The Flash season 5 episode 18 revealed how Thawne became Nora's mentor and how this partnership started, while also exploring her backstory. Here's what happened in the recently aired episode.
The Flash season 5 episode 18 is set in 2049, and the revelation of Nora's past all began when Team Flash started reading her journals to understand what's going on. Viewers meet Nora on the said year who was running to the scene of a chemical truck robbery since she's already late.
Following the crime scene visit, Nora's best friend Lia (portrayed by YOU's Kathryn Gallagher) was introduced. Both of them realized a speedster was responsible for the robbery, and they ended up coming face-to-face with Godspeed - the first speedster in Central City since the big Crisis.
The Flash season 5 episode 18 shows how Godspeed zaps Nora using a lightning bolt, and he escaped with what's he's trying to steal. After that, Lia wakes Nora up - which is a callback to the pilot. The paramedics removed the dampener Iris put in Nora, so it would not take long for her to discover she has speed when she wakes up.
Eventually, Nora and Lia found out Iris placed the dampener on her many years ago. She tried to confront her mother, yet it has been delayed because Iris is on her way back from a business trip to Coast City. Instead, Nora focused on her energies to catching Godspeed, and to do that; she needs to start thinking like a villainous speedster. So, she turns to Iron Heights' resident Eobard Thawne.
Lia and Nora figured out the next chemical Godspeed are going after and they teal it from Stagg Industries before he could do it. However, he showed up and killed Lia using his vibrating hands. In the wake of her best friend's death, Nora had the chance to confront her mother about the power dampener. Before Iris could even defend herself, Nora simply speeds away.
Then again, Nora asked for Thawne's help, and he coaches her through stopping Godspeed. He taught her to run up a wall and defeat Godspeed through some satellites. Eventually, Thawne gave her instructions which lead her to his time vault, and she discovered her father was the Flash. That's how it all started and cemented their partnership.
Going back to the present, Iris allowed Nora to go out of her cell so she could further explain the story. But for Barry, he's still pissed even after hearing everything, and he decided to speed his daughter back to the future as he can no longer trust her. But, one painful moment in The Flash season 5 episode 18 is when Nora begged her father not to do this.
Meanwhile, before he goes back to the present, Barry visited Thawne. The shot where Barry's reflection is visible on the glass while standing in front of Thawne conveyed a lot about his role in Nora's life. He became a father figure for her because Barry wasn't there.
