The Crisis looms in The Flash season 6, episode 3 - and the episode raises a lot of questions about Barry Allen's future. Barry has long known that he's destined to disappear during a Crisis, but he's been somewhat taken aback by the news that this multiversal event has moved forward in time to 2019. The Monitor has warned Flash that he must die for his world to live.
But, even as Barry counts down the days to his death, he still has to deal with the kind of randomness Central City routinely attracts. The Flash season 6, episode 3 sees Team Flash deal with a Dark Matter zombie unwittingly created by Dr. Ramsey Rosso. Barry unwisely teams up with Rosso to investigate, but he soon learns the scientist can't be trusted. Meanwhile, Iris discovers that a new version of Harrison Wells has arrived on this Earth, and their first encounter doesn't go well.
The Flash season 6, episode 3 is a fascinating episode, particularly notable for the light it shines upon the characters of Flash and Rosso. Both are aware of their impending demise, but their attitudes are so very different; as a result, one becomes a hero while the other becomes a villain. Let's explore all the key questions raised by this episode.
9. Does Barry Allen REALLY Have To Die In The Crisis?
The Flash season 6, episode 3 is really all about Barry deciding to tell his friends the truth; that he knows his days are numbered. As he does so, though, the episode introduces a subtle loophole that Barry himself is completely unaware of. In The Flash season 6, episode 2, Barry's consciousness experienced millions of different future timelines, and he learned that there was just one where everyone he loves survives - the timeline where he dies. But Barry has forgotten that he's not the only one who decides how the future will go; it's entirely possible there are timelines where one or more of his friends choose to sacrifice themselves on his behalf. Barry Allen's fate isn't sealed after all.
8. What's The Deal With The New Harrison Wells?
Let's face it, The Flash just wouldn't be right without another incarnation of Harrison Wells. An unexpected B-plot in The Flash season 6, episode 3 reveals that a new version of Wells has made his way to Earth-1, Doctor Harrison "Nash" Wells. He appears to be an interdimensional treasure seeker, and Cisco wastes no time in comparing him to Indiana Jones. Wells, for his part, is clearly unimpressed at being compared to a fictional character.
7. What is Eternium?
Nash Wells escapes Iris and Cisco, but not before he reveals that he's searching for a mysterious substance called Eternium. In the comics, "Eternium" is the word used to describe material from the Rock of Eternity, the source of Shazam's power, which was scattered throughout the Multiverse when the Rock was destroyed. In the comics, the shards are akin to kryptonite, usually removing Shazam's powers. It also causes physical pain and injury to those who come into contact with it. With no Shazam character appearing in the shared television universe, the former would be pointless quality and the latter would be fairly meaningless.
The Arrowverse is unlikely to introduce Shazam anytime soon, but it's possible the Rock of Eternity will play a part in its version of "Crisis on Infinite Earths." Some stories have suggested that the Rock of Eternity is situated at the heart of the Multiverse, so its destruction may even be the trigger for the Crisis.
6. Who Is Ted Kord?
Ramsey Rosso has been continuing his experiments with Dark Matter that he'd acquired from a number of sources, including - most prominently - Ted Kord. Kord Industries has been mentioned many times in the Arrowverse, particularly in Arrow, but this reference seems to be important; Rosso needs more Dark Matter, and Kord is one company that could supply it. In the comics, Ted Kord is most well-known as the second superhero to use the "Blue Beetle" codename. He's a genius-level inventor and a gifted athlete.
5. What's Going On With Ramsay Rosso And Mitch Romero?
The main plot of The Flash season 6, episode 3 is more than a little confusing. It seems that Dr. Rosso's experiments on Mitch Romero have essentially turned him into a Dark Matter zombie, and Romero is unleashed on Central City, desperately seeking sources of Dark Matter. Team Flash's investigation into Mitch leads them to unwisely recruit Dr. Rosso, and he learns that Mitch is actually under his control. The episode ends with Rosso using Romero's blood in an attempt to treat his illness - and he resolves that he needs to create more of these Dark Matter zombies in order to stay healthy.
4. Why Is Killer Frost So Angry About Crisis?
One member of Team Flash takes the news about the upcoming Crisis harder than all the others; Killer Frost. She's just gotten the okay from Caitlin to live a life of her own at last, and now she fears it's about to be snatched away from her in just a few weeks' time. "There's always gonna be a Crisis," Barry tells her, stating a truth of superheroism. "Or some metahuman that's threatening to take away the life that you love. The truth is, we're all living on borrowed time." He advises that the best way is to live for the moment, and Killer Frost takes his advice to heart.
3. When Will Flash Introduce Sue Dearborn?
The Flash season 6, episode 3 continues to set up the introduction of Sue Dearborn, the love of Ralph Dibny's life. This time round, the episode features a B-plot in which Ralph is forced to confront the truth behind his loneliness and refusal to commit to a steady relationship. He attempts to help his mother, and discovers that she's been running from relationship to relationship all his life, unable to commit after she was left by her husband. Ralph has unwittingly been following the same pattern. The plot is clearly intended to set Ralph up as ready for a serious relationship - which means Sue's Arrowverse introduction is inevitable.
2. How Are Gun-Runners Getting Their Hands On Dark Matter?
Rosso has been obtaining Dark Matter from gun-runners, who are apparently trafficking weapons that charge from Dark Matter. This is the first time Dark Matter bullets and chargers have been mentioned in the Arrowverse, and it suggests that the world is changing around Team Flash. There's no information about just what a Dark Matter bullet would do to a body, of course; presumably it's fatal, rather than granting a target super-powers.
1. Did Flash Just Reference The Thor Franchise?
Long-term Arrowverse viewers will be well aware that Marvel is a comic book franchise in the Arrowverse, and as a result it's quite amusing to see Cisco make a pop culture reference to the Asgardian God of Thunder. Cisco describes the Monitor as an Asgardian cosplayer, signifying just how unimpressed he is by the cosmic being.