Gorilla Warfare
While we left Barry on a cliffhanger in which he couldn’t feel his legs after wounds sustained in his fight with Zoom, this week has Barry on his feet and his broken back on the mend. What isn’t so easily healed, however, are Barry’s emotional scars and humiliation from his very public defeat. Barry’s confidence is crushed and is overwhelmed with the fear that he doesn’t have what it takes to protect his friends. As the team comes together to save a kidnapped Caitlin from the lonely Grodd, Iris calls in Henry Allen to help Barry regain his confidence. Meanwhile, Grodd is stealing chemicals and kidnaps Caitlin to help him make more gorillas like him. Grodd is getting more intelligent and finds himself deeply lonely after the death of Dr. Wells. Wells-2 poses as Well-1 to save Caitlin from Grodd. Of course, after rescuing Caitlin, there’s still the problem of having Grodd on the loose, so they formulate a plan to send him through the breach to a community on Earth-2 of other hyper-intelligent gorillas – a sanctuary for victims of scientific research.
Wells-2
Despite the team’s distrust of the man with their betrayers face and Wells’s general irascibility, Wells is fast becoming another trusted member of the team. Once again, it is Caitlin’s empathy and persistence that draws him into the fold, convincing him that the best way to catch Zoom is to work together. Wells seems deeply uncomfortable around people in general, his body language and speech patterns often stiff and restrained. His antagonistic attitude might have less to do with any real hostility as it might be that he’s just not good with people. Despite the teams hesitation and Wells’s alienating behavior, Wells puts his life at risk to save Caitlin and proves himself a trustworthy part of the team.
Cisco and Kendra
Cisco’s dating style is pretty predictable and very adorable as he takes Kendra out to see a screening of The Princess Bride. As they hold hands for the first time outside the theater, Cisco vibes an image of a winged figure. Overwhelmed by the vision, Cisco bails on the date to tell the others about his vision. When nothing happens related to the winged figure, Cisco surprises Kendra after work with a basket of flowers and chocolate and a mini-projector loaded with The Princess Bride. Kendra accepts Cisco’s apology for bailing on their date and as they kiss Cisco vibes another image, this one clearly of Kendra as a magnificent winged hero. If you didn’t know Kendra was meant to be Hawkgirl, you do now.
Barry and Patty
Barry has to hide his injury and recovery from Patty for over a week, pretending to be sick and unable to see her. Patty’s a really smart person, though, and knows that Barry is lying to her. Joe knows she knows too and tells Barry as much. While Barry tells her that he was lying to her, he covers up with another half truth, telling her that his father was in town and that he was afraid of how she would treat a former convicted murderer. They make up, but she tells him that if they’re going to have a relationship that she needs to be able to trust him. With this caveat out in the open – and really only a matter of time before she discovers Barry’s secret – one wonders where their relationship can go once she finds out how much she’s been lied to. She’s a character who deserves better than what she’s been given, and asks bluntly to be treated the way she knows she deserves. The fact that the two important men in her life – her boyfriend and her partner – refuse to treat her like an equal despite her uncommon candor does not bode well for either relationship. This situation is also incredibly frustrating to watch as a viewer, and particularly as a female viewer who can more than appreciate Patty’s dilemma.