Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Reaction: "The Singularity" (3x18)

Spoilers! Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. contains PG-13 level content. If you need a recap of Tuesday's episode, find it here.

Last week, our favorite seismic human, Daisy Johnson, was inhabited by Hive and turned into one of his lackeys. In this episode, Coulson launched a full-out rescue mission for her, Fitzsimmons took further steps in their relationship (!!!), and Hive continued gathering recruits for his Inhuman army. Also, we learned that Coulson is still a Captain America fanboy. (Though really, was there ever any doubt?)

My Favorite Moments

★ Coulson acting like a concerned father, which Lincoln and May both pointed out. (Lincoln is right, they are a pretty messed up family, but I love them anyway.) I've always known Coulson and Daisy are like a father and daughter, so it was nice to have confirmation.

★ James' snark, as well as his fiery Inhuman transition. I googled him, and it turns out there is indeed a Secret Warrior in the comics named J.T. James... aka Hellfire. It seems that he served Daisy Johnson and Nick Fury, so I'm hoping James sticks around. He makes me laugh.

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★ Fitzsimmons. Honestly, everything about them. Because of all the dysfunction in their relationship, I never thought they'd come this far. They've been through so much, so I definitely feel like both they deserve some happiness. I feel so satisfied with how it came about and how adorable they are. (Though, like I said, I'm surprised it happened. Also, I'm worried that this means one of them will die sometime.) Whatever happens, I really feel like the chemistry was palpable, and I feel like both the audience and Fitzsimmons have earned it. With this episode, they've quickly become one of my favorite ships based solely on their development and struggle to get to this point.

★ Mack knowing that Fitzsimmons have been in love for a long time was perfection.

★ Dr. Radcliffe and Anon. I'm very intrigued by them and their technology--Anon's arm screen was so cool. 

★ Seeing Hive's personalities. While it's still creepy that Hive has possessed human hosts, I do think it's a genius decision from the screenwriters. It gives us the closure we needed with Ward, especially his relationship with Skye/Daisy, as well as the closure we and Jemma needed with Will. (Jemma shooting him, despite his pretense of being Will, made me very proud of her. I also appreciated the seeds they sowed earlier in the episode with May talking to her about the gun.) 

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★ Everyone's acting. Chloe Bennet was terrifying and perfect as Daisy under Hive's control, and Brett Dalton was stunning as always. (I really, really worry that Hive will die. While I'm okay with the parasite dying, I really don't want Brett Dalton to leave the show. I hope they can find a way to keep him.) 

★ Coulson actually kept the fake blood-spattered Captain America card. I loved that.

★ And finally, THIS MOMENT.

"I thought it would be cool if the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. had a shield." Captain America would be so proud.

My Least Favorite Moments

★ I definitely cringed when Jemma stabbed the needle into Radcliffe's eye.

★ Despite the fact that I don't care too much for Lincoln (yet), I really disliked how he was treated in this episode. Coulson putting him in a "murder vest" yet telling May not to shoot Daisy was pretty hypocritical, so I was glad May called him on it.

Favorite Quote

Coulson: "Okay... the leg hurts a little."
May: "Maybe you should get a cybernetic one."
Coulson: "Too soon."

Overall

This episode had so many good character moments, and as we get closer to the season finale, I can't wait to see how it all goes down. What about you? What did you think of it? Did you cry about Fitzsimmons as much as I did? Sound off in the comments!

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Why Should I Worry? (Disney's Oliver & Company, 1988)

In this animated update of the classic "Oliver Twist" tale, Oliver is an orphaned kitten taken in by a gang of thieving dogs, led by cavalier canine Dodger and owned by down-and-out pickpocket Fagin. While pulling a job in the streets of New York City, Oliver winds up being adopted by a rich girl, Jenny, and landing on easy street. But through a series of events, a loan shark threatens the peaceful new arrangement. - Google

Story

     Oliver and Company takes a "modern" (for the 80's) spin on Dicken's classic, Oliver Twist.   There have been several movies and stories inspired by this classic, but this film really took a fresh spin on the story.   I think Disney was experimenting with classic books recreated in a new way (with animals).   This movie took the same approach as The Lion King where they followed very closely (but not too closely) to a classic story while keeping it original by putting new songs and characters in between the more serious parts.   I really enjoyed this retelling.   (The new character names were slightly hard to remember, however.   I kept calling Rita "Nancy."   XP )

Visuals

     The most visually impressive part of this film was Georgette's song, "Perfect Isn't Easy," which shows that the overall visual experience wasn't that great.   (I kid, I kid.   Sorry, Georgette.)   Really though, the animation and scenery wasn't all that impressive.   Lots of the sets felt empty, and the animation was sketchy.   I've found that after the release of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the animation in Disney films went through a slump until the release of The Little Mermaid.   Even before the slump, the animation quality was steadily decreasing.   The Sword in the Stone, which I have reviewed before, had very shoddy animation and it came before Winnie the Pooh.

Music

     My favorite (and the most famous!) song in this film is "Why Should I Worry?" sung by Dodger.   I really loved Dodger's character in this retelling, and this song showed how hard he tried not to stress out about his difficult lifestyle.   I also really enjoyed "Once Upon a Time in New York City" which plays at the very beginning of the film.   It was a great opener and a pretty song.

Final Rating

     Not the best animated film, but worth the watch.   I think it would be fun to read Oliver Twist before watching this movie and compare the two.   They're both very different, but good in their own ways.   (I hadn't read Oliver Twist before watching this film, but I was very familiar with the story line and characters.)

Bonus gif:

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Jane the Virgin Recap: "Chapter Forty-One" (2x20)

Yet another great episode. Let's get started, shall we?

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We start with a flashback of young Jane saving money in her piggy bank, then flash forward to the present where she is picking out rugs for Mateo's room with Michael. They get interrupted by room service, along with the daily paper with its top story about Michael corrupting the Sin Rostro investigation. Rafael's brother isn't too happy either because they knew about his boat. Petra also isn't happy about it, but her medication seems to be working better. Meanwhile, Anezca (I'd been spelling it wrong) has a new job at the hotel, but she isn't doing a very good job.

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Jane is also upset she isn't seeing Mateo as often, then runs into the sitter outside and says she'll take Mateo off her hands. While walking, she talks with Xo, who wants to audition for a small role in Rogelio's telenovela. Meanwhile, Rogelio is busy with the head writer, but Dina must be off soon as well for more casting. Later, Rafael comes by to pick up Mateo and is upset Jane has him on his day. They agree they need to work out a custody system. Even later, Jane decides to buy everything for Mateo's room, when Michael walks in and says he's been fired.

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In order to work everything out, Michael says he'll look for a new job and Jane will pick up extra shifts. But when she goes to ask Scott, he says her shifts will be spent training Anezca. Meanwhile, Xo asks Rogelio about the part, and he immediately gives it to her. But she catches him whiffing the head writer's hair and suspects something is up. Later, Jane starts training with Anezca, but things aren't really clicking with her. Jane tries to concentrate on work, and as she's serving a guest she overhears how the guest's son needs help with a college essay and she'd be willing to pay big bucks, so Jane pitches herself and gets the job.

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Jane tells this to Xo, but she's too distracted because she knows Rogelio is sleeping with Dina, and Dina isn't too happy he hired Xo, because she's not sure Xo can act. Later, Jane and Rafael meet up with the custody lawyer, but when they start dividing up time, things start to get complicated. The next day, Jane has trouble leaving Mateo to go to work, and Anezca still isn't getting better. Also, Petra isn't sure Rafael trusts her with the trust money for the girls.

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Meanwhile. Xo struggles at the telenovela, but Rogelio assures her he'll fix it. Jane is also struggling when she realizes she isn't really helping that kid write his essay, but actually writing it herself. She decides to quit, but then Michael says no one's hiring him because of his reputation. He later goes to meet with Rogelio because Rogelio could possibly clear up his reputation. Also, Xo's bad acting can't be fixed in editing, so Rogelio has to tell her she's fired.

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Later, Petra confronts Rafael about not being able to control the twin's trust fund when Jane can control Mateo's, and he says it's because he trusts Jane more. Speaking of Jane, she's with the kid she's mentoring, and she finds a way to get through to him and help him write his own essay. Also, Xo accepts being fired, but thinks it's for the best because she doesn't like being around Rogelio and Dina. Rogelio says he doesn't really like her, but when he thinks about it, he probably does.

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Later, Anezca gets her first tip, much to Jane's amazement. But Jane's joy is later crushed when the mom of the kid she's mentoring doesn't like the essay because it's all about drumming, and she doesn't want her kid to go into that. Jane says she'll rewrite it, but the entire situation makes her think about Rafael's custody, and she agrees to let Rafael have a month vacation with him. Later, Rogelio tells Dina about Xo knowing they were a thing, and Dina assures him that they're not, which hurts him.

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At the hotel, Jane and Rafael are glad things are working out, but Petra is jealous of their relationship. She tells Anezca about this, and Anezca starts to dislike Jane as well. Later, as Jane writes the essay for that kid, she realizes her priorities are in the wrong place. She wants to spend more time with Mateo, so she tells Michael she has to step back on work, which is okay for now, because he found a new job under Rogelio. Jane is happy, and with Rafael's support she is able to back out of the extra shifts at work. Meanwhile, Anezca sends in an ad to Jane's school for essay writing, which you just don't do.

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That night, Petra goes to Rafael and he apologizes for not trusting her, but she agrees it's a process. But she also calls him out on lying, so he comes clean to his brother about telling the police about the boat, and we end with his brother making a call saying "let's get him."

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What did you guys think of this week's episode?

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You Are a Wonder Woman: 5 Female Superheroes for Superhero Day

"In a world of ordinary mortals, you are a wonder woman." – Queen Hippolyta

Today is National Superhero Day. It's a day to appreciate superheroes--both the ones that wear capes and the real life heroes that save the ordinary day. Here at The Fangirl Initiative, we love superheroes of all kinds. So in honor of such a wondrous day, we're showcasing some of our favorite female superheroes--the ones that deserve to be called "wonder women."

Amanda Horn | Scarlet Witch

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When I first watched Age of Ultron, I was almost instantly intrigued by the Maximoff twins. I became even more intrigued by Wanda once I realized that she is probably an INFP, which is what I am. From almost her first action and word in the movie, it’s obvious that she has a quiet inner strength. She’s more cautious than her brother, preferring to let him do most of the talking, but she has extraordinary intelligence and understanding of people’s actions.

But I also think she’s a great female superhero because she learns to trust her teammates. After being isolated for so long, with only her brother to care about and hold on to, she didn’t want to trust strangers, one of whom designed weapons that killed her parents. Wanda and Pietro’s life goal was to avenge their parents’ deaths and give meaning to the pain and heartache that they went through in the aftermath. When your purpose in life is one of two choices, the other being saving the world, which one do you pick?

No matter her actions before, when Clint told her what was going on and what she needed to do, she rose to the occasion and did it. She may have been young and scared, but she made the right choice in a difficult situation. To me, she is what a strong woman is. Not someone who isn’t scared, but someone who rises above the fear and fights the evil and darkness that is present in our lives. I am intensely grateful that Wanda is an Avenger, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for her in Civil War.

Jaime Heller| Ms. Marvel

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Two years ago, I went to a writing festival and heard G. Willow Wilson speak on the need for fantasy in the world. She captured me with her words, so when I found out she was a comic book writer for Marvel, I knew I had to read her work. Thus, I met Kamala Khan, the latest version of Ms. Marvel.

Kamala Khan is a precious gem in the world of comic books these days. She's a teenager living in New Jersey, who accidentally gets super powers. And she uses her super powers to keep her side of the city safe from several crazy people. But beyond her super powers, Kamala Khan is a regular girl. She has boy problems, parent problems, and school problems. She writes fanfiction about the Avengers in her free time. She daily struggles with her identity--between who she wants to be and who she is, between being a superhero and a regular girl, between being Muslim, Pakistani-American, and a girl raised in 21st century New Jersey.

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I absolutely adore Kamala Khan. Her comics are fun and hilarious. She teams-up with several superheroes like Captain Marvel, Wolverine, and Spider-Man--and she fangirls the entire time during the missions. She faces off against the weird and the weirder. Yet, she's still relateable and funny. She goes above and beyond the call of duty to help save the ones she loves and the world she lives in. Kamala Khan is pretty marvelous.

Wonder Woman

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Wonder Woman is the epitome of "female superhero." She has been since she first debuted back in 1941. When people think of strong, female superheroes, Wonder Woman is definitely at the top of the list. She's strong, she's brave, she's bold, and she's beautiful. She's a demigod, warrior princess from the Amazon after all. Basically, she's awesome.

Recently, we've been blessed with the promise of a Wonder Woman movie in 2017. I, for one, cannot wait for this film to be released. I look forward to delving more into her story. Wonder Woman's brief appearance in Batman vs. Superman set up who this female hero will be. And let's just say: she's wondrous.

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For once, she is not reduced to a love interest. She is not pushed to the side to make room for the big, hulking heroes. She holds her own. She stands up against the villain of doom. She's strong. She's brave. And she's badass beautiful.

Jameson C. Smith| Violet Parr

What makes Violet Parr such an awesome superhero? 

Well, she has two amazing superpowers: invisibility and the ability to create force fields.

But she doesn't begin the story as a superhero. Sure, she has powers, but she's not supposed to use them, and her concerns aren't saving the world. She's a girl trying to survive being a teenager with the added obstacles of shyness, awkwardness, and self-doubt. First and foremost, she's just a regular girl.

After her superhero journey begins, Violet learns how to better control her powers and uses them to defeat a villainous genius, Syndrome, his minions, and the super smart, evil robot Syndrome created. These are all tough, seemingly impossible obstacles to overcome, but she learns to trust her abilities and herself and win. This large-scale fight enables Violet to overcome her everyday obstacles of shyness and awkwardness.

I was eleven when The Incredibles hit theaters and very shy myself, so seeing a superhero with the same struggle was really cool. Although I couldn't turn myself invisible or generate force fields, I could relate to Violet's feelings of self-doubt and shyness. I admired that part of her story, because it showed such a human aspect of being a superhero. When we think of superheroes we think of their big fights against their greatest foes. In Violet's case, her biggest foes were overcome in her journey to gaining confidence and courage. 

Violet is an awesome superhero because she's a person first, who isn't perfect but knows what she can do. (And she has really cool superpowers.)

Sky Destrian | Black Widow

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One of my favorite superheroes--no, one of my favorite characters of all time--is Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow. She's one of my favorite parts of the current MCU, and I'm still disappointed she hasn't had her own movie. Natasha is fantastic for so many reasons, but the main reason I love her so much is because of how well her character has been represented and developed.

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While Natasha was included in Iron Man 2, her first major Marvel film role was in The Avengers. However, my favorite development ever was when she was given a role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. She proved that there was a lot more to her than we first thought--in addition to being the perfect femme fatale, Natasha is human. She laughs, she cries, and she both gives and receives love, especially in her friendship with Steve Rogers. Her mask got a chance to slip in this movie, revealing underneath a vulnerability and casualness from Natasha that I haven't seen in an MCU film since. (Major kudos to you, Russo brothers and Scarlett Johansson.) 

Natasha also has tons of comics backstory that the MCU has barely touched, and I want to see much more of it. While Natasha's role and characterization in Avengers: Age of Ultron wasn't exactly what I wanted to see, I'm glad she was in the movie, and I'm looking forward to her roles in future Marvel films. I have hope that Natasha will remain a cornerstone of the MCU for a long time to come, and I look forward to seeing even more of her in Captain America: Civil War. 

Natasha is strong, she is bold, she is funny, she is resilient. Most of all, she's someone I look up to as a badass female role model (though let's be honest, no one will ever be quite that cool). I'm very grateful for Natasha Romanoff.

In the words of Elastigirl...

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5 Reasons to Watch Young Justice

(Spoilers for Young Justice.)

I’m a professed Marvelite. When the question “DC or Marvel” comes up, my allegiance is always with Marvel. But in spite of that, there is one DC show that claims a special part of my heart. Six young heroes—Aqualad, Robin, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian and Artemis—the sidekicks of the heroes of the Justice League, come together to form a team of their own, to do the missions the adult heroes can’t, in secret and in plain sight. Their adventures, missions, trials and triumphs are Young Justice, and here are five reasons to experience them for yourself.

1. The characters are nuanced and well-written. 

When we meet the six main characters, they are already complex and compelling, but they grow and mature over the course of the show. Each of them are showcased and given the chance to win a place in viewers’ hearts. For example: Superboy, a.k.a. Conner Kent, was given a backstory that differed a little sharply from the "Connor Kent/Kon-El" of the comics. He was cloned from Superman’s DNA and speed-grown in sixteen weeks by the mysterious and unscrupulous organization called Project Cadmus when he was discovered and rescued by Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad. Over the course of the show and with the help of his teammates, Superboy learns to define and discover who he is as a person and chooses for himself the name Conner. I personally find it intriguing and different that Conner only has super-strength, infra-red vision, limited invulnerability, and can only leap tall buildings in a single bound. Yeah, he can’t fly, and he doesn’t have heat vision. To me that makes him more real and more accessible—and closer to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's original vision of Superman.
Sue me, Superman fans.

 2. The villains are fresh and less clichéd than usual. 

Let’s face it—in superhero animated shows like Young Justice, the villains are usually all about beating the heroes and “taking over the world” and causing as much mayhem and chaos as possible with no better motives or reasons. The main villains of Young Justice are a shadowy and villainous circle of figures who call themselves “the Light”. They and their compatriots do cause a lot of chaos and mayhem, but usually they do have believable and plausible reasons for doing so. One of their number—Klarion the Witch Boy, a Lord of Chaos who seems to be pretty much a spirit of evil magic—orchestrates a powerful spell that splits the world into two dimensions: one for the children and one for the adults. The heroes defeat him—at a price—but it’s revealed that Klarion’s magical display was no more than a smoke screen—a diversion so the Light could steal an object vital to their plans. When villains actually start finding direction and traction with their plans…things start to get a little scary, don’t they?

3. The problems, the struggles, the obstacles are real. 

Again, unlike a lot of superhero and “kids” cartoons and shows, the writers and showrunners don’t insult their heroes’ intelligence—or ours. The missions that Batman sends the team on challenge them to the best of their abilities, and it is never without a struggle. And just like in real life…there is tragedy. And loss. In the aforementioned fiasco with Klarion the Witch Boy, the team was losing—badly—so their friend Zatanna donned the Helmet of Fate, which enabled the legendary Lord of Order—Doctor Fate—to possess her and help defeat Klarion. The price was that Fate refused to release her, for he is the mortal enemy of Lords of Chaos like Klarion and he was convinced that the world needed Doctor Fate more than a little magician’s apprentice like Zatanna. Her father, the seasoned Justice Leaguer Zatara, offered himself in his daughter’s place as a stronger and more suitable host, and so Zatanna could be free to live her own life. The bargain was accepted, and Zatara was lost to Fate. Before this moment, Zatara’s appearances could be counted on one hand, but even so, for me this episode hit hard, and needless to say I bawled my eyes out. Of course, it didn’t help that Zatara was voiced by one of my favourite voice actors, Nolan North.

4. The fresh, exciting storylines. 

In an environment in which networks seem to be introducing more and more kid shows with shorter and shorter run times and less serialized arcs, Young Justice invited its viewers to put every episode under a microscope and speculate and theorize on which side Artemis was playing for, who were members of the Light, and what their endgame was—among many others. In Season 1, each member of the team got an episode that centered around them and focused on their individual, personal struggles and problems and showcased each of them for who they were and whom they were growing to be. And all the smaller story lines are masterfully woven into the larger arc of unmasking and defeating the malevolent Light. No episodes are filler, and even though they’re not all home runs, the writers and showrunners consistently deliver a satisfying conclusion to each arc.

5. The equal racial and gender representation. 

It’s a none-too-pretty truth that when comics first started, it was a mostly white man’s world—and for a while, a man’s world. In recent decades, things have gotten a lot better in that regard, and Young Justice is excellent proof of that. When the team starts out they have two girls in their ranks: one a Martian and the other part Vietnamese. Their leader is Aqualad, canonically Atlantean, but of undeniable African American influence. And as the team grows into Season 2, they are joined by Blue Beetle, a Hispanic superhero; Guardian, another African American hero; Batgirl and Wonder Girl, the young sidekicks of their Justice League counterparts; and Rocket and Bumblebee, both African American female heroes. It’s heartening to see heroes of all shapes, sizes, genders, and races step into prominence—the way it’s meant to be.

(Whoops, sorry, wrong fandom :P )

I call myself a Marvel girl not because I hate DC. I don’t hate DC. It’s because more times than not, DC has disappointed me. But there’s been times that DC has come through, and Young Justice is one of those times. These are the stories of young heroes stepping out of their mentors’ shadows, finding their own place in the world, rising up to meet challenges both too big and too small for their Justice League counterparts. And even though the show was cancelled in 2013, since then it has found new life on Netflix, and there have even been rumours that Netflix will pick it up for a Season 3.  So go.  Watch. Experience Young Justice for yourself. And who knows?  f you love it as so many others do and enough of us are watching it, we just might get that Season 3.

Are you interested in watching Young Justice?
Have you already seen it?
Let us know below!

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The Flash Recap: "Versus Zoom" (2x18)

Warning: spoilers for The Flash. This episode of The Flash deals with darker themes, including serial killers, shock therapy, and really terrifying bad guys.

After a few week's hiatus, The Flash returned with another breathtaking episode. Barry and the STAR Labs team have figured out a way to increase Barry's speed. Now they must open a portal to Earth-2 and confront Zoom once and for all. But Zoom isn't who they think he is, and stopping him won't be as simple as they think.

This is The Flash!

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Earth-2: Twenty Years Ago
A little boy wakes up to his parents fighting in the other room. He leaves his bed and walks down the hall to find his father looming over his mother. The father wears a metal helmet with wings--just like Jay's helmet. The father yells about being a hero, but the mother says he's nothing but a monster. The father sees the little boy and beckons him forward. He hands the boy the helmet before loading a gun. Then, he shoots the mother.

The boy rides in a car to a building surrounded by a fence. He holds the helmet as he is led inside. The escort says the boy is named Hunter Zolomon and that his father killed his mother and then himself. He has no relatives; he's alone. A lady takes him up the stairs to a room--his new home.

Earth-1: Present Day
Barry is outside Central City to test the new device that will increase his speed. He attaches it to his chest and turns it on. Cisco, Caitlin, and Iris track his speed as he races back to STAR Labs. Barry can run four times faster than his normal speed, which is faster than Zoom. The next step: find a way back to Earth-2. However, when Barry asks Harry for help re-opening the breaches, Harry refuses. He's still afraid Zoom will overpower them and target the ones they love. He's still worried about Jessie. Team Flash decides to figure it out without Harry. Iris tells Barry she's going on another date with Scott tonight, and Barry says he thinks that it's great she's able to feel comfortable enough to move on.

(SCIENCE BABES. Yes, that includes Cisco.--source)

Barry and Joe discuss Harry and the breaches over dinner. Joe agrees with Harry that opening the breaches and facing Zoom isn't the best idea. Wally comes in and tells Joe he doesn't live on campus anymore because of the cost. Joe offers to help pay for it, but Wally refuses.

Barry returns to STAR Labs to find Cisco and Caitlin hard at work but without any solid results. (Because setting off a nuclear bomb outside of the city is a terrible idea.) But his interaction with Joe and Wally gave Barry an idea. He asks Harry about Cisco's Earth-2 doppelganger, Reverb. Reverb could see in between the universes, but he also had another ability: shooting vortex energy from his hands. It's possible Cisco can do the same, which would allow him to open up a breach to Earth-2. Cisco tries, but he can't do it. Barry is certain Cisco can, but he wonders if STAR Labs isn't the best place to try it.

Harry visits Joe to ask him to convince Barry not to open the breaches. While Joe thinks it's a crazy plan, Joe knows he can't talk Barry out of doing something that involves saving other people. Instead, Joe tells Harry to help Barry. If Harry helps, Barry will have a better chance of stopping Zoom. (I actually love Joe West so much. He's a wonderful character. I'm so grateful he can be a detective, a dad, and a wonderful character all in one.)

(This is my favorite. Harry is just so... DONE.--source)

Barry and Cisco track down a location with high levels of residue left over from a breach. Cisco tries to summon his abilities again, but he fails. Harry, however, arrives with Reverb's goggles. He's recalibrated them for this earth, and he tells Cisco to try again. Cisco puts them on, and it works. The energy flows from his hands and creates a breach.

Cisco: "Just like Reverb. All I'm missing is the guyliner and the transformation's complete."

On Earth-2, Zoom senses the breach and races to find it. But Cisco stops and pulls off the goggles. He freaks out, telling Barry not to make him do this. Then he runs off.

(So cool! So cool! So Cool!--source)

Back at STAR Labs, Harry helps Barry with speed force stuff. Iris and Joe arrive to help out. Joe asks Barry about the whole Wally situation, and Barry tells him to offer Wally a place to live. Caitlin talks to Iris because she seems sad. Iris says she didn't go on her date last night. She says that everything feels like it's telling her she'll end up with Barry, and now that she's ready to move on, she wonders if it should be with Barry and not someone else. Joe offers Wally a place to stay at the West house. (This is such a nice moment. I'm so happy for Daddy Joe West.)

Joe: "Live here. I mean, it's yours if you want to."
Wally: "You're serious?"
Joe: "I'm not gonna do your laundry. And I'm not washing dishes after you. And this bed is going to be made every morning before you leave.  And there will be no beer in that fridge, but yeah, it's yours."

(I'm not crying. I'm not crying.--source)

At STAR Labs, Barry talks to Cisco about the breaches and Zoom. But Cisco isn't worried about Zoom--he's worried about himself. Using Star Wars, he explains to Barry why. He's worried he'll become what Reverb became--that he'll turn to the dark side. But Barry reassures him. Reverb didn't have Barry to be with him every step of the way; Cisco does. (Gosh, this episode is really pulling at my heartstrings.)

Cisco: "It's like right now I'm Anakin Skywalker. I got the midi-chlorians. I've got the goods.  The force is strong with me. That is something I can feel.  But if I start opening breaches into other worlds, doing all this other crazy stuff Reverb was doing, then ...  what if this is how I become Vader?"

(I'm definitely crying.--source)

Harry revamps the speed force device for Barry's suit, so he's all set to face off against Zoom. Barry talks to Caitlin, comforting her over Jay. She mentions that Jay's doppelganger on their earth was Hunter Zolomon. Harry overhears and tells them that on Earth-2 Hunter Zolomon was a convicted serial killer. (Oh boy.) He shows them the last known picture of Hunter Zolomon; he's got a shaggy beard and crazed eyes.

As Harry tells Hunter Zolomon's story, there are flashbacks depicting the events. Hunter Zolomon was convicted for twenty-three murders. He was sent to an insane asylum after the trial and given daily doses of shock therapy. Then, dark matter seeped into the asylum. Harry tried to stop it with the particle accelerator, but it didn't work. Instead, it created an unstoppable monster: Zoom.

Barry says that Zoom isn't unstoppable any more, and he wants to use Hunter's past to stop him. They set up an elaborate trap at STAR Labs. Harry brings Joe, Caitlin, and Iris into the secret room to keep them safe from Zoom. But he gives them a few weapons just in case. Barry and Cisco open up a portal to Earth-2. (I'm so proud of you, Cisco!) Immediately, Zoom bursts through. Barry confronts him, then challenges him to catch him. They take off through the city. (This is glorious! The dual lightning colors are fantastic.) Zoom gains on Barry, but the speed force device works, so Barry stays out of Zoom's clutches. He leads Zoom to STAR Labs.

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Barry taunts him again, and they race around STAR Labs. They've set up cut-outs of significant people in Hunter's life: his father and his mother. While Hunter is distracted, Barry restrains him and pulls off his mask. Face-to-face, Barry tells him about the doppelganger, but Hunter is only angry. He's dying, and he wants a permanent cure. He doesn't care how many lives it takes.

Barry: "You just don't care how many lives you destroy trying to get it? How many people you kill?"
Zoom: "No, I don't! That feeling was taken from me a long time ago. We're not so different. What happened to us when we were kids. You could have just as easily become me."
Barry: "No, I'd never become like you."

Hunter says it's about time he got what he came for, but Barry says no. Hunter says that you can't lock up the darkness. Then, his eyes turn black, and his voice changes. He vibrates, knocking off the restraint. He runs. Barry chases him, but Zoom disappears. (Duh-duh-DUN!)

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Barry, Joe, and Iris return home to find the house ransacked. Barry checks for Wally upstairs, but he's gone. A message is scrawled across the wall: Your speed for Wally. (Uh-oh!) Wally is locked in a cage in Zoom's lair. The man with the iron mask taps against the window, but Zoom shows up. He says only one person can save Wally now: the Flash. Wally is bewildered that the Flash would care about him, but Zoom says the Flash cares about someone who cares about Wally.

The team tries to come up with a way to save Wally and stop Zoom without Barry giving up his speed, but there isn't any other way. Joe storms out, upset, so Barry goes to talk to him. Joe says Barry can't give up his speed, but he wants Wally back too. Barry says Wally is a part of their family now, and families do whatever they have to in order to keep their family safe. (I love that this show is so focused on the theme of family. It's wonderfully refreshing.) Barry says giving up his speed is the only way to save Wally.

They return to STAR Labs. Cisco uses the goggles to contact Zoom. Zoom arrives with Wally. Barry approaches, dressed as the Flash, and agrees to Zoom's deal. Zoom removes his mask and smirks. (Poor Caitlin. She looks absolutely crushed that Jay is Zoom.) Harry explains he has a device that will take Barry's speed and turn it into serum that Zoom will be able to inject into himself. Harry then looks at Hunter and says someday he'll knock that smug smile off his face.

Barry asks Hunter if this was his plan all along, and Hunter says yes, ever since he saw another world. Iris then asks about Jay's death. Hunter says he did die, but Jay was a time remnant of himself. He went back in time after they closed the breaches and convinced himself to go along with this plan. Barry asks about the man in the iron mask, but Jay says he wouldn't believe him. (Curses! I want to know who it is! Come on!) Joe asks about the charade of being the Flash for Earth-2, and Hunter says it was fun to pretend to be a hero. It gave people hope, and then he ripped it away. Caitlin say he's no hero, only a monster. This gives Hunter major flashbacks to his mother saying the same thing to his father. (I sense this will be important later. A hint that Hunter Zolomon can be redeemed for his acts?)

Zoom: "It's so fun pretending to be a hero."
Caitlin: "You're no hero. You're nothing but a monster."

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Barry gets on Harry's device and begins to run. Faster and faster, he runs as the vial fills up with his speed force. He slows down as it leaves his body. Then he falls off the device, exhausted. Harry gives the vial to Zoom, who immediately injects it. As the new speed force merges with is body, he laughs and his eyes turn black and glow with multiple colors of lightning. (This is actually terrifying!)

He grabs Barry and pins him to the wall. Caitlin runs over, telling him to stop. She says that if anything that happened between them was real, he would let Barry go. She said she believes there is a piece of him that did care about her. Hunter releases Barry. Then, he grabs Caitlin and zooms away. (Duh-duh-DUN!)

Concluding Thoughts

I was a little worried that the revelation of who Zoom actually was would be disappointing. But I can say it was not. I loved seeing his backstory. While he's definitely a monster, it was heartbreaking to see the tragedy he went through at such a young age. I love that the two different earths bred different kinds of speedsters. And I'm impressed by Teddy Sears' acting throughout this entire season. He made me fall in love with Jay just as much as Caitlin did. I trusted him; I thought he was cool; I even rooted him on. But he also has made me loathe him by how he portrayed Hunter Zolomon's criminal persona and Zoom thus far. Excellent job!

This episode had many tender moments whether it was between Joe and Barry, Joe and Wally, Barry and Cisco, and even Harry and Barry. Seeing how much Harry cares for Jessie is still heart-wrenching. I also feel for Iris. She must be so overwhelmed with everything lately. And poor Caitlin! I was shocked that Zoom kidnapped her. I look forward to whatever comes next with this show. This entire season has been a wild ride. The Flash has yet to disappoint!

What did you think of "Versus Zoom"? How did you feel about the back story of Hunter Zolomon?

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