The War of the Godspeeds continues on The Flash, but Barry and friends get a boost from an old friend: David Ramsey’s John Diggle. And the arrival of the former Arrow star could not have come at a more opportune moment, as his preexisting friendship with Barry – and his general stand-in for Oliver Queen-status – manages to infuse this largely confusing story with something that genuinely feels like emotional stakes at last.
It really, really feels like the show is running out of budget and/or saving it because this episode does not start out promising in the slightest. We know about the Godspeeds racing around Central City causing havoc, but we just don’t see any of it. That breaks one of the biggest rules of television and film which is “show, don’t tell” within just a few minutes as Barry speeds in and just says that he was ambushed by Godspeeds while trying to evacuate City Hall. But, again, we see none of it. There’s also a news report detailing all the harm the Godspeeds are causing and yet again, we see none of it. All of this makes for an incredibly disappointing start to the episode.
However, once Arrow‘s John Diggle shows up (which isn’t too far removed from the opening scenes actually), that’s when the episode really begins to pick up. Sure, he conveniently just so happens to have the exact device required to capture a Godspeed, but that really doesn’t matter because it’s just great to see Diggle interacting with Team Flash. He just feels right on this team and while he won’t be present permanently, he makes the episode better just with his presence – often like he did on Arrow. It is a little weird how Chester just knows his entire biography though because he really shouldn’t.
As for the use of Godspeed in this episode, it’s probably the strongest usage of the character so far – and that’s just because of one interrogation scene between one of the clones and Barry. It ends pretty oddly, but it’s interesting in ways that character hasn’t been up until this point and it finally introduces the true Godspeed, August Heart, even if it is just a minor appearance.
Diggle reveals that he has A.R.G.U.S.-developed tech capable of trapping moving objects in time through plasmatic waves. While showcasing the new tech, Diggle has a sharp headache, noticed by the rest of Team Flash before they proceed with their plan to capture a Godspeed and learn why they're fighting. Replicating the Godspeed's modem-speak, Barry and Diggle lure a Godspeed into one of the A.R.G.U.S. traps and take him back to S.T.A.R. Labs. The Godspeed duplicate reveals that the speedsters are searching for their original progenitor August Heart, who is seeking to gain an upgrade that will end their existence. After Barry rejects the duplicate's request to join them in killing August, the duplicate attacks Barry and destroys the speed trap before escaping.
After Barry snaps at Chester, he privately confesses to Diggle that his concerns over his plans for a family, fueled by Nora's reappearance, has put him on edge. Allegra overhears this conversation and decides to help her cousin Ultraviolet stop Black Hole from carrying out further illegal experiments. Meanwhile, determined to get to the heart of the matter, Barry runs forward through time to the year 2049 but is intercepted by a cadre of Godspeeds and flung into an extra-dimensional realm where the Forces reside. Deon reveals he is using the Still Force to prevent Iris from being removed from the timeline while the Godspeeds prey on the Speed Force.
Allegra arrives on the scene too late to help her cousin against Black Hole, with the mortally wounded Ultraviolet dying in her arms, resentful that Allegra did not accompany her when she needed her the most. On the other side of the city, Diggle, Cecile and Killer Frost save August from a Godspeed and take him back to S.T.A.R. Labs, finding that he is suffering from acute memory loss. Diggle departs from Central City before the next wave of Godspeeds to deal with his Green Lantern destiny, likely linked to his debilitating headaches.
As for Allegra and Esperanza, a somewhat major plot point occurs, where Esperanza dies and it just comes and goes incredibly quickly because, like Joe’s story, it has nothing to do with the Godspeed story. And because of this being barely focused on, the time spent with trying to help Esperanza over the past several episodes feels utterly worthless – like it was a waste of time. It makes you wonder why we spent all the time with them just to basically unceremoniously kill off Esperanza. It’s disappointing.
