The Flash left fans with a pretty big cliffhanger for its non-crossover midseason finale, and it doesn't appear as though things will slow down a bit when Season 5 returns. An extended trailer for the midseason premiere has been released that teases big showdowns, heated conversations, and maybe a ghost? We also see Nora West-Allen in pretty rough shape, as Iris and Barry's future child will suffer a pretty serious injury with potentially dire consequences.
Things aren't looking good for Nora, who comes to in a medical bed with her parents by her side. Context clues from the footage make it look as though the incident happened in a showdown with Cicada in which she, Barry, and Ralph were present. Alarmed and in a neck brace, Nora is scared and tells her parents that she can't feel her legs.
The implication, of course, is that Nora was crippled. This awakens a wave of anger in Barry so great that The Flash has scenes of Cecile trying to talk him down. Cecile seems to understand that anger the Scarlet Speedster feels but warns Barry that owning that attitude will consume him and affect his hunt for Cicada. While she has a point, Barry might already be too far gone thinking about the fact his daughter may never walk (or run) again.
Although we can't say for sure if Nora will walk again, it is worth noting she probably has the same healing properties as Barry. That can only help so much with a spinal injury. Of courses, if things are really bad, don't forget Curtis Holt's implantable bio-stimulant tech is still around in the Arrow-verse and could heal her. Nora may be in rough shape for now, but that doesn't mean she won't end be back on her feet eventually.
In the meantime, Nora's going to have a hard time keeping in contact with Reverse Flash. Losing her ability to move limits her ability to report on her father's activities, as well as send them to Reverse Flash via Gideon. She also can't travel to the future, which may lead him to make a trip to the past to see her. That's provided he escapes that cell, which looks to have the same properties of cells in S.T.A.R. Labs' pipeline.
There's a lot of other interesting stuff to unpack in this trailer, which is chock full of "blink and you'll miss it" scenes The Flash fans could analyze for days. Those who did miss some of those scenes needn't worry; we put in the leg work and pulled the highlights some may have missed.
The Girl In The Flash Museum
There's a young girl who makes a couple appearances throughout the trailer, and while she might be a random character, it's safe to speculate she's someone of importance. A young Nora West-Allen is the most obvious guess, especially given Nora's past discussion about how she constantly poured over information regarding her father's past. Wouldn't it be fitting then she'd be hanging out in the gift shop reading a comic about him?
It's a reveal that feels so obvious it could be a red herring. Of course, The Flash wants us to think this girl is Nora. Can we really assume anything after that Reverse Flash reveal? What if this girl isn't human at all, and some future android replicant that doesn't yet exist in the present? It probably isn't, and it might very well be young Nora, but it's best never to jump to conclusions.
Barry And Iris Go To The Future?
There's a quick scene of Barry and Iris hanging out in what may be The Flash Museum, and the two are looking at what could be at a girl who, as previously stated, may be the young Nora West-Allen. The museum has been seen in past episodes of The Flash, but only in the future timeline. Ergo, this scene gives me the impression that Barry and Iris took a trip to the future.
The implications for this trip could be huge, mainly because it has the opportunity for Barry and Iris to learn the truth about many things. They could discover Nora's alliance with Reverse Flash, why Iris and Nora don't have a great relationship, or more clues about how Barry disappears. That said, there's a scene with adult Nora hooked up to electrodes, so this might be a trip inside her head similar to what Barry did in Season 4.
Is That A G-G-G-Ghost Reverse-Flash?
Barry and Iris' trip to The Flash Museum is cut short when the fun is interrupted by what appears to be a sentient version of the Reverse Flash suit. It could also be an invisible meta looking to start trouble, or possibly the suit come to life! Is that a thing it can do? If so, it might explain why Nora was wary of it and tried to poke it during The Flash's 100th episode.
Here's the extra confusing part: why does it look like Barry and Iris are hiding from this disembodied costume? Barry is a speedster, and under normal circumstances, would take this thing on rather quickly. There's probably a thousand ways The Flash could justify Barry not using his powers immediately, so perhaps it's best to just focus on that fact and wait for the why when the episode arrives.
That Hospital Scene
In a scene that lasts all but a moment, two shadowy figures are seen in a hospital room that is immediately overloaded with a flash of light. The scene seems to happen at night, which may mean this person is appearing outside of usual visiting hours. What's going on in this scene and why did The Flash include it in the trailer?
I can't say for sure what's happening, but it looks like the person in the hospital bed is Cicada's niece. The room matches that of another scene that features Cicada, so that feels like a safe bet. As for who the shadowy figure is it's almost impossible to say, although the wave of hair that explodes out of the hood during the light overload is about the same length as Nora's. If that's true, what's happening here?
The Flash returns to The CW to kick off the back half of Season 5 Tuesday, January 15 at 8:00 p.m. Keep tabs on what else is arriving on television around that time with our handy midseason premiere guide.
