(Try my latest! – The Flash Season 2 Episode 18: it get’s better and better, or faster and faster!)
I am loving speculating as to the identity and origin of the Flash’s major season 2 adversary; Zoom. The most recent episode, episode S2E17, was brilliantly done. Basic plot: Barry wants to get faster and turns to one of the few people he knows that could run faster than him…without disintegrating. Dr Harrison Wells, the Eobard Thawne version. So he runs into the past seeking information and guidance from his old enemy in order to help him defeat his new one. Fantastic; especially since it goes wrong in nearly every way possible. They also introduce some other interesting concepts, such as one notable nod to Legends of Tomorrow, and the episodes’ “evil entity” which needs development but could be used in future episodes.
Reviewing the previous episode aside I want to talk about the next episode where we get a more concrete insight into the identity and origin of Zoom himself, an entire episode essentially dedicated to it in fact…that we have to wait nearly three weeks for! Guys why all these delays and breaks! The shows airtime has more gaps than an OJ Simpson testimony. Nevertheless we got a glimpse at said episode and there are several big reveals that alter my…altered…theory about Zoom’s identity and origin. Last I addressed this plot point, after the ‘Trajectory’ episode, I was left a little disappointed as it seems obvious that it will lead to a drug induced, duality of man plot line; as Trajectory was one part of a dual personality resultant from the use of Velocity 9 which also turned her speed force lightning blue.
I would say that, from the trailer for the next episode, nothing much would change my theory as I would expect a separated body and persona to give itself a new name, which would explain he is revealed to be called Hunter Zolomon. Something I predicted. However, we are shown he has a separate origin story in that he received his powers whilst being executed in an electric chair. Jay Garrick said he was struck by lightning, and if we assume they are two separate people or at least bodies, then this would rule out a drug induced origin.
Unfortunately though, if this is indeed the twin theory, then we go back to who is in the cell in Zoom’s lair? Why is it problematic that Zoom killed Jay? There is also the fact the Cisco could vibe off of Jay Garrick’s helmet which suggests that there is a strong connection between Jay and Hunter Zolomon, is being a twin enough or are they one and the same person or are they drug induced separations of the one person? So I am still not convinced the twin theory will play out here.
For me I am still convinced that this is a drug induced separation of some kind, but with a twist. In that it may have been the other way around though. By this I mean that Hunter Zolomon was the original speedster and then took Velocity 9 which increased his speed but separated his character, which would make Jay the good part of Hunter Zolomon. In this trailer we also see an adult who I cannot identify, give a child the helmet of Jay Garrick. We assume this is Jay Garrick as a child, however, I think it will be Hunter Zolomon and Jay Garrick is the adult manifestation of his childish ideals of heroism and hope which he somehow lost on his route to villainy. It would also explain why Jay Garrick would not be able to find his own doppelgänger, because he is the separate entity that was removed from the original body.
We also see Hunter Zolomon state in this trailer that “you cannot lock up the darkness”, which I believe is another nod to the Velocity 9 drug which has let loose a pure evil entity inside Hunter Zolomon or at least removed all ‘hope’, i.e. Jay Garrick, of heroism and kindness; which is what we saw in Trajectory.
Some other interesting points to take from this clip; a voice over, I assume Jay, asks “why the masquerade?”, “To give people hope detective” and then it is said “so I can rip it away from them”, these lines do not sound totally fluent and could suggest clever editing or separate acting but it suggests that Jay is talking to Zoom. Could this be a flashback? Or talking to himself? Or talking to the man in the prison cell in Zoom’s lair, who I think is likely to be Earth 1 Hunter Zolomon? Who is the detective? I cannot wait to see how this plays out.
In summary my theory is that this is still a drug induced separation between Jay and Hunter Zolomon, only that Hunter Zolomon was the original speedster and Jay represents what was left of the good in him; most likely memories from his childhood. Jay is unaware of this, as we saw in the Trajectory episode, Eliza Harmon could not remember certain details or was not aware of her twin personality until it contacted her. The Jay character is also not aware of it and so his origin story is only what he believes it to be and this explains why he cannot find his doppelgänger on Earth 1. So that is my two cents on the matter, it certainly is adding up with how often they tease us new information, I cannot wait to see it play out but what do you think? What is Zoom’s origin? Is Jay actually just part of a bad person? Are you still a fan of the twin theory or any other theory by that matter? Let me know you perspective. On a last note, my theory still suggests Earth 1 Hunter Zolomon is the man in the cell in Zoom’s lair, subject to chronology, but then does not necessarily make it relevant for Zoom to keep him, so could this mean it is someone else? What do you think. Thanks for the read.
The Flash Season 2 Episode 18: it get’s better and better, or faster and faster!
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