Episode 19 was originally meant to be a high point in the season, a huge dramatic moment to lead us into the final chapters of Season 6. Instead, it has become the finale itself. And what a finale! We get big time drama, amazing action, some cinematic quality shots, and a big time cliffhanger. What more could you ask? Season 6, even in its shortened form, has been one of the very best of the series. This episode just put the topping on the cake with a terrific season-ending blast. Wanna know more? Follow us after the jump!
SPOILERS AHEAD! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
NOTE: This review is posting prior to the showing of THE FLASH in the Pacific Time Zone USA. If you haven’t seen it yet, STOP HERE and come back after watching the show. You will be glad you did!
Eva McCulloch is now free of the mirror world, wearing a new protective suit and ready to take down her husband. Barry and Team Flash know she is coming after Joseph Carver, so they offer to give him protection. Carver doesn’t believe the threat, telling Barry that Eva would be completely gone by now after spending so much time in the mirror world…and that there won’t be enough left of Iris to save, either.. He turns down the offer of protection at first…and goes back to see his crew in Black Hole.
Just one problem with that…by the time he gets there, Eva has taken them all through different reflective surfaces. No one is home. Carver is finally convinced that he needs help and arrives at Barry’s lab. They are ready to put Carver in witness protection, when who would show up to take him to the feds?
You guessed it – the mirror version of Singh! Barry pulls him aside. Singh offers Iris in exchange for letting him take Carver to his doom. Barry is almost ready to do just that, when Nash steps in. Nash has a teleport device that takes Carver and Team Flash to S.T.A.R. Labs. Nash is disturbed that Barry would even consider it…and so is the version of Thawne/Wells that lives in that psychic “Council of Wells” in Nash’s mind. Nash puts the question to Barry, “what do you think Iris would say when you tell her you traded another person’s life to save hers?” That gets to Barry…he would later resolve his thoughts on that when speaking with Caitlin.
They know that no place is safe, not even S.T.A.R. Labs. Not when Eva can travel through any reflective surface. However, Carver has a safe room at McCulloch Industries. He also has a force field that can atomize anyone trying to get through it. They get to the safe room…which is a duplicate of the one in the mirror world that so affected Iris. Everything is set…until the power goes out.
Keep in mind that Carver had kidnapped and blackmailed his way into setting up Black Hole. The players there – Sunshine, Ultraviolet and Doctor Light – have been given the opportunity to switch sides…and now they work for Eva! The fight is on – and the visuals are stunning here. There are multiple camera angles, often in split screen format, that really heighten the drama here.
While that fight goes on, Eva confronts Carver. She breaks the mirror in that now-infamous office and directs the shards to Carver…but Flash gets in the way, taking the hits himself! Still, he can’t truly save the day. Eva controls those mirror pieces, and she sends them straight through Barry and into Carver, killing him! Carver gets in a few last words, including claiming that this is not the real Eva, before he dies. Whether that’s true or not is something we will have to figure out another time.
Eva has won. She now has control of her company back, and her revenge is complete. She doesn’t fight Flash any more, and her new Black Hole team drops the fight against the rest of Team Flash.
After that, Team Flash leaves, wondering how they will ever defeat Eva and get Iris back. As for Eva, well…Eva McCulloch holds a press conference, claiming to have been held by a criminal organization for several years. She claims her husband “saved” her, only to be killed just as she was freed. And who does she claim did the job?
Sue Dearbon! No, Sue didn’t kill him, we know that. But, the world believes it – and now the hunt is on for Sue!
Now, while all of this is going on…
Iris and Kamilla have been trying to find Singh and also find a way out of the mirror world. Iris is slowly adapting to the mirror world, and finally can read one of the computer screens. The real Singh is in the mirror world version of Central City Hospital. So, we’re finally ready to save everyone, right?
NO!
Iris begins to change. She becomes almost mirror like, then disappears completely! Has she died? Been changed forever? Lost to the mirror world? Who knows? We certainly won’t know until…next season!
In other story threads…
- Frost finally meets “mom”, Dr. Carla Tannhauser. Caitlin’s mother and Frost finally get the chance to bond. “Mom” has realized some of her mistakes and wants to help both Frost and Caitlin be okay. They finally head out together, to come back when all is well. NOTE: this was the show’s way of writing Caitlin off temporarily due to her pregnancy. Now, given this shortened season, we may see Danielle Panabaker back without missing as many episodes. That’s good for the show – her acting as both Caitlin and Frost are great for THE FLASH.
- Allegra finally gives Nash a chance to be a part of her life. Nash saves Allegra during that fight with Black Hole, giving her a special gem that Allegra can project light through – and that causes the person affected by that light to relive their worst memories. It works, saving Allegra from Ultraviolet. It is after that battle that Allegra is finally willing to let her anger at Nash go.
- Sue Dearbon had been ready to kill Carver herself earlier in the episode. She agreed to join Black Hole in exchange for Carver dropping his blackmail of her parents. She had intended to use her access through the organization to get close to, and kill, Carver. Ralph managed to talk her out of it, and she ended up fighting alongside Team Flash against Black Hole in that big battle. However, by episode’s end, she was framed for Carver’s murder by Eva. Ralph is willing to help her…but what happens next will have to wait for next season.
NOTES: Here’s where we leave Season 6
- Eva McCulloch has gained her revenge, killing Joseph Carver and taking back her company. She has the upper hand in the eyes of the public, and seems untouchable.
- Sue Dearbon is now about to be on the run, framed for Carver’s murder.
- Barry is still slowly losing his speed, with the artificial Speed Force still not in play yet.
- Kamilla and Singh are still trapped within the mirror world, with (for now) no way out.
- Iris has disappeared before Kamilla’s eyes – to what fate?
MORE NOTES:
- As noted before, Episode 19 was originally meant to be a high dramatic point for the season. It was meant to lead us at breakneck speed toward the original season finale. Still, if there had to be an early end to Season 6, THIS was the perfect episode to act as the finale.
- There are so many potential story threads to explore next season! That’s even without bringing Thawne back into the picture as originally planned. Can’t wait for next season!
SUMMARY:
This was a great ending to one of the best seasons in the history of THE FLASH. We now have to wait until…we’re not sure when, due to the COVID-19 impact on production. But, when the show does pick back up, we can only hope that they keep up this exceptional level of quality. 10/10 for the finale…of course, that’s just my opinion. What do YOU think? Leave your comments below!