S07.E17: Heart of the Matter, Part 1

[Trini]

XS AND IMPULSE SURPRISE BARRY AND IRIS IN THE 150TH EPISODE OF "THE FLASH" -

Barry and Iris greet their future children, XS (guest star Jessica Parker Kennedy) and Bart (guest star Jordan Fisher), only for a shocking secret to threaten their new familial harmony. Meanwhile, the Godspeed war intensifies and threatens to destroy Central City.

Eric Dean Seaton directed the episode written by Eric Wallace & Lauren Barnett.

Airdate: 7/13/2021

 

Edited July 14, 2021 by Trini

[cambridgeguy]

Team Flash still needs to work on their communication.  Special guest Cisco can get to the Cathedral but Frost is nowhere to be seen until after they get back to Star Labs?  Come on guys, bring everyone to the fight!

I'm still half expecting Thawne to pop up as the man pulling Godspeed's strings.  I suppose things will be filled in next week but aside from a cool costume Godspeed is still just a mostly generic evil speedster even though he's followed in Thawne and Zoom's footsteps by murdering a loved one.

[rmontro]

Pretty good episode, I thought.  The kids bring a badly needed lift to the show.  Nice to see Cisco again, even though he hadn't been gone that long.  Nice to see Iris, mainly because the reason for her absence seemed kind of ridiculous.

Not sure what's going on with Kristen, apparently she's supposed to be dead?  Maybe this one's from an alternate timeline?

[bettername2come]

John Wesley Shipp looks so much older than he did last time we saw him. Then I looked him up, and he's 66, so he's holding up much better than I realized. I do like that we established Jay and Bart are so close. I do like that they made it clear this isn't the version of Nora we know. She and Bart played off each other well. She played desperate and exasperated big sister well. Bart gets his pretty crying from his dad. 

How dare you call Chester the smartest person you know, Bart? Is Cisco not in your life?

I squealed and threw my hands in the air when Cisco showed up. I had been thinking earlier about how it didn't make sense that Carlos would leave right before the 150th episode, and it made me so happy that he arrived. I thought Wally was gonna walk in, but this was better. 

"We make great people." "Yeah we do." That was sweet. 

Allegra not telling them all right away that Esperanza died seems weird. 

[Primal Slayer]

My "live thoughts"

Take a shot everytime Barry says "I wish Iris were here" Glad that she is back because its been annoying that they act like we'll forget who she is if Barry doesnt mention her every other sentence. 

"Nora is all grown up" she doesnt seem much different from when we last encountered her lol.

Godspeeds encounter Jay JUST as he's about to get back into running? Talk about timing.

I hope there is more to this Bart storyline because they removed one of his most interesting aspects...well 2 of them.

1 coming from a dystopian future and 2. Being a direct relative of Thawne.

It could be because of budgetary reasons but Ill never understand why these writers forget that one of the things that make ice-based characters a threat to speedsters is that they can put them on ice...literally. Frost should just make them all into popsicles to give them enough time to get away. 

I wish it was funny to see Barry/Iris fight with their future children but ya'll aint parents yet! I don't care how many force children you pop out of the speed force. They are what? 30/31 themselves nowadays? Barry you're woe is me speech, everyone has a Thawne, it's just an arch nemesis. 

Cisco! He was a nice surprise.

Both siblings were "near death" in under an hour, exhausting. Though where was Killer Frost? They could've sped her to the scene as well. 

I still have no idea where Joe's storyline is going...what was that "accident" the car wasnt even in the same lane! lol. They are really fighting for the dramatics.  

Well....yeah, still better than the first half of the season but not the best they could've given us.

 

[Lantern7]

I'm ready for this season to wrap up. I'm thinking we could've gotten a stronger batch of episodes in a "normal" year.What we wound up getting was a lot of characters that don't really pull me in. Including Godspeed. ESPECIALLY Godspeed.

On some level, Godspeed has potential. The white comes off creepy, and his lighting emblem has four lines . . . . as opposed to Barry's three and Jay's one. And the "speedster from the future" hook works better than Angsty Nihilist Barry Savitar. But the execution is sloppy, and watching the clones silently battle the Flash Family (and each other) . . . I think Power Rangers. Potential spoiler for next week: Eva was really Rita Repulsa! Or maybe it's Kristen!

Bright side: we got a Bart Allen! And he is close to the comic canon. It's annoying that we got five different versions of "impulse" said out loud. Come to think of it, is this Nora an "XS"? That's weird . . . a daughter that heard the stories about a different version of herself from before she was born, which is a little trippier than the Zari situation over on Legends. Also, this would be the third Nora we've had, between versions 1 and 2 and Barry's mother. Do we count the embodiment of the Speed Force? That would be four. And then there's Nora Darkh living in suburbia with Ray Palmer, so that's five Noras. Is "Nora" the "Martha" of the Arrowverse?

Wait . . . .so Jay Garrick lives? And he lives on Barry's Earth? And was that Tina McGee fussing over him? I shouldn't think too hard about this. Just enjoy John Wesley Shipp work the funky metal hat before the Godspeeds stomp him out.

Allegra . . . .why? "Yeah, I wish I could be helping you guys more, but my sister went out for vengeance and got killed. And she brought up family so much before her death, she turned into Dom from Fast and the Furious before she died. Just . . . .poof! There's Vin Diesel, growling 'family' for a solid minute, and then she croaked."

Was Carlos Valdes in the credits after Cisco left? I wasn't expecting Cisco to come back.

[Bulldog]

I really like the kid playing Bart.  He looks and acts like he could be the son of Barry and Iris. 

[thuganomics85]

As I figured/hoped, Barry and Iris' actual kids (as opposed to whatever the hell they were trying to do with the Force kids earlier this season) gave this show a much needed boost of energy.  Sure, they both aren't perfect and still committed some fouls here, but they are actually characters I'm already invested in and feel like they are worth watching.  And, frankly, compared to most of this season, I will take it.  Certainly helps that Jessica Parker Kennedy (again) and Jordan Fisher are really perfectly cast as Nora and Bart.  They're already nailed down the sibling aspect (love how Nora is already the older sibling that is always rolling her eyes at her younger brother's antics), and also work great opposite of Grant Gustin and Candice Patton during all of the parental scenes.  I guess they wanted to save all of this for the special 150th episode, but this season really could have used them much earlier, I think.

Also nice seeing Jay Garrick again, even John Wesley Shipp did seem to age a bit since we last saw him.  Still looks pretty good for his age, but it was noticeable.  Also cool seeing Michelle Harrison pop back up as Joan Williams this time.

And, of course, there is Cisco already making his grand return!  Wish they kept Carlos Valdes' name out of the credits since it spoiled the surprise, but it was a fun reveal.  Figured he might show back up for this.  Wouldn't be surprised if they get Harrison Wells/Tom Cavanagh back for the finale.

Esperanza's dying guilt trip certainly did a number on Allegra.  Wish I could feel more upset about it, but I couldn't figure out why Allegra felt the need to keep it hidden.

Killer Frost shows up briefly to save the day and then disappears again?  Does she have better things to do?

Joe and Kramer are still off on their own little show that I really wish I cared more about.

Still not sure how this Godspeed arc will play out, but the actor playing August at least seemed to be having fun camping it up at the end of the episode.

Still not perfect, but I'm at least kind of interested in seeing how this all plays out, so that's some progress at least compared to how most of this season made me feel...

[Trini]

Once again, they nailed the casting of a West-Allen child. I thought Jordan Fisher as Bart was great. Can't believe they had him crying already, but it's all good. I liked the energy he brought. He looked great in the suit; had good sibling chemistry with Nora/Jessica.

This was a stronger episode than most in this back half of the season, and it's because they focused on the West-Allen family, which has always been one of the strongest elements of the show.

However, I wish they had spent more time on actual Godspeed. That's the weak spot in this too-short arc. Only now (or really, the next episode) we're getting into who he is, and why, etc.? It's a kind of too little, too late.

It was nice to see Nora (even though it shouldn't be Nora, because that's not how genetics, etc. work; but anyway...) but I wish they had at least had a different (or better) hairstyle for her to really show that it wasn't the same Nora from Season 5. Also great to see Jay Garrick and Joan again; though I wish they had explained how they're on Earth-Prime now since they were Earth-2 characters. Yes, I know we can assume it's because of Crisis, but then that means they've been here this whole time, and no one ever mentioned that?

It was interesting that Jay was apparently Bart's mentor. Sucks that Wally/Kid Flash couldn't be a part of this; but I'm glad he was mentioned. I wonder what is Barry/The Flash up to in the future? Is he not active as the Flash anymore? I would think he'd also be taking down Godspeed in 2049.

I did laugh at Caitlin's "Again??" and Barry was all "Yeah. . . ." -- hee! I also have to laugh at "No time travel" being family Rule #1, 'cause Barry & Iris knew their kids were going to totally do that at some point.

So if Nora is 26 in 2049, then she was born in 2023; so the earliest Iris could be pregnant with her is 2022. I'm sticking with my theory (and the show's foreshadowing) that Iris will be pregnant by the end of the season -- or is right now. So if she's not pregnant with Nora in 2021, what child (children??) is she carrying? It's either that (more than two West-Allen kids) or time travel shenanigans.

In other less important plots: Sorry Joe was stuck with maybe-metahuman Kramer; I want to see him with his grandkids. I guess I feel bad that Allegra feels bad, but I was not at all interested or invested in her story with Esperanza. But at least they managed to tie it back indirectly to the main plot through Chester, so points for that.

Edited July 14, 2021 by Trini
oy, grammar

[shantown]

While Jordan Fisher wasn't quite as spot on with the mannerisms of Barry and Iris as JPK was in her first appearance, he still seemed to slide (hee!) into the family dynamics well. I really like the West-Allen foursome. It was nice to see a scene with all four of them, and happy no less! I wish we had gotten more of them, and more buildup to this Godspeed arc before it all comes up rather quickly in these last three episodes.

40 minutes ago, Trini said:

Also great to see Jay Garrick and Joan again; though I wish they had explained how they're on Earth-Prime now since they were Earth-2 characters. Yes, I know we can assume it's because of Crisis, but then that means they've been here this whole time, and no one ever mentioned that?

 I find it weird that all the Arrowverse characters seem to talk LESS now that they're all on the same Earth than they ever did when they were spread across multiple Earths. 

This season has been uneven at best but this episode was probably my favorite of the year, and I agree with @rmontro and @thuganomics85 that Bart and Nora added some much needed energy to the show. I'm interested to see how they wrap it all up next week!

[miasth]

Not twins..makes sense as Bart does look a bit young though Jordan Fisher is late 20s.  

What is going on with Iris though since pregnancy with 2 speedster babies is not the cause of her issue.  Unless of course Nora and Bart have older siblings they are not mentioning.  

The way Bart ran to Iris makes me think he may be a Momma's boy.  While it was nice to hear Jay became Uncle Jay I felt it made future Wally and Barry look bad in how they handle Bart.  Bart made it sound like they spent more time trying to change him than understand him.

Speaking of Jay he had a lightbulb moment when Nora made the comment about Godspeed going after those they love most. That makes me think  would he gotten close to the West-Allen family without this future knowledge? It also makes me think that even if Nora and Bart don't reveal much about the future them sticking around in the past will change the timeline regardless.

Godspeed was a bit too cartoony for me. He is Bart's Thawne-I would have likened them more to Zoom and Barry.  

Edited July 15, 2021 by miasth

[tennisgurl]

I agree with everyone saying that having Bart and Nora have brought a ton of much needed energy to the show. This episode had its flaws, but its absolutely the best that the show has been all season, to the point that it makes me sad that we have had so much crap to sit through to get to the more interesting stuff. I know that they wanted to introduce the kids for the big 150 episode celebration, but the show is always so much better when it focuses on the West-Allen family. Like Nora, Bart really does look/act like the offspring of Barry and Iris, and all four of them have really believable family chemistry, even under these weird circumstances. Especially Nora as the long suffering big sister to her brothers wacky hijinks. Its nice seeing Nora again, although I wish they had changed her hair a bit to show us that this is a different Nora, which they also established that she is, which I really like. This is Nora, but not the same Nora who we met who came to the past previously, that Nora really is gone for good. Its sad, but it means that her sacrifice and Barry and Iris's grief still carries a lot of weight, which I appreciate in all of the retcons and time travel/alternate universe changes. The back half of the season hasn't been amazing, but it is miles better than the first half, some of which I can let slide due to pandemic restrictions, but some was just good old fashioned bad writing. 

Poor Barry, its like for a second he glanced at the fourth wall as he talked about how it seems like every single version of their family is always loosing their parents and parental figures and friends and family at the hands of villains, its less of a curse and more like genre conventions. Sucks to be a parent or mentor in these kinds of stories, that's just how it is. Giving life or being generally supportive is the second most common cause of fictional death, right behind nearing retirement. It really sucks that future Jay is dead and how torn up about it Bart is, although with time travel in play who knows if that is even what the kids will go back to. At least Bart inherited his dads remarkable crying ability, and it means that we got to see Jay again. Everyone's back this episode! Cisco, Jay, Nora, and most important, Barry's Dad Voice. This episode went back to a lot of what I liked about the dynamic Nora added to the show way back when, as Barry and Iris try to figure out how to parent their adult kids who aren't much younger than they are, who they don't really know. I also love that future Barry and Iris's number one rule is no time traveling, and that its already been broken. Also cracked up at Caitlin and Barry's nonchalant "Kids from the future again? "yep" back and fourth. Just another day at Star Labs. Fun seeing Cisco as well, even if it hasn't been long since we saw him last, its in character that he would come back to help. Would have been nice to see Wally, but I am glad that he at least got a few mentions. 

Unfortunately, the interesting and engaging main story was constantly interrupted by the seasons true greatest villain...terrible subplots. I have no idea why Allegra refused to tell anyone what happened to Esperanza. Not only would they naturally be concerned about their friend losing someone she cared about, they will probably want to know what happened with that super powered assassin and the creepy evil organization that created and destroyed her. The only reason to keep that a secret is to add needless drama so that Allegra can snap at Chester without explaining why she's in such a bad mood. Chester was also really over the top this week, they really do need to be more consistent with him as a real character and not just comic relief. Sometimes they let him be funny but also seem like an actual person, but other times, like this week, its like he's a three year old on a sugar high. Joe and Kramer are also off in their own show, almost totally unconnected to the main plot, every time their plot shows up again, its like I forgot about it until its back on screen, then I'm annoyed its taking time away from the interesting stuff. 

The biggest flaw in the main West-Allen story is that Godspeed is a really boring villain. He has been showing up on and off for ages, but we still don't know anything about him, his personality, and what his actual motivations are other than going fast and killing people. Even Thawne, who's whole motivation could be summed up as "fucking with Barry" was more complex. That, and I really do wish we could have had the kids come sooner, this seems like it would have made for a WAY better season, they could have easily introduced them earlier and cut a lot of the terrible plots we have been forced to sit through, like the trail of Frost or a lot of the Speed Force nonsense. 

Edited July 14, 2021 by tennisgurl

[Quark]

Great episode. Really nice to see Barry's kids, they have amazing energy. I loved how happy they were to see Grandma Cecile!

I imagine that this Godspeed stuff will all be resolved next season, although not before a battle with Barry's thousand "kids" fighting a thousand Godspeed clones next episode.

[legaleagle53]

9 hours ago, Trini said:

So if Nora is 26 in 2049, then she was born in 2023; so the earliest Iris could be pregnant with her is 2022. I'm sticking with my theory (and the show's foreshadowing) that Iris will be pregnant by the end of the season -- or is right now. So if she's not pregnant with Nora in 2021, what child (children??) is she carrying? It's either that (more than two West-Allen kids) or time travel shenanigans.

I was just coming in here to comment on this, since we now have (ahem) a timeline for Nora and Bart's births. Nora will be born sometime in 2023, and Bart will be born sometime in 2030. So you're right that Iris can't be pregnant with Nora until 2022, so either she's not pregnant at all now, or she is and will have a miscarriage sometime between now and Nora's conception in 2022. OR, this show being what it is, the resolution of the Godspeed War will somehow alter the timeline just enough so that Nora is actually born a year earlier.

[tvwatchergordis]

Good episode IMO it was nice meeting Barry and Iris' future children. Bart was fun and I liked this Nora more than the original one. I like how she's matured. Looks like her and Bart grew up with both of their parents in the Post crisis timeline.

I don't know how I feel about Godspeed yet. I need more development from him. 

Liked the family dynamic between the WestAllen. They have great family chemistry.

Season finale in a week this season went by fast

[Cthulhudrew]

Was there a single character in this episode that didn't, at some point, blame themselves for everything that went wrong?

[Cthulhudrew]

On 7/13/2021 at 7:53 PM, Primal Slayer said:

I hope It could be because of budgetary reasons but Ill never understand why these writers forget that one of the things that make ice-based characters a threat to speedsters is that they can put them on ice...literally. Frost should just make them all into popsicles to give them enough time to get away. 

You're not the only one. I keep wondering the same thing all the time. Can't she just make things so cold that it reduces a speedster's kinetic energy and slows them to a crawl? Or at least the two negate one another so that the speedster is reduced to "normal" human reaction speeds?

I would have sworn Snart did this in one of the early seasons, but maybe I'm mistaking that for a comic storyline. 

Edited July 16, 2021 by Cthulhudrew

[cambridgeguy]

15 hours ago, tvwatchergordis said:

I don't know how I feel about Godspeed yet. I need more development from him. 

Unless he's the big bad for next season they're running out of time - they've sacrificed development for having all those clones since I guess his outfit was a buy one, get one free special.  I did get a kick out of his monologue at the beginning though - just running around shouting to the world even though no one was there to listen (he was surprised by Nora). 

[scarynikki12]

10 hours ago, Cthulhudrew said:

 

I would have sworn Snart did this in one of the early seasons, but maybe I'm mistaking that for a comic storyline

He did in his first episode.

[tvwatchergordis]

6 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

Unless he's the big bad for next season they're running out of time - they've sacrificed development for having all those clones since I guess his outfit was a buy one, get one free special.  I did get a kick out of his monologue at the beginning though - just running around shouting to the world even though no one was there to listen (he was surprised by Nora). 

I’m not sure, a lot of mistakes were done this season. Wouldn’t surprise me that 7x18 is the last time we see Godspeed. Hopefully I’m wrong 

[TV Anonymous]

I know that this is a comic-based show, but I cannot help cringing when The Flash while standing still charge the device with 'kinetic energy'. As well, Runk mentions nanometers as a unit to measure energy. He implicates that there is 5 billion nanometers of energy. 5 billion nanometers is simply 5 meters. What does that mean in terms of energy?

[Trini]

The director, Eric Dean Seaton, posted some BTS photos of the 150th on his instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRnMTNdLZpL/