Season 7 episode 17 of The Flash – episode 150 overall – aired last night on The CW, causing some confusion among viewers. Who is Uncle J in The Flash – is he Jay Garrick?
Who is Uncle J in The Flash?
In the most recent episode of The Flash, Bart explains to his sister Nora that he considers Godspeed, aka August Heart, his “Thawne” – a reference to Professor Eobard Thawne, archenemy of The Flash.
This is because he witnessed him murdering Uncle J – Jay Garrick – who had always encouraged Bart’s impulsivity.
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What happened next?
But later in the episode, after things start looking up for Jay’s health, rebel drones capture him and demand Bart in exchange for his life. Barry and Nora eventually rescue Jay and Bart.
The mixup seems to have confused some viewers, several of whom took to Twitter to ask their questions.
Jay Garrick is a recurring character in superhero TV drama series The Flash, which first aired in 2014. He mentors Barry Allen, aka The Flash, helping him defeat Savitar in season 3.
By the time season 6 rolled around, Jay Garrick had retired and settled down with his wife, Dr Joan Williams.
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So, why are audiences confused about Uncle J’s identity?
John Wesley Shipp’s Flash, from Earth-90, sacrificed himself in the last major crossover. But his time in the Arrowverse franchise wasn’t over. Shipp portrays the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick, who is now back in the latest season of The Flash.
“Since he’s appearing on The Flash again”, writes Screenrant, “Jay’s definitely not dead.”
“That creates a different mystery because while Earth-Prime doesn’t know about the Multiverse still existing, it’s unclear if people on other Earths do.”
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Life has changed since the last Crisis; Jay Garrick is now on Earth-2. When Bart went to confront Godspeed alone, in a bid to stop “his Thawne”, his motive was that Godspeed had killed “Uncle Jay” Garrick.
It is easy to see why Arrowverse’s multiple Earths and timelines, along with its concurrent, related series Stargirl – which is currently in its second season, and will also feature Jay Garrick – can be a source of confusion for some viewers.