The Flash: 3 Theories About Why Nora Is Working With the Reverse Flash

It's hard to imagine Nora West-Allen (Jessica Parker Kennedy) being anything other than a chipper, slightly over eager do-gooder, but the 100th episode of The Flashleft us wondering whether that cheery demeanor has been a clever ruse this whole time. After all, can you really be a do-gooder if you're teaming up with the baddest of the bad?

The Flash hinted early on that Nora was not working alone in her time-traveling adventures, but we never could have guessed that her mysterious partner was none other than the Reverse Flash (Tom Cavanagh) all along! Sure, he's imprisoned with an unexplained countdown clock on the wall in 2049, but he's still playing an active role in whatever she's cooking up in the past, which has us on the edge of our seats. Is Nora actually a bad guy in disguise?

We're going to find out how they came to know each other and work together in Episode 18, "Godspeed," but that doesn't mean we can't wildly speculate about her agenda in the meantime! Here are our top three theories about why Nora's teamed up with the Reverse Flash...

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1. He's her time traveling coach. We know from past seasons that time traveling is not an easy business, and even if you plan everything just right, the timeline can still go to hell in a hand basket pretty fast. Eobard Thawne, however, managed to travel back in time and make major changes with very few consequences. He was even able to avoid catching the attention of the time wraiths, something Barry (Grant Gustin) has had trouble with almost every time he's messed with the past. It makes sense that if Nora were to travel back in time, she'd seek the advice and tutelage of the one person who's done it before. Could she simply be using him and his knowledge for her own purposes?

2. She's part of the Legion of Doom. Our first theory may be optimistic, but our second is decidedly less so. In the 100th episode, Gideon identified Nora as "XS, fifth recruit in the Legion of--," but before Gideon could finish that sentence, Barry interrupted her to get them back on task. Gideon was most likely going to say Legion of Superheroes, since that's the group Nora's associated with in the comics, but what if Gideon was actually going to say Legion of Doom? That's the same band of evil-doers the Reverse Flash belonged too, so there's a chance he recruited Nora to the dark side. It wouldn't be the first time a member of Team Flash has turned out to be a villain in disguise!

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3. They're working together to save Barry. This might sound a little off the wall since the Reverse Flash has only ever tried to destroy Barry and Team Flash, but what if he's actually trying to save his nemesis? Nora's speed force code translated to, "the timeline is malleable," which implies she's attempting to change something big. The one thing she no doubt wants to change most is Barry's mysterious disappearance in 2024. We doubt being locked away in Iron Heights has actually reformed Thawne, but if there's anything that would earn him an early release, helping to rescue The Flash and return him to Central City is definitely it.

The Flash airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW.

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