The following contains spoilers for The Flash Season 8, Episode 13, “Death Falls,” which aired Wednesday, May 4, on The CW.
The latest episode of The Flash gave viewers the conclusion to Season 8’s ongoing storyline, including a final showdown between Frost and Deathstorm with the lives of Team Flash hanging in the balance. Frost, assisted by her boyfriend Mark Blaine, stepped up to confront the nature of her existence and the depth of her emotions before transforming to take on the villain in a head-to-head battle. Unfortunately, the battle ended in tragedy as Frost (played by Danielle Panabaker) was killed.
The entire episode revolved around loss, from Deathstorm’s apparitions manipulating and feeding off the team’s emotions to Frost discovering her own capacity to grieve. This exploration created some intriguing moments for the rest of the cast, but Frost herself seemed oddly detached from her own story. The exposition of her origins fell flat, and Deathstorm’s efforts to convince Frost and viewers she lacked humanity rang false given her past character growth — like an excuse for the eventual fate to come. Even Mark’s later pep talk seemed one-sided, but that did lead to the one genuine emotional scene for Frost: the heartfelt realization of what Caitlin Snow meant to her.
This soul-searching was what triggered the transformation of Frost into Hellfrost, and the climactic battle. After some pyrotechnics at S.T.A.R. Labs to save the team, the action crashed into Central City where Frost and Deathstorm duked it out after the latter had previously vowed to take Caitlin. Frost emerged victorious, only to collapse moments later before dying in S.T.A.R. Labs in the final minutes of the episode. There were no last words or tearful goodbyes — Frost opened her eyes to look at her sister and passed away. Her death felt rushed and cheap, like a throwaway plot point.
Not that the death of Frost would have been shocking however it happened. The writers provided fans with warning signs in previous The Flash episodes; the entire Deathstorm arc had been hinting at something happening to the character. From her reckless behavior in order to power the fusion sphere, to her reconciliation with her mother and her repeated insistence that she was born to protect her sister, the writing was on the wall. What was surprising was the lackluster way the series handled the plot twist. Frost deserved more than a few comatose minutes in the medical lab with Caitlin and Barry Allen.
“Death Falls” was an odd way for Frost to exit The Flash, without the impact given to previous character death storylines. In comparison to her death, those endings had weight and depth, cutting into the emotions of fans and Team Flash alike. The deaths of Eddie Thawne, Ronnie Raymond, Henry Allen and Harrison Wells all hit their mark with pain and turmoil, but Frost’s felt limp and empty. Even the final scene of Caitlin breaking down in grief gave Deathstorm the victory in its own way and made her sister’s passing seem pyrrhic. It was just one last fumble in her character arc.
The writers of The Flash never had a good handle on Frost’s storyline, sidelining her often and only pulling her out to aid the heroes when they needed help in the latest fight. Frost seemed an afterthought for much of her seasons, with only sporadic attempts at fleshing out the character. Even in death she was disrespected; she was an artifice to save Catlin and then discarded. Frost was loyal, fun and single-handedly saved her sister, Team Flash and Central City. She earned a better send-off than one she received.
Season 8 of The Flash airs Wednesdays on The CW.
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