The Flash Season 7 Episode 18 Review: Heart of the Matter, Part 2
Sarah Little
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There's nothing like a good old-fashioned vow renewal to stir up a few tears.
They spent most of the hour trying to figure out how to stop August Heart and his army of Godspeed clones from destroying Central City. But The Flash saved its best content for the final scene.
"Heart of the Matter, Part 2" was the finale of The Flash Season 7, but it felt more like the last five episodes of a season condensed down into one hour. It was hard to keep up with at times, and its only saving grace was Barry and Iris and their love for one another.
The threat of Godspeed has been building in the background of this show for a couple of seasons now, and it was time for Barry finally to face off against the villain speedster.
Unfortunately, the payoff was less than satisfactory.
August, I know that things seem really hopeless right now. But believe me when I tell you that this team of ours...if there is anyone who can find a way out of this thing, it is Team Flash.
Cecile
The show took way too long to introduce the Godspeed War, which meant that the last few episodes and the finale felt rushed and forced.
A storyline this rich had so much potential to be epic and mind-blowing. Instead, it fell flat and didn't pack much of a punch. Even the return of Nora and the introduction of Bart couldn't save the story.
Though, the sibling duo was, by far, one of the best parts of this season. And they were only featured on two episodes!
There was no doubt that Barry and his newly formed team of speedsters would defeat August Heart. But we never thought that Eobard Thawne would be joining them in the fight.
Of course, it's always exciting at first when Thawne returns. That is until we remember how much this show relies on the epic villain to save the story.
Nora: It just all feels so hopeless.
Jay: It never is. I promise you that.
We love Tom Cavanagh and his portrayal of Reverse Flash, but his arrival didn't make much sense. It seems to be setting up the story for The Flash Season 8, but the details behind how he came back are fuzzy.
A plot twist should be shocking, but it should also make sense. Part of the confusion here is because this episode was rushed and jam-packed with too much action. There wasn't much time for explanation.
Somehow the Speed Force was able to tap into the Negative Speed Force and bring back Thawne by using Iris as an anchor? Okay, that we can accept. But why would Barry and Iris risk bringing Thawne back?
It's safe to say that Thawne is just about as dangerous as Godspeed. He might even be more of a threat than Heart is. So why was this their solution to stopping Godspeed?
They didn't want to kill Heart, but how could they have been sure that Thawne wouldn't?
There are just too many questions about the logic behind this story decision. Obviously, they wanted to bring back Reverse Flash to tease next season, but it's hard not to critique how it was done.
When Thawne showed up, we felt excitement. What quickly followed, though, was confusion. Let's hope that the overarching story for The Flash Season 8, which will probably include Barry's arch-nemesis, will be better developed.
For fans, Godspeed had been a highly anticipated villain for some time. Karan Oberoi was the perfect choice for him and played him magnificently. Unfortunately, we were only treated to the real version of him for an hour before Barry and Thawne defeated him.
The build-up to this final fight was just nonexistent, and, though we know that Godspeed poses a real threat to the Flash, it didn't feel like that.
Chester: That Godspeed clone in the pipeline, he was going to kill Barry. And you stopped that. Which means the Flash can get back to the business of ending this war. But, Esperanza, she left to start one. She let the city down. You didn't. You helped lift it up.
Allegra: You really think so?
Chester: Girl, I know so.
We needed more information about him that wasn't told to us seasons ago. And we needed to see how he came to be this power-hungry speedster.
Overall, the Godspeed story was a disappointment, and we were not very invested in it, which is a shame, given its potential.
As mentioned above, the Barry and Iris vow renewal made the underwhelming end of the Godspeed War worth it.
They are not only each other's lightning rod; they also serve the role for the show. Barry and Iris's love for one another is the beating heart of The Flash, and watching them finally get the wedding ceremony they deserve was beautiful.
Barry: Ever since you came into my life, I've been more than just the fastest man alive. I've been the luckiest. Marrying you was the best decision I ever made.
Iris: Well, I agree.
Barry: Even though we're husband and wife, you never really got the wedding you deserved. These past few days when it looked like I might never see you again, I swore if I ever did, I would make it up to you. So, Iris West-Allen, will you renew your vows and remarry me?
Iris: Yes. Yes, I will.
Needless to say, their vows to one another were amazing and made us cry. But just before they were said, Jordan Fisher sang like an angel, and all of our hearts were content.
The Flash is a cheesy show, so we reserve the right to be cheesy in our reviews, okay?
Truly, there is no better way to end the season than by having Barry and Iris, surrounded by their loved ones and their children from the future, profess their love for one another. It tugged at all of the heartstrings.
And Cisco was the perfect choice to be the officiant. Who else could add just the right amount of humor to the situation without taking away its poignancy?
It's a shame that he won't be on the show next season.
Bart: Uncle Jay. You're...you're here.
Jay: Uncle? That's new. Um...Yeah, I kinda like it. It's good to finally meet you, Bart.
The Flash is at its best when all of these characters are together and are just talking or making memories. All of them share natural chemistry, and it's always so meaningful when they share the screen.
Hopefully, we will see more scenes like Barry and Iris's vow renewal in the future. Perhaps another couple will walk down the aisle soon? We are looking at you, Joe and Cecile.
What did you think, The Flash Fanatics?
Were you shocked by the Thawne reveal? Do you think the show did a disservice to the Godspeed storyline? Do you hope to see Nora and Bart again?
Did the last scene save the entire episode? And how little did you care about the reveal that Kristen Kramer had been a meta all along?
Let me know in the comments, and do not forget that you can watch The Flash online right here via TV Fanatic!
The Flash returns on November 16th at 8/7c on The CW.
Sarah Little was a staff writer for TV Fanatic.She retired in September 2021.
