This week, the show dropped the big Savitar reveal and it was…well, boringly predictable. Be warned that spoilers follow.
1. The reveal
OK, so let’s get this out of the way: despite doing everything in their power to convince us that Savitar wasn’t a future version of Barry, he was. While the reveal was pulled off well, this seems like a pretty meh answer, no? I mean, I get why it is important and all that, but having Barry – any Barry – kill Iris seems like it is a serious misfire for the show.
For instance, how does Barry of 2024, whose life is in shambles because of Iris’s death, eventually become the Barry of XXXX year, who one day travels back in time to kill Iris? The only option I can think of is that Savitarry recognizes that he needs Iris to die to achieve his full potential, and so kills her. But that still plays oddly, as for that to happen, Barry loses at least 7 years worth of training, as we see him mourn for that long. What happens after 2024 to get Barry to that point?
The one interesting aspect of this storyline, however, could be, that we keep seeing future versions of Barry who just keep getting worse and worse. There’s a pretty compelling theory that the Time Wraith we’ve seen kill Eobard Thawne is another future Barry, so that could be an interesting theme. If Barry, the longer he has super speed, gets more and more villainous over time, that’s a fun story to follow for a few years.
2. The role of 14 year old boy who can’t express his feelings will be played tonight by Joe West
Joe being freaked out at Cecile saying “I love you” is a story straight out of a Disney Channel TV show. Sure, they tried to spin it as “Joe is scared because he realizes that Cecile could potentially be damaged by their relationblah blah blah,” it is still commitment-phobic Joe rearing his head.
This makes no sense for Joe whatsoever; Joe is Mr. Commitment. Joe is a grown ass man who has had to navigate some truly shitty waters to provide a better life for the kids whom he loves. He understands committing and all that entails.
It was also weird to me how Barry was so enthusiastically offering his secret identity to Cecile, but not to Tracy. It would appear that Tracy could use that information a little more than Cecile could. Speaking of Tracy…
3. Tracy (and HR)
I know this isn’t fair, but did anyone else just see Tracy as a poor man’s Caitlin? I hope that the show isn’t setting her up to be the new lady scientist in the lab, because Caitlin’s character has grown and developed so much over the past few seasons – throwing another white lady at the lab isn’t the same as having her around.
But I will say this about Tracy – her interactions with HR were a lot of fun, and I’m interested to see how her knowledge of the future will impact how she progresses. I feel like this is the sort of risk that the show would have avoided at all costs earlier in the run, but now are pretty OK with. Chalk that up to either a greater understanding of time travel, the sense of urgency for saving Iris, or lazy writing.
I will say this: I would totally read HR’s self-help book, All’s Wells That Ends Wells.
4. Cisco holding back
I am glad that the show is focusing on the Cisco/Caitlin friendship as much, if not more, than the budding Caitlin/Julian romance (hat tip to whoever called it Romeo and Julian last night). While the latter has a few interesting wrinkles, we just have so much more invested in the former. Cisco and Caitlin, if you recall, were introduced on Arrow, at the same point that Barry was. They pre-date the show, and their importance should be handled as such. When Caitlin goes meta, it should shake the team to its core, and there hasn’t been enough of that yet.
This was a good step in that direction – I don’t know if I could hit my best friend under just about any non-hurting my family circumstance, so I feel Cisco’s pain. The reveal of who Savitar is also gave Caitlin a nice reason to follow him. Hell, an evil friend in need is an evil friend indeed, right?
Continued below5. A perfect time for some multiverse action
OK, so hear me out. Barry and Kara exchanged their magical mini-breach things earlier this season for easier visitation, but the shows (probably for logistical reasons) don’t use it enough. Here is how last night should have gone:
~Interior, DEO. A breach opens, Barry and Cisco enter through the breach~
BARRY: We need your help, J’onn.
END SCENE
COMMERCIAL BREAK
~Interior, warehouse. Barry accompanies Tracy for the handoff~
BARRY: Caitlin! We have Tracy.
CAITLIN: Well, that was easier than expected.
(fires blast at Tracy to kill her, Tracy shape-shifts into J’onn, and he kicks everyone’s ass)
END SCENE
C’mon CW – use the connections to make the universe feel more full and, most importantly, more logical.
What did you think of this episode? Let me know in the comments!
