The Flash, Season 3, Episode 20: I Know Who You Are
Woo, we're back!
Nineteen episodes. That was how long we had to wait to learn Savitar's true identity. That's probably a record for the CW show, really. And it's not that the show's really dropping any hints to make any sort of speculation, because between Earth-2 doppelgangers, future/past selves and the ghost of Tommy Merlyn, the pool of characters to really speculate and choose from is a bit too large. Add that to the requisite Scooby Doo reveal with Julian Albert as Dr. Alchemy (of course the newly-introduced supporting character is one of the mysterious masked villains!) the fact that we really don't get any other new characters worth mentioning means that unless it's a blast from the past like, oh, an insane Ronnie Raymond or Captain Cold, saved from their untimely deaths, then the mystery really can't go into a satisfying conclusion.
And, well, it kind of... did and didn't at the same time. So, if that huge paragraph isn't a clue for those who are unspoiled to stay the fuck away from the rest of the review, we get to learn that Savitar is actually Barry Allen. Or, well, a future Barry Allen, anyway. A version of him. We don't actually get to learn the specifics until next episode, because Savitar himself only shows up for like ten seconds at the end. Future Wally/Future Barry has always been one of the most common theories flying around so it came to me as something of a disappointment... but at least it's not H.R. or Julian, both of which would be too obvious, too repetitive and too dumb to make work.
The thing is, Flash is perfectly capable of still delivering very solid episodes despite the questionable way that they handle the Savitar plot. The majority of the episode centers around Killer Frost's descent into evil, as she tries to eliminate Tracy Brand, the scientist who would be responsible for creating the technology that binds Savitar, in a wholesale plot reference to the Terminator. I really want to say that Savitar should know better than to mess with his past (what's to guarantee that he'll end up still here if he fucks with his past?) but then I remember that Savitar is Barry Allen, and Barry Allen and sensible time travel? Not a great mix.
But I digress. See, just like the Abra Kadabra episode a while back, the episode works so well because of the Savitar elements as the 'greater evil' hanging behind Caitlin's back, but on the other hand, it is also a huge distraction because both Killer Frost and Abra Kadabra are so entertaining, and their respective plotlines really didn't need to be bogged down by the constant mysteries surrounding Savitar. Which, truth be told, was something I personally didn't care about already halfway throughout the season. It was worse than what it was with Zoom, and at least with Zoom the audience did get a couple of sudden plot twists here and there instead of dragging out the mystery all the way to nearly the end of the season.
Still, Killer Frost! She's embraced her villainous nature, burying Caitlin Snow under a the ice villain persona. And shit, we got so, so much awesome action scenes from her. Between Barry channeling his inner Roy Mustang and using a speed-enhanced finger snap to unleash a blast of chemical fire onto Killer Frost, to the genuinely impressive Iceman-style mid-air ice rink that Killer Frost pulls as she leads Barry on a chase throughout the city (which I could watch all day long) it's just a delight any time Killer Frost is on stage.
On the other hand, I am definitely pissed off that instead of the 'Killer Frost is a reflection of her innermost desires enhanced' that we got earlier in episode 7 has been effectively replaced with a simple evil personality that makes redemption so much easier. I felt that it honestly was a bit bullshit that Caitlin gets to shrug off her evil supervillain career by just handwaving it as an alternate, evil split personality. That's absolutely annoying. But hey, credit where credit's due, evil personality Killer Frost at least is being as entertaining as can be. Or maybe my standards for godo villains are just so lowered by Savitar being a tit. I dunno.
And honestly, Caitlin's betrayal of the team -- Cisco and Julian especially -- really felt like something emotional that the show really could afford to explore a lot more. It's just s much more entertaining as a conflict point than the mysterious metal boogeyman. Cisco and Caitlin's very close friendship over the entirety of the show is tested more than Caitlin and Julian's romance, which is something I appreciate so, so much. Yes, Julian and Caitlin's relationship was a lot better written than HunterGarrick and Caitlin last season, but it pales compared to the very established bond between Cisco and Caitlin. It's basically something as close as a sibling bond between the two, one that's absolutely close yet both acknowledge it's not romantic. And seeing Cisco's personal conflict as he struggles with the possibility of accidentally killing Caitlin is amazingly done. He compares his upgraded Vibe powers with having two cannons strapped onto his hands, and it's one thing when it's villains like Mxyzptlk or Abra Kadabra that's on the other end of those cannons, but when it's Caitlin, the conflict that pervades Cisco's mind is very relatable. Julian is the other end of the spectrum, and honestly, you can also completely feel for Julian's point of view. He cares for Caitlin as much as Cisco does, but his priority is getting Caitlin back, and sometimes you have to use the rod or you spoil the child.
But Killer Frost is, well, not intent on returning to the fold any time soon, and honestly I really wished they did something more with Killer Frost beyond generic 'I'm evil now, bitches!' Which is entertaining, still, but I dunno. I really wished that they didn't go for the Evil Killer Frost persona gimmick and instead made her anger and treachery came more organically.
(Killer Frost has a very kick-ass costume, by the way... it's more in line with the Rebirth version of her, instead of the wedding dress or the skin-tight lingerie associated with traditional takes on the character, and it's actually a bit o an improvement.)
Not helping the episode is that while not really developing Caitlin all that much, the rest of the episode felt like so much bogged-down filler. Both Joe West and Harrison Wells are played by two of my favourite actors on television full stop, and while they are definitely charismatic enough to make their personal love-life scenes not be boring and felt earnest... I really cannot give a shit. It is arguably important to make Tracy feel like an actual person beyond just a plot device (though since we literally only learned that she exist last episode...) and the actress is charismatic enough, but it feels insanely bogged down to introduce a brand-new character so late in the game. And then to immediately pair her up with one of our main characters. Because no character in the Flash can be single, they have to be in a relationship or be angsting about not being in a relationship!
Joe's love life, again, is delivered with great aplomb from the actor, but on the other hand, god, we really didn't need to have another 'I must be truthful to Cecile about my children's exploits!' storyline. It literally felt shoehorned in -- Cecile isn't that developed or important a character and while I appreciate Joe getting some romantic happiness in his life, it's such a bizarrely out-of-place subplot that takes up so much time in this episode. At least with Tracy and H.R. they are relevant to the overarching Killer Frost/Savitar story.
Ultimately, though, as much as I really like Killer Frost in this episode, there were kind of too many things going against this episode, from weak sub-plots, to a weak overarching mega plot, to even some rather awkward lines from both Barry and Caitlin. So yeah. Hopefully next episode will be a little better.
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