Was anyone surprised that this episode was basically a step-by-step dismantling of all the major events of “Out of Time”?  I certainly wasn’t.  At the same time, there was enough variation on the theme to keep the episode from being an exercise in frustration.  It all came down to what Barry knew, what he didn’t know, and all the things the audience knew on top of that! 

A popular saying in business is “you don’t know what you don’t know”, and that’s usually the thing that seriously complicates your success rate.  Sure enough, Barry’s tendency to rush headlong into situations without a lot of advance consideration hits him where it hurts.  It’s most evident in dealing with Iris, because knowing the original outcome made him supremely over-confident the second time around.  Unfortunately, the new result was far more frustrating for everyone involved, including the audience.



Ironically, the biggest moment, the reveal of Wells’ true identity and Cisco’s heart-wrenching death, was wiped off the slate from the very start.  Logically, once Weather Wizard was locked away, the chain of events leading to Cisco’s death was entirely moot.  What it accomplished, however, is a vital change of perspective for the audience: we now can see Wells’ true colors, and all those hidden villainous moments, while the rest of the characters are much less aware of the truth.

One other strong point was the further introduction of the Rogues.  I love how the spirit of the Rogues from the source material is visually referenced without the need for costumes.  Let’s face it, Lisa’s incarnation as Golden Glider would have been a tonal aberration for the show, but taking it only as far as the effect of her gun was good enough to get the point across. 



Snart is now aware of Barry’s identity, and unlike the situation with Iris (or maybe because it went so badly), Barry approaches the dilemma with uncharacteristic caution.  He basically appeals to Snart’s sense of adventurous fun; at the end of the day, Snart enjoys the game more than the outcome.  So long as no one really gets hurt, Barry is content to let Snart play.  It sets up Snart, at least, as a potential ally down the road, if only out of a sense of mutual respect.







The end of the episode gives the audience a much better sense of hope that the past couple episodes wouldn’t end up being a waste of time.  For all that Wells wasn’t revealed to the team as a criminal mastermind, the seeds of realization for Barry are there.  And with a relative handful of episodes left to the season, it’s a fair bet that his suspicions will come to fruition sooner rather than later.