In the 19th episode of season 3 of The Flash, Barry travels to 2024 in the hopes that he can prevent Iris’ death by learning Savitar’s true identity. Once in the future, Barry encounters very different versions of his friends, all of whom have been greatly changed by their battle with Savitar. Back in 2017, Killer Frost is on the loose, and someone learns Savitar’s identity. Take a look back at the most memorable moments from episode 19, “The Once and Future Flash.”
The Flash Spoilers: Season 4 Won’t Have Another Speedster Villain, Barry Will Travel to the Future and More >>>
Killer Frost Escapes
Upon waking up and assuming her Killer Frost persona, Caitlin attacks her friends. Before she can do much damage, Barry arrives and attempts to talk her down. Alas, he fails to get through to her, and Caitlin escapes.
Barry Meets Future-Barry
Since the future article in the time vault was written in 2024 and contains no mention of Savitar, Barry realizes this means he must have captured Savitar by that time so he decides that 2024 is the year he needs to travel to if he wants to find answers about his enemy. With Wally’s help, Barry easily makes it to 2024. Upon his arrival, he encounters two metahumans from his past: Mirror Master and Top. Luckily, Barry is able to escape from his foes, but before he does, the villains imply that the Flash has been gone for a long time.
Shortly after his arrival in 2024, the future version of Cisco tracks Barry down. Future-Cisco is thrilled to see Barry, but Barry cuts their visit short because he needs to speak to his future self. Future-Cisco tells Barry that his future self pushed everyone away after Iris’ death and he put an end to Team Flash. When the two Barrys meet, future-Barry realizes that his younger self is from a time before Iris dies. 2024-Barry says that Iris cannot be saved and he advises 2017-Barry to spend as much time with her as he can before it’s too late. Future-Barry also says that he cannot reveal who Savitar is because he doesn’t know.
After his futile meeting with his future self, Barry decides to head back home despite future-Cisco’s request that he stay in 2024 since there is no longer a Flash to protect the city. Alas, when Barry tries to go back to 2017, he is unable to open a portal to return home.
Barry Sees a Nightmare Vision of His Future
While future-Cisco assures Barry that they will find a way to send him back home, Barry asks him why he hasn’t put Team Flash back together himself. 2024-Cisco then tells Barry that he lost his hands, and therefore his powers, during a fight with Killer Frost. Since he is stuck in the future, Barry pays a visit to future-Julian and an imprisoned Killer Frost. Barry is shocked when he learns that Killer Frost will one day team up with Savitar. She then taunts Barry with her knowledge of Savitar’s identity and the fact that the truth will surprise him.
Next, Barry visits future-Wally hoping that the former Kid Flash can tell him something about Savitar. Barry is devastated when he finds out that future-Wally is paralyzed and trapped inside his own mind. Future-Cisco explains that Wally was so enraged by Iris’ death that he went after Savitar on his own. Joe found him the next day with a shattered spine and in a catatonic state thanks to whatever he saw that night.
Earlier in the episode, Iris asks Barry to promise her that if she dies, he will look after her dad. In 2024, Barry realizes that his future self broke that promise by turning his back on Joe when he needed him the most. Barry then confronts his future self about not being there for the people he loves. Future-Barry tells his younger self that despite all his efforts, Iris still died in his arms and it broke him because she was the love of his life. 2024-Barry goes on to say that he wasn’t there for his friends and family because his sole focus was stopping Savitar. Future-Barry says that when he finally did defeat Savitar, it was too late because he already lost everything, including himself.
Quiz: Which The Flash Character Are You? >>>
Barry Reunites Team Flash
Throughout the episode, future-Cisco makes it clear that he wants Barry to remain in 2024 and Barry figures out that future-Cisco sabotaged his return to the past. 2024-Cisco explains that he wants to keep his friend in the future so he can help repair the damage done to everyone they love. Eventually, Barry realizes that future-Cisco is right, and they team up to put the gang back together.
Once Barry gathers the remaining members of Team Flash together again, he promises them that no matter what happens in 2017, he will not abandon them this time around. Barry and future-Cisco convince the others to re-form Team Flash because they all need some hope in their lives. Barry then works with the reunited Team Flash to go after Mirror Master and Top, but it takes some unexpected assistance from 2024-Barry to actually bring the villains down.
Barry Gets a Much-Needed Lead
After working with his past self, future-Barry realizes just how wrong he was to distance himself from his friends in the wake of Iris’ death. He has a long way to go, but he asks his loved ones if they’ll give him a chance to reunite their broken family and they all seem willing to let him try.
2024-Barry still doesn’t think 2017-Barry will be able to save Iris, but he gives his younger self a lead when he explains that he had help trapping Savitar in the speed force. Alas, the physicist who helped him take down his foe only came up with the technology four years after Iris’ death. Future-Barry hands over all the information he got from this physicist so that if Barry can find her in 2017, this information might help her develop the tech sooner.
With this small but important lead, Barry bids goodbye to future-Cisco and returns to his own time. When Barry gets back to 2017, he fills the team in on what he learned from his future self and he makes a promise to Joe that he will be there for him no matter what happens.
Killer Frost Learns Savitar’s Identity
In the episode’s final scene, Killer Frost meets up with Savitar and the villain offers to help her destroy her better half for good. Savitar then reveals himself to Caitlin, but sadly, not to the audience. However, whoever Savitar is, Caitlin trusts this person enough to agree to a team-up.
What was your favorite moment from this episode of The Flash? Are you disappointed that we didn’t learn Savitar’s identity in this episode? Based on Caitlin’s reaction to Savitar, who do you think the villain really is? What did you think of the future versions of Team Flash? What does it mean that H.R. was the only one who seemed to have a bright future? Were Barry’s loved ones too quick to forgive future-Barry for abandoning them after Iris’ death? While Team Flash will almost surely save Iris, will they be able to change all of the events that led to this nightmare version of the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
The Flash season 3 airs Tuesday nights at 8/7c on the CW. Want more news? Follow our Flash Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of the CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
