Fan Fest News

News for Fans, By Fans!

Theory Thursday: Will Caitlin Snow Return & Become IceMaiden?

Back when we first learned Caitlin had snow powers, I started pondering if she would indeed become Killer Frost or a different DC heroine named Ice. In fact, we even got signs of this in the Season 2 finale. As this season progressed, we got more and more hints of Caitlin’s strength, but sadly she still became Killer Frost. Though that doesn’t mean we should lose hope in Caitlin returning – nor give up on my initial theory.

So in typical Theory Thursday fashion, I’ll lay out the evidence and by article’s end you can let me know if you think: (A) Caitlin will become good again (B) She will become Ice/ IceMaiden (C) I have jumped the King Shark with all of this.

The Parallel Between Flash & Caitlin Vs Savitar & Killer Frost:

In “Cause and Effect”, Barry admits that all the pain and hate Savitar has is already inside him. He just chooses to not – or rather fights against the urge to – let it out. This is Caitlin/ Killer Frost right now. We know from the episodes “Monster” and “Killer Frost” that she has a tremendous amount of. She lost her father, her husband was taken and the man she tried to move on with was a sociopathic speedster. If Savitar is what Barry becomes when he gives in to his rage and pain, Killer Frost is what Caitlin becomes when she gives in. But we know Caitlin has the strength to overcome this pain just like Barry. We’ve seen it both before and after her transformation into Killer Frost.

The Strength Of Caitlin Snow (Pre-Turn):

Before Caitlin’s ‘Killer turn’, we saw a lot of moments that speak of Caitlin’s strength. One of the most notable of these was during the episode “Monster”. This episode not only gave us our first huge divergence from the Earth-2 events, but actually had them help. Remember that on Earth-2, Caitlin’s mom caused her to turn, but this episode ends with Caitlin’s mom calming her down and reminding her she didn’t raise a killer. Additionally, when she’s reunited with the team, there’s a lot of talk about doing anything for family as well as the line “you’re lucky we’re big on redemption and doing good here”. At this moment, we knew that even if Caitlin did go evil, it’d be okay because Team Flash is all about redemption!

Theory Thursday: Will Caitlin Snow Return & Become IceMaiden?
Image: The CW

We saw these notions in the episode “Killer Frost” as well, which is still one of my favorite episodes of the series because it brought out the real human pain Caitlin had hidden. Though in the end, she again comes back to her senses. There’s also this beautiful line about how since both of her parents were doctor’s the Hippocratic Oath of “do no harm” is sort of in her DNA. Of course her DNA has changed since getting her metahuman powers, but did it really change enough? And who’s to say it can’t change back?

The Strength Of Caitlin Snow (Post-Turn):

In this last episode of “Cause And Effect”, we saw two times where the cast makes an appeal to Killer Frost, and we the audience can see that these words are definitely getting to her! The biggest instance of this is at the end where after telling the team off, Killer Frost’s eyes drop and we see Caitlin’s for a moment. That confirms that everything she just said was a lie and she does love them – Disclaimer: Julian I’m not so sure about, but she does love Cisco and Barry.

The Caitlin we know and love is still in there, and she seems to be getting stronger. In “I Know Who You Are”, Killer Frost is questioned why she let Tracy Brand go. Now an episode later, we see Caitlin actually regain control for a brief second. At this point, it’s hard to tell if the deal Killer Frost made with Savitar is to help her remain Killer Frost or undo some of the pain in her past. Though even if her raging Killer Frost persona is calling most of the shots, we know Team Flash got a sample of the Killer Frost blood in “I Know Who You Are”. It might not be Cisco’s area of expertise, but they could come up with a cure… at some point.

Where To Next? Search For Cure Or Becoming Ice/ IceMaiden:

We already know – or at least have substantial evidence to rightfully hope – that Caitlin will return to her senses at some point. Though with so much build up to Killer Frost, I don’t think it’ll be over that quickly. She’s already had a pretty substantial presence this season and it’s hard to tell whether she’ll be cured in the season finale or move a little into next season. Regardless, I don’t think Danielle Panabaker is going anywhere and Executive Producer Andrew Kreisberg seems to confirm this in a recent Entertainment Weekly interview.

Theory Thursday: Will Caitlin Snow Return & Become IceMaiden?
Image: The CW

Also considering the depth of the relationship between Cisco and Caitlin, there is so much to work with here. Carlos and Danielle are both fantastic actors and they hit it out of the park every week. I don’t think it’s a matter of IF Caitlin will come back but rather WHEN, and every step before and after that return is sure to be filled with more emotional exchanges between the two. Maybe the season ends with Killer Frost just about to come back to Team Flash but still needing time to herself. Or maybe this season finale leaves us on a “we’ll get her back no matter what” note.

Though it’s the moment Caitlin DOES come to her senses I’m most interested in seeing play out. We don’t quite know how the Killer Frost/ Caitlin dynamic works, but this past episode confirmed that Killer Frost and Caitlin both have access to the same memories. This means when Caitlin does regain control, she’ll still have the memory of everything she did as Killer Frost. Talk about PTSD! This would of course lead to some amazing acting by Danielle and crew, but also leads me to believe she will use her powers to make amends for what she did.

Maybe she will still call herself Killer Frost but I can’t help but think there’ll be a name change. After all, as of the moment she isn’t a “Killer” and even if she eventually does, calling yourself “Killer” while trying to make amends is kind of counter intuitive. Then again, perhaps she’ll keep the name until she feels she’s properly made up for her sins. Though I think she could get a completely different name all together. In DC there are two female ice heroines that stand out: Ice and Ice Maiden. I originally thought Ice because of that shower scene where she’s cutting her hair, but then I learned of IceMaiden’s background.

Theory Thursday: Will Caitlin Snow Return & Become IceMaiden?
Will she become Ice
Theory Thursday: Will Caitlin Snow Return & Become IceMaiden?
or IceMaiden

Like our Caitlin Snow, IceMaiden also had an overbearing scientist mother who was semi responsible for her powers. Additionally, IceMaidens powers are strongly linked to her mental state and her costume is slightly closer in color to what the Arrowverse is doing. It might take some imagination, but this wouldn’t be the first time a minor DC character got a major overhaul in the Arrowverse – take Spartan for example!

Whatever the outcome may be, I’m really excited to see what the Flash writers, Danielle and the rest of the cast have in store for us. Caitlin Snow has been at the heart of Team Flash since before day 1! Remember Arrow Season 2? Danielle is killing it as Killer Frost, but it’s also important that she does eventually return to Team Flash. Barry, Caitlin and Cisco are this show’s Oliver, Felicity and Diggle. They’re the original trio and hold a very special place in our hearts. We don’t care how long it takes, we just want Caitlin to come back in some way because let’s face it, the Arrowverse is all about redemption, and some truly incredible stories can come from this icy tale of redemption!

So how’d I do? Did I make a strong case for Caitlin’s return? Did I stretch too much with the Ice Maiden idea? Let me know in the comments below!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *