Picking up where the last episode left off, Rip has to come up with a plan to break Ray, Stein, and Mick out of a Soviet gulag. Stein is of especially critical importance as we see that the present would be much bleaker if the Soviets figure out how to create their own Firestorm.
As such, Rip tells Sara that she may have to kill Stein if they can't get to him in time. It's noted that it's a cold move, but one can't argue the practicality of it. It's one of those "needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" dilemmas. While Stein is never let in on the plan, you'd have to think that he would have been OK with it, but that's conjecture.
While the team does have to recruit the Russian mob to help, the team also benefits from Snart's background as he notes that this isn't his first prison break. Did anyone else notice how Miller slightly turned his head towards the camera as he smirked after saying that? It wasn't quite breaking the fourth wall, but it was pretty close.
I have to say, though, Snart's writing overall was inconsistent here. While he is ultimately the one to talk Sara out of pulling the trigger on Stein; he's the first to suggest leaving others behind, choosing instead to focus on rescuing Mick. It seems like it makes sense, as he and Mick go way back and he is a pragmatic criminal, but don't forget that Snart has often put emphasis on the crew and honorable loyalty. He chided Rip for ordering the retreat and leaving people behind in the last episode. He was also the one to swear that Vandal killing Carter made it personal for him despite the fact that Snart was barely acquainted with the hero.
It's counter-balanced by Mick, who actually starts to form a grudging respect for Ray after seeing how he behaved in the gulag. The hardened criminal rightly chides him for trying to be chummy, but seeing him provoke the guards to provoke him instead of Mick really changed his perception of the scientist. Or, at the very least, it gave him cause enough to carry Ray's unconscious body out when they were escaping.
There were a few action beats, though they were more understated. While Sara got a chance to show off her fighting prowess, Rip's fist fight with the big Russian gangster was probably the standout moment. He doesn't have the training, but he held his own fairly well all things considered. With the drastic difference between Rip's physique and his opponent's, it could have gone a lot worse.
Ray has his own fight with a big Russian, though it doesn't go so well. He gets one good punch in, but that's about it. He got to shine on other fronts, though. His mocking of the guard was effective and there was something charming about seeing him try to make friends with convicts. Even the guards refer to him as "boy scout". It wasn't milked as much as Miller's reference to his past acting roles, but that was most definitely not accidental.
As the previews showed, the Russians do (somewhat) succeed in creating their own Firestorm. It would have been cool to see the team try to take it down, but alas, it sort of defeats itself as the fusion isn't stable. It does give Jax a moment to shine, though, as he is able to motivate Stein to keep fighting until Jax can break up the fusion. It also allows the two to put aside their differences, but it still seems like a missed opportunity as far as climactic battles go.
Overall, the episode was a worthy conclusion to what came before. There were some hiccups here and there, but it was entertaining. It also succeeded in providing a worthy challenge for the team to overcome.
One thing that hurts it, though, is the cliffhanger ending. It's not that it's bad. It's that it's so good that it kind of upstages everything else. After a run in with the walking plot device called Chronos, the team crash lands in Star City in the year 2046. Suffice it to say, things aren't looking too good. In fact, the city is in ruins. Though the former Palmertech building (now labelled with the name Smoak) still stands.
This alone sets up all sorts of story telling possibilities. Is this the aftermath from the 2024 crisis teased in the "Flash" pilot? It's more likely that it's just Savage's doing, but the writers could use this to lay down some serious foreshadowing for something big if they wanted to.
As if that weren't enough, there's a guest appearance by the Arrow. The scene is played very effectively as both Sara and Ray act completely casual when he initially confronts them. After all, they are known allies of the vigilante, only (as they soon discover) this isn't Oliver Queen. Even though it was basically spoiled by the internet, the appearance of this new vigilante still made for a great cliffhanger as he draws his bow on the team before the credits roll.
"Flash" is always a blast, but with Vixen showing up on "Arrow" next week, and this show jumping to the future; the next entries in the DCW look like they're going to be hits across the board. I'm really looking forward to it.
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