‘The Flash’ Season 5 Episode 2 Recap and Review: “Blocked”

By
Kevin Finnerty
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The Flash Season 5 Episode 2 Recap
Candice Patton as Iris West-Allen, Jessica Parker Kennedy as Nora West-Allen/XS, Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon/Vibe, Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin Snow and Grant Gustin as Barry Allen/ The Flash in ‘The Flash’ season 5 episode 2 (Photo: Jack Rowand © 2018 The CW Network)

“Even a Ferrari needs a tune-up once in a while,” says Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) to Cisco (Carlos Valdes) who’s struggling to get over Gypsy with help from Caitlin and Ralph (Hartley Sawyer) in season five episode two of The CW’s The Flash.

The episode begins with a fight between Cicada (Chris Klein) and Gridlock. Cicada uses his lightning bolt-shaped dagger to neutralize Gridlock’s powers and then engages him in hand-to-hand combat. Cicada is much better than Gridlock and it doesn’t take long for him to win, knocking Gridlock on the ground. Cicada stabs Gridlock with his dagger and kills him. Cicada then goes to what looks to be his job as a janitor.

At Joe’s house, Barry (Grant Gustin) and Nora (Jessica Parker Kennedy) come clean and tell Team Flash the real reason Nora time traveled was to finally meet Barry because she grew up without him. Nora shows the group the future newspaper article indicating Barry never returns after disappearing in 2024. Iris (Candice Patton) says, “So what,” and points out the newspaper article has changed before and that Team Flash will change it again. Cisco backs her up by saying Team Flash will knock the future on its ass and Caitlin responds, “Ditto.”

Cecile (Danielle Nicolet) talks to Joe (Jessie L. Martin) and tells him that she thinks she is losing her powers.

At S.T.A.R. Labs, Cisco is watching old images and messages from Gypsy when Caitlin comes in to check on him. Cisco admits he’s having a real hard time getting over the break-up and that he can’t vibe because he keeps seeing her and smelling her, that they’re still connected. Ralph then asks Cisco to vibe the fake death certificate of Caitlin’s dad, but Caitlin enlists Ralph to help her get Cisco over Gypsy instead.

A new meta-human villain named Vanessa shows up and attacks known gunrunners in Central City. She takes their inventory and kills one of the bosses.

The next day, Barry’s at the crime scene with Captain Singh (Patrick Sabongui) who’s concerned with the guns now on the street Central City could turn into a war zone. Nora surprises tehm when she shows up and tells Singh that Central City’s CSIs are on the case. Singh asks who she is, and Barry tells him she’s his intern. He brought her in to help get through all the cases that built up while he was suspended.

Barry has to stop Nora when she tries to touch the evidence, advising her that in 2018 they still have to use gloves and conduct the investigation the old-fashioned way. It seems in Nora’s time they have really cool advanced technology to keep crime scenes from getting contaminated. Iris shows up and talks to Singh about Gridlock. He tells her off the record that he was killed when his prison convoy was attacked but they don’t have any leads yet.

Ralph’s at his P.I. office going over with Cisco the “Book of Ralph” and his 27 steps to getting over the love of your life. Cisco doesn’t want to participate, but Caitlin encourages him to. Ralph assures them Cisco is in need of a transformation.

Iris interviews one of the wounded officers from the convoy and he doesn’t remember much. He got knocked out and when he woke up on the ground, Gridlock was dead.

At Joe’s house, Cecile reveals she thinks she found a way to keep hearing their baby’s thoughts using a special device. Joe disagrees, believing they’ll figure it out without the device. Just then the baby cries and Joe takes care of her.

Back at the CCPD labs, Barry and Nora are able to uncover the identity of the meta who attacked the gunrunners through the evidence they collected. Her name is Vanessa Jensen and they get a clue as to where she’s doing a gun deal. Nora and Flash suit up to take her down.


When they get there, Vanessa’s arguing with Bruno, the crime boss she took the guns from. She attacks him with her powers. Barry tells Nora to survey the perimeter but she speeds over and puts Bruno in the truck full of guns and closes the rear holding door. “Sorry, I can’t let you hurt him,” says Nora to Vanessa who then uses her powers on Nora and traps her in a block of energy. The Flash speeds over and Vanessa uses her powers to throw the energy block with Nora inside into the air and across the city. The Flash speeds off and gets ahead of it, using his speed to create a controlling wind to slow the energy block and safely land it on the ground. The energy pops and Nora is free but embarrassed.

Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Caitlin checks Nora over and determines she’s okay. A very uninspired Cisco starts to leave and tosses out his nickname for Vanessa – Block – without putting any real thought into it. Barry looks at Caitlin and she tells him she and Ralph are trying to help Cisco get over Gypsy. She excuses herself to go after Cisco.

Ralph takes Cisco and Caitlin to his stylist so Cisco can have a makeover. Cisco gets his hair styled but not cut. He also gets a new hip suit which he hates. Cisco tells Ralph he’s had enough of this and would rather focus on Caitlin’s father’s fake death certificate. Cisco suggests they take it to Joe since he can’t vibe it and Joe can do some good old-fashioned police investigating. Caitlin replies, “No, that’s okay.” However, Ralph is intrigued and believes it’s a good idea. He’s about to call Joe when Caitlin yells, “STOP!” Surprised by her reaction, both Cisco and Ralph freeze at stare at her. “I need a break,” admits Caitlin before walking out.

Barry takes Nora back to S.T.A.R. Labs to train and to study the basics. She’s disappointed and eager to show him what she can do, so she races around. When she attempts to throw lightning she stumbles and accidentally hits Barry with it. “Dad!” yells Nora as she races over to him. He waves her off saying it’s okay. “I’ve been hit with lightening before,” says Barry.

Iris heads to Barry’s office and checks out what little video footage they have of the attack and murder of Gridlock. She can’t see much but she hears something that sounds like heavy breathing.

Barry asks Joe for some advice about Nora. He brings him up to speed about her behavior and not listening to him. Joe smiles and nods, asking Barry if he remembers his 4th grade science project. “All you had to do was build a plastic volcano and instead you built a working robot,” says Joe. Barry explains he was trying to impress him because he had taken him in; he was his hero. “Who do you think is Nora’s hero?” replies Joe.

Barry realizes Nora’s trying to impress him and asks Joe what he should do. Joe suggests Barry should let Nora know it’s okay to fail and that everyone makes mistakes. “Show her that you’ll always love her, no matter what. That’s what parents do,” says Joe. Barry thanks Joe and leaves. Cecile, who has been listening in and is deeply touched by Joe’s words goes over and kisses him. His words have given her new confidence in being a mom to a newborn.

Cisco finds Caitlin at Jitters and tells her he knows Gypsy wasn’t the one for him and encourages her to find out the truth about her dad. Caitlin, now upset and teary-eyed, admits to Cisco she’s afraid to because what if he doesn’t want anything to do with her. Cisco tells her if that’s the case, then she’ll know and that she would be better off knowing the truth instead of always wondering.

Barry plays Nora old videos of his early training days to show her that he didn’t start off an impressive hero. He needed to practice and learn to control and use his speed in order to become the protector of Central City.

A little later Iris, Barry, and Nora realize that Block’s powers would show up as a strong weather pattern. Even though they haven’t fixed the S.T.A.R. Labs satellite, they can watch the weather channels for news about a strange strong signal. It works and they track Block to another meet up with Bruno and some goons who want the guns back.

The Flash Season 5 Episode 2 Recap
Chris Klein as Cicada in ‘The Flash’ season 5 episode 2 (Photo: Katie Yu © 2018 The CW Network)

The Flash and XS speed around and take down Bruno and his thugs. The Flash tries to go for Block but she traps him in an energy block. Nora starts speeding around drawing her fire, hoping to do so until Block gets tired. Nora then speeds over and puts the power dampening cuffs on her, freeing The Flash of the energy block. That’s when Block screams out in pain and passes out. A cloaked figure appears.

Iris is listening in and Caitlin, Cisco, and Ralph show up asking what’s going on. They listen and hear Barry tell Nora to speed Block to a hospital. Iris asks who’s there and Barry tells her he doesn’t know. Cisco and Ralph suit up and Vibe portals them to Barry’s location. The cloaked figure is Cicada and he uses his lightning bolt dagger which lights up followed by The Flash, Vibe and Elongated Man discovering their powers are gone.

Cicada takes them on and is much better at hand-to-hand combat than they are. Vibe tries to get the dagger but Cicada rips it from his hands, cutting them in the process. Cicada is about stab a beaten-up Flash with his dagger but stops when he hears Nora yell, “Dad!” Cicada looks at her and then down at The Flash. He suddenly ceases to attack and leaves the beaten trio of superheroes lying there.

Once more to S.T.A.R. Labs and in the medical bay Caitlin’s treating their wounds. Cisco uses his bandaged hands to grab the fake death certificate. Caitlin assures Cisco it’s not important, but he tells her if she wants to know he can vibe it now. Caitlin’s hesitant but Ralph reminds her that whatever she decides, they have her back and will support her. She agrees and Cisco vibes while holding the phony death certificate and touching Caitlin. Caitlin sees in the vision her mother forging the certificate. Cisco breaks off the vision and it appears to have taken a lot out of him. Caitlin tells Ralph and Cisco what she saw and that’s when Barry calls for them to come to the cortex.

They enter and Iris shows them the video of Gridlock’s death. They can’t make out much and Ralph asks, “What are we looking for here?” Iris says for them to listen. Team Flash hears the heavy breathing and they realize it’s the cloaked man they just fought. Caitlin comments that his breathing sounds like an insect and Nora says, “Like a Cicada.” “Who is Cicada?” asks Barry.

The Flash Season 5 Episode 2 Review:

Funny, sweet, and a little scary, season five episode two titled “Blocked” introduced Team Flash to this season’s big villain who’ve they’ve already take a serious beating from during their first encounter. The episode also revealed a new lead into Caitlin’s father not being dead and her mother being part of the conspiracy. (Poor Caitlin!)

The standout performance goes to Danielle Panabaker for delivering the only truly serious and heartfelt scene in the episode. The scene in Jitters in which Panabaker as Caitlin reveals to Cisco just how scared she is to find out why her father faked his death followed by her admission that her greatest fear is he doesn’t want anything to do with her is truly moving. With her eyes tearing up and her lips quivering, Panabaker as Caitlin shows how much she has put her dad on a pedestal and is terrified of what the truth might hold. It’s a short but extremely effective scene.

With Team Flash already being introduced to the main villain this season, the next episode’s title “The Death of Vibe” has fans and critics concerned about the fate of Cisco Ramon. It’s safe to say dark and deadly days are ahead for Team Flash.

GRADE: B-

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