Will The Flash Feature More Of Caitlin's Dad Than We Thought?

caitlin snow the flash season 4
(Image credit: Image courtesy of The CW)

Caitlin Snow had a rough ride in the fourth season of The Flash. After coming to terms with her powers as Killer Frost, Caitlin lost those powers and had to struggle to find a way to get them back, even turning to a villain for a solution. A shocking reveal came toward the end of the season, when we learned via a vibe to Caitlin's past that she actually had her powers as a child, and her dad was by her side when they first manifested. The Flash never delivered answers on that storyline, so it stood to reason that Caitlin's dad would pop up at some point in Season 5, either in the past via flashback or the present. Now we may have an idea that The Flash will feature more of Caitlin's supposed-to-be-dead Dad in Season 5. Like, a lot more.

Dr. Thomas Snow will reportedly be a recurring guest star throughout Season 5. According to The Hashtag Show, Dr. Snow will be a Caucasian man in his 50s who has been missing from his life and family for "a few decades." Extremely intelligent as a geneticist, he may have to struggle to rebuild a relationship with his daughter and wife, both of whom thought him dead. Unsurprisingly since this is The Flash we're talking about and no family relationships are ever simple, Thomas is reportedly hiding a significant secret. Now, we may not know for sure about how Caitlin's dad will or will not appear in Season 5 on a frequent basis until The CW confirms the character description, but it presents an intriguing plot for Season 5 if accurate. Will we need to add him to the rundown of new Arrow-verse characters?

The Flash is no stranger to bringing dead parents back from the dead or what their kids thought was the dead, so it wouldn't be all that wild if the show is to reveal that Caitlin's dad had been alive but off-screen for the series so far. Caitlin hasn't talked a whole lot about her father, although it was revealed that her father died from multiple sclerosis after suffering form it for many years. They were very close before his death -- or "death," as the cast may be -- so it would make sense if Caitlin was conflicted about his reappearance. On the one hand, her beloved father would be alive! On the other hand, he's been alive and allowing Caitlin and his wife to mourn him for decades.

Caitlin's dad has been heard on the show thanks to Cisco vibing Caitlin back to a specific memory. In the memory, she was a young girl riding her bike while her dad watched. She fell and got her leg caught in the bike chain just as a car was speeding toward her. Understandably, her dad sounded panicked. In the second flashback, Caitlin realized that she was indeed hit by the car, and rather than killing her, it activated her into Killer Frost for the first time, which revealed that Caitlin didn't get her powers due to the particle accelerator or any of Barry's timeline shenanigans as an adult. Interestingly, her dad was heard begging her not to look at her appearance after her transformation, perhaps indicating that he knew she was a meta with an icy side. Could Caitlin's powers be a result of her geneticist father meddling?

We'll have to wait and see when The Flash returns as part of the new Arrow-verse lineup in the fall. For some other viewing options, swing by our fall TV schedule.

Laura Hurley
Senior Content Producer

Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).