This week on The Flash, we inexplicably get yet another episode in which the titular character barely shows up, and does absolutely nothing of interest.
That's right, Wildest Dreams is another Flashless Flash episode, as it features both Iris and Nia Nal (of all people) from Supergirl. No, really!
Instead the writers saw fit to burn off one of these last episodes by focusing on a side character from another show that ended two years ago!
Even worse, the Nia character was already given a proper sendoff on Supergirl, and will most likely never be seen again in any media! And yet here she is, as the show devotes precious time giving her a swan song that absolutely no one asked for.
As I said, this is all utterly, utterly mystifying and incomprehensible.
To be fair, Wildest Dreams isn't a terrible episode— lord knows the series has had far, far worse (I'm lookin' at you, all of Season 7). It's just that it belongs anywhere else but here in the final season.
Based on the ratings, apparently I'm not the only one who feels this way. The very first episode of The Flash pulled in an impressive 4.8 million viewers, which was MASSIVE for a CW show.
SPOILERS!
The Plot:
We open in a darkened warehouse, where we see Nia Nal (aka Dreamer from Supergirl) in full costume, cautiously walking through it. She doubles over in pain as she sees a string of disturbing video clipart images, including crows & black widow spiders.
Nia arrives at CCCMedia to talk with Iris. Nia says she's recently been trying to take her powers to the next level, but instead they've somehow been erased. For some reason she thinks Iris is the only person who can help get them back, because she was in her dream.
Just then Nia sees the Hooded Figure again, and she and Iris collapse on the floor.
The two wake up in CCCP, where Nia is dressed as a cop and Iris is the Chief Of Police. Iris asks what's going on, and Nia says they're in the Dream Realm. Specifically they're in Iris' dream. Iris admits she always wanted to be a cop (?), and wonders if this is the life she should have chosen. They see a bright blue door, and Iris figures it's a way out of the dream.
Nia picks that moment to reveal that Iris died in her initial dream, killed by the Hooded Figure. She tells them they need to be careful while they're in the Realm.
The two go through the door and find they're now working at Jitters— along with Barry, Chester & Allegra. When Nia asks what the hell, Iris admits she started out working at Jitters, and secretly longs for a 9 to 5 job again.
Back in the real world, Barry brings dinner to Iris at CCCMedia. He sees her and Nia lying comatose on the floor, and takes them to STAR. There, Chester examines them and says they're in deep REM sleep (yeah, no sh*t) and he can't wake them. Even Cecile can't sense anything from them. Chester says if the two don't wake up soon, they'll be in permanent comas.
Back in the Dream Realm, Nia says she's feeling hot and says they're both in "angry sleep," whatever that means. She says they need to find a way out of the Realm fast, or they'll be lost there forever. She says dreams reflect reality, and suspects Iris has a problem that's keeping them there.
Suddenly they find themselves in the darkened warehouse from earlier, and Nia realizes their dreams are somehow merging. She tells Iris to run.
At STAR, Chester notes that Iris & Nia's temperatures are soaring. He says if it keeps up, their organs will start failing.
Iris & Nia run through corridors in the warehouse, looking for an exit. They're confronted by the Hooded Figure again, who blocks them. Nia says she's in control here, and won't let anyone hurt her.
The two then appear in a dream version of CCCMedia. Iris overhears her employees dissing her, saying she's a fraud who doesn't deserve all her success. Nia asks Iris what's going on, and she tells her about the Map Book, saying she doesn't feel like she's earned the Pulitzer she's supposed to win. Nia gives Iris a Patented The CW Pep Talk®, saying her destiny is the culmination of a lifetime of choices that she made herself.
Elsewhere, Chillblaine & Khione show up at O'Shaughnessy's Pub after a day of fun activities. Khione complains that everything they did were things HE wanted to do, and he ignored her suggestions. He deflects her concerns by trying to get her to sing karaoke. She refuses, accusing him of trying to turn her into Frost. She says he's so obsessed with Frost he's never bothered to get to know her. The patrons in the bar overhear all this and cheer Khione as she walks out.
Back at STAR, Iris & Nia remain unchanged. Cecile senses someone else is in the Dream Realm with them, but can't tell who. She tells a distraught Barry that she's getting a feeling the presence was a guardian angel, and the two will be OK.
In the Dream Realm, Iris & Nia see a door covered in spiderwebs. Nia explains it's meant for her, as her mother died of a spider bite (?). She says maybe she's not supposed to get her powers back, and just needs to go through the door to find out what's next for her. She thinks it has something to do with giving up control. Iris offers to go with her, but she says she has to do it alone.
Nia opens the door and goes through. She finds herself in full costume again, back in the warehouse from the beginning. Right on cue, the Hooded Figure appears. Nia says she's ready to release control and find out what happens next. The Figure removes her hood, revealing she's the Original Dreamer— the ancient source of Naltorian dream energy. She takes Nia's hands and transfers her powers to her.
Nia and Iris both wake up at STAR, completely fine.
Sometime later, Nia explains that the Original Dreamer is going to train her to use her newly supercharged powers to their fullest. Cecile can sense the Dreamer, but only Nia can see her.
Barry & Iris return to the Loft. Iris makes a decision, opens her laptop and publishes the Red Death article.
The next day Team Flash has a huge dinner at Cecile's place. Chillblaine stops by to apologize to Khione. He says he's still struggling with his grief for Frost, and is leaving to sort things out. Khione goes back inside, and her sadness ends up freezing all the food (but not the people around the table). Everyone gathers around her for a group hug.
Thoughts:
• Sorry about the poor quality of the screencaps. This was the best video I could find.
Apparently it's none of our goddamned business, because who they are and why she sees them is never explained.
Also, when she first sees the random crowd she says, "If you're trying to stop me, you can't. Not when I'm this close." This close to what? Again, it's never explained.
All through the episode, whenever this Figure appears, Nia describes it as "she" or "her." How the heck does she know there's a woman under all those robes? I don't see anything the least bit feminine to clue her in.
• We then find out Nia's been dreaming all this, as she wakes up inside the National City branch of Jitters. National City of course being where Nia and Supergirl live.
I'm ashamed to admit this, but seeing that NC there made me realize for the very first time that the CC in CCJitters stands for "Central City." All this time I just assumed the CC was something to do with coffee. Like "Caffeinated Coffee Jitters" or something like that. Live and learn!
The idea of Iris feeling like she didn't earn her Pulitzer because her future's already been written is actually pretty interesting. It feels like something that would actually happen if a person had access to their own future. Good job, writers!
• Barry chats with Iris from their Loft. Check out that hazy background! Looks like the god rays are alive and well again this week! The cinematographer is pumping so much atmospheric smoke into those sets that the actors probably all have black lung at this point.
OK, where the hell did he get that particular piece of tech? Heck, an even better question is WHY the hell does he have it? How often does anyone at STAR ever get pregnant?
We did get a brief glimpse at the Hall Of Justice in Armageddon, Part 2. And Black Lightning showed up for part of an episode to help Barry, like he was his AA sponsor or something. But to my knowledge that was the one and only time we ever saw anything League related in the Arrowverse ever again.
Incredibly, Chillblaine's emotional pain is actually played for laughs here! He was severely traumatized by Frost's death, and is clearly having trouble coming to grips with it— to the point where he's actively trying to force Khione to act like her. The guy's clearly hurting and desperately needs psychological help, but the writers want us to laugh at his mental anguish. Jesus Christ!
• If you tuned in this week expecting to see fun superhero action from the Flash, then look elsewhere. This is how our titular hero spends the few brief scenes he's in— folding his arms while looking gravely concerned.
The Dreamer then gives all her energy to Nia, which supercharges her powers. A couple things here:
• Heavy Duty Nitpicking Alert: Team Flash enjoys a huge breakfast spread at Cecile's place. It all looks good, but... who the hell serves orange juice in champagne flutes?
Based on the ratings, apparently I'm not the only one who feels this way. The very first episode of The Flash pulled in an impressive 4.8 million viewers, which was MASSIVE for a CW show.
Sadly, those days are long gone. The ratings for this week's episode were slightly lower, at... 450,000.
Jesus Christ!
OK, I know it's unfair to compare these two episodes, ratings-wise. After all, the series premiered nine years ago, when online viewership was still in its infancy, and streaming was just starting to become a reality. Still... 450,000 viewers! In a country of 334 million! That's pretty bad!
OK, I know it's unfair to compare these two episodes, ratings-wise. After all, the series premiered nine years ago, when online viewership was still in its infancy, and streaming was just starting to become a reality. Still... 450,000 viewers! In a country of 334 million! That's pretty bad!
SPOILERS!
The Plot:
We open in a darkened warehouse, where we see Nia Nal (aka Dreamer from Supergirl) in full costume, cautiously walking through it. She doubles over in pain as she sees a string of disturbing video clipart images, including crows & black widow spiders.
A group of shadowy people behind her, and she asks what they want. Suddenly a Hooded Figure with glowing blue eyes appears, and Nia says it can't stop her now that she's "so close." She starts to fire up her dream energy powers, but they fizzle and die.
Just then Iris appears and asks where the hell she is. Before Nia can answer, the two of them are knocked out and fall to the floor.
Hard cut to Nia waking inside the National City branch of Jitters. She runs out the door, saying she has to get to Central City.
At CCCMedia, Iris calls Barry & tells him she's working late on her story about Red Death's recent "attack." Allegra enters and shows her the headline she wrote for the article, which reads "DEATH UNDER RED SKIES." Iris recognizes the headline from Barry's Map Book— which contained info on all the future events of their lives.
Iris realizes according to the book, this is the article that'll will win her her first Pulitzer. Understandably weirded out by this, she postpones publishing the piece.
Meanwhile at STAR Labs, Khione finally unlocks her ice powers, which pleases Chillblaine no end. Khione aggressively plants a kiss on him, as she practically attacks him. Suddenly he wakes and we realize the entire scene was a dream, as Chillblaine fell asleep while on monitor duty.
Just then Iris appears and asks where the hell she is. Before Nia can answer, the two of them are knocked out and fall to the floor.
Hard cut to Nia waking inside the National City branch of Jitters. She runs out the door, saying she has to get to Central City.
At CCCMedia, Iris calls Barry & tells him she's working late on her story about Red Death's recent "attack." Allegra enters and shows her the headline she wrote for the article, which reads "DEATH UNDER RED SKIES." Iris recognizes the headline from Barry's Map Book— which contained info on all the future events of their lives.
Iris realizes according to the book, this is the article that'll will win her her first Pulitzer. Understandably weirded out by this, she postpones publishing the piece.
Meanwhile at STAR Labs, Khione finally unlocks her ice powers, which pleases Chillblaine no end. Khione aggressively plants a kiss on him, as she practically attacks him. Suddenly he wakes and we realize the entire scene was a dream, as Chillblaine fell asleep while on monitor duty.
Chester and Khione enter the Cortex and engage in witty banter with Chillblaine. He then invites Khione out for a fun day on the town. Everyone enjoying this thrilling superhero action so far?
Nia arrives at CCCMedia to talk with Iris. Nia says she's recently been trying to take her powers to the next level, but instead they've somehow been erased. For some reason she thinks Iris is the only person who can help get them back, because she was in her dream.
Just then Nia sees the Hooded Figure again, and she and Iris collapse on the floor.
The two wake up in CCCP, where Nia is dressed as a cop and Iris is the Chief Of Police. Iris asks what's going on, and Nia says they're in the Dream Realm. Specifically they're in Iris' dream. Iris admits she always wanted to be a cop (?), and wonders if this is the life she should have chosen. They see a bright blue door, and Iris figures it's a way out of the dream.
Nia picks that moment to reveal that Iris died in her initial dream, killed by the Hooded Figure. She tells them they need to be careful while they're in the Realm.
The two go through the door and find they're now working at Jitters— along with Barry, Chester & Allegra. When Nia asks what the hell, Iris admits she started out working at Jitters, and secretly longs for a 9 to 5 job again.
Back in the real world, Barry brings dinner to Iris at CCCMedia. He sees her and Nia lying comatose on the floor, and takes them to STAR. There, Chester examines them and says they're in deep REM sleep (yeah, no sh*t) and he can't wake them. Even Cecile can't sense anything from them. Chester says if the two don't wake up soon, they'll be in permanent comas.
Back in the Dream Realm, Nia says she's feeling hot and says they're both in "angry sleep," whatever that means. She says they need to find a way out of the Realm fast, or they'll be lost there forever. She says dreams reflect reality, and suspects Iris has a problem that's keeping them there.
Suddenly they find themselves in the darkened warehouse from earlier, and Nia realizes their dreams are somehow merging. She tells Iris to run.
At STAR, Chester notes that Iris & Nia's temperatures are soaring. He says if it keeps up, their organs will start failing.
Iris & Nia run through corridors in the warehouse, looking for an exit. They're confronted by the Hooded Figure again, who blocks them. Nia says she's in control here, and won't let anyone hurt her.
The two then appear in a dream version of CCCMedia. Iris overhears her employees dissing her, saying she's a fraud who doesn't deserve all her success. Nia asks Iris what's going on, and she tells her about the Map Book, saying she doesn't feel like she's earned the Pulitzer she's supposed to win. Nia gives Iris a Patented The CW Pep Talk®, saying her destiny is the culmination of a lifetime of choices that she made herself.
Elsewhere, Chillblaine & Khione show up at O'Shaughnessy's Pub after a day of fun activities. Khione complains that everything they did were things HE wanted to do, and he ignored her suggestions. He deflects her concerns by trying to get her to sing karaoke. She refuses, accusing him of trying to turn her into Frost. She says he's so obsessed with Frost he's never bothered to get to know her. The patrons in the bar overhear all this and cheer Khione as she walks out.
Back at STAR, Iris & Nia remain unchanged. Cecile senses someone else is in the Dream Realm with them, but can't tell who. She tells a distraught Barry that she's getting a feeling the presence was a guardian angel, and the two will be OK.
In the Dream Realm, Iris & Nia see a door covered in spiderwebs. Nia explains it's meant for her, as her mother died of a spider bite (?). She says maybe she's not supposed to get her powers back, and just needs to go through the door to find out what's next for her. She thinks it has something to do with giving up control. Iris offers to go with her, but she says she has to do it alone.
Nia opens the door and goes through. She finds herself in full costume again, back in the warehouse from the beginning. Right on cue, the Hooded Figure appears. Nia says she's ready to release control and find out what happens next. The Figure removes her hood, revealing she's the Original Dreamer— the ancient source of Naltorian dream energy. She takes Nia's hands and transfers her powers to her.
Nia and Iris both wake up at STAR, completely fine.
Sometime later, Nia explains that the Original Dreamer is going to train her to use her newly supercharged powers to their fullest. Cecile can sense the Dreamer, but only Nia can see her.
Barry & Iris return to the Loft. Iris makes a decision, opens her laptop and publishes the Red Death article.
The next day Team Flash has a huge dinner at Cecile's place. Chillblaine stops by to apologize to Khione. He says he's still struggling with his grief for Frost, and is leaving to sort things out. Khione goes back inside, and her sadness ends up freezing all the food (but not the people around the table). Everyone gathers around her for a group hug.
Thoughts:
• Sorry about the poor quality of the screencaps. This was the best video I could find.
• The plot of this week's episode— in which Iris and Nia are trapped in a dream world that forces them to accept their fates— is swiped directly from, er, I mean inspired by the Season 3 episode Duet.
In that outing, Barry and Kara Danvers (aka Supergirl) are captured by the Music Meister and trapped in a dream world, where they're forced to deal with their respective relationship problems with Iris and Mon-El.
Heck, both episodes even feature the dreaming characters lying in beds right next to one another in the real world!
• The episode begins with Nia Nal, aka Dreamer, exploring an abandoned warehouse. Since I wasn't a regular viewer of Supergirl, I barely know who she is and know little or nothing about the character. Here's a very brief rundown on her:
Nia was born in 1997 to Paul and Isabel Nal. Her father was human, while her late mother was a Naltorian— a race of aliens who conveniently look exactly like humans.
Once in every generation a Naltorian woman becomes the Dreamer— a shaman-like figure who can access the Dream Realm and manifest various powers. Apparently the Dreamer can pass her powers onto her daughter or any woman of her species to carry on the position.
Nia was born a male, but from an early age considered herself female and eventually transitioned. As an adult she moved to National City and became a reporter for CatCo Media. She was gifted her mother's powers and began assisting Supergirl, eventually joining her team, the Superfriends.
As a half Naltorian, Nia has above average strength and durability. She can also see visions of the future in her dreams— but these premonitions don't always turn out to be right due to the actions of others. She can enter anyone's dreams, as well as astrally project her consciousness outside her body.
She can inexplicably manifest her dream energy into various tools or weapons, like a rope (?), a shield or a repulsor ray. So she's basically been turned into a Green Lantern too, just like speedsters have slowly become in the Arrowverse.
There's a ton more to her backstory, but that'll do for now.
• Inside the warehouse, Nia experiences "psychic headaches," and sees this crowd of random strangers approaching her.
Credit where it's due— this was actually a legitimately eerie scene. But... who the hell are these people? Visions of citizens Nia tried to save in the past but didn't? Those she wronged throughout her life? Amway sales people?
Apparently it's none of our goddamned business, because who they are and why she sees them is never explained.
Also, when she first sees the random crowd she says, "If you're trying to stop me, you can't. Not when I'm this close." This close to what? Again, it's never explained.
• A Hooded Figure with glowing blue eyes then appears before Nia, and robs her of her powers.
All through the episode, whenever this Figure appears, Nia describes it as "she" or "her." How the heck does she know there's a woman under all those robes? I don't see anything the least bit feminine to clue her in.
I wondered if maybe this was the official uniform of Naltorian Dreamers. But if that's true, then Nia would have just called her "The Dreamer" instead of "The Hooded Figure.
Does Nia maybe have some kind of low-level telepathy, so she can sense a womanly presence? Who knows.
I'm ashamed to admit this, but seeing that NC there made me realize for the very first time that the CC in CCJitters stands for "Central City." All this time I just assumed the CC was something to do with coffee. Like "Caffeinated Coffee Jitters" or something like that. Live and learn!
• Cut to Iris & her staff over at CCCMedia. Ye gods, what a nightmare it must be to work there. First of all, no one but Iris is allowed to have an actual office, as the rest of her staff has to try and work in a dreaded "open layout," which has to be extremely distracting when trying to write an article.
Then to top it off, it's clearly nighttime, meaning her poor wage slaves are having to toil well past the normal quitting time, till 8 or 9pm— if not later!
• Allegra shows off the headline for Iris' big article— the one that's gonna win her her first Pulitzer. Hmm... that's a pretty familiar-looking headline. Seems like there're a lot of "Disasters Under Red Skies" happening in Central City. Remember the infamous one that's supposed to happen in 2024 and cause Barry's disappearance? The one the producers are desperately hoping we all forget about?
• When Iris sees the headline, she recognizes it from Barry's Map Book (which listed all the future events of their lives). She's so weirded out by this preordained event that she actually thinks twice about publishing the article.
The idea of Iris feeling like she didn't earn her Pulitzer because her future's already been written is actually pretty interesting. It feels like something that would actually happen if a person had access to their own future. Good job, writers!
That said, I'm not sure it needed to be the focus of an entire episode— especially not in the final season.
• At STAR Labs, Chillblaine's still obsessed with proving that Khione has ice powers. During the testing she accidentally spills something on his shirt, so of course he immediately whips it off to expose his chiseled abs.
We then find out this scene is all a particularly vivid dream that Chillblaine's having. Jesus Christ, he even insists on losing his shirt off in his dreams!
• The Hooded Figure appears at CCCMedia and knocks out Iris & Nia. They wake in a dreamworld where they're both cops at CCPD. When Nia wonders why they're in this particular dream, Iris mentions that she always fantasized abut becoming a police officer. Wait, what?
I think maybe they're referencing Welcome To Earth-2 here. In that episode, the Iris of that world was indeed a cop (although not a captain, as she is here). I guess from that we're to infer that the Earth-Prime Iris secretly wished she'd gone into law enforcement as well?
• Based on the events of this episode, Iris' superpower is apparently "Getting Trapped In Otherworldly Dimensions." First she was stuck in the Mirrorverse, then spent half a season inside the Still Force and now she gets pulled into the Dream Realm. At this point in the series I guess this is the only thing the writers can think of to do with her character.
I think maybe they're referencing Welcome To Earth-2 here. In that episode, the Iris of that world was indeed a cop (although not a captain, as she is here). I guess from that we're to infer that the Earth-Prime Iris secretly wished she'd gone into law enforcement as well?
• Based on the events of this episode, Iris' superpower is apparently "Getting Trapped In Otherworldly Dimensions." First she was stuck in the Mirrorverse, then spent half a season inside the Still Force and now she gets pulled into the Dream Realm. At this point in the series I guess this is the only thing the writers can think of to do with her character.
• Namedropping: In their CCPD dream, Officer Korber congratulates Iris:
Officer Korber: "Hey, Cap. Nice takedown earlier. CCPN is dying to interview you about it, that and how you took down the Snart siblings last week. You're unstoppable!"
Of course she's talking about Leonard Snart, aka Captain Cold, and his sister Lisa, aka Golden Glider (who was first seen wayyyy back in Season 1's Rogue Time).
Of course she's talking about Leonard Snart, aka Captain Cold, and his sister Lisa, aka Golden Glider (who was first seen wayyyy back in Season 1's Rogue Time).
• Nia says they need to find the way out of the Dream Realm as soon as possible. Iris looks around and spots the door out of this particular dream at the top of the stairs.
Was it coincidental or deliberate that they painted the door bright TARDIS blue? Also, nice portrait of Chief Singh on the wall behind Iris.
• Barry finds Iris & Nia in comas at CCCMedia and takes them to STAR Labs. Chester examines them both but is unable to wake them. Barry then asks if Iris' baby is OK, and Chester whips out a full-blown tricorder to scan her fetus!
OK, where the hell did he get that particular piece of tech? Heck, an even better question is WHY the hell does he have it? How often does anyone at STAR ever get pregnant?
• This is now the second episode in a row in which the Flash doesn't suit up or use his speed. I suppose it's possible he might have zoomed Iris and Nia to STAR Labs after discovering them unconscious, but if so it happened completely off camera.
• More Namedropping: At one point Barry reels off a list of people who may be able to help wake Iris & Nia:
Barry: "What about contacting Kara, or Brainy or J'onn? I mean, they know Nia's powers better than we do."
Chester: "Barry, I checked. They're all off world."
Barry: "Okay, well, we have to try something. I'm gonna— I'm gonna call the League, Cisco, Digg, anyone I can think of."
• More Namedropping: At one point Barry reels off a list of people who may be able to help wake Iris & Nia:
Barry: "What about contacting Kara, or Brainy or J'onn? I mean, they know Nia's powers better than we do."
Chester: "Barry, I checked. They're all off world."
Barry: "Okay, well, we have to try something. I'm gonna— I'm gonna call the League, Cisco, Digg, anyone I can think of."
Lots of references in that brief exchange!
The Kara, Brainy and J'onn that Barry mentions would of course be Supergirl, Brainiac 5 and Martian Manhunter, all from Supergirl.
Chester's line about the three of them being "off world" when needed is a nod to an old, old trope from the comics. See, Superman was clearly the strongest superhero in the DC Universe, far out-powering all their other characters. So whenever a crisis popped up that was too big for someone like the Flash or Green Lantern to handle, the obvious solution would be to call Superman for help.
That made the other characters look weak and ineffectual though. So the writers would have Superman conveniently be somewhere in space, in order to give the other heroes a chance to shine.
So where was Supes whenever he wasn't on Earth? Good question! He just had urgent business "off planet."
Lastly, Barry's line that he's gonna call the League for help is a reference to the end of Crisis On Infinite Earths, Part Five.
Remember when the heroes from all the various Arrowverse shows— Martian Manhunter, Batwoman, White Canary, Supergirl, Flash, Black Lightning and Superman— all came together and formed the Justice League? Remember how the producers made a huge deal of this team up, giving them their own headquarters that looked just like the Hall Of Justice from the Superfriends cartoon show? Remember how they gave them their own Arthurian round table, complete with chairs showcasing their respective symbols?
And remember how it was implied that we'd be seeing this Arrowverse Justice League team up on a regular basis? Ah, good times.
And then they were literally never seen together again.
We did get a brief glimpse at the Hall Of Justice in Armageddon, Part 2. And Black Lightning showed up for part of an episode to help Barry, like he was his AA sponsor or something. But to my knowledge that was the one and only time we ever saw anything League related in the Arrowverse ever again.
It's a cryin' shame, and a massively wasted opportunity!
• After going through the blue door in CCPD, Iris & Nia find themselves in a dream version of CCJitters, where they're working as manager and waitress. Barry & Chester are working there too as baristas, for maximum yuks. In fact while slinging coffee, Barry even tells Iris he's "the fastest man alive!" Com-O-Dee!
• When Barry screws up the bean hopper, Chester says, "Resistor coil is overheating! It's a Code Sumatra!"
I'm not entirely sure, but I think they're referencing the fact that in the world of coffee shops, "Sumatra" is the code word for a strong, thick and intense brew. It's either that or some code Cisco came up with in a past season that I've forgotten about.
• When Nia wonders why they're in a dream version of Jitters, Iris replies it's because she used to be a barista there. That's a reference to Season 1, when she was indeed working at Jitters while studying journalism.
Of course the REAL reason why their dreams keep taking place in known locations like CCPD and Jitters is because the producers used all the show's standing sets in an effort to save money.
• When Barry screws up the bean hopper, Chester says, "Resistor coil is overheating! It's a Code Sumatra!"
I'm not entirely sure, but I think they're referencing the fact that in the world of coffee shops, "Sumatra" is the code word for a strong, thick and intense brew. It's either that or some code Cisco came up with in a past season that I've forgotten about.
• When Nia wonders why they're in a dream version of Jitters, Iris replies it's because she used to be a barista there. That's a reference to Season 1, when she was indeed working at Jitters while studying journalism.
Of course the REAL reason why their dreams keep taking place in known locations like CCPD and Jitters is because the producers used all the show's standing sets in an effort to save money.
• Chillblaine takes Khione to O'Shaughnessy's Pub, because again it's a standing set and the show couldn't afford to build any new ones this week.
Speaking of O'Shaughnessy's, I can't believe it's taken me so long to realize it actually appeared in the comics! There it's a burger joint like McDonald's and not a pub, but still— it's a mainstay of the DC Universe. It first appeared way back in 1995's Green Arrow #94. Live and learn!
• Chillblaine continues to go all Vertigo this week, as he desperately tries to mold Khione into his dearly departed Frost.
As much as I dislike the character of Chillblaine, I have to admit this is one of the few interesting ideas the show's had this season. It's gotta be rough on the guy to constantly be around someone who looks exactly like his dead girlfriend. No wonder he's starting to lose it!
Unfortunately the writers have neither the talent or the interest in exploring this storyline in depth. Instead, they give us the most appalling scene in the entire episode, as Khione asks Chillblaine— in front of the entire bar, mind you— if he wishes she was really Frost. As he tries to sputter an explanation, the other bar patrons actually heckle and boo him!
• Back at STAR, Iris & Nia's body temperatures soar to a whopping 104º, as Chester states they're on the verge of organ failure and death.
Turns out he's right, as it's commonly agreed that 108º is the highest temperature the human body can reach before dying.
• Iris & Nia manage to escape from the dreamworld Jitters, but find themselves in a "nightmare." Strangely enough, this horrifying otherworldly realm looks a lot like the corridors at the Vancouver Film Studios, where the show's filmed. Funny how that worked out, eh?
• The two then find themselves in a dream version of CCCMedia, where Allegra, Taylor and Aariz are watching Iris accept her Pulitzer. Note that once again, the TV's tuned to Channel 52, the only station in Central City!
Again, I'd like to point out that this is the FINAL season of the show, and the creators are brazenly squandering the remaining episodes by sidelining the main character.
• At STAR, Barry frets over the still-unconscious Iris. Suddenly Cecile senses the presence of the Hooded Figure and says:
Cecile: "Barry, I don't know why, and there is no rational explanation for me feeling this way, but I know that Iris is gonna pull through this. She's gonna be fine. She and Nia are both gonna be okay."
Barry: "How can you be so sure?"
Cecile: "Because the presence that I just felt was something powerful and kind. It was almost like a guardian angel. Barry, I think it was a sign."
Welp, that's one way to completely diffuse any tension the episode might have had! Never mind Iris & Nia's fevers, or the dangers they face in the Dream Realm— none of that matters because they're both gonna be just fine!
Jesus Christ, I'm just a schlub from Indiana, but even I know a story needs conflict and danger. Without them, there're no stakes or any reason for the audience to watch! It's Writing 101— a class The Flash's staff apparently skipped.
• At STAR, Barry frets over the still-unconscious Iris. Suddenly Cecile senses the presence of the Hooded Figure and says:
Cecile: "Barry, I don't know why, and there is no rational explanation for me feeling this way, but I know that Iris is gonna pull through this. She's gonna be fine. She and Nia are both gonna be okay."
Barry: "How can you be so sure?"
Cecile: "Because the presence that I just felt was something powerful and kind. It was almost like a guardian angel. Barry, I think it was a sign."
Welp, that's one way to completely diffuse any tension the episode might have had! Never mind Iris & Nia's fevers, or the dangers they face in the Dream Realm— none of that matters because they're both gonna be just fine!
Jesus Christ, I'm just a schlub from Indiana, but even I know a story needs conflict and danger. Without them, there're no stakes or any reason for the audience to watch! It's Writing 101— a class The Flash's staff apparently skipped.
• Iris & Nia then see the infamous blue door again, but this time it's covered in spider webs. Nia says this is because her mother was killed by a spider bite (?).
I know, it doesn't make any sense, but just go with it or we'll be here all day.
I know, it doesn't make any sense, but just go with it or we'll be here all day.
• Nia goes through the spidery door, where she's confronted by the Hooded Figure again. Nia gives up control of her powers, which apparently consists of just announcing the fact and not, you know, actually doing anything.
It works though, as the Hooded Figure reveals she's a friendly-looking black woman who was the ORIGINAL Dreamer from Nia's planet.
First of all, why is the very first Dreamer (who likely lived millennia ago) appearing and transferring her powers to Nia? It's Naltorian custom for the Dreamer to pass their abilities to the next generation, right? So why didn't a vision of Nia's late mom— who was the most recent Dreamer— appear and boost her powers? Whoops!
Secondly, it appears the Original Dreamer's entire plan in this episode was to pass on her powers to Nia. Fine. So... couldn't she have simply told her that from the start? Why put her in a coma and force her to go through all the "Lost In A Dreamworld" nonsense for forty five minutes? Why not just appear before Nia, say, "Hey, I've decided you're gonna be the new Dreamer. Here's your power upgrade."
• Barry & Iris return to their Loft for the wrap up.
As always, their building is one of the few locations on the show that isn't filmed in Vancouver. It's actually the Brockman Lofts in downtown LA.
• Barry & Iris then enjoy a late dinner of Big Belly Burgers. They're a staple of the Arrowverse, popping up numerous times in both Arrow and The Flash.
Big Belly Burgers originated in DC Comics though, and have appeared in numerous titles over the years. They were introduced back in 1988's Adventures Of Superman #441.
Iris mentions that Barry zoomed to National City to get the burgers. So technically he did actually use his powers this week— but again, completely offscreen, and only to pick up some fast food. Thrilling!
• More Heavy Duty Nitpicking: Chillblaine stops by to apologize to Khione, and tell her he's leaving to try and get over Frost.
What in the name of Christian Dior's Dirty Drawers is Khione wearing here? Did no one teach this new life form how to dress herself yet?
What in the name of Christian Dior's Dirty Drawers is Khione wearing here? Did no one teach this new life form how to dress herself yet?
• Khione is so upset over Chillblaine's abrupt departure that her ice powers— which she apparently has after all— automatically kick in and freeze all the food on the table. Oddly enough, the people sitting mere inches away aren't affected by the cold in the least. Comic Book Science!
• Their breakfast ruined, Team Flash then gathers around Khione and gives her a big group hug because Chillblaine said he's leaving. Never mind that he's currently experiencing intense mental and emotional trauma. He can just go f*ck himself I guess.
The way they treat Chillblaine in this episode is honestly appalling. Yes, he betrayed the team to Red Death a few weeks back, but he ended up saving them and redeeming himself. And afterward Barry told him all was forgiven and even proclaimed him an official member of Team Flash.
So why are they suddenly treating him like something they'd scrape off the bottom of their shoe?
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