'The Flash' Season 6 Episode 7 Review: Barry goes dark and Negative Flash is born in 'The Last Temptation of Barry Allen: Part 1'
This review contains spoilers for 'The Flash' Season 6 Episode 7: 'The Last Temptation of Barry Allen'
If anything, part one of the mid-season finale was gripping, terrifying and intriguing. With the 'Crisis' imminent, 'The Last Temptation of Barry Allen, Part 1' establishes the fact that Barry hasn't come to terms with his prophesized death and in the ultimate temptation test put forth by his nemesis, Bloodwork (Dr Ramsey Rosso, played by Sendhil Ramamurthy), he caves in. The result is frightening.
The episode opens with Ralph Dibny (Hartley Sawyer) and Bloodwork having a scrimmage and just when it looks like the Elongated Man has the upper hand, Bloodwork, who manages to shoot his energy pellets earlier, activates it once they're in Dibny's system. While Cisco (Carlos Valdes) and Killer Frost (Danielle Panabaker) come to his rescue, they realize they're too late and it's up to Barry to save Dibny. He undergoes a blood transfusion and while it may have worked in stabilizing Dibny, the pathogen affects Barry causing him to hallucinate.
Haunting and chilling visions come to the fore as Barry is continually tempted by Bloodwork to join his side. Temptations come in with Barry being promised a happy life with Iris (Candice Patton) and Baby Nora. In fact, he even survives the 'Crisis' and is hailed a hero. However, the resisting force comes in the form of his mother (Which is actually the Speed Force). Barry is torn in making a choice and he eventually does. He goes on to become Negative Flash. The black streaks of lightning are a confirmation as Barry's suit too has shades of black to it.
Barry's storyline makes up a major chunk of the episode while Iris and Kamila (Victoria Park) team up with Allegra (Kayla Compton) as they investigate a case of the man who turned Esperanza aka Ultraviolet into a metahuman. They confront the man who wears a spiral pin and he admits to working for a company called Maelstrom. He reveals the organization delivers goods for the rich. However, the man gets killed hours later and Allegra manages to get hold of the spiral pin. She also experiences massive amounts of UV energy coming off the pin.
Harrison Nash Wells (Tom Cavanagh) is still out there searching for The Monitor and finally breaks the barrier. A wall etched with symbols is seen. While these are the subplots, the main focus remains on Barry choosing the dark side ahead of the multiverse-shattering battle.
Gustin does an absolutely remarkable job as a troubled and torn Barry Allen. The emotions and the rage are not masked anymore as he goes darker by the minute, succumbing to Bloodwork's temptations. In a scene reminiscent of Eobard Thawne striking his mother, Barry does the exact same thing to the Speed Force when it urges him to resist. That Barry does that to the Speed Force who has taken Nora Allen's form is frightening and at the same time understandable. This was the hero who was ready for the sacrifice play each time and now he's scared.
That the episode ends in a cliffhanger isn't a surprise. 'The Last Temptation of Barry Allen, Part 1' is dark, demented and haunting. And a little more emphasis on the term 'haunting' as this is a shade of Barry we haven't seen before. From the 'Crisis' footage that spoiled these two episodes for us, we do know Barry will be back to his old self, but Bloodwork's fate remains to be seen.
'The Flash' Season 6 airs Tuesdays 8 pm on The CW.