Going full steam ahead in the hunt for Ronnie/Dr. Stein, and Detective West’s secret investigation into the murder of Barry’s mom, “The Nuclear Man” proved to be yet another strong entry for The Flash, with some missteps around the Barry/Linda/Iris love triangle.

Central to this series’ core is the mystery of who killed Barry’s mom, and with Detective West enlisting Cisco on the case, we got some very tantalizing progress on that front. Joe is one of my favorite characters on this show, in no small way because Jesse L. Martin adds such a warmth and depth to this character that definitely didn’t seem to be there in the pilot episode, but had exploded in good will ever since. Any scene with him is automatically better, but with the duty Joe has tasked himself with, solving the murder of Nora Allen, we get to see a parent figure really get to do some things that other parental figures (see Smallville and Arrow) haven’t. Having Joe discover that Barry was the Flash right off the bat, he’s been an active member of this team, not a passive one like the Kents, or one to be duped or ignored like Moira Queen. So watching him actually discover and be a force for progress in the who-dunnit story is fun to watch (A) because it’s fun to watch, but also (B) because it’s a new dynamic for this type of show.

Which brings us to the comic book science explanation for how Cisco was able to retrieve the “photographs.” It’s silly, ridiculous, and embarrassing to try to explain to someone else, but in the science world of The Flash and other comic book stories, it fits perfectly. And, really, how we got them doesn’t matter so much as long as that we did get them. Those ten frames were haunting to watch, and it would have been nice if we could have gotten a better look at them. What we did see, while I understand was out of focus due to the speed, was still out of frame and not terribly clear. I don’t know if it’s a matter of being closer or farther away, but just being able to see the ten frames play like a small video or gif would have definitely been appreciated.

And what was going on with that lady who owned the house? Is that going somewhere or was it just supposed to be funny? The reactions from Joe and Cisco were great, but the reason for the whole gimmick left me confused.

The other mystery the show set has set up is exactly what happened to Ronnie Raymond aka Dr. Stein aka F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. (FYI, that’s the last time I’m spelling it as an acronym). I know nothing about the character of Firestorm from the comics aside from the badass awesome flaming head, and I like what the show has done with him so far. They’ve maybe stretched it out a bit more than what I would’ve normally preferred, but really, Ronnie/Stein in the lab, having tests run, and everyone acknowledging what’s going on is what we’ve been headed to this whole time.

And for the most part, Robbie Amell pulled Stein’s psychosis and confusion off pretty well. There were a couple of clunky lines or line deliveries, but only a couple. Amell sold the scene of Stein breaking back into his home and confronting his terrified wife, and I even liked the concept/acknowledgment that different bodies would have different palates (“Maybe I’m a light beer man, now”).

Having a character explode into a mushroom cloud is a pretty great way to cliffhang an episode, and with the story and character development we’ve gotten so far, I want to see more of what’s to come.

In any of these genre shows, my least favorite part is almost always the love story aspect of it (except for that last season of Lois and Clark on Smallville, which was aces), so it’s not a big surprise that the Barry/Linda/Iris stuff dragged for me. I don’t think it would be so much of an issue if the show itself were clearer on Iris’ motivations. Clearly, she’s upset over Barry dating. She’s not evil enough to be upset that he’s happy, but I think we can be safe to say she’s upset that she didn’t realize what was right in front of her face all those years. So having her intentionally or accidentally poke around in Barry’s business with Linda was an issue for me.

Also, I get that Linda Park is a strong, independent woman, but having Barry fall apart in front of her, trying to make excuses on the phone, reflects poorly on Barry. He’s the Flash, damn it, someone who tried to chase down his mother’s murderer and who inhaled the deadly biotoxin cloud of a villain just to get a sample of it. I get that Barry’s not used to the relationship thing, I do, I get that. But watching that doesn’t make for compelling TV or character development.

It would also help if Barry’s professional/personal relationship with STAR Labs was a bit clearer. The first time Barry was trying to come up with an excuse, I was wondering why he didn’t just say he had urgent police business to take care of, only to then realize that, d’uh, Linda’s a reporter and knows the police activity pretty well, so I was glad that she was able to use that later on. Maybe if he was able to just let her know that he had some extremely important scientific research going on with STAR Labs, he could have that as a convenient out. But, yes, I also know that having a superhero come up with lame excuses and leaving in the middle of a date is Superhero Tropes 101, but maybe in the 21st Century, we could be a little bit smarter about it.

Quick Thoughts:

– Just a couple of Easter eggs I picked up, the building the jumper was at was at 52nd and Waid; DC loves their 52 and Mark Waid had a great (don’t say “run,” don’t say “run) tenure on The Flash comics. Also, the prize of Martin Stein’s that Dr. Wells was envying was the Conway Prize (Gerry Conway, comics writer and co-creator of the Firestorm character).

– Cisco’s pep talk on sexual longevity at super speeds, “Just think of a lot of dead puppies.” Jesus Christ, that’s awful. I laughed.

– It’s been established that Barry’s metabolism can fend off alcohol and poisons, but apparently not spicy peppers?

– Love, love, love, love Cisco figuring out the blood samples on the wall are of an adult Barry. I just freaking love time travel.

@kent_graham