The Flash Review: Cause and Effect (Season 3 Episode 21)
Barry loses his memory in attempt to stop Savitar from knowing what happens, but the plan backfires and things get silly on The Flash, Season 3 Episode 21, “Cause and Effect.”
The episode picks up from the end of The Flash Season 3 Episode 20, “I Know Who You Are” but reveals that Savitar is a time remnant created by Barry. Seeing Barry and Savitar/Barry face off would be more impressive if the villains didn’t always have doubles. It’s just getting old that a “member” of the team is a bad guy every season.
That’s the thing about time travel, Barry. The more you do it the less the rules apply to you.
Savitar tells Barry that about time travel, when saying that even if Barry kills himself it wouldn’t necessarily stop Savitar. I think the audience would whole-heartedly agree with the quote. The more The Flash explores time traveling the more confusing it gets.
It is really hard to understand how Savitar being there is influenced by what happens in the present and if Barry’s trip to the future in “The Once and Future Flash” had any impact on the timeline. It seems that it did not, but surely some things in the future can be changed? Even Cisco explaining the loop isn’t enough to convince me I can comprehend how this is happening.
Nevertheless, the team is still out to stop Savitar and the plan is to wipe Barry’s short term memory so Savitar won’t be able to remember things. I didn’t completely understand how this plan is supposed to work either but that is nothing new. The plan backfires but we get a hilarious, happy Barry Allen.
The best part of the episode is the humor that Grant Gustin brought to the amnesiac Barry. Everything is new to him and it is so good to see a lighthearted Barry. He has been getting pretty dark lately and to go back to being more fun is a nice departure.
It leads to great WestAllen scenes. Iris is enthralled seeing a Barry who has no worries and is just so innocent. It’s so sweet to see her reactions to just how happy he is, but equally heartbreaking to watch as she tells him the biggest tragedy in his life to get his memory back.
Barry is able to get his memory back through the suggestion of Killer Frost. She shows up in the lab to fix his memory so Savitar can get his memory back too.
Killer Frost does get her own surprise in the lab when Cisco tells a story about working with her and Ronnie. Caitlin jumps in to add to the story and you can see in her expression that Caitlin is still there.
The Speed Force Bazooka, made by Tracy and named by HR, is complete and is their solution to stopping Savitar. I’m not excited that it looks like King Shark will be involved in getting the missing piece, but I’m glad Team Flash is moving forward with ideas to stop Savitar.
Quick Thoughts:
- HR and Tracy are fun to watch! I doubt they will survive until next season.
- Why couldn’t Barry get an excuse to not appear in court? Claim he’s contagious?
- Cisco seems more likely to get Caitlin back to herself than Julian, but I do feel bad for how she bluntly says she never loved him. It’s great to see the Killer Frost eyes disappear for just a second.
What did you think of this episode of The Flash? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
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The Flash airs Tuesday’s at 8/7c on The CW.
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Allie Perkins
Allie is a civil engineer who annoys her friends by trying to make them care about shows they don't watch. She is always obsessing over TV shows, watching as much Netflix and Hulu (they have all the good, old teen dramas!), and trying to find ways to entertain her dog while she watches TV. Loves Gilmore Girls, The X-Files, Dawson's Creek, Lost, and way too many shows to list!