The West Family Feels Are Strong On 'The Flash'

It wouldn't be a Flash mid-season finale without crying once, or twice, during the episode, right? My final count clocked in at two and a half times, since the last time I only started misting up; there weren't full on tears. If Wally West had hung around for any longer, I probably would have started bawling. Though at the beginning of the episode Joe didn't realize he had a son, by the end of it Wally had showed up at his front door. Joe and Iris finally met Wally, in what might be the best Flash family reunion to date.

With the return of Francine West, lots of West family secrets have started coming out. For one, Iris learned that her mother was not in fact dead, like she had believed her entire life. And two, when Francine left, she was pregnant. All this time, Joe's had a son out there he never knew about, and Irish has had a brother AND a mother who's been completely MIA this whole time.

With Francine dying, Iris searches out her brother and finds him. Then the weight of that begins to press down on her, causing her to break down in tears at the crime lab, and this is the first time I cried. Barry tells her to tell Joe, and it's the sweetest moment between foster brother and sister. Even though they're not in a relationship (right now) you can tell that these two care about each other SO MUCH.

Iris eventually tells Joe, and Joe has little to no chill about it. He's more upset about the fact that he didn't get to raise his son himself, and he has no idea what kind of man he's grown up to be. In steps foster-son Barry, who reassures Joe that Wally's going to be fine, and then it's a ridiculously sweet moment between foster father and son. No, Barry's not blood related, but Joe did a damn good job raising him. This is the second time I cried.

The last time was mostly just mist, when Wally actually showed up at the West household. He didn't expect there to be a Christmas party in full swing, but Joe invited him anyway, because Joe is the best dad. Wally looks pretty freaked out by everything, but you know entering into this warm and loving household he's going to be just fine — even if he is 18 years late to it.

I'm so excited to see where this Wally story line goes during the second half of the season, and I'm going to keep a tissue box handy at all times.

Image: Katie Yu/The CW