What’s Worth Watching: The Flash

The Flash
Cate Cameron/The CW
The Flash

The Flash, “The Nuclear Man,” Tuesday, Feb. 10, 8/7c, The CW

It’s two, two, two meta-humans in one, as we discovered in last week’s reveal of footage from the particle-accelerator explosion. Ronnie (Robbie Amell) merged into Dr. Martin Stein (genre favorite Victor Garber, of Alias fame) during the fireball, creating, in effect, a formidable foe code-named F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. And this one has a personal connection, because Ronnie was engaged to marry S.T.A.R. Labs—what’s with all these initials?—scientist Dr. Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker) before all the mayhem broke out.

The emotional undercurrents and earnest camaraderie among the show’s winning ensemble help make The Flash such an endearing addition to the ranks of superhero series. That’s why we look forward to watching Barry/the Flash (Grant Gustin) try juggling his speed-demon style of saving the day with romance, as he continues courting Linda Park (Malese Jow). Meanwhile the team seeks out Dr. Stein in hopes of taming Ronnie’s catastrophically flaming ways. And because during a sweeps month one never wants to lose sight of a show’s Big Picture Mythology, Joe (Jesse L. Martin) brings the ever-eager Cisco (Carlos Valdes) into his investigation of the death of Barry’s mother, which is how this whole story started.