The Flash’s eighth episode (“What’s Past is Prologue,” a landmark 100th episode, directed by Tom Cavanagh) held my attention so perfectly, making me curious at every turn. It wasn’t the most fast-paced hour—embarking on a scavenger hunt through time—but it didn’t have to be. Leaning heavy on the emotional component (Iris convincing Barry to let Nora go with him—“This is her idea, her solution. … let her do this.”—Nora seeing details of her father’s life that she certainly couldn’t learn from a museum), there were a lot of fascinating moments.
First, we learn that Nora created the mysterious speed for language, which raises far more questions than not. We find Thawne alive and well in the future and discover Nora has been sending him updates…in what looks like a jail cell. This leads me to wonder if Sherloque, who’s grown increasingly more suspicious (stealing the journal, decoding it sneakily, staring creepily), isn’t perhaps Thawne in disguise. He may not have always been. But he went the entire episode without calling Ralph a giraffe and acting shady af.
Given the interaction between Nora and he, in the past, it seems probable—especially in light of the repeated “clever girl” line. I also forget how menacingly creepy and intimidating that character was. The “You brought me your daughter.” line actually gave me chills. It’s fascinating to see Cavanaugh slip in and out of roles on this show, playing each version of Wells differently. For this particular incarnation, the cadence of his voice, the steady, unflinching eye contact—it was frakkin’ brilliant. Even the way the actor carries himself is sharp, contained, but full of danger. It’s skillfully done. And I can’t wait to see more of what trouble Nora’s gotten into, in the future.
My other favorite thing about this episode, aside from seeing Barry and Nora bond, was Killer Frost appearing to save everyone: “Let’s dance, cricket freak.” I laughed out loud. Man, I love her character so much, and it makes sense she’d be immune to Cicada’s dampening. I feel like someone on Team Flash should’ve maaaaybe considered that already, but it would’ve been far less dramatic. That said, I like that Killer Frost is a member of the Flash Gang. She’s found a family with them, and I am curious to see how they tackle Cicada with this new info.
And oh. my. GOD. Elseworlds! Sunday can’t get here fast enough. I am made of SQUEE.
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