TV Show Review

TV Review: THE FLASH: Season 3, Episode 11: Dead or Alive [The CW]

Carlos Valdes Jessica Camacho Dead or Alive The Flash

The Flash: Dead or Alive Review

The CW’s The Flash: Season 3, Episode 11: ‘Dead or Alive’ turned out to be a fun episode as the show focused more on other characters on the show, particularly Cisco (Carlos Valdes). It was a nice change of pace since most of the time, Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) gets thrust in the spotlight for much of the episodes. Getting to see Cisco save the day was entertaining to see unfold as the team relied on him to save H.R. Wells (Tom Cavanagh) from being punished for his crimes back in Earth-19.

We got to see the debut of Gypsy (Jessica Camacho) during this week’s installment ‘Dead or Alive’. The character was a very loose adaptation from the comics, even though she was re-imagined as a bounty hunter who has similar powers to Cisco. We might expect some disappointment from fans, but these changes did end up working for the episode. Just like Cisco, Gypsy is also part of the minority of characters that not a lot of comic book fans know about. Based on the context of the episode, we shouldn’t expect any traditional take on the character in order to avoid any stereotyping.

Gypsy was a great mix between Cisco’s doppelganger Reverb and Golden Glider. Similar to Reverb, Gypsy represented a part of what Cisco can become once he can let go of his fears and master his powers. There’s also some romantic tension between Cisco and Gypsy when these two clash. Cisco seems to always become attracted to the bad girls on this show. It would’ve been nice if the show got to explore more of Cisco and Gypsy’s chemistry, so here’s hoping this gets revisited some day. Cisco does need a lady in his life after all.

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Seeing the final battle between Cisco and Gypsy was a delight to watch as these two had full use of their powers. At the very least, this wasn’t a fight between two speedsters, but instead it’s a battle between two fighters who can travel between worlds and make powerful vibrations. Their trial by combat used some great effects to show these two jumping between worlds. It was nice to see National City getting a cameo as one of the worlds that Cisco and Gypsy end up in. Towards the end, Cisco ended up being able to hold on his own in a short amount of time training.

The episode was also noteworthy for H.R. Wells since Cisco is trying to save him by taking down Gypsy. This would’ve been the perfect opportunity for the show to go deep into H.R.’s past in Earth-19, but they didn’t go into detail about that. He’s still a mysterious character and we seem to know less about him than we did last week. The episode did manage to strengthen the bond between Cisco and H.R. as we further explored the roles that each of the other Wells played in Cisco’s life.

The solution was also fascinating as H.R. ends up becoming a permanent resident of Earth-1 for the time being. Perhaps this will end the notion of bringing in a different Well every season. Hopefully that’s not the case because it’s always interesting to see a different H.R. from the previous ones. If the show does end up bringing in another Harrison Wells, we can be sure that H.R. may end up getting killed in the end of the season.

The episode also proved to be pivotal to Iris (Candice Patton) as she tries to create a legacy for herself with some help from her brother Wally (Keiynan Lonsdale). It was fun to see both siblings team up together just like in the season premiere in Flashpoint. This also offered us a chance to see how Iris is dealing with the fact that she may soon be facing death. In one side, she’s absolutely terrified of dying without making a name for herself as a journalist. The other side is seeing Iris about to be in the brink of death without a care in the world by putting herself in danger. She thinks that she won’t die before her fated demise, and that’s a dangerous way to think. We have to think that it’s possible that Iris may die, which is what usually happens to heroes whose future end up being inevitable no matter how you change it.

With Wally, it looks like things are going good for him, as he becomes Central City’s new hero. People seem to be warming up to him, especially the ladies. He’s also on his way to overcome Barry when it comes to speed. It’s enough for Barry to acknowledge that Wally may be the answer to saving Iris from Savitar. Things seem calmer now, but the show seems to go towards having Wally turn out to be Savitar. It’s just a matter of time…

The Flash started quickening the pace a little bit after an overrated midseason premiere. It was finally great witnessing Cisco taking on the name of Vibe with a new suit. Just like Gypsy, Cisco also seems to like the bad girls who enter his life. With the West siblings handling things on their own, it’s nice to see that the show doesn’t have to always revolve around Barry.

Leave your thoughts on this review and this episode of The Flash in the comments section below. For more The Flash reviews, photos, videos, and information, visit our The Flash Page, The Flash Google+ Page, visit our The Flash Facebook Page, subscribe to us by Email, “follow” us on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+ or “like” us on Facebook.

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Mufsin Mahbub

**Fired from FilmBook for Plagiarism** Mufsin is a freelance writer from New York who has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism at Long Island University. He has written for publications like HollywoodLife, Clubplanet, and Heavy. He is an avid lover for everything related to TV and film. He has gone to dozens of film screenings, press events, and loves to attend New York Comic Con every year. He gives an honest opinion on every TV show or film that people are going to be talking about.
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