The Flash: Team Flash Loses Killer Frost to the Law | CBR - CBR - Comic Book Resources

WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for The Flash Season 7, Episode 7, "Growing Pains," which aired Tuesday on The CW.

With several members of Team Flash active members of the Central City law enforcement community, including Barry Allen, the police have always played a major role in the Arrowverse series. However, as one longtime member of Team Flash finds themselves on the wrong side of the law, one major ally begins questioning their career choices as the ensemble comes at odds with the potential police overreach.

The Flash Season 7 began with Governor Williamson tasking special investigator Kristen Kramer to track down and apprehend the metahuman Killer Frost for her past crimes. This edict came just as Frost and her human counterpart, Caitlin Snow, split into two separate individuals after a lifetime of sharing the same body. As the two women began living their lives independently, Kramer used the governor's orders to assert her authority over Joe West and Barry Allen, pulling rank over the two and enlisting them in her crusade to bring Frost in for justice. And after decades of serving with the Central City Police Department, Joe found himself at a professional crisis of conscience over what was expected of him.

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While Kramer's brusque manner and single-minded drive to apprehend Frost had already rubbed Joe and Barry the wrong way, the breaking point for the Police Chief came when Kramer led him and a task force on an anonymous tip. With their destination not disclosed, Joe was shocked to discover the team was arresting Caitlin in her own apartment under suspicions of being Killer Frost, forced to cuff his old friend and read her rights. Though defense attorney Cecile Horton assured Caitlin that blood tests would clear her of wrongdoing now that she was separated from Frost, the incident visibly shook Joe.

As a career policeman, Joe has laid his life on the line to serve and protect the people of Central City. With Kramer's task force now authorized to barge into private citizens' homes and make arrests solely based on anonymous tips, Joe felt that Kramer and her allies had lost their way. Joe expresses these concerns and grievances to Kramer privately, and while she sympathizes that he was forced to arrest his friend, she reminds him to remain committed to his sworn duty and endure the sacrifices that come with the job.

The Flash showrunner Eric Wallace hinted that Joe's character arc throughout Season 7 would reflect the current sociopolitical climate in the wake of police brutality linked to racially motivated incidents. In confronting Kramer and questioning the ethics in changes to his career, Joe may be taking the first steps towards a bigger debate as he reaches a professional crossroads. And with the actual Killer Frost now in Kramer's custody and facing harsh repercussions for her past crimes, this debate will likely spread to the entirety of Team Flash as the implications of judicial overreach and police methodology face greater scrutiny from a group of heroes whose day job includes serving in the police department. The case may be closed on Killer Frost, but this moral debate is just beginning for Joe.

The Flash stars Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Jesse L. Martin, Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes and Tom Cavanagh. New episodes air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

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