The Flash Blocked (2014– ) watch online HD

Cisco links Cicada's ability to control his lightning dagger to Thor being able to control Mjolnir in Marvel comics, making it the third reference to Thor on the show. Thor was previously mentioned in the episodes Elongated Journey Into Night and When Harry Met Harry.

Trying to shake Cisco out of his thoughts, Ralph whispers to him "Han shot second", making him angry. This is a reference to the famous controversy regarding the edited version of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope over who shot first, Han or Greedo, in the Cantina sequence.

This is the first episode not to feature the opening monologue.

This episode introduces us to Chris Klein's mysterious villain, Cicada. This is a character who has only made a handful of appearances in DC Comics. He was created by Geoff Johns and Scott Kollins back in 2001 as a Wally West villain.

Cicada was originally supposed to appear as the second cliffhanger scene of the season 4 finale episode, We Are The Flash, but it was cut due to time pacing and constraints, and the scene was used in the trailer for season 5.

In the comics, David Hersch/Cicada was an enemy of the second Flash, Wally West, and who also killed people with a lightning-shaped dagger, with the goal to collect energy to resurrect his wife. He had been struck by lightning and given immortality, as well as the ability to drain energy from others. Instead of a mask, he had a long white beard, and his name came from the sound emitted by him when he used his powers. There was a cult that Cicada led in the comics, but due to his adaptation having a close visual similarity to Alchemy from Season 3, the cult was likely dropped from the show to avoid too many similarities with Alchemy.

This is the sixth episode in the series not to feature Tom Cavanagh, who appears as a new character, called Sherlock Wells, in the next episode, The Death of Vibe.

It's mentioned that Cicada breathing sounds like a cicada; it's also similar to the sound of Darth Vader's respiratory breathing from the Star Wars franchise.

Cisco to Caitlin " Shhh..... do you smell something?" Ray Stantz said the same thing in Ghostbusters (1984)

A reference is made to Yogi Bear and his catchphrase "I'm smarter than the average bear." Tom Cavanagh, who plays the many versions of Harrison Wells, played Ranger Jones in the live-action Yogi Bear movie. Coincidentally, this is one of the few Flash episodes not to feature Cavanagh.

When Ralph and Cisco are checking to see if they still have their powers, Ralph says to Barry "negative, Ghostrider", a direct reference to the film Top Gun (1986).