The main mystery of The Flash‘s first season, that of the Reverse Flash, has only deepened after the events of the most recent episodes.
In the most recent episodes of The Flash, we’ve gotten a few more pieces to add to the Reverse Flash mystery. With a few weeks off from Central City, let’s recap.
What we know so far
1. When Barry Allen was 11 years old, his mother was murdered. Barry saw a man wearing a yellow suit in a whirlwind before he was taken 20 blocks from his house. His father is serving a life sentence for the murder.
2. There were two speedsters there on the night of Nora Allen’s murder. One produced red lightning, the other yellow.
3. Blood splatter on the wall of the old Allen house matched Barry — as an adult.
4. The blood did not, however, match Harrison Wells.
5. The man in the yellow suit tells Barry they know each other and that it is Barry’s destiny to fail.
6. Harrison Wells is the man in the yellow suit, the Reverse Flash. He produces red lightning when he uses his super speed.
7. Harrison has proven himself willing to kill to protect the Flash.
8. The Reverse Flash, after beating Harrison to a bloody pulp, took out a number of CCPD officers but left Eddie Thawne unharmed.
9. Harrison, as the Reverse Flash, stole the tachyon device in order to tap into the Speed Force because his speed is inconsistent.
10. Harrison Wells has a newspaper from the future that details the Flash going missing in a “Crisis.”
11. Time travel is indeed possible. Dr. Martin Stein believes that one day Barry will run so fast that he rips a hole in the space-time continuum, allowing him to travel through time. Barry will accidentally time travel in an upcoming episode.
Theories
So, how do all these pieces come together? There are a number of theories floating around.
The first solution falls under Occam’s razor, that the simplest solution is usually the best: Harrison Wells is the Reverse Flash. He is the only man in the yellow suit.
Another theory suggests that perhaps Harrison Wells, who is not a character in the comics, is actually Barry Allen from the future. He traveled to the past but was stuck there on the night of his mother’s murder and has been unable to travel back to his time.
Yet another theory suggests that there is more than one Reverse Flash, as there is more than one in the comics. Harrison Wells is one of the Reverse Flashes, deriving characteristics from Hunter Zolomon — the Reverse Flash from the comics who becomes the Flash’s rival to make him a better hero.
The second Reverse Flash, then, either is or is a descendant of Eddie Thawne. In the DC comics, Eobard Thawne is the time traveling arch-nemesis of the Flash. According to executive producer Andrew Kreisberg, Eddie Thawne’s “name is not an accident,” and his “connection to the Reverse Flash lore is going to pay off big time in the back half of the year.”
Despite all these theories floating around, series star Grant Gustin says we’ll all be shocked when the truth comes out:
“I didn’t even remotely see coming what Andrew Kreisberg told me is going to be one of the turning points with that storyline. I’ve heard so many theories surrounding Reverse Flash that are all interesting. I was like, ‘Oh, I know what’s going on,’ but literally no one knows what’s going on. Anyone who thinks they know what’s going on is wrong. I’m in the in and I thought I knew, but Andrew told me and I was like, ‘Holy crap.’”
‘Out of Time’
Meanwhile, the promo for the next episode, titled “Out of Time,” seems to indicate the mystery will come to a head:
The Flash returns with new episodes Tuesday, March 17 at 8:00 p.m. ET on The CW.