‘The Flash’ Season 4 Finale Pays Tribute to ‘Inception’ & ‘The Matrix’

Lauren Gallaway
TV Arrowverse
TV Arrowverse DC The CW

SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers from the The Flash Season 4 Finale “We Are The Flash.” Proceed with caution.

After a season full of weddings, babies, and tragic loses, Barry finally figured out how to defeat The Thinker. He not only had to out-think DeVoe, but he had to invade his mind to find the parts of him that were still good.

During the last three season finales, Barry has raced his foes to prove that he was faster. This finale provided such a refreshingly different take on Flash season finales. While Barry found a way into the Thinker’s head, a la Christopher Nolan’s Inception, he could only stay in there as long as Cecille didn’t have her baby. Her contractions made an already intense episode even more so!

So let’s jump into the best moments from the episode.

Journey Into the Mind of the Thinker

The Flash Season 4 Finale Thinker

By using Cecille‘s super powers, Barry was able to hack into the mind of the Thinker. While inside DeVoe’s mind, Barry came face to face with his long, lost friend, Ralph Dibny. Dibny died earlier this season, when DeVoe absorbed his powers and took his body.

Barry then realized the only way to get control of DeVoe was to have Dibny remember that he was a hero and have Dibney reclaim his body. Together, Barry and Dibny fought DeVoe hard — harder than they’ve fought all season.

The fight scene referenced Inception, Forrest Gump — if you’re a fan of shrimp — and even The Matrix. Barry blasting through all those “clones” of DeVoe was like Neo fighting Agent Smith, it was pretty epic. Dibney then regained control of his body and DeVoe was defeated. There was one last satellite to bring down, but Barry had a little help with that from Mystery Speedster Girl.

Harry’s mind was also partially restored, thanks to Marlize. This balanced restoration gave the episode it’s final and best movie reference: “I have been, and always shall be, your friend” from Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. This was a perfect quote for Harry to say to Cisco, because Harry left Team Flash and went back to Earth-2, *weeps*.

It’s a Girl! A Mystery Girl!

the flash mystery girl

Cecile delivered a beautiful, healthy baby girl, baby Jenna Marie. Wally even made it back in time for her party. Yay! We missed you Wally! While Barry and Iris were happy to welcome their new sister into the world, they had another surprise coming. The mystery girl who had been popping up all over this season finally introduced herself as their daughter, Nora West-Allen.

Say what? Yes, Barry and Iris have a time-traveling daughter from the future. The Flash showrunner Todd Helbing told EW that, “there’s four specific times that she came back, and you’re gonna learn about why she chose those four times and how they’re gonna play into not only the mistake that she made, but the consequences for somebody like her … and what that means for Barry and the team.”

So, what did she do 30 years in the future and how will that set up the villain in Season 5? Apparently we’ll get a tease at this year’s Comic-Con.

The Flash will return to The CW this Fall.

Lauren Gallaway
TV editor at FANDOM. Creator of The Marvel Report. Journalist, Comic-Con reporter, Podcaster.