The Flash 3×17 Review: Duet

“Duet” brings Supergirl and Flash together for the second time this season, in addition to reuniting Melissa Benoist and Grant Gustin with their former Glee co-star Darren Criss. This episode was a toe-tapping, head-bopping good time with solid performances and the quirky kind of charm that makes The Flash such a good show.

Music Meister’s last words before disappearing on Supergirl were that he was searching for the fastest man alive, so “Duet” opens with J’onn and Mon-El bringing Kara to Barry’s Earth in order to figure out what’s going on. Unfortunately, whatever mojo Music Meister did on Kara, he also does on Barry, trapping them in a shared hallucination where they are characters in a musical. Surrounded by familiar faces who are all playing roles completely unlike themselves, Barry and Kara must navigate through a dangerous world in order to find their way back home.

And, because it’s a musical, the story that they find themselves trapped in features a plot line that mirrors what they are both experiencing in their real life relationships, which leads them both to certain revelations. The lesson they need to learn is not in the fabricated plot line in their heads, but in their own lives. Because it’s not a musical unless somebody learns something.

I am a big fan of musicals, and I’ve always loved musical episodes of shows that seem out of place. The musical episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Scrubs are some of my favorite episodes from those series, and honestly, with how cheesy musicals are, the atmosphere really fits on a show like The Flash. Both Barry and Kara are the kind of upbeat, sunny personalities that permeate the old school Hollywood musicals, and “Duet” was a quality, charming throwback to musical mainstays like Gene Kelley and Ginger Rogers. Barry’s open enthusiasm at getting to witness various musical numbers was adorable, as was Kara repeatedly quoting The Wizard of Oz.

The supporting cast did not disappoint either. Criss was a phenomenal Music Meister, mischievous with a hint of something darker. His motivations seem a little weak in retrospect; he claims that he just wanted to fix Barry and Kara’s broken hearts, but that doesn’t explain why he used their powers to go rob a bank, or taunted Wally about his issues. But I can forgive the weak motive simply because of the rousing rendition of “Put a Little Love in Your Heart”. Carlos Valdes, Jeremy Jordan, Jesse L. Martin, Victor Garber, and John Barrowman also lent their pipes to the cause, and it was spectacular. Valdes and Jordan joined Criss in “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” (with Jordan accompanying on the piano) while Martin, Garber, and Barrowman made a beautiful trio as fathers singing to their children about finding love.

In the end, the episode was a fun-filled detour about resolving the various romantic subplots. Kara realizes that Mon-El had his reasons for lying to her, and they make up. Barry, who understands that loving someone means taking the good with the bad, re-proposes to Iris. And they all lived happily ever after…

Until next week.

Other Thoughts:

• I wholeheartedly approve of Barry’s choice in musicals (Singin’ in the Rain is my personal favorite), and the first song of the episode (“Moon River”).
• “Dads?” “You got a problem with that?” Oh, that was perfection. I am fully on board with Joe/Stein. Someone make that happen right now.
• Barry totally would have been munching on some popcorn if he had any.
• As fun as it is to see Barry and Kara team up again, I was kind of digging the Vibe/Martian Manhunter/Kid Flash dynamic. I hope the next time these shows crossover, we get to see more of the characters interact with each other.

What did you guys think of “Duet”? Are you looking forward to seeing Barry and Kara team up again?

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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