Warning! The following contains spoilers for The Flash episode “The Man In The Yellow Tie.” Read at your own risk!
A lot happened in the latest episode of The Flash, including not one but two versions of Eobard Thawne, but even that didn’t compare to the unexpected scene with John Diggle. David Ramsey’s character bopped around many Arrowverse shows with his mystery box for the past couple of years, so his appearance wasn’t necessarily surprising. What was surprising is that the box storyline actually resolved in this episode, but now that it’s done, I’m disappointed.
In what some might call a downer year for the Arrowverse considering all the cancellations, the resolution of John Diggle’s green glowing box that he found in Arrow's series finale was yet another letdown for me. Here’s what happened and why I’m so upset with what we learned on The Flash.
How The Flash Finally Resolved Diggle's Box Storyline
After Barry had a conversation with Eobard Thawne at his prison cell located in A.R.G.U.S.’ Lian Yu facility, John Diggle appeared and revealed to Thawne that, after consulting some of the Arrowverse’s greatest minds, he realized that he might need the help of someone from centuries beyond. Thawne confirmed to Diggle that his instincts were spot on, and he knew exactly what the former Arrow character had to do to reopen the box.
Essentially, Thawne helped Diggle recreate the emotions he felt on the night that he first found the box, which helped reopen it and revealed that green glow. Diggle basked in the green, which Thawne revealed was Diggle’s key to being powerful. Diggle ultimately rejected the power, and when he threw it, the box dematerialized into a void.
When a dismayed Thawne questioned why he’d do that, Diggle said the power would take him further away from his family, who he'd neglected over the years while trying to unravel the mystery of the box. It’s an understandable ending, though not one I’m satisfied with in the slightest.
Why I’m Disappointed
I can understand why Diggle ultimately denied the mysterious power of the box and decided to choose to try to win back his family instead. What I can’t understand is why it took over two years to pay off a storyline that simply featured John rejecting the box. If that was always the plan, I’m not sure we needed several appearances by Diggle across multiple shows for a storyline like that.
After all, I’m sure one of the reasons why fans stayed invested in Diggle’s story was due to speculation that he’d eventually become a Green Lantern. Fans wondered for years if John would become a Green Lantern, and the Arrowverse and even Ramsey played on that with references and vague quotes.
In fairness, the theory was initially debunked years ago, but then we’d get a special like “Elseworlds” in which the Barry Allen of another universe wondered where Diggle’s “ring” was. Additionally, while we never saw what was inside the box, I think it’s clear what the implication was with the glowing green light.
John Diggle rejected the box, but it does seem like he’s going on another path before too long. He’s reportedly starring in the in-development series Justice U and has another appearance set for Superman & Lois’ Season 2 finale, according to Todd Helbing’s interview with TV Guide Magazine (via Screen Rant). It’s possible that we see the setup for his new path there, but that just feels tacked on to a prior mystery with a poor resolution at this stage.
We’ll see how it goes, but I don’t see myself revisiting this journey anytime soon. The Flash airs on The CW on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. As for John Diggle’s next appearance, look out for him in the Superman & Lois Season 2 finale on Tuesday, June 28 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
