The CW

Remember that time when everything you thought you knew about "The Flash" got plucked straight out of your skull and torn to itty bitty pieces right in front of you? Maybe you don't — after all, time travel always makes memory a tricky thing.

Last night's episode, "Out of Time," changed a whole lot we know and love about "The Flash," some of it for the better and some of it for the unimaginably worse. Let's start with the unimaginably worse, just to get it out of the way.

Naturally, SPOILERS ahead.

The CW

So, you know how Harrison Wells has been wheeling around S.T.A.R. Labs by day, and running around Central City as Reverse-Flash by night? Turns out that Cisco Ramon has figured out Harrison's secret — except his name isn't Harrison after all. It's Eobard Thawne, distant relative of Central City cop Eddie Thawne. He confesses to killing Barry Allen's mother fifteen years earlier, but only because he was trying to kill Barry instead. Now, he's trying to enhance Barry's potential so that he can use it to return to his original timeline.

Big news, right? Well, big news like that comes at a price, and for Cisco, that price is his life.

The CW

Doesn't that just rip out your heart in a flash? Well, it's not all doom and gloom around Central City. After weeks of dancing around the issue, Barry Allen finally reveals to Iris West that he's the Flash, and they both enjoy the fastest kiss alive:

The CW

Great news, right? Well, right-ish. Moments later, Barry uses his super speed to stop the Weather Wizard, but winds up hurling himself back in time instead. Which means the Barry and Iris kiss never happened…

The CW

…but it also means Harrison Wells (er, Eobard Thawne; that's going to take some getting used to) hasn't killed Cisco yet, either!

The CW

In other words, it's complicated, because … well, time travel. Even if Barry somehow manages to reverse Cisco's fortunes, and somehow manages to stop his kiss with Iris from happening, there's no denying the true feelings between Barry and his longtime love. (Likewise, Barry might be able to stop Captain Singh from getting hospitalized, but nothing he can do will stop Singh and his fiancé from being the best new couple on the show, either.)

And that's "The Flash" for you, dealing out broken hearts, full hearts, and confused hearts in equal measure, because it's simply the best. If you're not watching, then (A) why are you reading this right now, and (B) what's stopping you? You're missing out on one of the best superhero shows in recent memory. Go travel back in time and fix your mistake — and save Cisco while you're at it.