The Flash boss explains [SPOILER] and [SPOILER]'s surprising trips into the unknown

Warning: This article contains spoilers from Tuesday’s midseason premiere of The Flash, titled “Marathon.”

Two members of Team Flash went on two surprising trips in The Flash‘s midseason return — and one of them wasn’t by choice.

Picking up in the wake of “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” the midseason premiere, titled “Marathon,” saw Iris (Candice Patton) learn that the mysterious organization she started tracking in the first half of the season is called Black Hole and is led by Joseph Carver, the current CEO of McCulloch Technologies.

“The biggest villain, really, of ‘Graphic Novel #2,’ we met that person: that’s Joseph Carver,” showrunner Eric Wallace tells EW. “We’ve seen what a bad guy he is already. It’s just the tip of the iceberg, the whole Black Hole story, and this conspiracy thriller aspect that we have going on. … Every week as the season goes on, we’re gonna see another layer of the onion peeled back of what being Black Hole really means, and it’s terrifying. Obviously, as you saw at the end of the [midseason] opener, it directly affects Iris.” And Wallace is not wrong.

Toward the end of the hour, Iris had an epiphany and realized Carver’s missing wife, Eva McCulloch — who will be played by Efrat Dor (Mayans M.C., Sneaky Pete), as EW broke in November — was related to the Black Hole conspiracy. So, she broke back into McCulloch and started poking around Eva’s abandoned office, discovering a giant mirror in the process. While her back was turned, two silvery hands pulled Iris into the mirror, which wasn’t totally surprising given the fact Eva’s name is very similar to Evan McCulloch, one of the Mirror Masters in the pages of DC Comics. Yes, The Flash will definitely reveal where Iris traveled.

“You can’t have an Alice in Wonderland story without seeing Alice in Wonderland on the other side of the looking glass, and exploring the other side of the looking glass is a huge part of ‘Graphic Novel #2.’ It’s one of the most interesting and exciting parts,” says Wallace. “Without giving away too many spoilers, sometimes reality isn’t what you think it is. Perception of what you think is real doesn’t necessarily mean it’s real. So it’s very strange.”

Iris wasn’t the only one who went on a trip in “Marathon.” Elsewhere in the episode, Cisco (Carlos Valdes), who was conflicted about giving up his powers last season, decided to find his purpose by leaving Central City and catalogue everything that changed after “Crisis on Infinite Earths” and the creation of Earth-Prime. Don’t worry, though, Valdes isn’t leaving the show. His absence is only temporary and is a “practical” decision due to scheduling.

“He’s not going anywhere. He is an integral part of ‘Graphic Novel #2.’ We love Cisco, so it was just practical in that sense. I don’t want fans to think Cisco is leaving the show. It’s not that at all,” says Wallace. “What’s great is what he’s going to off to explore on this journey of self-discovery — and we don’t go on that journey necessarily; the journey more comes back to us with his return — actually informs the rest of his emotional arc for the rest of the season, which we will learn when he returns in a few episodes.”

Looking forward, Cisco will ask himself, “How can he help Team Flash and be a true hero without having his Vibe powers?” says Wallace. “We dabbled with that a little bit in ‘Graphic Novel #1,’ but it’s the hugest part of his journey in ‘Graphic Novel #2.'”

The Flash airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW.

Related content:

• The Flash midseason premiere recap: Barry and Iris cope with life after Crisis
• The Flash boss warns that Barry isn’t prepared for ‘the real fallout’ of ‘Crisis’
• ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ finale recap: Your memory will carry on
• ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ features surprise cameo from big-screen DC actor