5 Big Questions We Have About Reverse Flash

The release of Reverse Flash's costume has us asking tough questions.

Story by Matt Cummings

With the first quality image arriving on Friday of Tom Cavanagh as The Reverse Flash, reaction has been generally positive about the general direction which the show is headed. But questions have lingered all season about the motives of Reverse Flash/Dr. Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh), all of which have bubbled back to the surface. With a lack of answers from CW, we dare to ask the 5 big questions about Reverse Flash and his future role.

1. Why is Wells helping Barry Allen?
For reasons unbeknownst to us, the idea of helping the one person who is your mortal enemy to improve seems like a frankly idiotic plan. And yet, that is exactly what Wells and his team at Star Labs has been doing for most of Season 1. With Barry continuing to improve, why is Wells pushing his young protege only to fight him later. Is he hoping for a real fight this time? It's a question that only the studio can answer, and they're keeping tight-lipped about it.

2. Was Reverse Flash involved in the murder of Barry's mother?
When new evidence surfaced about the murder (in the episode The Nuclear Man), it became clear that two speedsters were involved, one of whom was Barry Allen as an older man. The other figure was red-streaked but their blood could not be identified. If this is in fact not Reverse Flash, did he have anything to do with the murder? If not, will he become a friend to Flash in an effort to either exonerate his father, or join him in the future to battle the other foe?

3. Why has RF traveled back in time in the first place?
In the comics, Professor Zoom was eventually replaced by a time-traveling character simply named Zoom, whose name is Hunter Zoloman. His efforts to make Wally West a better hero sounds a lot like Wells' character in the CW show, as he's served as a mentor to Barry, first gifting him with running power, then making it stronger via the use of The Cosmic Treadmill. It's clear that Wells is using highly-advanced tech from the future, but it's still unknown why he's there in the first place. Does he have a working knowledge The Flash's missions and has thus been manipulating him? Combined with other pieces of evidence from most recent episodes, this is one likely scenario. But to what end?

4. How will Barry and TeamFlash deal with Wells once the game is up?
It's clear from the most recent trailer that some big poop is about to hit the perverbial fan when the sow returns on March 17th. How will Sisko Carlos Valdes) deal with learning that his boss is none other than the same person who might be involved in several acts of murder? The trailer clearly shows that Wells announces his true identity to Sisko, which could have long-term and damaging effects to the entire TeamFlash structure. Again, details are sketchy and anything is possible, but we're willing to color this one "Bad, Bad, Ugly Bad."

5. Is Wells truly Reverse Flash?
Could Wells be another speedster, such as Professor Zoom, a 25th Century Scientist who in the comics fought Barry during their Silver Age? True, articles have stated Cavanagh is in fact RF, but don't be surprised if a third player is about to enter the game who might have been ultimately responsible for the murder of Barry's mother. That character could own the blood splatter that Sisko (Detective West (Jamie Martin) found in Barry's old house.

Too Few Answers - Does It Matter?
In the end, the prospect of us learning these and other burning questions about Reverse Flash will no doubt bring about an interesting conclusion to Season 1. The Flash has become one of the best series on televsion, not only because of its commitment to its stories and characters, but in its ability to keep audiences guess and (most importantly) talking on social media as seek to crack the show's code. Whatever happens, The Flash is scheduled to return on Tuesday, March 17th.

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