Legend tells of a day in which nothing went wrong for the stars of The Flash, but the fans watching their adventures at home have yet to witness it for themselves. Even after the villainous speedster 'god' Savitar fled to continue plotting his master plan in secret, the team of scientists and superhumans have been tackling one threat after another. But in the most recent episode, "Borrowing Problems From The Future," Barry Allen may have finally gotten a bit of a head start, thanks to his pal Vibe... and a glimpse of the future that he can still change.
The hero's first stumble into the future came by accident, revealing the murder of his beloved Iris at the hands of Savitar, seriously rattling his resolve. Instead of carrying the burden on his own, Barry shared that future with his closest friends, and with the help of Cisco's metahuman ability to sense coming events, returned to the scene of the crime to gather more clues. And gather them they did, thanks to a series of news items and headlines glimpsed on a nearby TV screen.
The headlines revealed the future, and the presence of H.R. Wells on a nearby rooftop - equipped with this week's villain's versatile rifle - shows the future can be changed. Change enough, and the death may never take place. But just what was revealed in those short bits of news coverage, and how many coming twists were just revealed? Let's break down the facts, so we know where to let our speculation and imagination run wild.
Music Meister Signs SIX-FIGURE Book Deal
The cat has officially been let out of the bag concerning the musical crossover between Flash and Supergirl, but long before, the number of vocally gifted cast members had fans downright demanding some performances, no matter the explanation. A supervillain able to send heroes and their friends into song was the obvious answer, so the official confirmation that Music Meister would do the job came as no surprise. Still, the fact that Glee alum Darren Criss would play the part delighted fans who already followed Grant Gustin and Melissa Benoist from the show to The CW's superhero universe.
That episode won't release until March 20, but Barry and Cisco's jaunt into the future offered the very first tease. Apparently, the gift of song will gain the attention of more than just superheroes, rocketing Music Meister onto the world stage, with at least one publisher believing people will line up to read his life story. It's a good sign that the villain, like the episode, will be more lighthearted than homicidal... at least we hope.
Luigi's Opens After Murder
You've got us stumped here. As much as we would like to think that a duo of plumber brothers is torn apart by fame leaving the younger to open an Italian restaurant only to befall a horrific tragedy, we're somewhat skeptical. The pedestrian headline is still written on the board by H.R., meaning it could be evidence that not all of the events are relevant to the team. Either that, or this seemingly innocuous murder and re-opening will prove to be a bombshell few see coming (well, except us).
Joe West Honored at City Hall
It doesn't take too much imagination to see why Detective Joe West would be worthy of some special attention by his peers, and the best possible explanation is that he simply performs a task that demands honoring (this happy outcome is the same one assumed by H.R., giving Joe immediate praise. If there was ever a member of the team who was due for some credit, it's the one member kept out of the loop concerning his own daughter's murder. Of course, there's always the more terrible explanation...
Joe West could be honored at City Hall because he, like his daughter, has found himself in the crosshairs of Central City's new speedster menace. It would be an extra cruel twist if the writers revealed that even before Iris was threatened by Savitar, the villain had snatched Barry's other father away from him. But before fans get nervous that such heartbreak is a serious possibility, we would remind them that Joe wouldn't be the first friend of the Flash family to see their heart stop, only to be jump-started back to life, good as new. For now though, we'll cross our fingers that Joe simply distinguished himself with his heroic handling of one of the other looming threats.
Killer Frost Still at Large
This one is both a bit more obvious and a bit more complicated than the others. Sure, Caitlin has been terrified of her "Killer Frost"... split personality(?) emerging sooner or later, but the superpower-inhibiting handcuffs seemed to have been introduced specifically to alleviate those concerns. This episode showed the bracelets starting to malfunction or drain of energy, which on its own, would have offered evidence to support the future headline (revealing that they would break in the future, and Caitlin would lose control).
Caitlin opening up about the problem, and Cisco and Julian manufacturing an even simpler solution in the form of a snowflake necklace (a nice nod to the comics) could be taken as a successful attempt at changing the future. That is, unless this is precisely why she's driven to supervillainy in the space of just a few months. Could the snowflake have its own unforeseen problems? Could Julian's villainy still be in play? It's possible this may be the fix she's needed, but we're far from convinced - especially with Ronnie Raymond set to return to the series.
STAR Labs Museum Closes
In what may have been the most tragic blow of Barry and Cisco's trip into time, H.R. was forced to hear that in only a matter of months, his fledgling S.T.A.R. Labs Museum would be closing its doors. Was it because it was too ahead of its time? Was this tragedy the prophesied "fate worse than death"? All we know is that the news was enough to get the previously uninterested team on board, working to make the Museum all it could be, and filling it with schoolchildren dreaming of what the future could hold. And, in case fans missed it, potentially changing the future... but not in the way you might think.
The simplest conclusion would be that the team's efforts increased visitors to the museum, thereby keeping it from closing so soon. But for fans of The Flash comics history, it's the introduction of a different museum that has them theorizing. As a sign of just how much the residents of Central City love their speedy guardian angel, the comics saw them unveil The Flash Museum, a monument to the lives saved, villains defeated, and milestones broken by the Scarlet Speedster. It may take a bit more heroism, or perhaps another city-saving miracle, but a museum devoted to the science that created the Flash - secretly located over his base of operations - is one step closer to the version of the museum previously seen during Barry's trip through time.
City Still Recovering Following Gorilla Attack
So much for subtlety. When you mention a "gorilla attack" in the world of The Flash, it's hardly ever a standard kind of zoo emergency, or even skyscraper-sized fantasy. Fans have already been introduced to Gorilla Grodd, the test subject transformed into a telepathic, intelligent beast by the S.T.A.R. Labs explosion and some seriously questionable chemical injections. Barry seemed to have dealt with Grodd, sending him through one of the Multiverse breaches to Earth 2 - just outside of Gorilla City, the home of other intelligent apes in the DC Universe. We wondered at the time if it meant the other famous DC gorillas would appear, and it was later confirmed that Grodd and the city would play a role in Season 3.
We now know that Episode 13 and 14 of the season will feature a return from Grodd, as well as our first look at the leader of Gorilla City, Solovar (voiced by Keith David). The simplest explanation would be a journey from the show's Earth to that of the apes (and Harrison Wells) to bring Barry face to face with Solovar, but from this headline, it sounds like a gorilla or two may be making their way back. Of course, there's always the chance that it's simply a total, but fitting, coincidence.
NEXT: How The Flash Prepared Kevin Smith For Supergirl
So there you have it, the news stories deemed significant enough to help Barry and friends change their fates. What theories or possibilities have we missed? Be sure to let us know in the comments, along with your own predictions!
The Flash season 3 continues next Tuesday with "Dead or Alive" @8pm on The CW.