“Trap,†is all about the fallout of last week’s episode, and boy was it a doozie. Flashbacks are generally not my style, but the way they wove them within the story was fantastic.
Last week’s episode revealed Wells’ ‘future’ hideout to the STAR Labs crew, and in this week, they get to learn the implications of such a finding. The newspaper article shows various easter eggs that reverberate amongst the team. Barry’s suit is a brighter red, and the logo’s background is white. The article is dated 2024. But, mostly interestingly, the byline was none other than Iris West-Allen. It appeared from the onset that the two would eventually get together, but now the big question is how? Further pushing the group down the rabbit hole starts with Barry asking Gideon questions. Not only do we find out that Barry Allen is the Director of Central City Police, but we also discover that Wells came from the future to kill Barry. Terminator, anyone? And, Barry is actually the one that created Gideon. Bombshell after bombshell. Luckily they escaped in time and, since Barry created Gideon, she has to obey his orders.
With this newfound information, the crew hopes to find a way to get Wells to confess about the killing of Nora Allen. First of all, the idea sounds absolutely awful since Wells is a genius and just so happens to be The Reverse Flash, but they do figure out a way to tap into Cisco’s subconscious. While at STAR Labs, the group comes up with a device to force Cisco to see his lucid dreams. They were stuck on how to get Cisco to communicate what he was seeing, until Wells overheard them talking about lucid dreams. They cringeworthingly pass it off with a lame excuse, but he helps them anyway. The biggest thing they learn about the confrontation is that his name is actually Eobard Thawne, and the Reverse Flash was actually a hologram inside Cisco’s trap. So now it’s time to put the plan to action. Since they know that Wells can’t get in the forcefield, they use it as a defense mechanism for Cisco to stand inside. While it was a great idea, one which Wells admits, it is still useless. Wells walks right in and is about to kill Cisco. Joe immediately reacts and shoots at Wells. Barry redirects the bullets, but one gets through and kills Wells.
But, things are never that easy with Wells. He convinced Hannibal Bates (Everyman) to pose as the Reverse Flash at a promise of his freedom. With this revelation, the story only unravels further. The group finds out that Wells has been watching them every step of the way, absolutely everywhere they have been. He is keeping tabs on everything and slowly playing them like pawns how he sees fit. Big Brother’s got nothing on The Reverse Flash.
I hate how Wells is quite the relatable character. He does help Barry, and it seems like he genuinely cares for those at STAR Labs, but as he explains himself, they are all just a means which justify the ends. They just twist it so well that you almost feel for him, even when you know he would kill everyone in a heartbeat if it suited his needs. This makes me question whether these villains are out in the wild or have been set free to make Barry stronger. Every single thing up until this point now makes sense, but doesn’t at all at the same time.
On the other side of things we have the Iris and Eddie love story. Eddie, for some reason, decided it would be best to ask Joe if he can have his blessing to marry Iris. Joe says no, which shouldn’t really be that surprising. So later on, Iris and Eddie are taking an evening stroll. He is just getting to his proposal when The Reverse Flash grabs him and runs off. The Flash talks to Iris and explains he will get Eddie back. They touch for a split second, and a static charge is seen and felt by Iris. This is the same exact feeling she had when she touched Barry when he was unconscious after the lightning strike.
I absolutely love that they decided to go this route in her finding out that Barry is The Flash. It was creative and definitely not as boring as straight out telling her. It allowed them to tie in flashbacks which fleshed out both of their characters. While Iris’s scene was filled with rejoice, Eddie’s was not so much. Wells tells Eddie that his true name is Eobard Thawne, Eddie’s distant relative. This finally shows the reason why Eddie is always saved; although, Eobard claims that he is simply insurance should Barry fail.
While the episode was strong just about everywhere, the brief flashbacks are by far the most effective at rounding out various characters. In one scene we have Wells and Joe talking outside of Barry’s room at the hospital. Wells convinces Joe that he is the only one that can save Barry. When Joe reveals this to Barry, Joe feels like all this is his fault, even though it was all just a part of Wells’/Eobards’ master plan. The next flashback features Iris talking to Barry when he’s unconscious, and when she goes to touch him, their hands emit a spark. That spark later leads to her finding out that Barr is indeed The Flash. The final flashback shows the disdain that Eobard has for Barry and that he truly is just the means that justify an end. He goes as far as saying, “There will be a reckoning. I promise you, and you will die.†The complete and utter hate he has toward, well, everyone is insane, and Tom Cavanagh hits it out of the park every single episode.
