‘Flash’ Drops the Alchemy Twist We All Saw Coming in ‘Killer Frost’

Excitement was already high for The Flash to return Kevin Smith behind the camera in an all-out “Killer Frost” hour, but few expected we’d get such an immediate clue to the identity of Season 3’s sub-big bad. Did “Killer Frost” finally reveal Dr. Alchemy’s identity, and if so, was it exactly who we thought?

You’re warned of full spoilers for tonight’s “Killer Frost” from here on out, but suffice to say, Kevin Smith brought us an eventful hour. Not only did Caitlin Snow’s rampage nearly end with her killing Barry (with a kiss!) and subsequently thrown in the particle accelerator, but the same hour also unveiled Wally West as a bonafide speedster, and unveiled the full scope of Barry’s “Flashpoint” changes; most notably the death of Cisco’s brother Dante.

It wasn’t until the final moments, however, that Tom Felton’s Julian Albert got in another major gut punch. Having already forced Barry to resign in exchange for covering up Caitlin kidnapping him, Julian awakened in the hospital to a familiar voice reaching out to him. Julian didn’t appear too happy to hear it, but stumbled outside all the same to find (a very visible) Savitar waiting for him.

The metallic “God of Motion” implored Julian to rejoin him as a servant in order to “bring about my return,” before we saw the newly-solo CSI unlock a cabinet in his lab, and pull out the Alchemy mask.

On its own, that might not be enough to cement Julian as the same Alchemy we’ve seen all season, especially in light of The Flash’s history of roundabout reveals. Of course, the series also has a predictable tendency to telegraph its villains, and the addition of Tom Felton as a series regular certainly set off some alarm bells.

So, what’s really going on? Well, we’ve known from the beginning that Julian’s presence in Barry’s lab had something to do with the reversal of “Flashpoint,” and it isn’t clear what the character existed as before, or after Barry started messing with the timeline. Might something have been “awakened” in him, just as it had for Edward Clariss, and anyone else leading a different life before the changes?

After all, Julian certainly didn’t seem like he remembered having regular interaction with Savitar, as the ominous voice had to remind him “You can’t get away … there’s nowhere I won’t find you.” There’s also the questions of Julian being able to see Savitar, despite not being a speedster (that we know of), as well whatever Savitar meant by needing Julian’s help to “bring about my return.” Might the imposing figure eventually take a human avatar, so as to not always need such extensive CG?

Always more questions than answers, and given the alien invasion next week, we wouldn’t bet on too much clarification just yet. Might The Flash’s “Killer Frost” reveal have been as simple as it looks? Does the series have a problem when it comes to keeping its identities hidden?

Stay tuned for more on The Flash’s latest reveal.

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