The latest episode of The Flash delivered a shocking - and confusing - Reverse-Flash twist, but what does it really mean? The Flash is definitely teasing Reverse-Flash’s return, but what exactly is going on with Nash Wells (Tom Cavanagh) and how it connects to Barry’s greatest enemy is still difficult to determine.
First of all, it’s important to note that a return for the Reverse-Flash is certainly feasible, thanks to The Flash season 5 finale. Eobard Thawne was imprisoned in the future until he successfully manipulated Nora (Jessica Parker Kennedy) into working with him. Thawne wanted to help them defeat Cicada, but as it turned out, the villain unsurprisingly had an ulterior motive. Cicada’s dagger was the present-day version of the device that kept Thawne from escaping his cell in the future. Thawne knew that once it was destroyed, he would be free to do as he pleased, and in the finale, that’s exactly what happened. Thawne escaped, which means that he’s now free to return to The Flash at any given time.
Now, there really isn’t anything stopping Reverse-Flash from returning to The Flash in season 6. Bringing him back would also allow the show a chance to explain Reverse-Flash’s absence from “Crisis on Infinite Earths”. Revere-Flash was a big part of the setup for “Crisis”, as the original newspaper article that teased Barry’s disappearance said it would happen in a fight with Thawne. There ended up being no room for Thawne in “Crisis”, but it would seem that the Arrowverse still has plans for Barry’s biggest villain. What’s not clear is what those plans entail, or what they have to do with Nash Wells, who is somehow connected to Reverse-Flash in a way that has yet to be explained.
The Flash Is Teasing Reverse-Flash’s Return In Season 6
“Crisis on Infinite Earths” shook up the Arrowverse by combining all Earths into one, which is being called Earth-Prime. One of the biggest effects the Crisis had on The Flash is what it meant for Harrison Wells, especially since it’s basically an Arrowverse tradition for the show to get a new Wells at the beginning of each season. The only time this didn’t happen was when season 4 brought back the season 2 Wells, Harry. That formula was seemingly scrapped by Crisis, since now only one Wells can exist in the Arrowverse. This fact was pointed out by Cisco (Carlos Valdes) in The Flash season 6 midseason premiere.
Apparently, this issue with Harrison Wells is more complicated than it was originally thought. Nash Wells began to see visions of Harry and Sherloque, two presumably dead versions of Harrison Wells. At the end of The Flash season 6, episode 13, Sherloque attacked Nash, and as his body vibrated and his eyes turned red, he warned Nash that “he is coming”. Whatever Nash is looking at, it’s clearly meant to resemble the season 1 villain and recurring antagonist, Eobard Thawne aka Reverse-Flash. But how do these visions of Sherloque, Harry, and Reverse-Flash connect to each other, and how is Nash being warned about them?
All Versions of Harrison Wells May Have Fused
“Crisis on Infinite Earths” should have meant the end of Harry, Sherloque, the Council of Wells, and all other versions of the character with the sole exception of Nash Wells. Somehow, Nash still has doppelgangers, but they seem to only exist in his mind. As for why Nash is the only known Arrowverse character who’s having this problem, this mystery could be explained by the remarkable intelligence of every version of Harrison Wells, and how many of them put their scientific brains together as the Council of Wells.
It’s possible that the Council of Wells found a way to survive the Crisis. An accident or perhaps even a secret plan of some kind may have caused all of them to fuse into one being. Or, it could have something to do with the energy that transformed him into Pariah. Either way, all versions of Harrison Wells fusing into one being would make sense of how Nash can see and interact with Harry and Sherloque, but no one else can see them. They may occupy places in his consciousness., rather than physically existing or being mere visions If so, it could be that Nash is in control while the rest are dormant, and can only see what he sees. An upcoming episode of The Flash is titled “The Exorcism of Nash Wells”, so it does seem plausible that one or more beings have taken residence within Nash Wells.
Reverse-Flash May Take Over Nash Wells’ Body
The biggest problem with this theory is that Reverse-Flash is not Harrison Wells. It’s true that he looks like Harrison Wells, but they’re not the same person. Thawne copied Harrison’s DNA so that he could take his place and get his revenge on Barry Allen (Grant Gustin). It could be that the process worked too well. In rewriting his own DNA, Thawne may have actually become Earth-1’s new Harrison Wells. Being such a perfect copy could have caused him to be treated as a Wells doppelganger.
If this is what happened, and if it’s true that all the versions of Harrison Wells fused together, then Reverse-Flash may have been lumped in with the rest of them. Unlikely to accept this fate, Reverse-Flash would of course take steps to get himself out of this situation. The most obvious way to do that would be to take control of Nash’s body and become the dominant Wells. This could be what Sherloque is trying to warn Nash about. One among them - Reverse-Flash - may be preparing to wrest control of Nash’s body and become the Arrowverse’s only Harrison Wells.
If Team Flash discovers what’s going on in time, they may be able to save Nash Wells from being permanently taken over by Eobard Thawne. This storyline would add one more threat to a growing list of problems Team Flash will face in the back half of season 6. Black Hole is still around, and Iris has been replaced by a clone connected to a new Mirror Master. Team Flash has a lot on their plate in The Flash season 6, and throwing a Reverse-Flash possession story into the mix will make things even more interesting as the story moves forward in the episodes to come.
More: The Flash Theory: Gorilla Grodd Has A Secret Speed Force Plan
