The Best Dr. Carla Tannhauser Quotes

Caitlin: The right choice? What the hell are you talking about? You lied to me for twenty years and told me my father was dead. How the hell is that the right choice?
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: Your father is trapped inside an ice monster, Caitlin. What was I supposed to do? Split custody with him on the weekends?
Caitlin: I don't know. You could try telling me the truth. But why tell your daughter anything?
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: Funny, I don't recall you telling me that you let the monster out of the prison.
Caitlin: Because you never told me he was *in* a prison! And now all these years that I could've been working on a cure for dad are gone! We may never get him back.
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: Well, at least you have someone to blame. Moms are always here for that.

Dr. Carla Tannhauser: Frost... About what you're doing, I don't know if I'd have the strength to do the same. I mean, I'm... I'm just saying you're very brave.
Frost: Thanks. Although right now, kinda feel like the stupid person in the horror movie who runs into the house instead of running away from it.

Caitlin: What?
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: Snow Pack. That was your father's nickname for our family.
Caitlin: I remember, and why is that scaring you?
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: He said he wanted what we could be, and then he took a sample of your blood.
Caitlin: Theoretically, he could use the cryo-atomizer to recreate the process that created Killer Frost. So if he did that to you...
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: I would gain an ice persona.
Caitlin: And now with a sample of my blood...
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: He can create a serum that will permanently suppress our human sides.
Caitlin: He wants an ice family, and he's willing to erase us to get it.

Dr. Carla Tannhauser: I finished fine-tuning the sphere to amplify Frost's cryo-kinetic signature. Now, make sure to calibrate the containment housing...
Chester P. Runk: To compensate for the possibility of a reconfiguration flip at the subatomic level. Already done.
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: Really? Well, when this is over, there's a job waiting for you at Tannhauser Labs.
[whispers]
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: Spoiler: I pay better.

Dr. Carla Tannhauser: You're not a monster. You protected Caitlin from her father and then some, which is a hell of a lot more than I ever did.
Killer: You know, to be honest, I always kind of felt like a third wheel.
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: I'm sorry you felt that way.
[Frost shrugs it off]
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: No. No. It must have been horrible. Then again, I've... made so many mistakes in my life. Maybe... maybe I'm the one who needs fixing.
Killer: You're a brilliant scientist who runs the most successful lab on the planet. I don't think you need fixing. 'Cause from where I'm standing, you're a pretty awesome human being. One I'd like to get to know a lot better.
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: I'd like that, too.

Killer: I'm fine.
Cecile: No, you're not. And... honey, it's okay. I promise you, you can handle anything. You just gotta remember, she's your mom, too.
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: [entering] Of course I am. Hi, Killer Frost.
Killer: Uh... it's just Frost now. Hi.

Caitlin: Where are we?
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: In another decommissioned Tannhauser site. This site is a little more off-the-grid than usual. It's where we kept out most classified projects.
Caitlin: Great. I guess we are Icicle's next project. We need to get out of here.
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: Well, there's a circuit panel over here. I think we can hack it and open the door.
Caitlin: Neither one of us knows about electrical engineering. Our best bet is to break me out of these meta-cuffs and let Killer Frost do the rest.
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: Don't be foolish. You'll never break those.
Caitlin: Well, it's no more foolish than you electrocuting yourself, but if you want to, knock yourself out.
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: You'd like that, wouldn't you?
Caitlin: [angered groan] How did we get here? I mean, you're my mother and I'm your daughter. But it never felt like that. You've always been cold, distant. You never wanted to be a part of my life. Not then and certainly not now. Why? I mean, what did I ever do to get treated like this?
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: What?
Caitlin: Why did you leave me?
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: You left me first. You went to school across the country to get away from me. You took a job in Central City instead of working in the same zip code as my lab. Caitlin, you were married to a man I never even met. I got the hint, but don't you dare mistake things. I didn't leave first.

Caitlin: What are we doing here? What do you want with us?
Icicle: I want what you could be.
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: [he advances on Caitlin] Stop it!
Icicle: Just a small blood sample.
[he draws some blood, then turns to leave]
Icicle: See you soon, Snow Pack.

Caitlin: Those were all the clues that I used to find dad. Including some files that I may have stolen from your file room.
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: Aww, Caitlin and Thomas's infamous Periodic Table. Nerdonium. You know, he stole that one from me.
Caitlin: Really? I thought he came up with that while he was fixing the kitchen sink.
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: No, I thought of that. Come to think of it, I also fixed the kitchen sink.

JP: Working late, Dr. Tannhauser?
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: Or working early, depending how you see it.
JP: Well, I stopped by to say good night. So I guess I'll say good morning.

Dr. Carla Tannhauser: If you don't stop squirming, I'll never find a vein.
Caitlin: What exactly are you testing for now?
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: Any polymorphism that could help us understand how you're able to absorb that much energy from molecules to create gelled surroundings.
Caitlin: You realize I've run all of these tests already.
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: Then what was the point of coming here?
Caitlin: Seriously, mom? I am terrified of what I'm becoming. You realize you haven't even asked me once how I'm feeling.

Caitlin: I'm okay. I took a beating but Killer Frost's ice healing kicked in. I'm going to be fine thanks to Dad.
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: Well, how-how it this possible?
Thomas: Well, I saw Icicle about to kill Caitlin, and I found the strength to break through.
Caitlin: Just like Killer Frost, Dad saved me.
Thomas: Well, you saved me too, Caitlin. I mean, thanks to you, I think I may have finally banished this monster.
[Cicada comes into the room and blasts The Flash from behind]
Cicada: That's good. That just leaves one more monster for me to kill.

Dr. Carla Tannhauser: I swear sometimes you remind me of your father.
Frost: Oh, a murderous psychopath? Gee, thanks.

Dr. Carla Tannhauser: [witnessing Icicle break into her lab] Thomas?

Caitlin: I think we can track the nano-cryoparticles inside the atomizer. We just have to re-program an oscilating inversion scanner. Do you mind running to the downstairs storage area and grabbing it?
Barry: Mm-hmm.
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: Wait. You should use a modified field array. There's one in the upstairs archives.
Caitlin: No, no, actually the inversion scanner would work best. Thank you.
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: No, no. Not since we upgraded our field arrays last year. You know, you would know that if you visited more, not just when you needed something.
Caitlin: Apparently only when I need the wrong thing. The inversion scanner.
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: The field array.
Barry: [aware of the awkwardness] I'll get both. Might take my time.
Joe: You need help?
Barry: No.

Caitlin: Hey, mom, that was pretty clever what you did. Figuring out Icicle's plan.
Dr. Carla Tannhauser: Well, I recall you helped with that, too.
Caitlin: It's amazing what we can do when we're not trying to rip each other's heads off.