Spoilers for The Flash Season 2, Episode 3 below.
“Family of Rogues” gave Flash fans a little bit of everything we’ve come to expect from this show: some action between Flash and a villain (in this case, the Snarts), emotional beats (Iris and Joe talking about Iris’ mom) and something mysterious (Dr. Stein’s blue flame-out). And this week’s “whoa shit” moment came right at the end and was the proper follow-up to last week’s reveal. Dr. Harrison Wells is back on Earth 1, ladies and gents, and while he (probably) isn’t out to start killing speedy heroes, he will apparently be a total dickhead.
It turns out this new Wells is more like the old Wells; not the Eobard Thawne version, but the original Wells that served as the paragon of science that Barry looked up to. Just meaner. Will the memory of days past weigh heavy on Barry? Not so much. Here’s what Grant Gustin told TVLine.
Barry is wanting to trust him…and in a way is quicker to trust him than he was to trust Jay [Garrick]. He’s less of a bad guy and more of a douchebag.
Hey, no one said you can’t trust a douchebag. You just don’t want to hang around all day having lots of conversations with one.
Gustin also used words like “confusion” and “fear” in describing what Wells’ arrival inspires within the S.T.A.R. Labs crew. That’s totally understandable, as I’m already wanting to know how in the hell he found that dimensional breach, why he felt comfortable enough to walk through it, and how much he knows about The Flash on either Earth. But I bet he won’t even be very forthcoming with that information, since he’s such a prick.
Interestingly, Earth 2 Wells wasn’t originally supposed to be a jerk. Here’s how star Tom Cavanagh puts it.
It wasn’t written that way, but that’s how I decided to do it – more brusque and arrogant…[He] is a lot less about ‘togetherness.’ [I expect] a lot of vitriol directed my way this season, and that’s fine.
He’ll probably get some weird looks from Joe and Iris, considering it was Earth 1 Wells/Eobard that caused Eddie to shoot himself. And Cisco might have a few negative flashbacks to his own murder as well. It’s gonna be hard to push those memories away when the guy’s face is right there all the time.
I’m anxious to see just how this Wells will be used in Earth 1, and whether he’ll assist Jay in finding and defeating Zoom and the other Earth 2 baddies, or if he’s just gonna stand around making fun of Barry’s lack of suaveness with Patty. Seriously, someone help Barry out there.
The Flash airs Tuesday nights on The CW.
