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The Savitar Reveal Could Send Team 'Flash' Reeling
The Flash is revealing clues about the end of its third season with rapid speed. The season began by setting up the new big bad: the mysterious "God Of Speed", Savitar. Savitar has proven to be an almost impossible enemy for Team Flash. Every move Barry and his friends make against Savitar, he is always one step ahead of them. And with Savitar killing Iris West in the future, the stakes have never been higher. Barry will travel to the future in the April 25 episode, and the team will be closer than ever to at least figuring out who Savitar is. But the reveal could be a painful one for the hero. Because there are several reasons why future Flash might be Savitar.
There have been many theories about who Savitar is. Figuring out who is under the mask, like in most seasons of The Flash, might be the key to defeating the monster. In a recent episode, Jessie Quick discovered that Savitar is defeatable underneath his suit. Despite calling itself the "God Of Speed," Savitar is a fallible human.
Fans' Savitar theories have included members of the S.T.A.R. Labs team, as well as past foes. But these clues have led fans to believe that Savitar is some iteration of the Flash himself.
1. Flashpoint Has Created Problems
Savitar is strong, fast and seems to understand each of Barry's moves. Who would know Barry better than a future version of himself? Flashpoint was where the season began, and there is no doubt in my mind that Flashpoint may be connected to how the season ends. Some altered version of Barry could be the direct result of Flashpoint. We've already seen that alternate timeline give Caitlin powers and alter the lives of each of our team members. While this doesn't answer the why of Future Flash becoming Savitar, it does begin to answer the how.
2. Clues In The Dialogue
Savitar and Barry have had a few chit-chats over the last handful of episodes. In addition to delivering eerie prophecies about the fate of the team and other dark threats, Savitar has also uttered the words "I am the future Flash." There may be a comma, as in: "I am the future, Flash," but either way, this dialogue seems too tricky and specific not to hold a clue. It's like the writers are throwing fans a bone, pointing them in the direction of the truth. Or at least it could be read that way.
3. Savitar Knows Way Too Much
Barry has always been the glue that holds the team together. He's in love with Iris; Joe West is basically his other dad; Cisco Ramon is his best friend; Caitlyn Snow his confidante. In each of Savitar's speeches, he brings up specifics about the team members. While at first I thought this could mean he was any member of the team, it makes more sense that he's the center of it. A future Barry would deliver the most specific threats.
4. It's All About Iris
While yes, Savitar is all about killing Iris, he's still pretty obsessed with the woman. There's only one other guy who is as all about Iris as Savitar is... Barry. I still don't understand why a future Flash would want Iris dead. But I do think the pattern of his plan being centered around her makes sense for a future version of Barry. A messed-up version of him, sure, but still a version.
5. Savitar Has Left Barry Alive
Savitar has proven himself to be a strong foe, able to take out members of the team with ease. Yet, Savitar has left the ringleader of the team alive. He keeps bringing up timing as a reason, but perhaps the other thing keeping Barry alive is that Savitar is some version of him. Killing his past self would surely mess up his future self. Simple time travel rules.
6. Process Of Elimination
There's no reason to buy into a theory for a lack of other theories, but the field of possibilities is shrinking. Caitlin Snow has her own Killer Frost thing happening; Julian Albert's possession seems pretty straightforward; Cisco Ramon has a love interest and a lack of ill intent; Iris isn't killing herself; and Wally West has been clear and direct. H.R. will always be a bit sketchy to me, thanks to his evil doppelgänger in Season 1, but the chances of Savitar being him have narrowed. A future version of Barry is leading the pack of theories by a quick mile.
Soon Barry Allen will travel to the future with the sole goal of unmasking Savitar. There is very little hope left for our good guy team. But I hope his identity is finally revealed and that everyone survives and lives happily ever after. The speedy end.