Line #71 Recap/TheFlash2014S2E11TheReverseFlashReturns


1	Much to the horror of everyone, Eobard Thawne returns to Central City. But defeating him might not be so easy.
2	----
3	* AntagonistTitle: The episode is named after Barry's ultimate ArchEnemy and the Season 1 BigBad.
4	* ArcNumber: "52" once again pops up. For the matter, the season's fascination with duality and second chances (2) also comes into play this episode.
5	* BadassBookworm: Barry finally gets the drop on Thawne, by using his brain as well as his speed.
6	* BaitAndSwitch: Cisco's PsychicNosebleed is at first implied to be because of the goggles Harry made to harness his powers being a DeadlyUpgrade for him. Turns out not to be the case.
7	* BecauseDestinySaysSo: Thawne became a villain because he found out that he was destined to become a villain.
8	* BeingGoodSucks: Barry has to let Thawne go to preserve the time line.
9	* BreakHerHeartToSaveHer: Barry drives Patty away, because he's sick and tired of evil speedsters taking his loved ones from him.
10	* BrickJoke: A season later, and Cisco is ''still'' trying to figure out how to put a Flash suit in a ring. Made funnier by how Cisco would ask Thawne the same thing [[TimeTravelTenseTrouble later--earlier--]][[Recap/TheFlash2014S1E23FastEnough whatever]].
11	* TheBusCameBack: Dr. [=McGee=] returns after last appearing in this season's fourth episode. Ditto Francine West. Most importantly, the episode deals [[TitleDrop the return of Eobard Thawne]].
12	* CallBack:
13	** The time vault and the (original/main) Reverse-Flash costume appears in this episode.
14	** Iris opens up about Eddie's death to Wally in order for the latter to forgive their mother.
15	** Barry sends Eobard back to the future by running around the Particle Accelerator, just like how he time traveled in the Season 1 finale.
16	** Thawne's KubrickStare at Earth-2 Wells (and asking him who he is) as he's let out of the cell is callback to Season 1, which Thawne spent most of impersonating Wells. Also doubles as a CallForward since, [[TimeyWimeyBall from Thawne's POV, this hasn't happened yet.]]
17	** Barry phases through the wall of the building to rescue Dr. [=McGee=].
18	* CantKillYouStillNeedYou: Barry is content to let Thawne rot in the Pipeline, only to discover that he needs to let him play out his history or else the timeline will implode.
19	* ChekhovsGag: Harry eventually snaps at the rest of the Team simply because they labeled their Earth as Earth-1 and his Earth as Earth-2 when the reverse can also be true for anyone from Earth-2. Later revelations in Season 2 [[note]]An evil Flash (Zoom), evil Cisco (Reverb), evil Caitlin (Killer Frost) and evil Ronnie (Deathstorm) may in fact imply that "Earth-2" is supposed to be the MirrorUniverse (when it was supposed to be Earth-3) while Earth-3 itself is home to the show's true Jay Garrick, who's usually supposed to be from the Golden-Age inspired Earth-2[[/note]] reveal that the team may have indeed screwed the numbers up and are not actually following the same designations as the comics were.
20	* ContinuityNod
21	** Barry thinks Caitlin's worried about Dr. [=McGee=] getting kidnapped, a reference to Caitlin's tenure at Mercury Labs between Seasons 1 and 2.
22	** [=McGee=] reminisces about the last time her tachyon device was stolen.
23	** Thawne threatens Dr. [=McGee=] about fixing the tachyon device with one single word: "Learn." Well, at least we know one thing Grodd's "inherited" from his father.
24	** Barry and Patty's farewell on the train is basically a DarkReprise of Barry and Felicity's goodbyes during an early episode of Season 1.
25	* CurbStompBattle: Barry's beatdown of Thawne is so brutal that Joe was actually worried he was going to beat him to death.
26	* DeadPersonImpersonation: Harry again impersonates Thawne, although this time is to scare Cisco and cause the fear that would awaken his powers.
27	* DeadlyNosebleed: Poor Cisco's first clue that something has gone awry.
28	* DecompositeCharacter: Jay Garrick's Earth-1 counterpart is revealed to be Hunter Zolomon, Zoom's civilian identity in the comics.
29	* DeducingTheSecretIdentity: After Barry acts strangely towards Patty, she goes over Barry's old case files and realizes all the ones that involve the Flash saving the day include details that Barry couldn't have known unless he was the Flash. After Joe and Barry try to gaslight her, Patty calls Barry with a fake emergency while on the train to see if and how quickly the Flash shows up. When he realizes he's been caught, he stops vibrating his face in front of her, proving to Patty she was right before they part ways.
30	* DisappointedByTheMotive: Barry is less than impressed with Thawne's reason for hating him.
31	* EnemyMine: Much to Barry's anger and disbelief, he has to help Thawne return to the latter's own time to save Cisco's life.
32	* EventTitle: There's a "returns" in the title.
33	* {{Forgiveness}}: Joe and Iris come to terms with Francine on her death bed.
34	* FreudianExcuse: Averted. We finally learn why Eobard Thawne hated Barry so much, [[DisappointedByTheMotive and it clearly upsets Barry that his mother, Eddie, and several others died for completely shallow reasons]].
35	-->'''Barry:''' That is why [[YouKilledMyFather you killed my mother]]? That's why you ruined my life? Because you couldn't ''[[IJustWantToBeYou be me]]''?
36	* HaveWeMetYet: From Thawne's point of view this is the first time he and Barry meet - in other words their timelines are [[{{Pun}} in reverse]].
37	* GreenEyedMonster: The reason Thawne is the monster he is is as simple as it is [[EvilIsPetty petty]]: He wants to be better and faster than the Flash. This lines up with his origin story in the comics.
38	* HiddenDepths: See ShoutOutToShakespeare.
39	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Cisco, who notes that Eobard Thawne was ([[Recap/TheFlash2014S1E23FastEnough once again]]) imprisoned in the pipeline that he helped/[[TimeTravelTenseTrouble will help]] to develop, and by powers that he gave/will give to Cisco.
40	* InternalReveal: Patty works out that Barry is the Flash.
41	* IronicEcho: Barry delivers to the Reverse Flash a line similar to the one ''he'' received from him in their first fight.
42	-->'''Barry''': Not fast enough, Thawne.
43	* JerkassBall: An intentional example; Barry is just plain cruel to Patty in this episode as a way to BreakHerHeartToSaveHer (see above).
44	* JokerImmunity: The Speed Force saved Thawne from being ''unborn'', ensuring that he will encounter Barry more times in the future.
45	* MadScientist: Present in Eobard's first appearance, but very evident here. He's a scientist fascinated by Cisco's powers and other scientist curiosities around him. And he's also TheSociopath and has no problem using violence as a first option.
46	* MeaningfulEcho: Thawne says "I win again Flash," something he said (technically later in his personal timeline) earlier in season one. Seemingly doubles as his CatchPhrase.
47	* MythologyGag:
48	** Jay Garrick's Earth-1 counterpart is named '''Hunter Zolomon'''. Hunter Zolomon is known in the comics as Zoom, the second Reverse-Flash and Wally West's nemesis.
49	** Eobard Thawne's motivation and OriginStory of idolizing The Flash and [[SelfFulfillingProphecy finding out he's his biggest enemy, which drives him to become evil]] is taken from the Wally West storyline "ComicBook/TheReturnOfBarryAllen."
50	* NeverGiveTheCaptainAStraightAnswer: Likely the most egregious example ''ever.'' When asked about his Earth-1 counterpart, Jay ominously tells Caitlin that she had to see for herself. When she arrives we find the alternate Jay sitting on a park bench, pointed out by ours, and he explains that "Hunter Zolomon's" mother died in childbirth and he was passed around between relatives, finally being adopted and having a different name. "I found my alternate; he's adopted so he's got a different name" is really not that hard a sentence! Not only does NOTHING about that require Caitlin to come all the way to the park, Earth-1 Jay/Hunter could've left the park by then to boot.
51	* NoOntologicalInertia: Cisco's existence is implied to be heavily tied to Eobard Thawne's.
52	* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Barry gives Thawne such a brutal beating that Joe has to remind Barry not to kill him.
53	* OriginStory: For Eobard. Lampshaded by Harry.
54	* ProperlyParanoid: Jay is immediately suspicious of how the Turtle seems to have died the very night he was captured. Harry is only DiggingYourselfDeeper by denying Jay's accusation, even though [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial Jay didn't say anything]].
55	* PsychicNosebleed: Cisco's starting to experience nosebleeds ever since he Vibed with Harry's custom-made goggles.
56	* PsychopathicManchild: The main reason Thawne hates Flash. Because he saw he would never be the Hero Flash was.
57	* PutOnABus: Patty leaves for Midway City to become TheCoroner, since Barry wants her out so Thawne or Zoom don't hurt her.
58	* RapidFireFisticuffs: Barry delivers this to the Reverse Flash before knocking him out and sending him to the Pipeline.
59	* RetGone:
60	** Discussed. Everyone points out that Eobard Thawne no longer exists. But Harry explains that from Eobard's POV, that hasn't happened yet -- time is protecting him while he plays out his history.
61	** This nearly happens to Cisco, but luckily sending Thawne back to his proper time fixes things.
62	* TheReveal: Barry finally finds out why Thawne hates him so much: Thawne was the Flash's biggest fan so he tried to become just like him, right down to copying the lab accident that gave him his powers. Much to his horror, he found out he was destined to be the Flash's greatest enemy, so he snapped and became the reverse of everything Barry was.
63	* SameCharacterButDifferent: This is the Earth-1 Eobard Thawne, just from a future where he is still at the beginning of his career.
64	* SavedByCanon: Thawne is this, in a TimeyWimeyBall sort of way. He can't be killed or permanently imprisoned before he discovers The Flash's identity, goes back in time to try to kill him as a child, and subsequently [[TrappedInThePast gets stuck]] (leading to the events of Season 1). Team Flash actually manages to capture him but are forced to let him go to avoid creating a TemporalParadox. Barry isn't pleased.
65	* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: Cisco when he sees Harry wearing the Reverse Flash suit while in the Time Vault.
66	* SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong: Averted. Harry affirms that there is no way Barry can ever save Nora because it's now a fixed point in time - or rather nothing they do to Thawne in the present will save her because it's already happened in the past.
67	* ShoutOut:
68	** Harry says that Barry needs to get [[Series/TheSixMillionDollarMan "better, stronger, faster."]]
69	** Nora Allen's death being a [[Series/DoctorWho "fixed point in time."]]
70	* ShoutOutToShakespeare: When Team Flash are examining the Turtle's corpse in the pipeline.
71	-->'''Cisco:''' He better not be pulling a [[Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet Juliet]]. [[LampshadeHanging Yeah, that's right. I see plays]].
72	* SoLastSeason: ZigZagged. Barry is now faster and stronger than Eobard, but this Eobard is from a future where he is still at the beginning of his career as the Reverse-Flash. Thawne can't use his Speed Force powers as efficiently as he will (he can't toss effective punches and doesn't know any of the wrestling moves at this point in time), but it's shown that the significant vibrating hand move was one he learned early on in his career.
73	* StableTimeLoop:
74	** Eobard's first trip to Central City is how he finds out about STAR Labs, Dr. Wells, and (eventually) Barry's identity, setting up how he will kill Barry's mom in the future.
75	** Also, Eobard only became the the Flash's arch-nemesis and 'opposite' because he discovered while time-travelling that he was destined to do so. And thanks to Cisco, he may have found the idea for hiding his suit in the Reverse-Flash ring.
76	** Subverted in the end, as Barry and company trying to imprison him for good ''does'' have an effect on the timeline...it's just a very bad one, so they have to release him.
77	* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: Harry goes out of his way to deny having anything to do with the Turtle's death...when he wasn't really accused of it in the first place.
78	* TemporalParadox: Keeping Thawne in the Pipeline has major consequences.
79	* TemptingFate: Harry just have to wear the Reverse-Flash suit while on the time vault, didn't he?
80	* ThisCannotBe: Team Flash's reaction upon discovering that Eobard is back despite being {{Ret Gone}}d.
81	* ThisIsUnforgivable: Eobard faces the wrath of the people who was/will be [[YouKilledMyFather affected]] [[MistakenForMurderer by]] [[KillAndReplace his]] [[UnwittingPawn actions]].
82	* TimeyWimeyBall:
83	** The show's TimeTravel logic is stretched further than ever before to explain how a "temporal echo" of Eobard Thawne can still exist after his family tree was cut short. Nora's death being a fixed point in time is also a brand new supposition that could have saved everyone a lot of trouble last season. It does however explain how Future!Barry was still able to exist despite his entire timeline being changed and why he warned his other self not to save Nora.
84	** Not to mention, this episode freely makes use of ''both'' the AlternateTimeline and StableTimeLoop theories. Despite being a relic from an erased timeline, Eobard's experiences in this episode are somehow part of a StableTimeLoop that sets into motion the events that lead to his timeline being erased in the first place.
85	* VillainForgotToLevelGrind: An unusual variant; Eobard ''was'' stronger, faster and more experienced than Barry in season 1...but the one who shows up in this episode is an ''earlier'' version of him, [[HaveWeMetYet who is meeting the Flash in person for the first time and as such has no experience fighting him]]. Barry, meanwhile, fought his older self last season and now has more experience and training, not to mention he actually ''knows'' who he is facing this time. As a result, when the two have a proper fight in this episode, [[CurbStompBattle Barry is rather quick to make him bit the dust]].
86	* VitriolicBestBuds: Cisco and Harry are well on their way to becoming this. They're constantly bickering and sniping at each other, but Harry panics when Cisco starts being erased from history, showing that he has actually come to care about him. They go straight back to sassing each other once Cisco recovers, though.
87	* WhamLine: For comic readers, TheReveal of who Jay Garrick's Earth-1 counterpart is.
88	-->'''Jay:''' "His name is Hunter Zolomon."
89	* WorfHadTheFlu: Barry defeats Thawne relatively easy this time. However, this version of Thawne is from a time period where he hasn't been the Reverse Flash for very long.
90	* YouCalledMeXItMustBeSerious: Harry actually calls Cisco by his first name as the latter is about to be erased from history.
91	* YouCantFightFate: Thawne's actions in Season 1 and before it is destined to happen.
92	* YouHaveOutLivedYourUsefulness: Thawne tries to pull this on Dr. [=McGee=], but luckily Barry saves her in the nick of time.

Context Recap / TheFlash2014S2E11TheReverseFlashReturns