The Flash Season 3 Episode 14 Review: Attack on Central City

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Does Barry want to be the kind of hero that kills?

It's something the speedster considered when Grodd arrived on Earth-1 with an army of gorillas on The Flash Season 3 Episode 14 "Attack on Central City."

But was he pondering the option because he believed it was the right thing to do? Or because he wanted to save Iris?

Did Barry forget? - The Flash Season 3 Episode 14

The answer likely lies somewhere in the middle. 

It's understandable for Barry to be frustrated. As he said, Grodd manages to come back stronger each time. The only way to make sure that doesn't happen again is for the gorilla to die.

Barry even questioned if he made the right choice letting Solovar live on The Flash Season 3 Episode 13. He started to think mercy might not be the way to go.

Iris: Wait. You want to kill Grodd?
Barry: Why not? That's how their society in Gorilla City works. Kill or be killed. That's why he wanted me to kill Solovar. You know what? I should've. I showed too much mercy.
Iris: No. You did what's right, Barry. As you always do. That's what makes you a hero.

Thank God for Iris West.

She knows Barry better than anyone. She's the exact person he needed to tell him that he's not a killer. It doesn't matter if other heroes can be killers. 

Barry's heart and humanity are what drive him. Iris knew that if he risked those, even for her, he wouldn't be the same person any longer. 

She made it clear her life was not worth him losing who he is.

Broken Bag - The Flash Season 3 Episode 14

We need to take a moment and appreciate Iris' strength.

She's living her life knowing each day brings her closer to her prophesied death. One little tweak could change her fate, but she refuses to let anyone else sacrifice for her.

Not only that, she still comes to work every day, both at the lab, and at her reporting job, and fights to make the city a safer place.

We should all aspire to be that selfless.

Hearts from H.R. - The Flash Season 3 Episode 14

Go ahead and raise your hand if you squealed when Barry proposed.

I enjoyed the symmetry of the opening scene where Barry made breakfast and the proposal scene. The last few episodes have a pattern of giving us little moments of Iris and Barry being adorable in their domestic life.

It's a nice balance to all the craziness. The show's always been good at striking that balance.

Too bad they left us with a cliffhanger when it came to Iris' answer.

She's going to say yes, right?

H.R. brings the magic - The Flash Season 3 Episode 14

Barry and Iris weren't the only ones with love on the brain.

Thanks to H.R., Team Flash was celebrating Friendship Day before all hell broke loose. Like Barry and Iris' quiet moments, it's always fun to see the team smiling, and having fun in between chaos.

H.R. has grown on me more than I realized over the course of the season. To the point where I wasn't even that upset about seeing Harry going back to Earth-2.

Seriously, though, how much fun was the bantering between the two men?

H.R.: I'm fascinated by the subtle differences between us.
Harry: And the not so subtle ones.
H.R.: Like what?
Harry: Like the fact that I'm a genius and you're a moron.

It's hilarious to watch Harry be grumpier than usual around H.R. It's obvious a part of him is jealous. But he's also egotistical and crabby. Of course he's going to make snide remarks every chance he gets.

As H.R. predicted, Harry didn't take the news of Jesse's choice well. I felt bad for Wally even as I correctly guessed Harry was just messing with him.

But Harry did the right thing in the end. He threatened his daughter's boyfriend's life, and then wished them well.

Oh, fine. I'm going to miss Harry a lot. Can't we keep both of them?

Vibe and Gypsy team up - The Flash Season 3 Episode 14

One more potential love story we have to touch on: Cisco and Gypsy.

The bounty hunter returned and immediately refused to help with the Grodd situation. Normally, that would be infuriating. But it's hard to blame her. It wasn't her fight. She'd already been pulled in thanks to Grodd's manipulation.

Cisco letting her leave without putting up too much of a fight was the right call. And so was following her back to Earth-19 to try and reason with her again.

Gypsy's back! - The Flash Season 3 Episode 14

One of the greatest things about Cisco, and there are many, is his ability to understand people.

He appreciated what Gypsy did for him when she helped him awaken more of his power. He wanted to do the same. He recognized she wanted to be a hero, too. She needed an extra push.

Plus, once Team Flash won the battle, Gypsy and Cisco shared their first kiss. Is she his love donut? Time will tell.

Grodd's Army - The Flash Season 3 Episode 14

Finally, how cool was it to see Grodd and Solovar fighting?

The speedsters didn't stand a chance against the gorillas. But when it came time for the death blow, I found myself cringing.

I know Grodd's done terrible things, but I didn't want to see him die.

Thankfully, neither did Barry.

Where's Wally? - The Flash Season 3 Episode 14

I love that he showed Grodd mercy. Maybe he doesn't deserve it, but Barry's not a killer. If he would have sentenced Grodd to death at Solovar's hand, it wouldn't be that much different than killing him himself.

Besides, we need to keep as many of the interesting villains alive as possible since the later season ones have been lacking.

Which brings us to the final scene of the episode and the return of Savitar.

Happy couple - The Flash Season 3 Episode 14

Despite the reminders of Iris' future murder that kick off each episode, I forgot Savitar existed. It took me a moment to figure out who he was when he greeted Wally.

I hope the upcoming story proves to be more memorable than the buildup.

Your turn! Hit the comments and tell us what you thought of "Attack on Central City." Do you think Iris will say yes? What will Savitar do to Wally?

Remember, you can watch The Flash online anytime!

Attack on Central City Review

Editor Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 4.2 / 5.0 (128 Votes)

Mandy Treccia was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in September 2017. Follow her on Twitter.

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The Flash Season 3 Episode 14 Quotes

Sometimes it seems like everyone else gets to have their love donut. Where's my love donut?

Cisco

H.R.: I'm fascinated by the subtle differences between us.
Harry: And the not so subtle ones.
H.R.: Like what?
Harry: Like the fact that I'm a genius and you're a moron.