‘The Flash’ episode 15 reaction: Tom Cavanagh explains Harrison Wells’ motives
The thing that depresses us the most about “The Flash” is that at some point, the arc of Harrison Wells is going to come to a close. How are we going to move on past this guy? There have to be other villains eventually, but we’d watch Eobard Thawne ten ways to Sunday. “Out of Time” was easily the show’s best episode so far, and anchored by a heck of a wonderful performance by Tom Cavanagh from start to finish.
Tonight, we saw Harrison figure out that Cisco was onto him, and he both exposed his powers to Caitlin while at the same time also murdering Cisco. He did what he needed to do. Is he completely evil? Well, let’s just say that it is complicated. He has his mission to get back to his time, and that is what he is striving to do. He’s almost like Abraham on “The Walking Dead” back when he had Washington, minus the mustache and doing things with Rosita. (Okay, he’s not really like him at all. Harrison may be our favorite villain on TV right now.)
Speaking after a screening for this episode (per “Access Hollywood“), Tom Cavanagh explained what went in to playing this man, and that he is not 100% malicious in what he does:
“Playing that character, the starting point has always been as Thawne, as Eobard Thawne, so everything starts there and then the Harrison Wells layers upon it … He doesn’t lie to them — almost never lies. He’s telling the truth and he’s furthering his agenda, but he’s also furthering Barry’s agenda and those two agendas are Sympatico.”
We know that not everything tonight will stick; Cisco is alive during “Rogue Time,” if only in the past. What you have to wonder now is if any of these events between him and Dr. Wells can be changed, or if he is doomed to suffer the same fate.
We’re still wrapping our heads around this, but did you love this episode more than any other? Let us know in the comments, and head over here to read our review for tonight’s episode! Also, head over here in a flash to get some further TV scoop on all we cover, courtesy of our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: The CW.)