo: The Flash “Heart of the Matter – Part 2”.
Rating
Story - 7
Action - 8
Characters - 10
Entertainment - 8
8.3
Great
On my second viewing, my original thoughts and reaction were completely changed from the first viewing, the episode was actually really great and showcased different elements of different characters really well, as well as mixing in other stories really neatly, the action and story were fairly ok, although a couple of scenes did take away from the entertainment.
