The Flash Season 5: 5 Biggest Questions After Episode 13

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Flash season 5, episode 13.

In The Flash season 5, episode 13, the team took drastic measures to stop Cicada's murderous rampage. They decided to use Caitlin and Cisco's metahuman cure on him - the only catch was that to administer the cure, they had to keep Cicada immobile. This led to Barry and Ralph going undercover with the criminal Goldfaced in order to obtain a weapon that would do just that.

But in order to stop Cicada, they need to find him first. This led to Iris putting her journalism skills to work. Through an interview with a former boss, she tracks down Cicada's hideout and confronts him. She almost got away with it, before being trapped by the villain. However, with some quick thinking, Iris defended herself with a kitchen knife and discovers Cicada's chest wound-and his potential weakness.

Team Flash now knows the key to defeating Cicada, but how they will go about doing it is still a mystery. Here are the questions we have about "Goldfaced".

5. Why Is No One Opposed to Using the Metahuman Cure?

Barry Allen and Ralph Dibny The Flash season 5 episode 13

The Flash's metahuman cure is a problem that does not seem to be going away anytime soon. In episode 10, Caitlin said that the cure would not be used on anyone against their will. Yet in this week's episode, she seems to have no problem about their plan to use it on Cicada. Even Killer Frost is unusually silent. It seems weird The Flash would establish this conflict and then not follow through with it. Why is no one talking about how dangerous this cure could be? When Killer Frost was so outspoken against the idea, it seemed like the cure was going to become a larger, ethical question. Instead, it's just a fix-all; a solution to their meta-problems. But what happens when this one meta is defeated? Will they just forget the cure exists?

The fact that this metahuman cure is playing such a large role in how the team plans on defeating Cicada is telling. It's important to The Flash season 5, so important that three episodes have been dedicated to it now. There needs to be a long term plan for this drug or the amount of time spent building it up will feel wasted. Hopefully, sometime soon there will be a conversation about the impact of a cure and what it means for a post-Cicada future.

4. What Role Is Renee Going to Play In The Flash Season 5?

Renee Adler The Flash season 5 episode 13

Nora needs a way to distract Sherloque now that he's closer than ever to figuring out her secret. She asks for help from Thawne, who tells her to give Sherloque the one mystery he can't solve: love. It turns out Sherloque has married the same woman, Renee Adler, seven different times - and from seven different Earths. And when he meets her Earth-1 counterpart, it's no different. Except for this time, she might just be a metahuman. This leads Sherloque to disregard his research on Nora and throw his energy into protecting his new lady love, worried that she may become Cicada's next target.

Theory: The Flash's Future Cicada Is Actually [SPOILER]

But besides serving a distraction what other purpose does The Flash have for introducing Renee? It can't just be that Sherloque is lonely. The fact that she's a metahuman already makes her an important character. Could really be in danger of being hurt or used by Cicada in some way? Or could she be a good metahuman? Maybe one who just doesn't want her powers and could be helped by the cure? Whatever the reason for her introduction it looks like Nora's secret is safe for at least a little while longer.

3. How Does Eobard Thawne Know So Much About the Multiverse?

Eobard Thawne Reverse Flash in 2049 on The Flash

In a bid to explain the actor switch, Thawne tells Nora by wearing Well's face he knows information about all the other Wells in the multiverse. This is how he knows that Renee will divert Sherloque's attention away from Nora. This seems like pretty convenient knowledge to have, and raises the question of what other information Thawne knows about the timeline and the other Wells out there? Is this the reason Thawne is still wearing Well's face?

There is a lot of mystery surrounding this Thawne of the future. We still don't know what he wants with Nora and why he's helping the Flash defeat Cicada. He seems to know so much about the timeline and the past. If that all comes from wearing another man's face could Barry do the same to learn more about his enemies? Is it only because Thawne has looked like Wells for so long that he has this knowledge? Could all of this be taking a toll and be the cause for Thawne's sicked state?

Page 2 of 2: Why Was The Flash Like Arrow This Week?

2. How Will Cicada's Chest Wound Help Team Flash Defeat Him?

In stabbing Cicada, Iris discovers his chest injury, which she thinks this could be the key to his defeat. But just how is the large, glowing wound Cicada's undoing? Let's look at what we know so far. We know Cicada got the injury the night Barry and Nora destroyed the STAR Labs satellite. As a result, Cicada has trouble breathing and needs to wear the mask that helped him get his name. It also seems to give him immense strength. The wound itself is shaped like a lightning bolt and glows yellow. If Iris noticed the fact that Cicada's wound was glowing like other pieces of metatech the team has encountered, it could be enough for her to put the pieces together and figure out a plan to stop him.

But what if Cicada isn't a metahuman like Team Flash believes; what if his powers come from the dagger itself? The wound could just be what's causing him pain, and things get a lot more complicated.

1. Why Did The Flash Feel Like An Episode of Arrow This Week?

This week's episode of The Flash felt more like an episode of Arrow than anything the show's done before. It was grittier, more action-packed, and featured far more guns than usual; there was a shootout scene set to a Rob Zombie song. Barry even had his powers dampened, leaving him without his super speed. In a situation that wouldn't seem out of place for Oliver Queen, Barry was forced to make a tough choice by helping a criminal in order to get the weapon he needed to defeat Cicada. And while Barry and Ralph did not go through with their plan, they came close and in doing so questioned if the actions they were taking to defeat Cicada were worth the cost.

It's nice to see The Flash switching things up and borrowing from the other Arrowverse shows. In adopting a darker tone, it makes the stakes feel higher and the consequences more severe. It also allows for the show to save a little money on the costly superhero VFX, while still allowing Barry and Ralph to save the day. Plus, now that they know they don't need their powers, like Barry said, they might be able to find a way to defeat Cicada without them.