With the discovery of the Braille room at the end of the last episode of “The Flash,” the cards are pretty much on the table as far as everyone knowing Dr. Harrison Wells is the Reverse-Flash. But does he know they know? And what will he do when he finds out they know? Things are getting fast and furious, meet me after the jump for my review of “The Trap.”
Revelations
We open on the scene in the Braille room just seconds after the end of “Who Is Harrison Wells?” Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin have seen the Reverse-Flash’s costume and have turned their attention to the holographic newspaper from the future. We’ve seen the headline before, we know the date, but this time we get even more details as they read on.
The article written by Iris West-Allen in 2024 describes a street battle between the Flash and the Reverse-Flash that ended with our hero vanishing in an explosion of light. It also says Starling City’s Green Arrow, Atom, and Hawkgirl (recently cast for the still untitled spin-off, but a character never before mentioned on either CW DC series) were helping him.
Gideon
And while Cisco is still pondering a brighter red Flash costume with a white chest symbol as in the future newspaper photo, he inadvertently activates Wells’ artificial intelligence, Gideon. The A.I. recognizes Barry at once, describing him as director of Central City Police, CSI division – and a founding member of… wait, was she about to say ‘the Justice League’ before being interrupted?
As Wells enters the building and time ticks away to get answers to questions, the trio find out the Reverse-Flash is here to kill Barry, he killed Nora Allen because he was angry at Barry escaping, Wells needs Barry to be the Flash, and that da da dum, Barry Allen created Gideon. Therefore she won’t tell Wells they were there. Whoa, that’s a lot in the first five minutes of the episode.
Engagements
Did I mention Eddie also asked Joe for his blessing to ask Iris to marry him? And Joe said no? Yeah, all in five minutes. Later Eddie, excited, shows the ring to Barry and asks him to ask Joe why he denied him when he asked for the blessing. Yeah, after seeing that future newspaper byline, Barry is more than freaked out.
Joe confesses to Barry that he knows Eddie isn’t the right man for Iris, that he knows Barry is. There’s also a weird subplot undercurrent with Captain Singh’s upcoming wedding. I can’t help but wonder if his fiancée Rob is doomed because in the comics, Singh eventually ends up with the Pied Piper? There’s a close call with that fire – maybe just the showrunners teasing the fanboys and fangirls.
The Dreaming
After the Braille room encounter, Team Flash, sans Wells obviously, tries to put the pieces together. Barry confesses to his time travel experience, and they determine Cisco’s dreams must be what happened in that temporally prevented day. What Caitlin comes up with a plan to enter Cisco’s dreams to find out what really happened in the alternate timeline.
With Wells’ unknowing and unexpected help, they find a way to talk to Cisco while he’s dreaming, giving details of Wells’ confession to his real identity and the murder of Nora Allen. Thankfully they managed to wake him before Wells kills Cisco again. This would have been a great place to throw a Doctor Destiny Easter egg our way, but it didn’t happen. There is a great commercial break cliffhanger however when Wells calls Barry right after Cisco comes to, and asks where he is.
The Trap
To get the confession they need, Team Flash prepares to duplicate the circumstances of the time aborted night when Cisco was murdered. This time however our man has set a force field trap to hold speedsters. There is the same amount of suspense here as there was the first time Cisco was killed. After we return from commercial with Wells walking toward Cisco the tension is thick with dread.
And then it all goes wrong. It was a trap all right, one of the Reverse-Flash’s making. The man Joe shoots dead isn’t Wells, it’s Everyman from the last episode. Wells is on the loose, finally revealed and free to do as he pleases. And when Barry checks the Braille room, he finds it empty, except for surveillance of all of them, including Iris. Wells has been watching, and has presumably known all along.
The Thawnes
While the Flash runs off to find Iris and make sure she’s okay, the big moment of truth for Eddie is just about to happen. He’s about to propose. The Reverse-Flash gets there first, and the derision with which he treats the engagement ring says volumes about who Iris eventually ends up wedded to. As the Flash arrives, it seems obvious that Iris was in fact, not the target, Eddie was. Wells sweeps him off to an untold location and calls Eddie his insurance. Eventually, once proper introductions are made, Eddie realizes he’s the villain’s ancestor.
Meanwhile the Flash promises to find Eddie, touching Iris and leaving a short burst of electricity on her skin. Epiphany. During the episode we had been treated to “Arrow“-like flashbacks to Barry’s time in a coma. In some, we see why Joe feels guilty for all of this, because he let Wells take Barry to S.T.A.R. Labs, but in another, we see Iris witness that electric touch while Barry was comatose. Yeah, baby, now she knows…
Next: The one we’ve been waiting for… “Grodd Lives!”
Cisco’s ‘trap’ may not have worked because Wells walked through it rather than speeding through it; a common fault in the design of early 21st century force shield technology. 😀
This was the episode that really reached EMEGHERD territory for me – superb stuff!
And Iris FINALLY got it. I don’t know why the writers have been treating her as a ‘Lois Lane’ type character. (not getting the obvious) but hopefully her story arc will improve from now on.