'The Flash': Barry's on the hunt for Reverse Flash as Captain Cold returns

When The Flash returns, Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) will be determined to take down the Reverse Flash, but it may not be as simple as looking to Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh) for answers. Though it has been revealed that Wells is actually the man in the yellow suit, Barry still doesn’t suspect anything amiss with his mentor.

“Barry is still defending Wells and still trusting of Wells at this point,” Gustin tells EW, noting that there’s “still more to find out” about the Reverse Flash reveal that will shock audiences. “There’s a big twist that even surprised me. I’ve seen all the predictions online. No one has predicted the big twist that’s coming at the end of this season.”

When we pick back up with Team Flash, the scarlet speedster is training to match the Reverse Flash, which is no easy feat. “He’s trying to get faster and not just straight up speed, but his agility and maneuvering within it and what he can do with this speed,” Gustin says. “He has a bar set. He has to be at least as fast as the Reverse Flash. That’s what he wants to focus on, but as per usual, other things start to get in the way and Barry has to focus on other things.”

Those other things include the return of Leonard Snart, a.k.a. Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller) and the introduction of Mick Rory, a.k.a. Heat Wave (Dominic Purcell), who team up to take down The Flash. “It’s a very powerful love/hate relationship,” Purcell says. “My guy is volatile. He’s a force of nature and he needs to be reined in. Cold has that ability to rein him in.”

“I have heard rumors that there is a larger plan, but at the moment, Snart is eager to reestablish himself as top dog and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen,” Miller adds. Their first task will be kidnapping Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) in a bid to get to Barry. “My motivation is to figure out where Flash’s weak spots are,” Miller continues. “I’ve already figured out that he has a heart and he cares about people. He’s got a team and everyone on that team is vulnerable to predators like Cold and Heat Wave, and if I can go through them to get to The Flash, I certainly will.”

Tuesday’s episode will culminate in a very epic showdown between the trio that will force The Flash into the spotlight. “Many more people are going to find out that The Flash is a very real thing and not just a rumor,” Gustin says. “Barry is going to need backup and a lot of people are going to see him in action with a very public fight between the three of them.”

Aside from his superhero duties, Barry will also be dealing with the fallout of admitting his love for Iris (Candice Patton), who decided to move in with boyfriend Eddie (Rick Cosnett) in the midseason finale. “It’s actually different than what most viewers will expect,” Grant says, adding that Iris is getting closer to finding out about his alter-ego. “He’s less awkward than I would’ve expected. He’s going to make sure they still have their relationship and things won’t be messed up because of this honesty.”

“Barry has other things he has to deal with, so the relationship is a little bit on the back burner,” Gustin continues. “The tables have kind of turned. Now that Barry has been honest with Iris and maybe she’s not being fully honest with herself, she’s now the awkward one. Barry is trying to move forward with whatever friendship they can have right now.”

Meanwhile, Caitlin will be attempting to uncover the truth about her fiancé Ronnie Raymond (Robbie Amell), who suddenly reappeared in her life and was literally on fire. But there will come a point in time when she’s forced to give up her quest. “She discovers the truth of Firestorm and decides she has to let it go because Ronnie is no longer Ronnie anymore,” executive producer Andrew Kreisberg says. “Episode 13 is called ‘The Nuclear Man,’ and we have Victor Garber and Robbie Amell in that episode, so you’re going to get a lot of the answers of what happened to Ronnie the night of the explosion. Even episodes 10, 11, and 12 have bits of the puzzle to figuring out the secret behind Firestorm, and then General Eiling, played by Clancy Brown, shows up because Firestorm is his new target.”

The Flash returns Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.