Tonight's episode, “The Runaway Dinosaur” has the potential to be one of the best Flash episodes yet this season. Kevin Smith ( Comic Book Men ) directs this crucial episode where we’ll find out what the F happened to Barry Allen. Season 2 episode 20, “Rupture,” went full on ‘Flashpoint’ (minus Batman, of course). In case you need a refresher (or just want to watch this epic scene one more time), here’s the cliffhanger from last episode:
**extremely serious Season 2 episode 21, “The Runaway Dinosaur” spoilers ahead**
Comic Book Resources caught up with Smith, who didn’t hold back in terms of spoilers. The director answered three questions I had going into tonight’s episode. He revealed Barry is not dead, and is indeed in the Speed Force. Also, neither Kid Flash nor Jesse Quick will be getting a costume in “The Runaway Dinosaur.”
Where is Barry?
Barry disintegrated into thin air, leaving his Flash suit behind. Zoom believes him to be dead, but he actually became one with the speed force.
“Barry is in the Speed Force. The Speed Force speaks to him as the people who are most important to him. It has a bit of Dickens to it, something like ghosts of his past. It's an episode about taking stock. It's somebody looking back at their entire life. Barry meets his maker, looks back at his entire life and tries to figure out what is next,” Smith revealed.
How does Cisco find Barry?
The full extent of Vibe’s powers haven’t been put on display yet. Traditionally, Cisco’s vibrational powers allow him to track and find speedsters (like he does with ‘Jay Garrick’s’ cap). We see him doing this in the “Runaway Dinosaur” trailer below, but what else can he do?
“Cisco grabs what is left of the costume and vibes that Barry is still alive, but they don't know where he is. Cisco is like, "I've seen Barry. He's still alive." Later on in the episode, it's Harrison Wells who figures out Barry is in the Speed Force. Tom [Cavanagh] has this great moment where he goes, "He's in…" and then he does a dramatic turn, "He's in the Speed Force." You're like, "Holy shit,” Smith said.
In the latest “Chronicles of Cisco” episode above, Cisco has a weird dream sequence that could be related to his abilities. He’s going to have to start using his powers more in The Flash’s absence, so that could be a tease for what’s to come. There has to be some way Cisco can use his vibes to light a tunnel for Barry to run home through.
When Amanda Waller recruited Vibe as a member of the JLA, it was a failsafe in case The Flash ever went rogue. Vibe’s vibrations can shut down the speed force entirely, which would leave speedsters like The Flash powerless. His sonic shocks can shatter just about any material, including steel and concrete.
When will Jesse or Wally become speedsters?
Both Wally and Jesse were hit by the speed force. In the clip below, Joe is able to wake up Wally, but when Wells checks on Jesse he realizes her heart isn’t beating. Could she be in a coma like Barry was when he was struck by the particle accelerator? Since Jesse is unconscious, her heart may actually be beating too fast, which would mean she’s also part of the speed force along with Barry. Unfortunately, neither Wally or Jesse will be suiting up tonight according to Kevin Smith.
“Right at the top of the show, there's a sequence involving them. There's a thread running throughout the whole show. One of the B-storylines involves Jesse. For Wally, there's a scene that calls back to Joe discovering Barry's speed. We touch on both of them. I will say this: nobody gets a costume in the episode. That was one of my first questions. I was like, "Is somebody going to get a costume in this episode?" I'm not there for the birth of a new hero, is what I'm saying,” Smith said.
Team Flash is going up against Iron Man metahuman Girder tonight. Now that we know Wally and Jesse aren’t going to be of help, how will Team Flash save Central City? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
