The Flash - S3E9 - The Present

Tweet

Previously on The Flash, “Invasion!”

The Flash - S3E9 - “The Present” | Starring: Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Jesse L. Martin, Tom Cavanagh, Carlos Valdes, Danielle Panabaker, Keinynan Lonsdale, Tom Felton,

Once upon a time, Julian was Indiana Jones. His search for an artifact called The Philosopher’s Stone (I’m not kidding.) led to the death of his archaeological team and caused him to be possessed by Savitar. Under Savitar’s control, Julian is Alchemy and charged with preparing an Earth for Savitar’s arrival. Thanks to help from Jay Garrick, Barry captures Alchemy as he’s preparing to summon forth all of Flashpoint’s metas and learns he’s Julian. Unaware that he’s being possessed, Julian at first doesn’t admit to the blackouts or how he came into possession of the stone, but once Barry reveals he’s The Flash, Julian trusts Barry enough to help him.

Speaking through Julian, Savitar reveals he has a bone to pick with future Barry (who doesn’t?) and that he knows the team’s destiny: one will betray Barry, one will fall, and one will suffer a fate worse than death. Well, that sucks.

Lacking better options, Jay and Barry work together to toss the stone, and the box it came in, into the Speed Force. Barry takes a detour to the future, and witnesses Savitar kill Iris. Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Jay tries to convince Barry that it’s a possible future, but not one set in stone. It better not be!

Before the crossover, there were predictions that Cisco may turn into his evil Earth-2 doppelganger due to his rift with Barry. But during the Invasion! finale on Legends of Tomorrow, it appeared he’d put his anger with Barry behind him. Still, while the stone was in the lab, Savitar was able to convince Cisco to open the box, freeing him, by appearing as Dante. Thanks to some help from Wally, and Caitlin pleading with Cisco, they’re able to send Savitar back inside the box, but it does beg the question: Why was Cisco so susceptible?

Wally’s training with HR is now out in the open after he’s not allowed to help Jay and Barry take on Alchemy the first time. Of course, it doesn’t go over well, but HR eventually convinces Joe it’s a good thing. He sees all the untapped potential in Wally, and it’s better that he train with someone safe, someone he knows, instead of doing something reckless. Joe comes around and looks as giddy as HR drunk off Grandma Esther’s egg nog when they present Wally with his very own speed suit.

Quick Quips

“Caroling on the rain. That sucks.” - HR

“It’s the police!” - Drunk HR when someone knocks on the West family door during their Christmas party.

“I got you a wallet,” Iris said sadly after Barry presents her with their new apartment.

Quick Hits

• Wally and HR’s “I’m faster than Barry” dance is everything.
• Caitlin being the one to get through to Cisco after he’d opened the box is exactly why I thought he should have been the one to confront Killer Frost in the pipeline. Their platonic relationship is strong, and much deeper than Caitlin’s with Barry.
• I’m so glad Joe has a storyline that doesn’t revolve around his children.
• Love that Barry and Iris will be living together.
• Great seeing Mark Hamill as Earth-3’s Trickster.

Speed Bumps

• I still don’t care about Savitar. We learn he’s the first meta to be granted speed - via the stone - and that something Barry did in the future has started this grudge. That sounds like a mix of Zoom and Reverse-Flash, and that makes it feel stale. When he tells Barry that he took everything from him and trapped him, I thought there’s a possibility this could be Eddie Thawne since his body disappeared into that breach-like hole in the season one finale, but he mentions specifically that he’s mad at something Barry did in the future. Oh, well. That would have been one way to get me to care about Savitar.
• Iris better not die. #FuckJudyGreer

Leave your thoughts on the episode below, or on our Facebook post for this review, and we’ll read them on tonight’s podcast.