Barry and Iris clash over Barry dumping Nora in the future. Nora takes matters into her own hands and Caitlin’s family issues come back to cause everyone problems. And in the future, Nora makes a very, very bad call.

This is a deeply weird episode, a story of three thirds that never quite connect. The Nora and Thawne stuff is great but it feels like the second half of an episode we never quite got to see. Thawne creates a Negative version of the Speed Force… how? It’s a great idea but we need a little more background to make it work. Although Thawne’s twisted, almost paternal concern for Nora is as disturbing as it is endearing.

Unfortunately, the return of Icicle feels like padding before the end of the season. It also leads to some wildly Gotham-esque wigs and not in the good way. Worse still, this feels like the second half of a story we didn’t see the first half of and Icicle’s heroic sacrifice especially feels like a third act roundup arriving one act early. It’s a particular shame too, as the cast involved are all top notch and the writing’s good, if weirdly rushed. That being said, the Icicle/Caitlin ice slide fight is really nicely done.

That leaves the Barry and Iris plot with some extra bonus Ralph and honestly, that’s pretty great. The show has finally figured out how to do angst without making either of them stupid. Likewise the return of Barry Allen’s Terrible Life Choices feels natural and organic and while both the West-Allens make some bad choices, they make them for understandable reasons.

Verdict: A spotty episode that’s fun in parts but never quite comes together. There’s lots going on, and a killer ending, but getting there isn’t as much fun as it should be. 6/10

Alasdair Stuart