Godspeed (The Flash)

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"Godspeed"
The Flash episode
Episode no.Season 5
Episode 18
Directed by Danielle Panabaker
Written by
  • Judalina Neira
  • Kelly Wheeler
Production codeT27.13768
Original air dateApril 16, 2019 (2019-04-16)
Guest appearance(s)
Episode chronology
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"Godspeed" is the eighteenth episode of the fifth season of the American television series The Flash , based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash, a crime scene investigator who gains super-human speed, which he uses to fight criminals, including others who have also gained superhuman abilities. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe, and is a spin-off of Arrow . The episode was written by Judalina Neira and Kelly Wheeler, and is the directorial debut of Danielle Panabaker.

<i>The Flash</i> (season 5) season of television series

The fifth season of the American television series The Flash, which is based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash, premiered on The CW on October 9, 2018, and concluded on May 14, 2019, with a total of 22 episodes. The season follows Barry, a crime scene investigator with superhuman speed who fights criminals, including others who have also gained superhuman abilities, as he deals with the consequences of his future daughter's time traveling. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe, and is a spin-off of Arrow. The season was produced by Berlanti Productions, Warner Bros. Television, and DC Entertainment, with Todd Helbing serving as showrunner.

<i>The Flash</i> (2014 TV series) 2014 TV series

The Flash is an American superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, and Geoff Johns, airing on The CW. It is based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash, a costumed superhero crime-fighter with the power to move at superhuman speeds. It is a spin-off from Arrow, existing in the same fictional universe. The series follows Barry Allen, portrayed by Grant Gustin, a crime scene investigator who gains super-human speed, which he uses to fight criminals, including others who have also gained superhuman abilities.

DC Comics U.S. comic book publisher

DC Comics, Inc. is an American comic book publisher. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. since 1967. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, and produces material featuring numerous culturally iconic heroic characters including: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Shazam, Martian Manhunter, Nightwing, Green Arrow, Hawkman, Cyborg, Batgirl and Supergirl.

Contents

Grant Gustin stars as Barry, and is joined by principal cast members Candice Patton, Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, Hartley Sawyer, Danielle Nicolet, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Tom Cavanagh, and Jesse L. Martin. The episode focuses on the aftermath of Nora West-Allen's partnership with Eobard Thawne being exposed to Team Flash, and flashbacks showing how the two initially met. BD Wong voices the title character in a guest role.

Grant Gustin American actor and singer

Thomas Grant Gustin is an American actor and singer. He is known for his role as Barry Allen / The Flash on the CW series The Flash as part of the Arrowverse television franchise, and for his role as Sebastian Smythe on the Fox series Glee.

Barry Allen (Arrowverse) Fictional character in the television series The Flash

Barry Allen, also known by his alter-ego The Flash, is a fictional character in The CW's Arrowverse franchise, first introduced in the 2013 episode "The Scientist" of the television series Arrow, and later starring in The Flash. The character is based on the DC Comics character of the same name, created by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino and was adapted for television in 2013 by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and Geoff Johns. Barry Allen has been continually portrayed by Grant Gustin, with Logan Williams and Liam Hughes portraying younger versions.

Candice Patton American actress

Candice Kristina Patton is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Iris West in The CW television series The Flash and her recurring role in the BET television series The Game.

"Godspeed" originally aired on The CW on April 16, 2019, and was watched by a total of 1.31 million viewers. The episode received positive reviews from critics, although some criticized the treatment of the title character as a "one-off" villain.

The CW American broadcast television network

The CW Television Network is an American English-language free-to-air television network that is operated by The CW Network, LLC, a limited liability joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network (UPN); and AT&T, whose WarnerMedia subsidiary is the parent company of Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB. The network's name is an abbreviation derived from the first letters of the names of its two parent corporations.

"Villain of the week" is an antagonist that only appears on one episode of a work of fiction. A villain of the week is commonly seen in American and Japanese genre-based television series. As many shows of this type air episodes weekly at a rate of ten to twenty new episodes per year, there is often a new antagonist in the plot of each week's episode. The main characters usually confront and vanquish these characters, often leaving them never to be seen again. Some series alternate between using such antagonists and furthering the series' ongoing plotlines, while others use these one-time foes as pawns of the recurring adversaries. On other occasions, these villains return reformed, becoming invaluable allies or gaining a larger role in the story. The American action drama Burn Notice focuses on short-lived antagonists, but the final portion of every episode is committed to developing a larger story arc. The British sci-fi programme Torchwood used this format in its first two series, before switching to a continuous story format.

Plot

In flashforwards to 2049, Nora West-Allen is a forensics scientist working with her best friend and colleague Lia. Together, they discover a mysterious speedster—whom Lia dubs Godspeed—is stealing chemicals from laboratories. While investigating a potential target, the villainous speedster hits Nora with lightning, exposing her speedster abilities. Initially believing Godspeed was responsible for her powers, Lia finds traces of a power dampening chip, revealing Nora was a speedster since birth and that it was implanted by her mother Iris West, which later causes an argument between them. Later, Nora and Lia discover Godspeed's next target is Stagg Industries. Nora tries to fight Godspeed on even footing, but her inexperience with her powers allows Godspeed to steal what he needed and kill Lia in the process. Upon further investigation, Nora learns Godspeed is August Heart, a former intern from Mercury Labs, and that he is stealing chemicals to create an everlasting version of Velocity 9, a drug that was previously used by speedsters Zoom and Trajectory to give them more speed. Nora realizes the only person who can help her is Eobard Thawne, who is incarcerated at Iron Heights. Thawne initially refuses to help Nora, but she eventually manages to convince him; allowing her to defeat Godspeed and avenge Lia. Nora celebrates her first victory with Thawne, who tells her to find the Time Vault to learn her father's true secret. At the vault, she discovers that her father Barry Allen was the Flash and Barry's final message to her before his assumed death.

Speedster (fiction) type of superhero possessing superhuman speed

A speedster is a character whose powers primarily relate to superhuman speed. Primary abilities shared by all speedsters include running at speeds far in excess of human capability and resistance to the side effects that result from such velocity. In almost all cases, speedsters are able to physically attack opponents by striking them while at high speed to impart huge amounts of kinetic energy without suffering harm. A variety of other powers have been attributed to speedsters depending on the story, the origin of the power, and the established continuity and rules of a given universe.

Iron Heights Penitentiary fictional prison

Iron Heights Penitentiary is a fictional setting in the DC Comics Universe, a maximum-security prison which houses the many Flash rogues and superhuman criminals of Keystone City and Central City when captured. Iron Heights first appeared in Flash: Iron Heights (2001).

Flash (comics) several superheros in the DC Comics universe

The Flash is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1. Nicknamed the "Scarlet Speedster", all incarnations of the Flash possess "super speed", which includes the ability to run, move, and think extremely fast, use superhuman reflexes, and seemingly violate certain laws of physics.

In the present, Team Flash has been reading Nora's journal. After realizing Lia was murdered, Iris releases Nora from the cell she was imprisoned in by Barry after her partnership with Thawne was exposed, allowing her to tell her side of the story and give her a second chance. Barry however, takes Nora back to 2049 without consulting his team and orders her to never return to the present. He then confronts Thawne, who is awaiting execution for his crimes.

Production

Development

In July 2018, it was announced that Danielle Panabaker, who plays Caitlin Snow on The Flash , would be making her directorial debut with an episode of the fifth season. [1] That was later revealed to be "Godspeed", the season's eighteenth episode. It was written by Judalina Neira and Kelly Wheeler. [2] To learn the basics of directing, Panabaker attended a course at the Warner Bros Television Directors' Workshop. [3]

Danielle Panabaker American actress

Danielle Nicole Panabaker is an American actress. She began acting as a teenager and came to prominence for her roles in the Disney films Stuck in the Suburbs (2004), Sky High (2005) and Read It and Weep (2006), the latter alongside her younger sister Kay Panabaker, and in the HBO miniseries Empire Falls (2005). She won three Young Artist Awards: for guest-starring in an episode of the legal drama television series The Guardian (2004), for her lead role in the TV film Searching for David's Heart (2005) and for her ensemble performance in the family comedy film Yours, Mine & Ours (2005).

Casting

Main cast members Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, [2] Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, Hartley Sawyer, Danielle Nicolet, [4] Jessica Parker Kennedy, [2] Tom Cavanagh, [5] and Jesse L. Martin [4] appear in the episode as Barry Allen / Flash, Iris West, Caitlin Snow, Cisco Ramon, Ralph Dibny, Cecile Horton, Nora West-Allen, Sherloque Wells and Joe West, respectively. Cavanagh also portrays Eobard Thawne. [2]

Carlos Valdes (actor) Colombian actor

Carlos David Valdes is a Colombian-American actor and singer who holds dual United States and Colombian nationality. He is best-known for his role as Cisco Ramon / Vibe on The CW television series The Flash and other Arrowverse-related shows.

Hartley Sawyer American actor

Hartley Sawyer is an American actor, producer and writer. He is known for his roles as Kyle Abbott on the CBS Daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless and Ralph Dibny / Elongated Man on The CW series The Flash.

Danielle Nicolet is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Jenna in Born Again Virgin and Cecile Horton in The Flash.

The guest cast includes Kathryn Gallagher as Nora's colleague Lia, [6] and BD Wong as the voice of the titular villain Godspeed. [7] Kindall Charters portrays August Heart, the character's civilian form. [8]

Filming

Filming for the episode began on February 12, 2019, [9] and ended by February 26. [10]

Release

"Godspeed" first aired in the United States on The CW on April 16, 2019. [2]

Reception

Ratings

In the United States, the episode received a 0.5/2 percent share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49, meaning that it was seen by 0.5 percent of all households, and 2 percent of all of those watching television at the time of the broadcast. It was watched by a total of 1.31 million viewers. [11]

The episode attracted a total of 517,600 viewers within seven-days of its British premiere, making it the 5th most watched programme on Sky One for the week. [12]

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 91% approval rating for the episode, based on 11 reviews, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The West-Allen family faces a shocking development in "Godspeed," an episode that reaches new emotional heights under the thoughtful direction of cast member Danielle Panabaker." [13]

Jesse Schedeen of IGN gave the episode 7.6 out of 10. He reacted negatively to the onscreen treatment of Godspeed, saying that the episode underused its title character and turned him into a "throwaway, one-off villain", whereas he is much more three-dimensional in the comics. Despite this criticism, Schedeen enjoyed the main storyline involving Nora, as well as her interactions with Thawne, and felt the episode captured the essence of the show's first season, being "fun and simpl[e]". [8] Mike Cecchini of Den of Geek too did not like the treatment of Godspeed as a "one-off" villain but said, "This was an excellent hour of The Flash, and one that I really hope is enough to shake the show completely out of the rather safe rut it has been in for much of the season." He was particularly appreciative of the performances of Gustin as Barry, and Cavanagh as both Thawne and Sherloque. [5]

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References

  1. ↑ Aguilera, Leanne (July 16, 2018). "'The Flash' Star Danielle Panabaker to Make Her Directorial Debut in Season 5! (Exclusive)". Entertainment Tonight . Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "(#518) "Godspeed"". The Futon Critic . Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  3. ↑ Panabaker, Danielle [@dpanabaker] (January 10, 2019). "This is the program I did last summer and I learned SO much. Can't wait to get started directing in just a few weeks!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. 1 2 Long, Christian (April 16, 2019). "The Flash reveals first look at Godspeed ahead of tonight's episode". SuperHeroHype . Archived from the original on April 22, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  5. 1 2 Cecchini, Mike (April 17, 2019). "The Flash Season 5 Episode 18 Review: Godspeed". Den of Geek . Archived from the original on April 18, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  6. ↑ MacDonald, Lindsay (April 16, 2019). "The Flash Finally Gave Us Nora's Origin Story, and It Was Heartbreaking". TV Guide . Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  7. ↑ Anderson, Jenna (April 16, 2019). "'The Flash' Casts B.D. Wong as the Voice of Godspeed". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  8. 1 2 Schedeen, Jesse (April 16, 2019). "The Flash Season 5, Episode 18: "Godspeed" Review". IGN . J2 Global. Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  9. ↑ Drum, Nicole (February 12, 2019). "'The Flash': Production Begins on Danielle Panabaker-Directed Episode". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  10. ↑ Panabaker, Danielle [@dpanabaker] (February 26, 2019). "I'm beyond lucky that on my first time directing, I was surrounded by this brilliant cast and crew. What an incredible journey filled with a lot of laughs and late nights. I'm ready to head back to LA to edit #Episode518! #TheFlash" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  11. ↑ Welch, Alex (April 17, 2019). "'The Flash,' 'Roswell, New Mexico,' 'The Kids Are Alright' adjust down: Tuesday final ratings". TV by the Numbers . Tribune Media. Archived from the original on April 18, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Four-screen dashboard". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board . Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Godspeed". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved August 7, 2019.
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