As Malcolm Gilmore tries to make sense of the oddities around him, Khione deals with her own issues.
Tropes
- And Your Little Dog, Too!: The Negative Speed Force explicitly tells Iris that it wants to kill her baby alongside her.
- Back from the Dead:
- "Malcolm" learns that he is, in fact, a resurrected Eddie Thawne.
- In extracting the blue crystal from Mark, Khione causes his body to crumble to dust — but she then immediately causes that dust to reform into Mark. She later explains this as temporarily returning him to the embrace of Earth, the mother of us all.
- Big Damn Heroes: Nora / The Speed Force arrives just in time to save Iris from the Negative Speed Force.
- Body Horror: Khione disassembling Mark's body to defeat the Negative Speed Force looks... disturbing, to say the least.
- The Bus Came Back: Mark returns this episode.
- But Now I Must Go: Khione plans to leave once the Negative Speed Force is defeated, as she is just beginning to understand the massive extent of her powers.
- Character Development: Double Subverted with Mark. When he confronts Khione and calls her an "abomination" for the method she used to save the reporters at the Citizen, it seems like he's yet again reverted to his classic jerkass ways, despite his seven months away from Central City. However, it turns out this wasn't actually Mark, but the Negative Speed Force possessing him. The actual Mark in fact, has appeared to have genuinely matured since we last saw him.
- Demonic Possession: Mark is under the control of the Negative Speed Force for most of the episode.
- From a Single Cell: After reducing it to ashes, Khione has no problems completely reassembling Mark's body again.
- He's Back!: Barry at the end... only to disappear yet again.
- Hope Spot: When Iris goes into labour, she laments the fact that Barry cannot be with her for the birth of Nora. Barry then does indeed return, only to later be whisked away yet again by the Negative Speed Force while she's in the hospital room. It's quite likely this was a deliberate move by the Negative Speed Force.
- I Am a Monster: Khione, after the Negative Speed Force manipulates her into thinking it.
- Ill Girl: Allegra gets knocked out by the Negative Speed Force and is unconscious for most of the episode.
- Instant Birth: Just Add Labor!: Averted. While Iris enters labor near the end of the episode, Barry notes that according to the doctors at the hospital it'll still be a few hours before the birth is complete.
- Kick the Dog: The Negative Speed Force apparently takes joy in being as cruel as possible, given what it made Mark say to Khione.
- Laughing Mad: "Malcolm" does this when he hears the word "coincidence," remembering one of Eddie Thawne's last words.
- Mythology Gag: The Negative Speed Force crystal is identified as "Cobalt-97", after both the villain Cobalt Blue and his (and its) debut year in the comics, Speed Force #1 in 1997.
- New Powers as the Plot Demands: Khione revives Aariz and Taylor by growing plant cells inside their bodies to help them breathe. Justified, as it turns out she is a literal Goddess.
- Oh, Crap!: The Negative Speed Force can only react in utter horror when Khione starts disintegrating it.
- Out of Focus: Barry is largely absent from the episode.
- Painful Transformation: Khione grows plant cells in Aariz and Taylor's bodies to help them breathe after they get asphyxiation. This turns their skin green, which naturally freaks them out, but also makes breathing extremely painful, described as worse than tear gas and their lungs being on fire. They run away after screaming at Khione to stay the hell away from them. Fortunately, it's only temporary.
- Physical Goddess: Turns out Khione is one — and she's way more powerful than the ones the team are already familiar with, being in touch with all the forces and elements of nature.
- Screaming Birth: Averted. While Iris has some pain and discomfort once her contractions start, it's never enough to reduce her to a screaming mess (though admittedly, the birth proper hasn't started yet).
- Stunned Silence: When Malcolm walks into CCPD, this is the general reaction. Justifiably so, as everyone is stunned to see an apparent doppelgänger of the long dead Eddie Thawne.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Aariz and Taylor react shocked and hostile towards Khione after being revived by her.
- Villain Ball: The Negative Speed Force, possessing Mark, gloats to Khione about how the blue cobalt crystal is what allows it to keep control over his body. This allows Khione to separate the two.
- Wham Shot: Eddie's grave being empty, confirming that Malcolm is indeed him.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Nora / The Speed Force gives Khione some pep talk.
