“Ascension”

The best thing I can say about “Ascension” is that it didn’t slide too far from the mediocrity of last episode. Introducing another canton, the Dactyls (or the Hawkmen as old school Flash fans would call them), is a great idea. Although the introduction, much like that of the Omadrians, there isn’t much time to explore them beyond a superficial level, but that’s expected at the beginning.

It is enough to make me want to learn more about them.

The Dactyls had a spy placed within Ming’s court, especially with Aura. He overhears a conversation between Aura and her other servant about the rift blaster she had in her possession. He also learns that she can’t use it unless Rankol opened a rift. The spy steals the rift blaster and brings it back to Vultan, who forces Rankol by gunpoint to open a rift to Earth.

Back on Earth, they are stretching the Baylin getting accustomed to Earth a bit thin. We understand the concept but for whatever reason they feel the need to use it for humor.

The Dactyls prey on a punk kid named TJ who has been vandalizing some walls usually with birds and bird symbols. They find the kid and fly him back to the rift to take him through back to Mongo.

Flash and the two women (Zarkov is well missed in this episode), follow the trail back to the rift where they see Vultan take the kid on through.

Of course Flash, taking everything Mongo-related personally, decide they have to go through and save this kid.

Jumping through the rift, the Flash party can’t find Vultan or the kid and Baylin surmises that they have taken to flight back to Dactyl land. The Dactyls are a nomadic tribe that live where they hunt, but Baylin knows all so she tracks them down.

We find the Dactyls who are planning to put TJ through the ritual that would male him a Dactyl…flying off a cliff.

Flash and company interrupt with Baylin’s blaster, not ready to see the kid go kersplat. All of a sudden a stinger comes in and warps TJ up to it, taking him back to Nascent City. Aura leaves a message for Vultan. Bring back the blaster or else he won’t see his son again.

Flash if obviously taken back, but it turns out that thirteen years ago, a rift opened on Mongo and Vultan took his son to see it, and the son fell through. I wonder how that played on Earth and whom found the baby? But I guess that doesn’t matter.

Flash, thinking he can work Aura like no other offers to go with Vultan to retrieve TJ, in exchange their life.

Because of course he’s done it before.

The exchange goes off without a hitch, until Rankol shows up nullifying Aura’s portion of the deal and arresting all three of them, planning to suck their brains out to keep Ming from finding out anything.

Ming…another conspicuous absence this week.

Of course, lucky for Flash and company, the Patriots are worse than Imperial Stormtroopers and after five episodes, no one has learned to shackle prisoners or even send them with more than two Patriots.

So of course, Flash and Vultan are able to shake their captors and run to…a balcony.

So TJ gets to take his Ascension test whether he likes it or not. Flash isn’t going to go because he has such a good relationship with Aura. What? This whole idea makes no sense except they don’t want to make Flash a true Dactyl. Now considering that the Dactyl’s flight comes from gliding on their capes, it doesn’t seem much of a problem to make Flash fly and would be a much better ending, but oh well.

Flash does get taken captive again by the Patriots who brings him back before Aura whom he berates for not being able to trust her, really laying it into her for being Ming’s daugther through and through.

And then next, he is talking with Dale and Baylin at the Dactyl camp.

What? Did I miss something? I’m sorry, it was stupid.

TJ becomes a Dactyl, and finally knows where he fits in…

and then wants to go home anyways. Ahh…yes makes sense. And Vultan who fought so hard to kidnap him and rescue him and throw him off a cliff says…Ok.

Alright enough of this epsiode. Next.

D+

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