The Flash: The Present

December 6, 2016 7:37 PM - Season 3, Episode 9

Barry goes to Earth-3 to get advice from Jay Garrick on how to stop Savitar. Meanwhile, old wounds are reopened when Cisco faces his first Christmas without his older brother Dante.

Den of Geek - The Flash Season 3 Episode 9: The Present Review - Barry Allen and Jay Garrick team up to take on Savitar in The Flash midseason finale

CBR review - The Flash reveals that [spoiler] dies in 5 months

AV Club recap - Christmas with The Flash brings both delightful surprises and dreary disappointments

posted by oh yeah! (10 comments total)

Indiana Malfoy and the Philosopher's Stone.
posted by oh yeah! at 7:39 PM on December 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

Oh, Iris might not actually die... There's been heavy foreshadowing she'd die, but it looks like it will only be a comic book death.

Jay said "It might not even turn out to be what you saw." I'm taking this to mean it might not be Iris. My guess is it's the face-changing guy from Arrow.

Another reading between the lines "You did this to me. You trapped me in eternity, your future self. You did this to me, Barry." The way it's said leads me to believe Savitar might be Barry's future self. If Barry realized he was turning evil he would seal himself away.

I wonder if the reveal of the traitor will coincide with Easter.... Then Barry will die and be revived seven days later (Again). I think it's Jay, he's the one whose betrayal would mean the most to Barry. Cisco's motivation for the betrayal would be too clear and Caitlin would have to be killer frost so it wouldn't actually be betrayal. Joe wouldn't, Iris wouldn't, Wally might, New Wells would be too obvious and they've done that several times before.
posted by FallowKing at 9:15 PM on December 6, 2016

I wonder if the reveal of the traitor will coincide with Easter....

Surprise twist: The musical crossover with Supergirl is actually just a production of Jesus Christ Superstar.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 5:01 AM on December 7, 2016

I feel like the fact that they showed us Iris' death makes it less likely that they will actually kill her - though we're now sure to have to suffer through umpteen episodes of Barry not telling Iris about her impending doom (but gradually telling everyone else about it and dragging them into the secret-keeping closet).

I'm hoping they just kill H.R. so we can make room for next season's flavor of Wells.
posted by oh yeah! at 7:02 AM on December 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Having HR die a heroic death would be a suitably unexpected twist. I'm in favour of that.

Again, Barry is making decisions for the people in his life. What if Iris didn't want to move in? What if she doesn't like that place? What if she can't get out of the lease on her place? No matter, Barry decided she's moving in with him. (Actually, I was expecting a ring, not an apartment.) As for Iris' fate, the writers and producers have too much invested in the relationship for her to meet a permanent end, so even if she "dies" it won't stick.

I have to admit, I groaned to myself before Barry revealed himself to Julian. I mean come on, is there anybody he won't take off the mask in front of--at this point it seems like the sole exception is Joe's new girlfriend.

It was nice seeing Jay and the Trickster back, although I think Mark Hamill was channelling the Joker more than he was the Trickster, but given it's Earth-3, I guess he gets a pass.

Still, did neither Barry nor Jay stop to think about what Savatar said? He warned that he was ticked off because Barry trapped him in a timeless eternity, so what was the plan Barry and Jay devised? Trap Savatar in a timeless eternity. Really? Maybe doing something to short-circuit that type of punishment might have been the better alternative, but what do I know?
posted by sardonyx at 1:44 PM on December 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm starting to headdesk when watching this show. Like, it's the same damn thing, over and over again. Also that whole picking out a place without telling Iris is really upsetting to me.

It feels like they're trying to make it have a more "comic book" feel, but in a really ham-fisted way, not fun and campy like it could be.

This series got a case of Arrow-itis. Was awesome, now starting to suck, kinda hate-watching at this point. BOO.

Shoot just give me a spin-off with Cisco and Felicity and I'll be happy, Mr. Berlanti!
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 10:19 PM on December 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Also that whole picking out a place without telling Iris is really upsetting to me.

I know, I know, but also YOU CAN'T SIGN SOMEONE ELSE UP TO A LEASE. Did she execute a power of attorney to the dumbest man she knows or something? UGH.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 6:51 AM on December 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Why is Barry, owner of all things associated with Harrison Wells and S.T.A.R. Labs, renting an apartment? Dude, just move into that really sweet house, which you already own, that Thawne/Wells was living in a couple of years ago.
posted by plastic_animals at 7:33 AM on December 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

"My name is Barry Flash and I am the irresponsiblest man alive. After signing my girlfriend's name to a shared lease and then surprising her with it after the fact, I used my powers to go back in time and undo my mistake which created the alternate universe, Knifepoint, in which my friends held me down and threatened me with knives until I promised to stop making decisions of any kind."
posted by Servo5678 at 9:07 AM on December 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

I have to admit, I groaned to myself before Barry revealed himself to Julian. I mean come on, is there anybody he won't take off the mask in front of--at this point it seems like the sole exception is Joe's new girlfriend.

Season ain't over yet.
posted by phearlez at 1:50 PM on December 9, 2016 [1 favorite]