The Flash 8x8 : The Fire Next Time review

 

             Be warned there will be SPOILERS* involved in this review. With that being said let's get into it.

After last weeks pretty poor episode of The Flash can this weeks episode heat things up again (bad pun intended) the episode opens up inside of a bar as the owner says goodbye to a worker. Things take a sinister turn almost immediately when the owner goes to pick up a bar stool. It burns his hand instantly but also a wall of steam begins to emit from the bar with a beer glass that was half full beginning to bubble and boil. Someone is in the bar but we and the owner can't see them. The bar owner is killed by the sheer force of fire as we soon see his charred corpse at the crime scene. But before we get there Barry and Iris are seen together at their home. Upon looking at the calendar that they have hanging it becomes clear that the date which is February 1st is very important to Barry as he brushes off a date night with Iris before saying that he is doing alright. What's so significant about Feb 1st? we shall find out. At the crime scene and the charred corpse of the bar owner is on the ground with nothing else in the entire bar featuring any signs of fire damage. What or who could've caused this? it's obviously a fire based meta-human but beyond that Barry and CCPD currently know nothing. That all quickly takes a turn when Barry learns that a former convicted fire based meta human was recently let out of prison and is on parole. He was the meta-human who Iris took on way back in season 4 when she and Barry swapped Flash powers. His name is Jaco Birch and after asking the bartender about the identity of the supposed killer she immediately points to the photo of Birch that Barry shows her. Is he responsible? 

Jaco Birch who we last saw in season 4 as I said is out on parole and we see him working a job as security for an arena. It is here where we're also introduced to his son Harold. The area almost immediately gets surrounded by CCPD officers and The Flash who are all there to place Birch under arrest for his crime. Birch protests his innocence from the get go and as he is being led into the back of a police car Barry has flashbacks to that of his had being placed under arrest for the crime of killing Nora Allen. This leads to Barry / The Flash fighting to prove Birch's innocence for the rest of the episode. With Birch now in custody Cecil pays him a visit as she is to represent him if indeed he goes to court and is convicted for his crime. Birch once against says he is innocent all as Barry watches on from behind the glass. From here on out Barry is more determined more than ever to prove the innocence of Birch as the entire situation compares so much to his father and how he was wrongly sent to prison for years until he was proven innocent. While everyone is back at Star Labs they learn that Birch has escaped custody after learning that the bartender was the one who pointed him out to the CCPD via description. She is payed a visit by the fire meta and he kills her?? or does he as like before her entire corpse is left on the ground in a charred state with nothing else around having suffered any fire damage. Back at Star Labs and Chester after doing some digging on the bodies and surrounding areas learn that they weren't actually killed by regular fire but by something called cold nuclear fusion. So it seems like Barry was right all along. All that's left now is to get this information to the proper authorities so that Birch's name can be cleared. But could nuclear fusion mean Firestorm is back?? or at least some different form of Firestorm that is on the evil side??

The episode draws to a close as Birch is still in the wind. It all comes to a head when he interrupts his son and his social worker in a car along with a CCPD officer. He stops the car in the middle of a road stating that he just wants his son back and again that he is innocent. His emotions get the better of him as the ground around him begins to heat up leading to lava building underneath the Central City plate. The Flash and Frost soon arrive on the scene as the lava begins to come to the surface with Frost doing her best to stop it. The Flash has 30 seconds according to Chester to stop it and before he gets to work he asks Birch to consume all of the heat that he lets loose from under the ground. Birch is hesitant at first but does agree to this and by doing so he saves thousands of lives. This leads to him not only impressing his son but he also gets the freedom he so rightly deserved. Turns our Barry Allen was right all along and what I really liked here was the throwback to Barry and Henry Allen hugging outside of the prison after his release was shown as Birch was hugging his son after being proved innocent. The episode isn't over yet however as back with Barry and Cecil and we see that Birch is going to get full custody of his son. He thanks everyone and goes on his with his son who seems happy to have a proper father going forward. As for Barry we see him pull out his detective inspired board which Joe says he hasn't seen in 7-8 years which would line up exactly like the board from season 1 as the investigation board on Harrison Wells was put to good use. This was really great to be honest and the episode isn't even over here as it ends with the reveal of Feb 1st's importance. It is Henry Allen's birthday and the remaining moments of the episode are spent in tribute to him as Cecil, Joe, Iris and Barry all share a beer in his honor and talk about their fondest memories involving him. This was great in so many ways. From showing Henry Allen getting arrested like Birch to showing him and Barry embrace after being released from prison along side Birch and his sons reunion it was all implemented really well and in those moments this show really felt like The Flash of old. The episode ends back at Star Labs as Barry says there is a serial killer in Central City which is a very interesting concept indeed. And that was the episode. Not perfect but this was seriously close. This blows last weeks out of the water and is so much like The Flash of old. Great storytelling all around and overall just a fascinating narrative both in this episode and going forward. 

★★★★