‘The Flash’ Episode 2.7 “Gorilla Warfare” (8 out of 10) Starring Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, Jesse L. Martin, and Tom Cavanagh. Guest starring Shantel VanSanten, Ciara Renee, John Welsey Shipp, David Sobolov. First broadcast November 17, 2015
When we left Flash last week, he had been put into a wheelchair by Zoom. The villain fled back through a breach into Earth-2, and Barry was left licking his wounds. We find him recovering in S.T.A.R. Labs, where Dr. Wells’ old wheelchair is coming in handy again. Barry’s walking with a cane and halting steps, but when he tries to run, he gets flashes (ha!) of imagery — Zoom cutting into him again — that seem to be more than just memory. Joe calls Henry Allen in from (Coast City I think?) his self-imposed exile to have a series of heart-to-hearts with Barry. While all that is happening with our main hero, we also have our major threat for the episode — Gorilla Grodd is back in town.
The superintelligent telepathic giant ape has been laying low, but after a string of heists from research labs, Joe and Patty figure out that it’s Grodd. You know, from the gorilla hair that’s left all over the crime scenes. Really. I guess they shed even more than my cat and dog do. Which is one more reason to not bring home a gorilla. Anyway. Grodd’s in town, and he’s stealing chemical compounds that can be used to ramp up the intellect of other apes. Basically, Grodd sees that he’s alone, and like Frankenstein’s monster, doesn’t want to be. He ends up kidnapping Caitlin Snow, not just in a Fay Wray kind of move (although it kind of is, and they hide in an abandoned bell tower even), but because he needs her to help him finish the process of creating the serum that will smarten up some ape buddies. So it’s not just that she’s beautiful and wearing a white outfit that definitely recalls Fay Wray’s. But it doesn’t hurt.
With Barry sidelined for the time being, Cisco and “Harry” (Wells from Earth-2) get the idea that they can use Grodd’s daddy issues towards Reverse Flash to their advantage. So they suit up Harry in the black and yellow and try to reason with Grodd–they can help him finish his project, but he’ll need to let Caitlin go. It doesn’t end well.
Ultimately, they need the help of the Flash to save the day (and the girl), and Barry pulls it together enough to conquer his fears. With the help of Harry’s knowledge of Earth-2, they’re able to get Grodd to a breach that leads to a “settlement of apes who have been used in lab experiments.” Which…it’s Gorilla City.
Gorilla. Effing. City.
First they casually told us that Atlantis was on Earth-2 (and that one of Jay Garrick’s best friends lives there)(Aquaman)(sploooosh), and now Gorilla City? I don’t even like gorillas. Or apes. Or monkeys. Or most primates. Including humans. But holy shit I love the comic-booky balls this show has, and it just doesn’t care if someone will think it’s silly or stupid or whatever. They’re owning every bit of it. And it’s only making the show stronger. Wow.
Uh…Cisco also gave us our first glimpse of Hawkgirl, as he accidentally Vibes on Kendra Saunders on their date; he’s freaked out and runs at first, but later comes back to her. Good job, son. You’re going to lose her to Hawkman any day now. So enjoy the flight while it lasts.
Next week we won’t have new episodes of “The Flash” or “Arrow,” but the episodes following will be the first big crossover event of this season. Which promises to be brave and bold and legendary and everything that these shows can be. This is a golden age, my friends.