The Flash’s 20th episode (“I Know Who You Are”) gave us a lot to unpack. We meet the lovely Anne Dudek as physicist Tracy Brand, whose wit (“You really think Jack Frost’s sister wants to kill me?” And “The White Witch, I’m guessing you know why she’s after me.” And still: “To be fair, you’re basically telling me Sarah Connor in Terminator.”) rivals her scientific smarts, despite her failed dissertation defense.
After a multitude of mishaps and an unfortunate instance where she’s bait, Tracy joins Team Flash. Which is excellent news since an adorably bumbling HR is crushing pretty hard on her. And oh my stars and garters, HR having a crush is the best thing ever. When he was giving her a pep talk in front of Galileo, I realized something: being supportive is his superpower. He may not be a genius. He may not be a speedster. But HR is just as important to the team, because of who he is. And I have to say, I really love that. I love that positivity and cheerleading are his secret weapons. Does my heart good.
Now, obviously, we were gifted with some epic stupid. (And no, I’m not just talking about Cisco and Julian butting heads, only to share a nice moment: “I know you’re terrified of losing her. So am I. I know you’re worried about controlling your powers. … They come from love. … I really think we can save her.”) I’m talking about our very own moronic Joe. After Cecile blurts she loves him, and he handles it in the worst way possible—panics, avoids her, doesn’t respond to her texts, and then breaks up with her. I’ve not seen someone willing run headlong into a wall since Wile E. Coyote chasing the Road Runner. That is after Barry drops some hardcore wisdom: “Joe, there’s no such thing as normal. Love is the only thing that makes the fight worth it, and it’s the only thing that’s gonna get us through it.” Not going to lie: Allen impressed me with that. He’s right. Normal is a myth, and life would be boring if it were such. And love is what gets us through. It is what makes life, and its struggle, worth it.
Good news for Cecile that Joe, despite his stupid, loves her (in the end, he takes off his ring! He says it back!). Killer Frost kidnaps her, seemingly knows the future, and thwarts all their plans. Oh, and she nearly blows up Cisco. I will say this: Danielle Panabaker as Killer Frost is nothing short of brilliant. She’s a fantastic villain, and I have been enjoying the way Panabaker is bringing her to cold, merciless life. Definitely a far cry from the Caitlin we know and love. But as far as villains we love to hate? She’s certainly one.
But this brings us to the Savitar reveal. Turns out, he’s a future version of Barry. And I just…why. Why on multiple earths did they choose to go that route? To me, it felt like a letdown. While it is the ultimate illustration of being your own worst enemy, it isn’t my favorite plot twist by any means. I feel like, theoretically, Savitar’s mere presence in the timeline would create something far worse than Flashpoint. I also have questions. Who built his suit? Why did it look like he was naked, but then not when he stepped out of it? Why is he so ticked off at Team Flash? Can a time wraith eat him already?
We shall see how this all unfolds, unravels, and unfreezes. But I am currently a little miffed at all versions of Barry, including Bad Hair Barry from last week. And yet, the show remains utterly charming and full of vibrancy and wit. Despite its foibles and strange missteps, I love it. And that’s not nothing.
Until next week, nerds. XO
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