Nora (The Flash episode)

"Nora" is the first episode of the fifth season, and 93rd episode overall of the CW series The Flash. The episode was written by Todd Helbing & Sam Chalsen and directed by David McWhirter. It first aired on The CW on October 9, 2018.

This episode marks the first appearance of Jessica Parker Kennedy as Nora West-Allen as a main character after making numerous cameos last season.

Plot
Team Flash meet Nora, Barry and Iris' daughter from the future. While Iris expresses excitement, Barry is concerned that she could alter the timeline based on his own mistakes with time travel. The Team encounters a new metahuman, Gridlock, who is able to harness kinetic energy, and Barry suits up in previous costumes since his last one was destroyed. When Barry tries to send Nora home, Wally reveals that Nora's blood is saturated with negative tachyons, which prevents her from using the Speed Force or the Legends' Waverider to time travel. Barry asks Nora what happens to him in the future, with Nora revealing that he never returns after disappearing in 2024 and that she traveled back in time to meet him. Gridlock causes a plane to fall, so Barry, Nora, Wally, and Cisco team up to stop it, with Nora providing Barry with a Flash ring suit. They phase the plane through solid structures before it lands safely in the river. While Gridlock is being transported to prison, the vehicle is attacked by a masked individual, who tells Gridlock that he plans to wipe out all metahumans before approaching him with a lightning-shaped dagger.

Ratings
The episode was watched live by 2.08 million viewers, and had a ratings share of 0.8/3, during its original broadcast.

The episode attracted a total of 702,039 viewers within seven-days of its British premiere, making it the 3rd most watched programme on Sky One for the week.

Critical response
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating for the episode, based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 8.39/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Full of humor, intrigue, and a delightful Jessica Parker Kennedy, "Nora" is a welcome return to form for The Flash."

Scott Von Doviak of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B, complimenting Jessica Parker Kennedy’s performance as "perfectly balanced at the intersection of endearing and annoying", leading to the episode being "a solid start" to the season.

Mike Cecchini of Den of Geek rated the episode 4.5 out of five stars, describing it as a "genuinely special episode". Cecchini complimented Keiynan Lonsdale's final performance as Wally West / Kid Flash but criticised the episode for the "unfortunate and unwelcome revelation that Cecile’s powers have stuck around".

Chancellor Agard of Entertainment Weekly rated the episode B+, complimenting "the palpable joy and bubbliness of Kennedy’s performance" which powers the "fun and strong season opener", as well as how the episode utilises its history and "re-capture the spirit of season 1".

Jesse Schedeen of IGN rated the episode 7.4, noting that the episode is a "encouraging start to season 5" and complimenting the "strong bond between Barry and his time-displaced daughter". However, Schedeen criticized the episode for continuing the show's pattern of failing to effectively juggle the supporting cast and "putting villains to the best possible use".

Eric Diaz of Nerdist rated the episode 3.5 out of 5, noting that The Flash is best when it's about family which this season promises to be and "this first episode certainly has us intrigued to find out more".