The latest episode of The Flash season 9 involved a big Malcolm Gilmore twist. We unpack and explain it here.
Last week’s episode of The Flash introduced a new character: Dr Malcolm Gilmore of Mercury Labs.
However, as long-time fans know, Dr. Gilmore has a familiar face. He’s played by Rick Cosnett, who starred in the first season and made a couple of guest appearances thereafter.
In his original run on the show, Cosnett portrayed Detective Eddie Thawne. He was a big presence in season 1 as Joe West’s police partner, Iris’ boyfriend and Barry’s (mostly) unwitting romantic rival.
Eddie was the only original character who didn’t survive the freshman season.
The character received a noble exit by erasing his villainous descendant Eobard Thawne from existence. In the process, Eddie sacrificed himself.
All of the character’s later appearances were either a dream sequence, flashback or due to time travel.
While it didn’t seem like Eddie could return, fans still wanted Rick Cosnett to play DC villain Cobalt Blue.
In DC Comics, Cobalt Blue is Malcolm Thawne, a long-lost twin of Barry Allen/The Flash.
Almost 8 whole seasons after Eddie last appeared in “real time”, the latest episodes appear to finally give fans their wish.
The Flash season 9 introduced Dr Gilmore last week (May 3).
He was immediately established him as a separate character from Eddie despite sharing an actor. Different professions, different homes, different life.
Not even knowing who Eddie is.
Ultimately, the May 10 episode turned all of this on its head.
In the latest revelation, it turns out Dr. Gilmore is Eddie after all. How?
At the end of A New World Part One, Dr. Gilmore found a police file about Eddie Thawne, but didn’t recognise him.
Throughout A New World Part Two, we see Gilmore having a strange pull towards Eddie’s life. This includes going to CCPD and having memories of Iris.
This all culminates by the end of the latter episode. Having been tormented by visions, Gilmore decides he needs to know how Eddie died.
To do so, he digs up Eddie’s grave while the police chief, who is suspicious, holds him at gunpoint.
His big surprise comes when opening the casket to find nothing inside.
In doing so, the rest of Eddie’s memories come flooding to Dr. Gilmore, including the death.
The fatal gunshot wound appears on his chest and Dr Gilmore/Eddie removes the bullet, realising he’s back from the dead.
While this is an exciting development, as of now it appears that Eddie/Gilmore is in 2049.
How the writers will link the two timelines together remains unknown, but next week’s episode will surely dig further.
