Season 2 / Episode 19 / The CW
And you say Central City!
Slow as a sloth Barry Allen. Average coffee-drinking Medical Examiner. Normal Central City citizen out here HATING his life. Barry gave up his speed in exchange for Wally’s safe return, and in turn we get an episode that grounds Barry Allen A.K.A The Flash. Every hero needs these moments to remember what it feels like to be powerless. To understand the other side of the coin. To put everything back in perspective. Otherwise, it would just be the rich continuing to get rich and those in power becoming ever more powerful. Okay, lets get into this episode, Back to Normal.
Barry’s Bachelor Pad Lab: Our boy is out here knocking his coffee cup over, hating the fact he can’t move fast enough to catch it and decides he needs a break from the mundane and hits up Cisco, Iris, and Joe West.
S.T.A.R. Labs: Team Flash got Cisco in full Reverb mode using his powers to locate Caitlin. He reports back to the team that she’s ok, but feeling like a midnight camper on Crystal Lake. Zoom got her cooped up in his lair. Harry on a new level! This cat got the big boy ratchet, out here looking like Arnold in Predator.
Harry Wells: Barry, you fuck boy. I told you this would happen. Not only is the smartest member of our squad kidnapped, but Zoom has all the power to play Nightcrawler hide n seek with the breaches between Earth 1 and 2. I’m out to find Jesse, before he does.
Cisco: Whoa whoa whoa John Wick, that was a team decision. Don’t put that on my boy.
Harry: No dimwit… it was not.
Barry: *Stares off into the distance like he don’t hear shit*
Cisco: Soooo you’re just gonna go all Rambo when you find Jesse?
Harry: Anyone from Earth-2 could be hiding out here. I’ll be packin if they try me.
Cisco: Well, you’re going to need backup in case you run into some real ass danger.
Harry: Oh really? You know anyone fast enough to help me if I run into Zoom? You know, someone who didn’t volunteer to offer up his entire speed force to a villain who wants to rip hope from the hearts of every person on this planet?? *Stares into the soul of Barry*
Cisco: Dam, I got nothin Barry. Sorry homie, you done fucked up.
Then we have classic Cisco humor, placed perfectly to cut the tension.
Cisco: Wells, how did you find Jesse?
Harry: Cellular dead-zones.
Harry: People from E-2 vibrate at a different frequency than E-1 so I followed the dead-zone trail.
Ascension Cliffs: Must be Ramadan cuz Caitlin ain’t had a bite of food since she been locked up. Zoom pops up looking all menacing for no reason. Cailtin tells him to ditch the boogie man costume or to find someone else to talk to. Homegirl wants to go home, but Zoom has other plans for her. Like keeping her there forever. He tells her to make herself at home, because it’s going to be a loooong stay. He cuts her shackles and bounces.
CCPD: Wally pops up on Joe West and keeps it real with pops.
Wally: Look dad, The Flash saved me when I was about to barrel roll into a fiery car death, saved us when that shark creature went all Jaws on the crib, and Zoom told me the reason he snagged me was because I knew someone the Flash cared about. I jigsaw puzzled the shit out this info and know it has to be yo black ass that is the connecting piece to The Flash.
Joe: You ain’t never told no lie. But I ain’t no snitch. Cant tell you who he is.
Wally: Na, I aint about that. I want to thank him. Can you set up a meeting with him and I?
Joe: Give me some time. Cant make any promises.
Wally: The swag dripping off you is impeccable.
Random Apartment in Central City: Harry knocks on the door. The apartment owner answers and is like, “Umm Laser Tag is in Apt 2D.” YOOOO, the disrespect! Harry explains he’s looking for Jesse so this girl goes and gets her. After eaves dropping, roommate realizes that Jesse is a runaway and is like, “Dam girl, let me know if I need to put out another ad on Craig’s List.” The Harry and Jesse dynamic kicks it up a level in this episode. It sounded a little corny at first, but Jesse is deadass PISSED that Harry killed that dude in order to save her. She’s just as scared of pops as she is of Zoom, and that’s saying something. She tells her dad to go find someone else to obsess over protecting and he bounces.
On his ride back to the lab, he runs into a meta. A super strength having meta who wants to exact revenge on the man who made him this way, Harry’s doppleganger. He kidnaps Harry and brings him to a classic creepy Central City warehouse where he reveals that although it’s nice to have the strength of 10 men, he’s been aging on that reverse Benjamin Button flow. Griffin Grey (as Wells find out) tells Wells that he’s got two options; fix this problem or get merked!
Ascension Cliffs: Caitlin begins to explore Zoom’s hideout and comes across our illusive man in the iron mask. She stares at him perplexed then is surprised to hear a voice that she is somewhat familiar with. It’s Killer Frost and she’s GOT JOKES!
Caitlin is finally standing before the evil version of herself, after hearing so much from the guys about their encounter with her. The carbine walls that Zoom uses in these cells must be crazyyy because nobody but him and Barry can get through them. That’s what Frost needs from Snow. They make a deal that if Caitlin helps Killer Frost escape her cell, Frost will help Caitlin get down that 100-foot cliff outside the lair. She will even go so far as to throw in a few fashion tips, pro bono!
Dem Streetz: Iris and Barry out her investigating the crash. They have no clue what the hell the van could’ve hit but suspect a meta might have a hand in this business. They collect some blood and prints from the scene then make moves. But not before Iris can grab the Death Star gun that Harry Wells was ridin’ round and gettin’ it with. YO this is the daughter of Joe West’s right here!
S.T.A.R. Labs: Cisco runs the print from the van crash and it reveals that it belongs to 18 year old Griffin Grey. They are all baffled how it could belong to this kid who disappeared 6 months ago, until Cisco compares the youngins face with the face of the man they captured on the van cam and that shit matched up! Too bad Cisco ain’t got shit on Caitlin, because he can’t run the blood cell tests on a molecular level like our girl could. In comes Jesse stuntin’ like her daddy.
Jesse: Oh I can probably help, Bio Chemistry was one of my majors in college.
Barry: One of your majors?
Jesse: Light work. Uncommon on this Earth?
Iris: YAS QUEEN! Uncommon everywhere!
Cisco: Okay, brainiac, let’s see what you can do.
CCPD: Wally pulls up on Joe again and pours his gratitude having heart out to pops. HE knows he been reckless without a car in the world. When Zoom nabbed him, Wally thought its was curtains for his behind. Then when Flash gave up his powers to save Wally, he realized how much he needed to thank him. Joe tells him he’ll make it happen. You don’t become the 2 time father of the year without moves like this!
S.T.A.R. Labs: Barry tells the squad that he saw Griffin age right in front of him and Jesse realizes that he’s suffering from oxidative stress. Meaning the protein in his body are being ravaged by oxidants. So get him to exert too much energy and he’ll wrinkle up like an old prune. Joe ain’t just gonna let this old ass teen put dents in his son’s body, so Cisco gets to thinking then he and Jesse run off to hatch some master plan. Iris and Barry are left behind as Barry continues to stare off into oblivion. YOU KNOOOOW they weren’t going to pass up the opportunity to get mad CW soft as Iris asks her alleged future husband if he’s alright. He says no, then remembers the first time he ever saved someone: Iris. Now he’s unsure of who he is and what he can do. Iris got his back though. Suit or no suit, he’s a hero and he better remember that shit day in and day out.
Sketchy Warehouse: Griffin Grey is venting something serious. He makes sure Harry knows just how many lives were ruined the night the accelerator exploded and Wells looks like he’s about to lose self control and raise his voice up in the Giuseppe store!
Ascension Cliffs: Killer Frost tells Caitlin her sad story about flunking out of med school, having a icy cold mother after the death of Frost’s brother (Cait never had a bro, but shared the same mom problems) as Caitlin rigs the cell. The plan is that the electric current in the cables connecting to the cell will weaken the molecular structure of the carbine, making it as fragile as glass. Caitlin breaks the glass then asks how they’re going to help the man in the mask get out. Frost tells her that he will not be making it home and neither will she! Ice daggers go flying aaaannd Zoom shows up on the scene like
S.T.A.R. Labs: Team Flash, well Jesse actually, finds out a way to locate Wells, who is trapped in the Central City amusement park. But that’s only half the battle. Sure, they know they need to get aging Superman to exert a bunch of energy, but how? Well, Cisco made some calls and got the home girl, Felicity da hack Goddess to hook them up with some dwarf star alloy (same one used Atom’s suit) so Barry will be protected when he fights Griffin. One catch, Cisco could only get so much dwarf star alloy, making the only super protected area of the suit Barry’s chest. Oh, and one more thing, you got enough protection for one super punch to the chest then it’s pinata punching bag Barry time. So stick and move Barry.
Central City Amusement Park: They get to the park and call out Griffin Grey. For some reason, it seems hilarious to me that they have Iris operating the blinding light aspect of their plan. Guess she needed something to do during this attack. Anyway, they hit the lights then Barry comes out and hits Grey with a 3 piece combo with 2 sides and a biscuit! Joe threatens to shoot Grey, Grey chucks a carousel car at him and Cisco. They chase him down and Barry forces him to throw a mean haymaker. Grey turns grey(er) and Barry sets him up for the Ali okey doke.
Late episode shockers
Joe sets up the meeting between Barry and Wally. The grateful young man lets Flash know what he will not squander this second chance he was given, and thanks him for his sacrifice. Fan boy Wally!
Caitlin just wants to go home. Zoom just wants her to fall in love with him again. Caitlin lets him know there will never be a time where she will love him again, sooo Zoom decides to give her what she wants. WE OUT TO EARTH-1!
In our final scene, we have Harry Wells and Barry Allen up bright an early in S.T.A.R. Labs. Harry has an idea, and it sounds like martyrdom may be the way he gives back to Team Flash and gets Flash his speed back as a whole. His plan is to create another particle accelerator explosion. We shall see how that goes…
[title type=”h2″]Flash Facts[/title]
Social Media Metahuman App watch: Not sure if it was the app or a regular old CCPD alert that prompted the team to intercept Griffin in that spot he was robbing.
Kevin Smith Director’s Chair Watch: 2 episodes people! May 10th, mark your calendars.
That patch up job that Iris performed after Griffin Grey hit Barry with that barrel? There was all kinds of hand placement up in there! The flame is slowly starting to flicker again!
Harry and Jesse seemed to have patched things up in their relationship. Lets hope they get more quality writing like this in the future. Oh! How could I forget that Harry dropped that Jesse Quick name! Nice touch.
I was wondering how the writers would convince us just how crazy Hunter Zolomon really is, and the use of trigger words to give Zoom these PTSD like flashbacks of the horror he was forced to witness was a nice way of doing just that.
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