TV Review: THE FLASH: Season 2, Episode 9: Running to Stand Still [The CW]

The CW’s The Flash Running to Stand Still TV Show Review. The Flash: Season 2, Episode 9: Running to Stand Still had a few surprises as we reach the fall finale. We are suddenly put back into the Zoom storyline after last week’s big crossover with Arrow and brought in the Rogues gallery that included Leonard Snart/Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller), Mark Mardon/Weather Wizard (Liam McIntyre), and James Jesse/Trickster (Mark Hamill). The episode also went back into the Wally West subplot as the characters prepared for a white Christmas in Central City. All in all, the episode managed to balance out all the plot points rather nicely.

The MVP for performance had to go to Mark Hamill, who returned as The Trickster. His sinister and psychotic personality made the episode so much fun to watch. It was great having James Jesse back into the fold, but this time he was teaming up with two other villains, Captain Cold and Weather Wizard. This was as close as we can get to having a ‘Flash vs. Rogues’ storyline like in the comics.

The Weather Wizard and The Trickster made a great villainous duo. Hamill and McIntyre have really good chemistry mixing their alternative personalities off each other. Jesse is more of a playful bad guy while Mardon is more of the menacing type, which we got to experience during the climactic battle. Pairing these two together worked out so well since it’s better having Barry stuck in a situation like this where his dignity gets tested by them. Trickster’s devices were what you would expect to see from a villain like him, something that looks harmless could turn into something dangerous. There was also that cat-and-mouse chase with Barry trying to catch a floating Mardon around the city.

The only problem was the fact that Leonard Snart wasn’t given much to do in the episode. The reasoning behind that could be because the show is looking to exit the character so he can move on into the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow. The confrontation between him and Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) reignited the rivalry between the two men. We didn’t see a big battle between them, as Cold gave Barry a tip on his cohorts’ plans to repay the favor he owes him. There should’ve been a better way of giving Cold a proper farewell on The Flash before sending him off. Cold is still a great character to have on the show. It would’ve been amusing to have him toy with viewers a little longer to see which side he’s really on.

The episode brought back the Wally West storyline as it changed the focus of the show for a bit. Jesse L. Martin’s dramatic skills came in handy when it comes to his emotional scenes with Candice Patton when Joe finds out he has a son. It was really heartbreaking to see a father who’s rambling his mind around the fact that he never had a chance to be in his son’s life. It was nice to know that no matter the outcome, Joe would always be a father to Barry. Even Candice displayed some powerful emotions this week as she was given something to do in the episode. We did get a chance to see the debut of Keiynan Lonsdale as Wally for a bit, even though there wasn’t much to see. Hopefully we’ll see more of him, as he becomes a part of the group when the show returns from its break early next year.

We also had a strong arc for Patty Spivot (Shantel VanSanten). Her quarrel with Mardon was expected, but handled pretty well. It led to Barry trying to talk some sense into Patty into becoming a killer to avenge her father’s death. It’s also frustrating that Barry hasn’t told Patty his secret yet. Sooner or later, Barry will have to tell Patty about his secret double life as The Flash when the time comes. At least on the romantic front, Jay Garrick (Teddy Sears) and Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker) finally confronted their feelings for one another, with some pushing from Cisco (Carlos Valdes). It’s great that the writers put in some humor as the show tackles on some dark times ahead for Team Flash.

There were some developing revelations between Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh) and what Zoom is really up to. It was interesting to see that Wells is basically going down the same path as his original doppelganger by having Barry become more faster and stronger for his own needs. It’s also ironic that Barry managed to forgive his former mentor after all that’s happened. What’s disappointing was that Zoom’s plans finally out in the open. His motivations in stealing Barry’s speed aren’t impressive to say the least. Here’s hoping that there’s a lot more to Zoom than meets the eye. Last year’s midseason finale compared to this was so much better with the huge reveals, but this time there wasn’t much to show off.

‘Running to Stand Still’ was a great way to end the year for The Flash on a moderately high note. It was a pleasure having Mark Hamill return as The Trickster, but seeing him team up with Weather Wizard really topped it. The episode managed to balance the team-up with some family drama and bits of humor. What didn’t work so well was Leonard’s cold exit and Zoom’s predictable motive. Zoom may become one of those less compelling villains the show has so far.

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