The Flash season 6, episode 16 puts Joe West in the line of fire as Barry’s lacking speed puts everyone, especially Joe, in grave danger, when a familiar meta-human returns. Meanwhile, Eva continues on with her plan.
It may have been quite a while (like, a month) since the last episode of the series, but The Flash season 6, episode 16 picked back up strong with an episode centering, primarily, around the West family. It’s just too bad that the real Iris wasn’t around to see it.
With Ragdoll back (the series’ most disgusting meta-human, honestly) and cracking with every move, Barry’s power as a hero is put to the test when he has to save the day by himself… without any powers.
‘The Flash’ season 6, episode 16 review
I wouldn’t say The Flash season 6, episode 16 was the best episode to return from such a long break (even without COVID-19 shutting things down and pushing these episodes back, this would’ve been the episode after their usual spring hiatus), but it did provide an entertaining and distracting story, and followed through on a few rather emotional moments.
Regardless, I’m enjoying the Black Hole story, and I really love how every episode of this half of the season has built on that story at least a little bit. Eva gets shadier with every passing moment, and it’s bizarre how the real Iris hasn’t realized this or at least become (more) suspicious of this woman she barely knows.
The little moments we do see of our Iris are heartbreaking because it’s clear how desperate she is to return home, but Mirror Iris is doing her best to destroy her home and everyone she loves, as we saw with the fight at the close of the episode. Plus, no one really knows Iris is even gone yet, which would be enough to shatter anyone’s heart in the first place. How could they not know?
That said, the next episode seems to be much more focused on Mirror Iris as, from the trailer, Barry knows something is wrong and he needs to save Iris (whether or not he knows what happened is still up in the air). God, this one is going to be emotional…
Goodbye (for now), Joe West
With The Flash season 6, episode 16 came the temporary departure of Joe West, as the patriarch headed for Witness Protection after being targeted by Ragdoll (for no real reason, seemingly, other than to try to make sure he ended his own suffering).
But his departure doesn’t really make sense because why wouldn’t Cecile and Jenna join him? His family is in danger, and while Iris might be “safe” as far as they know because she has Barry, Cecile and Jenna are defenseless and the prime targets for anyone hoping to bring Joe out of hiding. Feels like a poorly thought out way to get Joe off of the show (probably due to Jesse L. Martin wanting a break, though that’s not confirmed).
However, it’s always nice to revisit the relationship between Barry and Joe, a relationship that doesn’t get nearly enough focus now. There’s such a strong bond between them, but since Barry married Iris, it’s like the writers have forgotten how close these two were long before Barry and Iris started dating, and they write every scene between them with an awkward air of tension, like you’d see between a husband and his father-in-law.
When Joe (inevitably) returns, can the writers please bring this father/son relationship back into the spotlight and correct whatever missteps they’ve made along the way?
Ralph and Sue
Sue is really proving to be an interesting character, and I love how complex she already is after two episodes. The Flash season 6, episode 16 brings the future Dibnys back together as Ralph is hot on Sue’s trail, trying to figure out what exactly she’s up to.
While I was a bit skeptical at first, I am thankful to actually see some build-up between Ralph and Sue as their lives come together. They both clearly have a lot to offer one another, and they’re building some emotional support with one another, as Sue already apologized for what she did to Ralph last time.
Sue makes Ralph a much more bearable character, and I hope Sue is intertwined in his stories in the future, too, because then I could actually enjoy Ralph-centric episodes…
Also, that scene between Cisco and Sue might be my favorite of the episode… It’s always refreshing to see Cisco having fun.
‘The Flash’ season 6, episode 16 final thoughts
Can we just talk about that fight at the end of The Flash season 6, episode 16? Grant Gustin and Candice Patton gave an incredibly raw, devastating performance as Barry and Mirror Iris had the worst fight we’ve seen. It’s at least a little better knowing it wasn’t really Iris, but it’s clear how the couple is headed toward rocky waters when the real Iris returns, regardless of the fact that she wasn’t the one who said these terrible things to Barry.
Mirror Iris is a demon… no one should hurt Barry like that. It’s so heartbreaking to see how Mirror Iris is treating Barry and he’s just dealing with it, unaware that it’s not actually his wife. He thinks Iris’ feelings toward him have actually changed this much, and it’s upsetting to think how hurt he must be.
Because of COVID-19, the episode count for The Flash season 6 has fallen from 22 to 19, meaning the season-long stories will not be wrapped up. Here’s hoping for at least a satisfying end of the season, given the circumstances. I’m excited to see how the story continues to progress, especially whenever the real Iris returns!
The Flash season 6 continues Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW!
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