WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for The Flash Season 3, Episode 22

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The death of Iris West was heartbreaking, but The Flash may have changed the game when nobody was watching - meaning fans may be mourning the death of H.R. Wells come the season finale. First things first: no, it's not denial or desperation to see 'WestAllen' remain intact that has us spinning the theory, but evidence in the "Infantino Street" episode itself. The clues are there for every viewer to spot, and we're positive that some will have put the pieces together the first time around. But if you were left crushed and upset that Barry Allen failed to save his beloved Iris, things may not be as devastating as they appear.

The second-to-last episode of The Flash Season 3 ended with Iris West's body held in Barry's arms, but we're confident he's about to receive some good news... followed immediately after by some other bad news. Watch the teaser trailer for the 'Finish Line' finale and you'll notice that aside from Savitar's victorious claims of ascending to godhood, not a whole lot is shown of our heroes more than a few moments after Iris's 'death.'  That means fans may not have to wait long to see the cover pulled off this mystery, and witness the death of the second Harrison Wells to call Central City his final home (the more beloved of the two, we're willing to wager).

Not convinced that H.R. Wells made a heroic sacrifice and took Iris's place on Savitar's blade? Then sit back, relax, and let us break down our theory. We guarantee after reading through the clues and evidence, you'll never see the episode the same way again.

[UPDATE: The Flash season finale has shown our theory to be accurate - Iris West LIVES!]

How It Looked To The Audience

The events of the episode may be fresh in the audience's memory (and for some, one unforgettable sequence of heartbreak after another. But just to make sure everyone is on the same page, let's break down the exact plan that Team Flash tried to launch to keep Iris out of harm's way - even as they realized it was likely impossible. Barry knew that there was nowhere she could be kept safe from Savitar, but Joe and Wally West still made an effort, leaping through the breach to Earth-2 with Iris beside them, surprising Harry with a sudden life-or-death scenario.

Barry's words proved prophetic, as all the evil future time remnant Barry had to do was come sprinting in to S.T.A.R. Labs with the damaged side of his face concealed, and H.R. Wells gave up Iris's location immediately. With that, he made for the breach, seeking out his sacrifice. Wally tried his best to stop Savitar but only managed to damage his armored suit before collapsing from his injuries. And while Joe and Harry both tried their best to stand between Savitar and Iris, there was never any real hope.

After trying to get through to this tortured Barry from the past and future, Iris accepts that there's just no resisting any longer. In a heartbeat, Savitar Barry scoops up Iris and his armor, and heads back to their native Earth with just minutes to spare. From there... well, things play out just as we all knew they most certainly would.

The Speed Force Bazooka built years ahead of time by Tracy Brand - with some inspiration and support from H.R., her newfound crush - worked exactly as designed, even though Barry had difficulties targeting his enemy with the unwieldy device (a career with the Ghostbuster is definitely not in his future). Once he managed to deliver a full powered blast to Savitar, every member of Team Flash realized it was all for naught. Having been bested by such technology once before, Savitar had learned how to keep it from happening again. With the Philosopher's Stone in his hand, no Speed Force prison could hold him.

Fortunately, the rest of Iris's friends and family only have a handful of seconds to dread the inevitable, as the scene of her execution moves forward as it had in Barry's original vision. Aside from Joe on the rooftop instead of Harry Wells, it's a beat for beat replay: Barry does his best to reach Iris before she is pierced by Savitar's metallic finger - and fails. Savitar leaves the scene instantly, claiming that his job is done. Barry will now be emotionally destroyed, push his friends away, and irresponsibly create the Barry time remnant who becomes Savitar.

And so the cycle will continue, forever, and ever, and ever... But before we move on, it's worth remembering the one character who played a major role in the story to this point, and who is noticeably absent from the final encounter.

H.R. & His Guilty Conscience

It's hard not to feel your heart break for H.R. as Cisco attempts to soothe his guilty conscience. He may have given up the secret location of Iris West (which was intentionally kept from Barry, so his future self wouldn't know either), but Cisco attempts to calm him, stating that any member of their team could have made the mistake. Savitar is the only person they have to blame for Iris's imminent death, not any friend who did their best to stop it from happening.

Nevertheless, H.R. drives on, revealing that he knows exactly how much he has contributed to the team so far - and it amounts to zero. That's being a little harsh, since he has unintentionally or indirectly sparked inspiration or problem solving among Team Flash. But yes, as an enthusiastic novelist lacking any real grasp of scientific reasoning or knowledge, H.R. probably has contributed the least amount of energy to the task of foiling Savitar's murderous mission. And that alone weighs on his chest enough to crush him.

As he says his somber goodbye to Cisco, both his friend and the audience seem to know there's more to it than usual... and after looking at the clues, it looks like that was H.R. Wells's final farewell.

NEXT: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='How%20H.R.%20Wells%20Replaced%20Iris%20West']

H.R. Wells The Flash

H.R. Replaced Iris West - Here's How

Fans will be forgiven if they missed the change in tone and gravity to H.R. and Cisco's conversation, since it really does come about suddenly. But keep in mind what was being discussed, and it's easier to follow it from H.R.'s perspective. There's the guilt for slipping up and getting Iris kidnapped, sure. What clearly bothers H.R. more, though, is the sense that he hasn't been pulling his weight for some time. Ever, perhaps. He's been a passenger among these heroes and brilliant crimefighters, and while he's kept a cheery disposition all the while... he no longer can. Not when someone might die because of it.

He arrived on their Earth under dishonest means, in search of some kind of purpose or validation. And more than that, he found a family, and more recently, a woman to fall madly in love with. But he hasn't inspired anyone the way that they have inspired him; hasn't given to the world the way that he has taken from all of them. And more than anyone, it's Barry who stands as the perfect example of what one should aspire to: "a hero among heroes."

Cisco talks him down, but the speed with which H.R. sets aside his troubles shows he's hiding something. As Cisco leaves, and H.R. bids him adieu "until next time," his eye fall conspicuously towards the long, spiked, severed finger of Savitar the team has kept in their custody. H.R. knows a life could be lost because of him, and stares meaningfully at the very weapon that will be used to take it.

Here's where the rest of the episode comes in handy.

The Transmogrifier Reminder

There were large swaths of the fan community who assumed early on that H.R.'s face and appearance-changing "transmogrifier" would be a valuable tool in the season. Sure, it allowed him to exist on a planet where his natural face was that of a hated monster, but you don't introduce a 'Chekhov's gun' like that and expect the audience to just forget about it. In fact, when Barry's first trip into the future showed Iris being killed, theorists, speculators and rabid fans all immediately suggested that it wasn't Iris at all... in fact, with the transmogrifier's technology, it could be just about anybody. Yet as the weeks and episodes rolled by, and Savitar's vendetta against Barry and commitment to killing Iris became clear, it seemed her life really did hang in the balance.

Until this week, when audiences were reminded that a device existed among our heroes that could change their face and body perfectly. Just in case, you know, they had forgotten. As satisfying as it was to see Lyla Michaels knock out a squad of A.R.G.U.S. guards, it was even more satisfying to see her extract the transmogrifier from her pocket, and reveal that she was actually Barry Allen in disguise. For the seasoned TV watchers and genre fiction fans, this scene was as close as you could get to a confirmation that it wouldn't be the last use of the tech this season.

While important to gain the power source needed to run the Speed Force Bazooka, it's not the end-all, be-all disguise reveal moment we've been expecting. And when you watch the following scene between Savitar and Barry moment by moment... it's not hard to guess at what really took place.

Barry & Savitar Never Noticed The Switch

We know what you're thinking: even if H.R. did somehow want to take the place of Iris and be killed by Savitar, he never got the chance. Once Savitar grabbed Iris from Earth-2 (which couldn't have been H.R.), she was never seen again until appearing in his grasp, before being skewered. Right? Had the scene played out exactly as Barry witnessed it in the past, then yes, that would be almost impossible. Now if only the heroes had some way to get Savitar to toss Iris aside, allowing H.R. to move her to safety and take her place - it would be tricky, since he would not only need to keep Savitar from noticing the switch, but Barry as well. If Barry saw the plan, Savitar would know it, and it wouldn't work.

Cue Barry firing up the Speed Force Bazooka, sending Savitar sprinting across the entire park, onto the street, up a nearby building, and essentially killing a handful of time before returning to his starting point. In all honesty, this sequence and 'Aha!' reveal we expect may be the least convincing in the show so far. After all, there is no reason for Savitar to run anywhere. He has the Philosopher's Stone, which will prevent the Bazooka from working at all.

Essentially, Savitar arrives with his plan perfectly prepared and ready to be completed, turns his back for ten seconds, and then goes through with it. It's hard to see the purposeful abandonment and return to Iris as anything other than a chance for H.R. to show up and take her spot. Also, Barry has his attention focused on Savitar the entire time, so he can truly sell the moment of Iris's death well enough to convince everyone.

H.R. Wells Finds Love In Time To Die For It

As un-subtle as the method through which H.R.'s plan can work may be, it isn't any less heartwarming - or heartbreaking. Assuming that it is H.R. standing in for Iris, he's doing so out of pure heroism and self-sacrifice. Making the decision to risk everything he has for his friends shows that he was a hero all along, and having discovered true love with Tracy... he would finally know how much Barry Allen - the "hero among heroes" - has to lose. And remember: when H.R. takes Iris's spot, he's holding out as much hope as any other member of the team that Tracy's Speed Force Bazooka will work. Which means a double or triple dose of heartbreak in the season finale assuming this theory is true.

Not only does H.R. also realize he's about to die moments before it happens, but Tracy will have to deal with the guilt of 'failing' to save him. Not to mention the rest of the team having insulted or mocked H.R. over the past season, only to see him sacrifice his life so that Barry could hold onto his bride. So that Wally could keep his sister. And so Joe could keep his daughter. Not too bad a legacy for a man who came to this Earth in search of family and legacy - he found both in the end.

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Of course, that wouldn't wrap up the entire season's story or suspense. If Savitar runs off into the timestream thinking he has guaranteed his own creation, there's a good chance he'll return when he realizes he's been fooled. Either that, or he'll fade into nothingness off-camera. But would he be able to return and kill Iris in a different place, at a different time, and still ensure his birth? We're better off leaving those question unanswered, in case our theory proves true, and it's H.R. Wells the team is saying goodbye to, not Iris West.

NEXT: How Barry Allen Became Savitar Explained

The Flash season finale airs Tuesday, May 23rd @8pm on The CW.