The Flash: “Rogue Time”
(Episode 1.16)

Last week’s episode of The Flash put so much in motion it seemed too good to be true, and ultimately it was. After kickstarting nearly every major storyline of the first season, the writers skillfully backtracked, having Barry run himself into the past. If that stemmed disappointment, I understand. Seeing numerous loose ends come to a head, only to be subsequently erased from existence can feel like hurtful deception. But it wasn’t a cop out. With “Rogue Time,” the writers wasted little time, proving they have no problem, fittingly, with putting things in motion.
After the surprise time travel at the end of last week, Barry has to deal with the fallout of breaking the timeline. As with many versions of temporal travel, The Flash hypothesizes that changing the timeline will cause potentially cataclysmic consequences. After deducing, thanks to Barry’s terrible inability to hide what exactly was going on, Dr. Wells warns our hero against making drastic changes to the day he’s already lived. Naturally, the advice is not heeded, and Barry quickly finds Mark Mardon, and locks him away in the S.T.A.R. Labs metahuman dungeon. And thus, the strands of time begin to unravel.
Save for the early bits specifically involving the phenomena, the fact that Barry traveled back in time and was altering the future did not really factor heavily in the episode. There was the occasional dialogue (primarily between Wells and Barry) involving time, but otherwise the hour played out much like any other Flash episode would. Leonard Snart and Mick Rory returned, this time with a third wheel, Snart’s sister, Lisa. Known in the comics as Golden Glider, Lisa Snart is a ruffian with a penchant for theft, much like her brother. While I like the inclusion of the Rogues, as expected as it was, I am still unsure of the performances by all parties. Dominic Purcell continues to bark every word like an unruly animal, chewing up the scenery until it’s nothing but pulp. Wentworth Miller is far more tactful, and by the end of tonight’s hour seemed nicely settled into his role as Captain Cold. But, at times, his portrayal is still slightly too large for the show. Subtlety has not exactly been a common trait among Flash villains, but the Rogues could use some toning down. As for the newcomer, Peyton List had so little time on screen that a valuable opinion couldn’t possibly be formed. While I’m uncertain on the acting of the Rogues, I am certain about their actions.