Tuesday’s episode of The Flash (“The Reverse-Flash Returns”) was all about saying goodbye. As Patty and Francine take their leave, an old enemy is returned home; and the fate of another seems sealed.
Unless its comic book predecessors are anything to go by.
Enter Hunter Zoloman aka Zoom…or quite possibly.
In “The Reverse-Flash Returns”, as Wells is anxious to defeat Zoom, the murder of the Turtle remains unknown to the Star Labs team. With his morals still ambiguous as ever, it is only the glimpse of a computer screen that gives us hope as Barry builds his speed playing a good Samaritan around Central City, and Wells maintains his secrecy is using the Turtle’s DNA, in order to remain innocent. Loving the ever growing bro-ship between Cisco and ‘Harry’ Wells, we see the evolution of Vibe this week.
Gif made by @CritiqueTweets for wesonerdy.com
Wells and Cisco meet in the Time Vault – aka Braille Room – to help control his power. Surprising him by dressing up as the Reverse Flash, Wells triggers Cisco to vibe Eobard Thawne – the real Reverse-Flash – and discovers his presence in Central City after his apparent death (or wipe from existence).
After saving a truck from blowing up a significant portion of Central City, we learn that Eobard Thawne stayed true to his future, in targeting the Flash. Whilst it seemed that this Eobard Thawne/ Reverse-Flash could have only come from Earth 2 and thereby sent by Zoom, his presence is instead justified as a remnant of time travel. Whilst from the future, Eobard is actually a past remnant of the Villain that later assumed the form of Harrison Wells; forming his Origin story.
Gif made by @CritiqueTweets for wesonerdy.com
Whilst ultimately a redundant threat, I still wonder if Nora Allen lives in Earth 2 – or whether she is an Allen at all. With the opportunity to gain his speed once more, Barry is able to send Eobard home using the speed force – minus the singularity.
In his personal life, there is a growing animosity between Patty and Barry, that teases fans with the possibility that Patty will never know his secret. Fortunately, with faith in her detective skills, and the sheer amount of effort put into her character, Patty discovers Barry’s secret and leaves Star City with the hope that she will return.
As the team track Eobard to Mercury Labs; where he kidnaps a scientist in the hopes of procuring a way home. We also learn that Barry is supposed to die soon – hopefully not for Oliver Queen to mourn him graveside; as he appears as a remnant – but alas, Time is relevant and ‘soon’ could easily mean decades for a man from the far future.
Learning that Cisco can now vibe the future, perhaps Barry’s death can be prevented, as well as the one of the abducted scientist.
Thankfully still present, Wally reappears as Iris convinces him to say goodbye to Francine, meaning that he may become a regular as his remaining family take up residence in Central city, and the Flash continues.
As Francine lives her last moments, Caitlin searches for Jay’s Earth 1 doppelgänger in the hopes of using his DNA to cure him. In a deliberate move to introduce a legendary character, Jay’s Earth 1 self, lives under the fostered guise of Hunter Zoloman.
With hope seemingly lost; Jay confesses that he cannot be saved; as his DNA is mutated from becoming the Flash.
Unbeknownst to the team, Hunter Zoloman has comic book fame from being…Zoom.
Whether Zoom is a future, time travelling, dimension jumping version of this Hunter; who is known for altering time around him -akin to the turtle, there may be hope to save Jay – unsurprisingly, by stopping Zoom.
Tuesday’s episode sees the return of Zoom, and elsewhere, Iris’ life is put at risk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CALAxxcBhI&w=540&h=285
The Flash airs Tuesday at 8|7c on the CW!
[Featured Image Courtesy of The CW; Source Content for Gifs: The Flash, The CW, 2016, 21 Jump Street, Sony Pictures, 2012]