THE FLASH “There Will Be Blood” Review: Cry it Out

The Flash — “There Will Be Blood” Pictured (L-R): Danielle Panabaker as Killer Frost and Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon — Photo: Robert Falconer/The CW

The Flash “There Will Be Blood” Review

By Justin Carter

The Flash is doing a curious thing in these pre-crossover episodes in having Barry forcing the others to deal with his own mortality. It’s not something you see superhero shows really do –usually that comes after and doesn’t dominate a good third of a season — and there’s a very real chance that this will get exhausting having to watch Barry go through this multiple times with five people, six if and when Iris has a breakdown of her own. All of this is to say that there’s eventually a point where Barry having to guide the members of Team Flash into accepting his death before December is going to wear thin, just by its very nature. 

That said. Letting Joe and Barry cry it out is easily the best version of this scene that we’re going to have and on its own almost makes the Cisco and Barry stuff worth it. It’s a well acted moment with years of history backing it up, and a great way to close out the episode. 

Our reason for all the emotions begins when Nash Wells shows up and enlists Barry and Cisco to help him build a device in exchange for helping them secure a replicating serum that could cure anything. Including Ramsey’s HLH, which Barry wants Cisco to do instead of trying to save him. The idea is that Cisco will step up to be team leader once everything settles down, but Cisco takes the serum for himself once he learns it could save Barry from antimatter waves. 

Meanwhile, the part of the episode that justifies the title sees Ramsey start hoarding blood to continue living, interspersed with flashbacks of his mother accepting her cancer and him angered by her acceptance. The flashbacks are the least interesting aspect of all this, but everything kicks up a notch when Ramsey realizes, in the most dramatic way possible, that he has to kill people in order to get their blood and keep on living. It’s very silly to see him make this realization right before the camera cuts to the Hippocratic Oath he has on his wall, but it doesn’t make things any less creepy when he goes to the hospital and starts slaughtering people and turning them into zombies. 

Not exactly a win for Team Flash when Ramsey’s zombies all dissolve into blood as he makes his escape, but now they know his secret. His very bloody secret, just in time for Halloween.  

Additional Notes

• Ralph doesn’t get a whole lot to do this week other than be sad and ignore any leads on Sue Dearbon. He’ll be picking up the case again next week. 

• When Frost gave herself icy knuckles and was on the other end of a hallway ready to fight a zombie, I got some serious Mortal Kombat vibes. 

• Nash spends the post-credits tag doing some Monitor hunting, setting up what’s sure to be the reveal of him actually being Pariah, who Tom Cavanaugh is playing in Crisis. 

• Next week: Breacher returns!