The Flash Season 5: 4 Ups & 3 Downs From 'The Flash And The Furious'

2. A Villain Of The Week With A Purpose

The subplot of this week’s episode revolved around Joss Jackam’s desire to prove that she wasn’t like her father. Following on from her appearance in ‘O Come All Ye Thankful’, Reina Hardesty reprised her role as the Weather Witch – a nice touch that added a spice of continuity to what is usually a one-and-done adventure. However, it was the emotional heart of the story that made this week’s “filler” angle a little more endearing than the rest.

The inclusion of Joss’ trial was also a nice touch as we often don’t get the chance to see what happens to The Flash’s rogues following their defeats. This, and the brilliantly convenient use of Cecile’s psychic abilities, allowed us to see just how remorseful the former villain was and, as a result, it made her behaviour throughout the episode all the more believable.

From society’s unwillingness to accept that people can change to Nora’s infuriating betrayal, it was impossible not to root for Joss. Despite being a minor character with a single previous appearance, her story ensured that we got behind her and ultimately championed her as she overcame these obstacles – proving everyone, even XS, wrong.

While the episode failed to further the show’s overall storyline, its standalone angle was surprisingly strong and, at the very least, made one of its many colourful villains seem like an emotionally deep character with plenty of internal conflict.