THE FLASH - 5.22

THE FLASH - SEASON 5, EP. 22:  "Legacy"


We have reached the finish line for Season 5 of our favorite Scarlet Speedster.  It has been a rollicking rollercoaster ride that featured new Rogues, old ones, new additions to the family, and the return of Barry's deadliest enemy.  Throw in a surprise from his and Iris' future daughter, and you have the makings of a season that put the series back on track, and has given us quite a stir.  Now, we see what Eobard's Master Plan is, and what is the fate of Cicada and our own dear Nora?  Let's dive in and find out!

We left off in the heat of the battle, where Cisco had tossed Cicada's dagger towards Barry, who was using the gun to destroy it, thus destroying Cicada.  Ralph, however, discovered Thawne's plan, and jumps in front of the knife, while taking the hit from the gun, thus inverting his body.  But not before he managed to reveal that Thawne had a master plan.  Cicada flees, taking the knife with her, thus ensuring her reign of terror continues.  All this happens during a Nora voice over.

They go over what happened, and they're not sure why Ralph took the bullet, but they know they DID save countless metahuman lives, but Barry and Nora know more work must be done.  Barry notices a wooden fragment left behind, and he and Nora go to figure it out.  Meanwhile, the team is working on a way to try and restore Ralph.  Cisco is also having his continued personal crisis in regards to Camilla...as to whether or not to reveal his Vibe identity to her.  

Sherloque eventually cracks the code and figures out  that Ralph had solved the mystery, and showed that it was the Reverse-Flash pulling both Cicada AND Nora's wings, so that he could get the dagger to stay alive.

Cicada is having her little conversations with Uncle Orlen in her head, and she knows that she can use the time sphere to go back in time to the particle accelerator incident to stop all the metahumans.  Back in 2049, we're about to see Eobard get his just desserts.

The team knows that if they destroy the dagger in the past, Thawne will survive in the future.  Sherloque asks what do they do?  Take down Grace?  Or stop Eobard.  Barry will have none of it, as he feels he can stop them both.    Nora, meanwhile, is wracked with guilt.   As the team prepares, Cisco goes to tell Camilla the truth about himself.  Not surprisingly, however---Camilla completely accepts Cisco as Vibe and gets it.  One road paved for the future.

Barry walks in on Nora sulking....they are VERY much alike, father and daughter.  Barry asks her what kind of hero does she want to be...one that takes the easy do-over?  Or one willing to live WITH the consequences of her actions?  

Back at the lab, Caitlin and Sherloque are still trying to figure out how to get Ralph bak to normal.  Just as you would have it, Sherloque tells Cisco to blast him with his powers...jolting him back together.  It works!  And just in time as the team gets an alert.  They've discovered where that piece of wood shard was located, and thus have figured out Cicada's location.  Nora says she has a plan to stop both Cicada AND Thawne.

The team splits in two with Sherloque, Iris and Cisco at the lab, as the rest of the team are on the hunt in the woods, hoping to give little Grace the choice to take the cure on her own.  Nora is the focal point, as the older Grace is caught in a force field, as Nora tries to appeal to the youthful side of Gracie.  The shield is buckling as Grace is fighting back against Nora and two versions of her Uncle in her head.  But Nora manages to get through to her.  Grace takes the cure, just as the Older Grace shows up and takes everyone out.  She's about to kill Nora when all of the sudden, Cisco vibes the gun to Flash, who blasts the gun.  The dagger is destroyed, and the older Grace is erased.  However, it's too late to stop Eobard from freeing himself and regain his power in the future.

Eobard begins his killing spree in the future as he plans to make his escape.  And when we see Eobard about to don his Reverse Flash outfit, time shifts in reverse.  Flash and  XS arrive, and reveal his plan, including when they travelled back into the past and Nora revealed Cicada's name to him.   Then, the race is on.  Battling all over Central City.  Eobard tells Nora that she can't save her father, no matter what she does.  Just as he lunges to attack, Iris, Ralph, and Cisco appear, ramming the time sphere into Eobard, and slowing him down.

The battle is on once again, as Team Flash uses fancy team work to defeat Thawne.  Just as Nora is about to deliver the killing blow, they stop her.  Just then, Nora starts to disappear.  Eobard says the new time line has set in, and Nora is going with it.  Eobard said that the only way to stop it is to enter the Negative Speed Force.  They make a run, but it Nora says no....this is her legacy...to be a hero.  Nora vanishes.  

It's a somber time for Team Flash, as they remember Nora, and Sherloque readies himself for the trip home to meet with his lady love.  Singh calls Cecile and Joe to the CCPD, and to bring Barry with him.  Iris stays behind, but sees  Nora's journal that she left behind.  

Cisco and Caitlin talk.  Cisco is ready to take the cure.  He doesn't want to be Vibe anymore.  She asks how he feels....which his scared.  But he's hopeful.  He left her something in the workshop.  He feels more at peace with himself.  

Singh gives congrats to Joe and Barry for the work they did.  Singh takes the join as the new Chief of Police, and offers Joe the job to replace him as Captain.  Joe accepts, and Singh also reveals to Barry that he knows he's the Flash.

Barry and Iris are in the tunnel when  they talk about legacy, and how she was theirs.  They then see a video chip with a message from Nora.  She talks about how it was a gift to spend time with them, and how she wouldn't change a thing, as we go through a montage of the changes happening for the team.

Nora's message ends as we back out on a tearful Barry & Iris.  

We fade back in on Gideon as she says there's a time flux---and Iris' newspaper article pops up, with the time on the date being rolled back to 2019...the CRISIS is coming!

________________________________________________________________________


To say this episode to end our 5th go around with the Monarch Of Motion was quite emotional was an understatement.  Part of me had hoped for a little more, but I think this season wasn't going to quite give us the happy ending we were looking for.  Sure, Cicada was stopped, and Eobard is on the loose, which always makes for fun episodes, but this season ended with a kick in the gut.  And...as we have probably seen....the last of Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon.  Changes are coming to Team Flash....and it will be VERY interesting to see this new dynamic in action.

Gotta give the props to the big super villian for playing all his cards the right way, and gettng what he wanted, no matter WHAT Team Flash tried to do.  It's gotta be frustrating to know that your arch nemesis can find a way to pull out a lucky rabbit's foot when you least expect it.  Eobard was well crafted as usual, this season, and was great to finally see another Flash/Reverse Flash battle---I'll never tire of those. The stakes are always greater with these two.  But he set things in motion perfectly, and they played out for him.  Cicada...not so much.

Cicada has never been my favorite villian, and I feel he/she wasn't exactly used in the right context according to the character.  But that's just me.  Orlen & Grace's relationship was tragic to begin with, add the Enlightenment, and it just heaped more drama on people who were, quite frankly, sad to deal with.  Even the older Grace wasn't enough to save this villian from becoming stale.  And besides...when you throw in Eobard Thawne....NO villian in the Rogues' Gallery is going to hold much weight.  So...that being said---wasn't sad to see them go, and was NOT my favorite part of this season.  Towards the end....the character was nothing more than  a place holder, and a real afterthought, no matter WHAT the writers did.

The team changes.  We'd heard rumors all season about Carlos Valdes taking a departure from the show...and they found the easy way out.  Cisco gets to go have a life, and we move a character away from the show that's been so pivitol.  It would've been REAL fun to have some comic moments with Cicsco and Joe again, but it's not meant to be.  Sometimes, many feel a character gets stale, but for ME---WHAT in the world is going to happen to this team next season when it needs a tech guy?  Cisco's knowledge and comic presence to the team will be sorely missed, and could create writing problems.  It's something that concerns me.  Joe being promoted is cool....I felt that was coming at some juncture.  And as for Singh knowing Barry is The Flash?  Yeah...duh.  I'm glad they've NEVER made Singh out to be an idiot---but what it DOES do is give The Flash an important ally higher up now.  

The journey of Nora.  Her's was the story to be told all year.  Rambunctious, hard headed, fast, funny, cute, strong spirited----the exuded all the types of traits we look for in a hero, but also a person---especially a young woman who is living out her flaws for all to see, and yet, manage to dust herself off to be what she needed to be---a legacy.  Jessica Parker Kennedy was stellar casting for this role, and she took everything they threw at her, and owned it like a champ.  She was just like that cute little pixie you couldn't help but get frustrated with, mad at, cry at....and just come to fall in love with.  We knew here story wouldn't be long, but damn were we GLAD we took the trip with her.  She's going to be missed next season....but we ALL have to remember---Nora hasn't been BORN yet---so we can't mourn her forever.

We see a Welles come....we see a Welles go.  Seems to be the norm that they don't overstay their welcome, but do JUUUUUUST enough to keep moving the story along.  I gotta tell you....it's got to be a HOOT to be Tom Cavanaugh on this show.  Sherloloque applied just enough comedy, but intelligence to give the team that extra mind when needed.  Who knows what we'll get next season....what with CRISIS.  This mean we'll only have ONE Harrison Welles when it's all done?

Okay kids---your ONE easter egg you get before the end of the season:  The file Ralph's looking at as he sits at his PI desk...."DEARBON".   Thank goodness!  SUE is coming!  

Well....looks like the newspaper article got a HUGE reboot as the crap is about to hit the fan in the fall.  Looks like Barry will go missing A LOT sooner than we thought, as we prepare for CRISIS.

Okay!  It has been a LOOOOOONG, trying, maddening week, but I'm glad I got to sneak this in.  Only two more shows to go, and we're on show hiatus!   What did YOU think of this season of The Flash?  Curious as to what you think, so leave a comment, and HEY!  If you've NOT subscribed yet---get your butt in gear!  I promise I WILL be working on new content as soon as I can!  

I can't thank you enough for sticking with me guys!  I appreciate it!

Until Season 6 in the fall.....keep on running!