The Flash Round Table: Who is the Reverse Flash?
Carissa Pavlica
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There is little doubt The Flash Season 1 Episode 9 was epic in scale, as we met the Reverse Flash, Firestorm and (some of) the men behind them and Barry finally made a very personal confession to Iris.
Digging in further is special Round Table guest Andy Behbakht (whose alter ego on Twitter is @TheFlashPodcast), as well as TV Fanatics Narsimha Chintaluri, Jim Garner, Tanya Moat and Hank Otero.
Join in the discussion by leaving us a comment!
What was your favorite story development?
Andy: It's impossible to pick just one, but definitely the arrival of the Reverse-Flash because it made Barry increase his determination to stop the man who murdered his mother and also how cool were those speedy fight scenes?! I will say though that arc that Barry continues to have with both his biological dad (Henry) and surrogate dad (Joe) were fantastic and so beautifully done in this episode. I will forever now quote Joe, "I need my Barry Allen."
Narsimha: I didn't fully understand what was going in that last scene, but that was obviously awesome. I'm more relieved than anything else that Barry's finally come clean to Iris about something (if not being the Flash). My prediction is that Eddie will become privy to Barry's secret at some point, but once the latter is the cause of the former's relationship with Iris coming to an end, things will get…complicated. My favorite story development might actually be something delivered off hand towards the end of the episode, about there being two speedsters in the room the night Barry's mom died. That, coupled with the Reverse Flash's statement about having been at odds with the Flash for a long time, raises a lot of interesting questions.
Jim: Firestorm. I'm glad they introduced him, but I hope him flying away means we won't see much of him because we don't really want this show to become "Flash and his Amazing Friends."
Tanya: There were so many great developments. I loved getting a closer glimpse (and possible insight) into Reverse Flash. Like Andy, I really loved the two scenes with Barry and his "dads". There may have been a tear or two shed. As I've said before, Flash does an excellent job of combining action, heart and humor.
Hank: Without a doubt everything that had to do with the Reverse-Flash. I loved the way he taunted Barry, their chase sequences, his capture and the big reveal at the end. Cisco telling Joe there was a second speedster involved was very cool too Time-travel FTW!
Is the Reverse Flash reveal definitive, or will there be others involved?
Andy: It would be too easy if Harrison was him and I don't think it's exactly him to be honest, I think he is working with whoever is the Reverse-Flash. I think it's either Eddie from the future (the scene where Reverse-Flash was just staring at him and didn't kill Eddie) or it's Harrison from a further future since the Harrison we have in the present is also from the future. These writers (that are also part of Arrow) have a bigger plan in mind which we will most likely get to know completely by the time we get to the season finale.
Narsimha: I don't know if anything is really definitive at this point. Where were Oliver and the gang when all this was going down!? Haha, but for real, I hope all this ties into a a larger, universe-wide, plot. I'm loving the crossovers so far (at least when the Arrow infiltrates the Flash). As for Wells, he's just continuing to convince me that he's up to no good.
Jim: It just made more questions. Is Wells the Reverse? If so, how was he beating himself up? If he isn't the Reverse then who the heck is? I think we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg here.
Tanya: I don't think it's definitive. Obviously Wells has some sort of connection with Reverse Flash, but I'm not 100% sure if he is The Reverse Flash. Regardless, it's just so much fun to speculate what his real agenda with Flash/Barry is and he remains one of the most intriguing characters on the show. Whether he is ultimately a good or bag guy, he will have a lot of explaining to do!
Hank: It's true Wells being the Reverse-Flash seems far too obvious as Andy mentioned. However, the breadcrumbs the writers have been dropping since the pilot fit with the Reverse-Flash's M.O. Making Barry the best version of the Flash possible. The guy is somehow protecting his own future. Could an alternate version of Wells have appeared in the present timeline to fight against himself? Not hurting Eddie could also mean his ancestor has a role to play. Either way, the fact he had the yellow suit, a Flash ring and changed his voice tells me Wells is no good guy.
What did you think of the appearance of Ronnie/Firestorm?
Andy: All I will say is that Marvel's Human Torch (from Fantastic Four) has nothing on Firestorm as Firestorm kicks Human Torch's butt! It was both astonishing from a visual stand point because having that much fire effects on a regular basis can't be cheap or easy, but it was also emotionally charged from a storytelling perspective. Ronnie is in pain and not the same Ronnie that Caitlin fell in love with. I'm very excited to see what Robbie Amell (Ronnie) and Victor Garber (Professor Stein) will be like together as Firestorm and separately.
Narsimha: I got the Human Torch vibes as well, but Firestorm was something else! The way he flew away near the end of the episode was amazing! I had a few complaints about his reveal (regarding how coincidental it all was), but as far as meta's go - he's the coolest so far. Flash included. I don't know any of the lore, but I hope he's a frequent character.
Jim: I was a huge Firestorm fan as a kid. For Narsimha, the original Firestorm was defined by his integrated dual identity. He had the mind of Ronnie Raymond and physicist Martin Stein both at the same time. So the internal conflict we saw on screen did a good job of hinting at this being a similar case.
Tanya: I thought it was very well done; a good tease that left me wanting more. Once again I have to acknowledge what a great job they are doing with the special effects. I'm also 100% with Jim in that I'm excited for Ronnie/Firestorm, but I also want to keep the show focused on Flash. Friendly meta-humans are welcome, but short stays only, please!
Hank: I knew nothing about Firestorm until I heard that Robbie Amell had been cast in the role. Not only are the visual effects fantastic, but I love the fact he appeared in time to stop the Reverse-Flash. Barry's going to need someone powerful in his corner when those metas breakout of the S.T.A.R. Labs prison. You know that's coming right? I'm curious to see how the dual identity Jim mentioned plays out.
Talk about Barry's admission of love for Iris and her reaction.
Andy: Haven't we all been there where you tell the girl/man you love and then not gotten the same response back? It was heartbreaking for sure, but a huge step forward in their relationship from a TV viewer's POV and I think there will still be some awkwardness between them when we come back on January 20. I am ready/expecting though for an upcoming triangle drama between Barry, Iris and Eddie, despite that I prefer if they could skip the triangle drama all together.
Narsimha: Like I said, I'm just glad it's finally out of the way. As far as her reaction, her silence makes sense for now. I actually would've expected her to be more offended - especially if she claims to have no idea that he felt that way. Offended because she looked to him as a brother their entire life, and there's a certain bond built around that trust and intimacy. They went to school together, lived together, grew up - went through puberty - together. If I was her, I would feel violated to a degree, angry even, before I learned to process the situation.
Jim: Barry coming clean with Iris was awesome, I was sad that nothing more was said about it, and Barry and Iris basically acted like nothing happened. But, that is young romance I guess.
Tanya: Like everyone else, I'm so glad that he finally revealed one truth to Iris. It's entirely possible that another tear may have been shed because Barry gave a hell of a speech. I did think her response was appropriate. She has always considered Barry to be her best friend and brother. She loves him, but not in a romantic sense yet. It certainly changes their relationship a bit and I think that is a good thing.
Hank: Thrilled that it's out in the open, but dreading another TV love triangle. I'm not a fan of the overused triangle trope. I realize this is The CW and the show needs that love drama, I just hope it doesn't take from the action. Besides Caitlin and Ronnie/Stein already have triangle of sorts going on.
How will Eddie change knowing about metahumans?
Andy: It's going to give him a more active role in the series and now that he has a task force to stop The Flash, he will probably use them to try and stop meta-humans too. When it comes to him knowing about metahumans all together? I'm not sure, I think he is definitely going to look at Central City differently now and probably not feel safe at all. I wonder if Reverse-Flash might be something that will start to crack that shield of his.
Narsimha: It's good that he knows, so that he's not as ignorant anymore.I hope it leads to him becoming more tolerant, but his character doesn't seem to be going in that direction. Did the Reverse Flash staring him down really mean something?
Jim: Now that he is "in the circle of trust" I suspect it won't be too long before he finds out about Barry. Hell, after the Arrow vs Flash episodes, like 1/10 of Sterling City seems to know who The Flash is, why not Eddie?
Tanya: I'm so glad Joe told him the truth. I'm not really sure how this changes him because Eddie is a bit of an enigma too. We haven't seen any actions that cause alarm, yet, but his name suggests there is much more to him that what we've seen. I'm definitely interested to see what it means for his task force. He has to be a bit confused given Flash almost killed him and now is the hero again.
Hank: Hopefully he and Joe will work better as a team, versus trying to prove himself by throwing the "task force" in his face. Who are we kidding? That's too damn neat, so my guess is Eddie's going to grow fearful of the metas leading the character to become darker. He's a predictable good guy.
Here's a look at The Flash Season 1 Episode 10, which will air on January 20:
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
