Plot
The Weather Wizard returns to break Captain Cold and The Trickster out of Iron Heights and The Flash will run himself ragged trying to stop them from wreaking havoc on The Holidays. Meanwhile, Iris and Joe West prepare themselves to meet Wally West - the son and brother they never knew they had.
Influences
Too many The Flash comics involving The Rogues Gallery teaming up to count.
Goofs
Apparently Joe still hasn't explained Harrison Wells' being alive to Patty and she hasn't asked any further questions since she shot Harry last week in 208.
Even for comic-book science, the magnets explanation for how sending one bomb through a breach can attract the rest of the bombs in the city like it is totally ludicrous.
For that matter, what happened to the idea that only speedsters and the people they carry can travel through the breaches?
Performances
Jesse L. Martin's reaction to being told about Joe's long-lost son is one of the best bits of acting he's done on the show. And that's saying something giving how generally amazing he is!
Artistry
The opening with Zoom chasing Wells is nice and suspenseful, grabbing your attention immediately.
The dreidel scene is one of the most unsettling in the show's history.
The scene of Barry jumping onto a moving helicopter blade while chasing Weather Wizard looks amazing.
Flash Facts
The Flash toy that Iris picks up while shopping is an actual Flash action figure based on the TV show.
Wally West is a familiar character to long-time fans of The Flash comics. Indeed, for comic fans of a certain age, he's more familiar than Barry Allen! Originally the nephew of Iris West, Wally gained super-speed powers after an incident which replicated the accident that gave Barry Allen his powers. Wally went on to partner with Barry as Kid Flash and went on to take over his mentor's title after Barry's death in Crisis on Infinite Earths.
This hasn't changed in the New 52 universe, save that Wally is of mixed heritage (half African, half White) is now a juvenile delinquent Iris hoped Barry might be able to positively influence. Wally has yet to become Kid Flash in the current Flash comic but a future version of him, who adopted the name of The Flash, showed up to help Barry during one fight.
The DCTVU version of Wally West is Joe West's son and Iris West's brother, raised apart from them after Joe's wife left him.
The music that plays when we first see The Trickster sounds a little bit like The Joker theme from Batman: The Animated Series. Mark Hamill, who plays The Trickster, was also the voice of The Joker on Batman: The Animated Series.
The Mister Jiggle Wiggle doll is made by Okumara Toys. This is a nod to Hiro Okumara - aka Toyman. Not to be confused with the Superman villain, this Toyman was a hero - a Japanese child prodigy who used his fortune and gift for electronics to fight crime with a variety of robots. Most of these robots featured designs inspired by Hiro's favorite anime and manga.
Weather Wizard is now able to fly, as in the comic books.
Technobabble
Jay Garrick suggests that they could inject an unstable neutrino burst into the individual breaches and they might seal on their own.
There was an unexpected drop in barometric pressure as Weather Wizard came back into town.
Most weather phenomona are marked by changes in electrical charge and pressure in the atmosphere. Cisco theorizes they can locate Weather Wizard by mapping those changes. He further postulates that they can remove all the electricity from his immediate surroundings the same way that a lighting rod draws in electrical energy to one spot.
Cisco is able to detect the atmospheric pressure dropping 200 hectopascals when Weather Wizard begins using his powers in Central City Square.
Cisco says that Weather Wizard is able to fly by using his powers to alter the air pressure around him to create pockets of updraft . Harry says he's just able to fly.
Cisco is able to track down one of The Trickster's bombs by cross-referencing credit card statements, toll-road usage and families with children under ten.
Magnets of opposite poles attract one another. Harry says that by changing the dimensional frequency of one of Trickster's bombs before sending it through a breach, it will drag all the rest of the bombs with it. They use a STAR Labs drone to deliver the bomb through a breach a quarter-mile over Central City.
Dialogue Triumphs
Caitlin: It means a lot.
Jay: What does?
Caitlin: You looking after Barry. He's... been through a lot the last few weeks.
Jay: Well, Barry's not the only person here I want to keep safe...
Cisco: Oh dear Lord, just kiss already!
(The doors to Iron Heights are blow inward by a strong wind and the snow begins to blow into the building. Enter Weather Wizard.)
Weather Wizard: Let it snow!
Patty: I'm sorry. I don't have time to bring you up to speed.
Barry: (to himself) That's ironic.
Weather Wizard: I didn't break either of you out because I was looking to make new friends.
Trickster: That is not the holiday spirit, Marky-Mark! Christmas is a time for togetherness! And what says togetherness more than mass graves, hmmmm?
Captain Cold: So why DID you break us out?
Weather Wizard: Well, I owed you one. And this guy? (motions to Trickster) He's just crazy! It's a complement.
(Trickster nods in acknowledgement.)
Weather Wizard: And we all want the same thing.
Captain Cold: Fashion advice?
Weather Wizard: To see The Flash dead!
Trickster: Well, that was more of a New Years' Resolution, but hey - I'm flexible!
Barry: Why are you here, Snart?
Captain Cold: I got the Noel spirit. Wanted to give you a little gift. Mardon broke Jesse and me out to kill you. Jesse's on board, of course. He's shaking with excitement. Me? I'm going to pass.
Iris: Why? You grow a conscience?
Captain Cold: Mardon wants revenge. Jesse wants chaos. I'm just not... invested like they are.
Iris: You mean there's no money in it for you!
Captain Cold: I was never much for non-profit work.
Barry: If you're not in with them, then tell me where they are.
Captain Cold: Nah. Consider me more of a Secret Santa. Besides, you and your friends love to solve a good mystery.
Barry: You are full of it, Snart! I think my friends and I saved your sister's life and you just can't stand to owe me a marker. I hate to break it to you, but that - that right there is called Honor.
Captain Cold: Go on. Make your pitch. I can see you're dying to.
Barry: Help me stop them.
Captain Cold: Sorry. I'm not interested in being a hero.
Barry: Well... (laughs) ...you're doing a pretty lousy job of being a villain this week.
Captain Cold: Merry Christmas, Barry.
Trickster: We can't let Christmas hog all of the holiday fun! Happy Hanukkah! (singing) Oh, Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel... I made you out of C-4! Ho ho ho!
The Flash: You know even if you get this guy that wronged you, that doesn't always make things better.
Patty: It has to be better than this!
(The Flash runs up to the top of the building where Weather Wizard is looking down on the square)
Weather Wizard: Oh. Glad to see you! Maybe you can help me?
The Flash: Help get back to a jail cell? It'd be my pleasure, Mark.
Weather Wizard: No. No. See, I'm trying to decide if I should kill everybody down there with a deadly hail storm or - little trickier - with acid rain! What do you think?
The Flash: (sarcastically) Ah. Let me think ... umm... how about neither? Do you see this wand here? Guess what?
(Suddenly, Weather Wizard spreads his arms and tumbles backward off the ledge of the building. Barry walks to the edge and looks down... to see Weather Wizard flying off!)
The Flash: Umm... guys? (voice cracking) He's flying!
(The Flash looks at a present next to his feet)
The Flash: What is this?
Weather Wizard: That is a box with a bomb in it.
Trickster: Yup. I've handed out about 100 of them today. It feels so good to give.
Weather Wizard: You see, right now there are 100 random children who have each taken home a box just like that one. And are shoving it under their Christmas tree. There's no way for you to get to all of them. Even if you knew where to look.
The Flash: Oh, no. Please don't do this.
Weather Wizard: What? Me? Kill 100 families? (chuckling) No. That's up to you. I'm happy just to take your life. So this is how it's going to be. You will stand there and let me end you. Very publically. And very painfully. And I'll let everybody live. But if I see even a little flicker of electricity on you? Casket makers in this town are going to have a very merry Christmas. So, Flash - what's it going to be?
(The Flash wordlessly hands over The Weather Wand to Weather Wizard)
(Harry knocks on the door of a suburban home. A small boy answers it.)
Harry: Your toys? Give them to me.
Boy: Mom?!
Dialogue Disasters
Cisco: How do you like the magnets, bitch?
Continuity
Iris refers to Eddie Thawne's death in 123.
Joe's watch was a gift from his father. He said that one day he would give it to his son. At the episode's end, he gives it to Barry.
Barry refers to Eobard Thawne's message to him about never really being happy from 201.
Iris tells Barry what she learned from Francine in 204 about having a brother.
They celebrate Christmas on Earth 2.They also have a tradition of hanging mistletoe and kissing underneath it.
Weather Wizard was last seen in 122.
Captain Cold was last seen in 203.
The Trickster was last seen in 117.
We're reminded that Weather Wizard killed Patty's father - a fact that we learned in 202.
Weather Wizard refers to The Flash's defeat at the hands of Zoom in 206.
Barry tells Cisco about the Weather Wand that he build in the alternate time-line in 115 to negate Weather Wizard's powers.
Earth 2 also has the movie The Godfather, complete with a reference to sleeping with the fishes. According to Harry, all Earths have The Godfather.
Francine named her and Joe's son Wallace. This was the name she and Joe agreed upon for a son, when the first had Iris.
Captain Cold modified his cold gun to explode if he lets go of his grip on the handle.
According to Jay Garrick, there is no Trickster on Earth 2.
There are, however, Mister Jiggle Wiggle dolls on both Earth 1 and Earth 2. Harry bought one for his daughter Jessie when she was six. Patty's father also bought one for her when she was young.
Barry is able to achieve limited levitation by spinning his wrists fast enough to create focused tornadoes that allow him to achieve lift-off.
Patty reveals that she blames herself for her father's death, as she skipped work to goof off with her friends on the day that her father had to drop off the deposits for his store at the same time Mark Mardon was robbing their bank.
Harry refers to how they sent Grodd away using a breach in 207.
Patty traps The Flash to the ground using one of the guns Cisco designed back in 201.
Caitlin and Jay finally share a kiss.
Barry and Patty are now officially a couple.
Wally West introduces himself to Joe and Iris.
Harry figures out that Zoom is trying to push Barry to become faster before stealing his speed. He agrees to help Zoom do this in exchange for his daughter Jessie being spared.
The Bottom Line
A solid episode and a heck of a Christmas story. The Wally West reveal is somewhat understated as is the revelation of Harry's treachery. And I personally would have liked to have seen The Trickster return in a solo-story rather than sharing the stage. Still, one can't argue with results. And it's nice to not have any major cliff-hangers to fret over for a month.
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