'The Flash' Recap: 'Paradox'

​Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

Each and every one of us, have a moment in our past that we are simply not proud of. While the consequences of that moment define us in present day, it's one that haunts us enough that given the opportunity, we would do anything to go back and time and change it, regardless of how altering that single moment in time may change everything about who we are and who we have become. It's a fascinating idea that we all toy with due to the fact that we know deep down, that opportunity will never come and we move on with our lives, doing our best to make peace with that moment. 

Unless of course, you're the fastest man alive. Then you take that opportunity, consequences be damned, or rather, to hell with it until you realize that toying with those all important moments can cause more harm than good...which brings us to last night's episode of The Flash, 'Paradox'. Because in this chapter in the life of Barry Allen, we finally came to understand exactly what the Reverse Flash meant in his warning since when all was said and done, Barry's decision to change the timeline...and then change it again has led to one bleak and angst filled timeline, where Barry Allen remains the Flash, but is viewed as a bit of a jerk and is lacking support from those he loves the most.

In this timeline, Iris and Joe aren't on speaking terms since Joe kept quiet about the fact that Iris' mother is alive. Cisco lost his brother and is grieving and broken and Barry is now sharing space at work with a Meta Human CSI Specialist named Julian Albert...who cannot stand Barry in the slightest. It puts our intrepid hero in one precarious place as he tries to figure out what exactly happened in this timeline, without being disrespectful in the process before finally deciding that he's had enough of this sour world and decides to head back in time once again to repair the timeline...once again. But before he can make anything happen, Jay Garrick returns to have a little chat with Barry, pointing out that what's done is done, the timeline is something that can never be set 100% right again, and Barry is going to have to figure out how to live with the changes he has made.

It's a talk that Barry thankfully takes to heart and he returns to this strange new world, opens up about his selfish mistake to his family and friends and asks that the team finally come together, something they are all reticent to do, despite Barry's pleas. But before he can work on that further, he has a meta human to deal with, one that he tangled with before...the Rival. Yes, the cocky and evil speedster that appeared on the show last week returns, restored to his former villainous glory by a new bad guy in town, a mysterious entity known as Doctor Alchemy. The return of the Rival leads to a powerful battle where the team comes to realize something, that they love and support Barry and that they are a part of something bigger and with him being in trouble, the team decides it is time to stand behind him...and once the Rival is defeated with their help, they also come to realize that perhaps it's time to move on from all of their pain and hold on to what they currently have in front of them.  

But while this episode wrapped up on a much happier note than last week, there's still plenty of danger ahead for Barry and the gang. For starters, the sheer hate that Julian has toward our favorite speedster is clearly grounded in more than just the simple distrust he spoke to. There's definitely something bigger going on here between these two and hopefully Barry can figure out what his jerky former self in this timeline did to fire up the ire of this intelligent and observant man before the Flash's secret is out. Plus, there's the matter of Doctor Alchemy. Why is he creating meta humans, and quite frankly...what's his end game? Either way, this bleak style of storytelling is new for the show, and while this was in essence a filler story since it was not quite as engaging as the season premiere, at least they did a fine job of quietly setting up a few things for the upcoming season as poor Barry continues to deal with the fallout of Flashpoint. Until next time.

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