On The Flash season 6, episode 17, after being kicked out of his home by Mirror Iris, Barry starts putting together the pieces about who (or what) this imposter could be… which took way too long, honestly.

The Flash season 6, episode 17 finds Barry’s speed continuing to diminish as he attempts to solve a mystery where he doesn’t even know the correct questions to ask, while Cisco and Ralph check in on Caitlin, only to find her slipping away in an ice coma.

And as if life isn’t tough enough already, a familiar villain is brought back to assist with Eva’s plans, as Mirror Iris, Kamilla, and Singh put the finishing touches on the key to Eva’s freedom.

‘The Flash’ season 6, episode 17 review

The Flash season 6, episode 17 is a great episode. It’s fun, entertaining, and incredibly important to the overarching narrative, as Iris remains trapped in the Mirrorverse.

Plus, it’s one of the most emotional episodes of the season, giving Grant Gustin and Candice Patton a chance to shine as the West-Allen family faces brutal times, which is not made easier by this prolonged separation.

With only a few more episodes of season 6, things are beginning to amp up, though it’s a bit disappointing that we won’t really see where this story is actually headed until the series is allowed to film again. And who knows when that will be, at this point.

However, I think the series has the perfect storyline for this unexpected break.

Eva McCulloch is actually an interesting enough villain to hold our attention for the back half of this season, and let’s not forget, that behind McCulloch Technologies is an entire secret organization that the series has just begun to explore.

It’s strange that the writers were even tackling this as a story for just the back half of the season with how complex it is, so I think continuing the story into season 7 could actually be a good thing, and it would give more time for explanation and exploration.

Barry and Iris

I’m actually quite surprised by how emotional The Flash season 6, episode 17 was, even though the previous episode ended with Mirror Iris booting Barry from their home in the middle of a fight.

Sure, I expected to see some of Barry’s heartbreak and confusion, but to pair that with the realization that his wife has been missing for months was brutal.

I don’t say this lightly, but Grant Gustin is a treasure to television, and I will literally never understand how he hasn’t won an Emmy for some of his work on The Flash.

Watching his scene in front of the mirror to end the episode, tore my heart out, and then Candice came along and stepped on it with her incredible performance and Iris’ gut-wrenching pain.

There’s going to be so much to do with these two when Iris returns home, and I, for one, am excited. These two actors have what it takes to really take a scene to the next level, and there are so many complicated emotions now surrounding their relationship, particularly from Iris’ point of view.

I mean, her husband didn’t know she was gone for weeks, despite this reflection being different from her in noticeable ways. It’s going to be amazing, and I want it now!

Eva and her babies

It was kind of weird watching a grown man (Singh) call Eva his “mother” on The Flash season 6, episode 17, but that’s a little off-topic.

Eva is kind of crazy, and I’m really excited to see what she does now that she’s out of the Mirrorverse, where she’s been stuck for six years.

She wants revenge against her husband, but for what? And clearly, they’ve been in contact more than just the brief moments on the previous episode, so what happened between them?

Everything is so twisted and complicated; it seems very unusual for The Flash to have a story this complex (outside of the science), which is probably my favorite part.

What is Eva’s endgame, and why did she need Iris specifically for that?

As for Mirror Iris, her death was surprisingly sad. I wish there were more moments that kind of “humanized” her though, as going from a flat-out villain to a being with remorse in one day didn’t really feel like it fit.

Caitlin

We know that the writers had to gear up for Caitlin’s exit (due to Danielle Panabaker’s pregnancy), but it’s actually interesting how they’ve started to introduce it. This wound that Caitlin/Frost took is really taking a toll on her, and the answer to why that is should be quite interesting.

Plus, the ice coma on The Flash season 6, episode 17 was kind of ingenious, and just makes me wish we saw even more of the extent of Frost’s powers, as we’ve done a little this season.

No theories, yet, about how they’re going to write her off (which is now probably unnecessary because filming was cut short and Panabaker will likely be able to return whenever the series can film again), though the prospect of seeing Caitlin’s mom again is exciting.

I wonder what she’ll have to offer, and maybe the way Caitlin is written off will see her staying with her mother to heal…

However, I believe Panabaker is in episodes 18 and 19, so it might be a complicated process.

‘The Flash’ season 6, episode 17 final thoughts

All in all, The Flash season 6, episode 17 was an interesting, emotional episode. The series is doing many things right (especially after a lackluster first half of the season), and should take notes from what they’re doing here to bring over to the next season.

That said, as much as I love Cecile, I really don’t like how she just floats through literally everyone’s story and finds her way into literally everything that’s going on. Plus, I really don’t enjoy how they’ve basically replaced Joe with Cecile as the parental figure on the show.

She’s great in smaller doses and really doesn’t need to be tied to everything that’s going on. And if she can hardly take care of her new baby, why do we trust her to parent these adults that are over half of her age?

The Flash continues Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW!