The Flash Season 5: 5 Ups & 2 Downs From ‘Failure Is An Orphan’

1. Cicada Done Right

On the surface, the Cicada character was a genius concept. A scorned metahuman with the power to destroy other metahumans in a city full of them? Yeah, genius. Unfortunately, the execution left a lot to be desired, as the finished product was essentially a walking stereotype that took a great pleasure in groooooaaanniinnggg out every single word while loving the fact that he struck fear into everyone's hearts. Even the solid backstory couldn't make up for how on-the-nose it all was.

However, things may be about to change for the better. The arrival of Cicada 2.0. has really turned the show on its head and the fact that it's a mature version of Grace under that mask has left us all with a ton of questions. Like seriously, where did she come from?

Though we don't know much about this version of Grace just yet, it's hard to deny that we were on the edges of our seats throughout her debut. From her thunderous arrival in S.T.A.R. Labs to her quick defeats of The Flash, Killer Frost, Cisco, XS, Sherloque, Joe and Cecile, she undoubtedly made a lasting impression.

In about two minutes, adult Grace Cicada proved to be more terrifying, effective and, well, imposing than her uncle ever was and, for the time being at least, was the interesting swerve that the Cicada saga needed to really hook us. Let's just hope that she continues to make us feel this way in the weeks ahead.

Now, for the negatives...