The Flash and his team are still searching for the remaining bus metas before DeVoe can get to them. They got a little sidetracked last week, when a woman named Veronica Dale and Eden Core tried to blow up Central City. And the mystery girl showed up again to meet Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) and Harry (Tom Cavanagh). She’s met everyone but Iris (Candice Patton), Joe (Jesse L. Martin) and Cecile (Danielle Nicolet). Who is she and what is she up to?
In “Run Iris Run,” Team Flash encounter a new meta with a power that…mixes things up for Barry (Grant Gustin) and Iris.
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Just Wild about Harry
If there’s anyone who is constantly frustrated, it’s Harry Wells. Ever since he came back to Earth 1, he’s been cranky about everything. Mainly about Jesse, but they made up last week, so now he’s just cranky about DeVoe…and Cisco (Carlos Valdes). Harry is determined to outsmart DeVoe. He comes up with a plan to build an “intelligence booster.” It’s basically the same thinking cap that gave DeVoe his power. Iris and Caitlin like the idea but it would require Harry being exposed to a consider amount of Dark Matter. He’s been exposed before, so Harry thinks he can handle it. Cisco doesn’t like it and refuses to help Harry build the cap.
Ralph (Hartley Sawyer) is a little bothered that they came up with a plan and aren’t going to implement it. He decides that he will just hide in STAR Labs until it’s all over. Iris assures him that they will find a way to defeat DeVoe, but Ralph questions her faith. He doesn’t think she knows what it’s like to risk her life the way he and the other metas do. She safe and sound behind a monitor.
And then there’s Barry. Joe tells him that Captain Singh cannot hire Barry back at the CCPD. The new mayor wants to meet with the DeVoes before allowing Barry to return. The problem is they can’t find Marlize DeVoe (Kim Engelbrecht). And Ralph is scared for his life, so they may not be able to talk him into impersonating Clifford DeVoe. Barry says he needs to be out in the field, helping people. Joe tells him to concentrate on finding the bus metas and stopping DeVoe.
Robbery is so Meta
Erik Frye (Oliver Rice) has the ability to set things on fire, but he’s not a bus meta. He actually got his powers from the particle accelerator explosion. Frye uses his powers to rob banks, Central City bank is his latest target. One of the bank patrons stands up to him. Frye hits the bystander, knocking him onto another patron. Frye tries to throw a flame at him. His powers won’t work. The security guard apprehends Erik and the hero disappears.
Cisco and Joe investigate the melted hole in the vault. There is definitely dark matter on the vault door. They question Frye, but he doesn’t know what happened. One minute, he’s on fire, the next…stone cold.
How does someone lose their powers? Caitlin comes up with a couple possible solutions as to how that happened. They look at the security footage and see the hero confront Frye. Cisco thinks that the hero may have something to do with the power loss. His name is Matthew Kim. He’s an EMT at the hospital. Joe and Barry leave to question him, but Iris stops them. She wants to go instead of Barry. She gives Cisco and Caitlin some last minute instructions and leaves Barry awkwardly standing around.
Harry works on his intelligence booster with Ralph’s help. He puts the helmet on and tests it’s abilities by telling Ralph that he’s going to spill his food. Ralph spills his food, but he’s not convinced. It’s Ralph’s predictive behavior. The next test, Harry says the answer is “none.” What’s the question? Well, Harry tells Ralph that when he wipes his hands on his pants, there’s a lack of clothing to bodily friction. That can only mean one thing. What kind of underwear is Ralph wearing? The answer is none. (LOL) Ralph is impressed. The only problem now is that the cap catches fire.
The Ole Switch-a-roo
Joe asks Iris why she wanted to question Matthew Kim (Leonardo Nam) with him. She says she wants to go out into the field more…because of what Ralph said. Joe assures her that the team knows how fearless she is and not to listen to Ralph.
They find Kim and ask him about the robbery. He says he was just trying to help. He didn’t want the guy to hurt anyone. Kim avoids the interview and tries to leave, but Iris is persistent. She asks him what he did to the robber to take his powers. Kim grabs Iris and holds a knife at her neck. He says he was just trying to help. That guy doesn’t deserve to have powers. Joe is able to set off the Team Flash alert. Kim says he’s trying to help people too.
The Flash runs in, pushes Kim away from Iris and pulls her behind him. Kim says what happens next is on them and runs away. The Flash starts to run after him but he’s not quick about it. He lost his speed! And Iris found it…in her.
Caitlin confirms that Barry’s speedster powers have been transferred to Iris, but is it reversible? Caitlin will work on finding a solution, but they also need to find Kim. If DeVoe gets to him first, he could steal all of their powers. Joe suggests they try to get Kim on their side and have him take DeVoe’s meta DNA from him. Caitlin says that could work. Kim’s power melts down the bonds between DNA. Then he’s able to extract them and infuse someone else with the same meta DNA. Cisco dubs him ‘Melting Point.’ And if Melting Point took Barry’s power and gave it to Iris…then he took Frye’s fire power and gave it to someone else. They need to find that person too.
Harry asks for a device from Cisco to help build his intelligence booster. Cisco won’t give it to him so they yell at each other. After Harry storms off, Caitlin wonders what harm it would do to help Harry. Cisco says he will be come just like DeVoe…a madman. It’s dangerous and Harry is going to do it with or without Cisco’s help. Caitlin suggest that Cisco find a way to help and save Harry at the same time.
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Iris can tell that Barry is bothered by losing his speed. He says he’s okay but then pouts about losing his job. He says he feel like DeVoe is taking everything away from him. Iris says he hasn’t lost everything. Now he just has to watch her back the way she’s watched his.
Iris is Team Speedster
An alert goes off. There is a fire downtown and there are people trapped inside the building. Iris tells Ralph and Cisco to suit up. Ralph refuses to put himself in any danger. Cisco says they don’t have a Flash anymore. Caitlin reminds them that they do have a speedster…Iris. Iris says she’s ready. She changes clothes…with Caitlin…puts on a mask that Jesse Quick left behind and runs to the building. Barry gets behind the monitor to watch and guide Iris.
Iris is able to get everyone out of the building, but she needs to stop the fire. Barry tells her to spin her arms to create a vacuum. Iris does as instructed, but the fire is spreading. She changes directions. A beam falls on Iris, pinning her leg. Cisco tells Barry that the ceiling is going to cave in. Barry tells Iris to phase through the beam, but she doesn’t know how. Cisco has to vibe to rescue her.
Iris is okay, but Ralph says she wasn’t ready. She reminds him that she saved a lot of people and Ralph reminds her that she could have died in that fire. Barry stops them and says they need to concentrate on finding Matthew Kim and the person who has Erik Frye’s powers. Harry asks how close they are to reversing Iris and Barry. Caitlin isn’t sure she can do it. Until they can find Kim, Iris is the speedster on the team.
Cisco tells Harry that he will help build the intelligence booster, with two conditions. Number one, they will not use dark matter. And tow, Cisco gets to vibe Harry back to Earth 2 if he goes all borg on him.
After what happened at the burning building, Barry suggests letting Caitlin and Cisco take on the next emergency. Iris tells him that she needs to prove to herself that she is fearless. Savitar scared her so much that she lost some of her edge. Since she quit her job as a reporter, she barely leaves STAR Labs. Her courage returned when she got her speedster powers.
Another alert goes off and this time, they found the man who got the fire meta’s powers. His name is Jaco Birch (Max Adler) He was on the ground at the bank. When Frye hit Kim, Kim fell on Birch and transferred the fire power. They watch the security footage of Birch and see Kim standing nearby. Barry looks at Iris and tells her to get him. But first! She needs a supersuit.
Run Iris Run
Iris runs toward the scene. Kim is trying to talk the villain out of using his powers. Birch recognizes Kim from the bank. He knows Kim can take his powers, so he goes on the attack. Iris runs in and removes Kim from harm’s way. She delivers him, in power dampening cuffs, to the police.
Birch turns to Iris. He is using the fire powers to rob banks and knows that no one can stop him. He creates a fire-cyclone. Iris asks Barry what to do. Barry would run circles around the guy, again creating a vacuum around him to put out the flames. Again, not something that Iris readily knows how to do.
Harry puts on the intelligence booster. Cisco is cautious, but doesn’t stop him. Harry tells Iris to run on the Central City bay to create a tidal wave. Iris is unsure of her ability, but Barry tells her that they all believe in her. Iris runs fast and hard on the water. She lead the tidal wave toward Birch, putting out the cyclone. Joe has been nervously watching her the entire time. He nods at her and sighs with relief.
Kim apologizes for switching The Flash’s powers over to Iris. He reverses the power and says that’s the last time he’s going to use them. He wanted to use his powers for good, but created a lot of trouble instead. Flash asks him to use his power for them. They tell him about DeVoe. Iris says they have better chance of defeating DeVoe with Kim on their side. Kim agrees to help Team Flash.
Joe makes fun of Barry for never creating a tidal wave. Caitlin gives Iris accolades for a job well done. Iris tells Ralph that Kim will need a buddy. Ralph says of course, because he will be terrified just like Ralph is. Iris says she knows what he’s going through. Savitar really scared her, but she knew if she hid from the world, then Savitar won. She tells Ralph not to give into his fear but instead, he choses how to live.
Ralph admits he was wrong. Iris does know what its like to put her life on the line. And she makes a pretty awesome Flash. Ralph decides to go top side. He says it’s time for DeVoe to meet with the Central City mayor.
Later, at home, Iris admits being the Flash was fun, but it’s not her destiny. Writing is her destiny and she is ready to start again.
At STAR Labs, Harry continues to increase his brain power with the intelligence booster. Cisco is ready to turn it off, despite protest from Harry. Cisco pulls the plug. Harry says he doesn’t need it. He got what he was looking for. The names of the last two bus meta humans: Jenna Petty and Edwin Gauss.
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Thoughts
IRIS!!!! YES QUEEN!! That was exciting! I have to admit. I wasn’t a big Iris fan in the beginning. But she has grown on me….especially this season. I love that they are giving her strengths where she was lacking before. I kind of wish she could keep some of the speedster power. Her meta journey was too short. And I love the way Caitlin was her biggest cheerleader! Women supporting women is the stronger power!
I’m ready for someone to outsmart DeVoe and of course it has to be Harry. He has never looked so happy that when he uses his intelligence booster. That’s almost scary. But now he knows the names of the last two bus metas (why hasn’t DeVoe been able to figure it out?). It’s a race to see who can get to them first.
News Editor, Senior Contributor, and Press Editor. Coordinate breaking news, trailers and press releases. I also contribute reviews, recaps and interviews. Creator of the Indigenerd Wire, a column dedicated to the Indigenous creatives in pop culture.
GGA's resident Indigenerd, a little bit rez, a little bit classy...with a love for all things Star Wars, zombies, science fiction, and Indigenous. My ultimate goal is to start my own podcast.
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