The Flash is back in the very last season premiere of the series. After eight seasons, Barry Allen, aka the Flash (Grant Gustin) is still focused on one thing … keeping Iris (Candice Patton) safe. In “Wednesday Ever After,” Barry’s need to protect Iris causes the couple to re-examine how they live their lives. A new villain emerges from the shadows.

RELATED: Catch up on all of The Flash recaps here

In season eight, Iris suffered from a time sickness that brought back Eobard Thawne, aka Reverse Flash (Tom Cavanagh). At the end of season eight, Flash and Reverse Flash faced off with the powers of the positive and negative speed forces. The Flash prevailed and there seemed to be no sign of the Reverse Flash on the timeline. And Iris was cured of her time sickness.

Team Flash also suffered a great loss after Frost (Danielle Panabaker) died defeating Deathstorm. She used the MAC to enhance her powers. After the battle, she collapsed and never woke up. Overcome with grief, Caitlin and Mark Blain, Chillblaine (Jon Cor) teamed up to find a way to bring Frost back to life.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1

The Flash — “Wednesday Ever After” — Image Number: FLA901fg_0001r — Pictured: Kayla Compton as Allegra Garcia — Photo: The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Central City is under attack by some giant fire monster. Team Flash shows up to save the day, including Frost. They are able to cool the fire monster down and he returns to his human form. That’s when Flash takes another look at his team and remembers that Frost is dead. She says it’s because he couldn’t protect her; he can’t protect anyone. One by one, the team falls to the ground. Iris is the last one standing. Flash says he will do whatever it takes to protect her, but Iris says he can’t. She falls to the ground and dies. Barry wakes up from his nightmare. Iris is asleep next to him and he calms down. 

Barry and Iris took a week off from the world. Now it’s time for them to go back to work, but Iris wants to stay in bed where it’s safe. Barry feels better that Thawne is gone. Plus, Barry says Iris has a ‘big day’ at CCC Media. He tells her to just say yes and leaves. Iris is confused, but gets ready for work anyway.

Cecile (Danielle Nicolet) is working on her telekinetic control in the STAR Labs speed lab. She is using her powers to throw a football around, but ends up breaking a lot of stuff. Chester (Brandon McKnight) encourages her to keep trying, saying she will soon become the muscle of Team Flash. Cecile is excited but senses something from Joe. She ignores the feeling and keeps practicing. 

Allegra (Kayla Compton) meets with Iris when she arrives at work to brief her on what’s going on at the Citizen. As they walk towards Iris’s office, they bump into Taylor (Rachel Drance) who tells Iris that they need to do something about the filing system. Allegra says met with Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart) and Catco Worldwide Media wants to buy CCC Media. She offered Iris a blank check if she says yes. This is where Iris’s future empire starts. The one Bart (Jordan Fisher) and Nora (Jessica Parker Kennedy) are always talking about. Iris realizes what Barry meant by “just say yes.” She blows off the proposal to retrieve her phone at home.

BOOMERANG

Barry meets with Captain Kramer (Carmen Moore) and asks her to make him the next Director of the CSI Division. Kramer was just going to ask him if he can handle the workload and being the Flash. He says he’s ready, so she will make her recommendation later that day. Another officer enters the office to alert the captain that one of their transports is under attack. 

The Flash arrives to find the baddie taking something out of, some sort of electrical tower. The guy introduces himself as Boomerang (Richard Harmon); the new Captain Boomerang. He says he is Flash’s worst nightmare. Chester and Allegra pick up Flash’s activity and he asks for intel on this new guy. 

Captain Boomerang’s real name is Owen Mercer. He’s a former inmate of Iron Heights. Flash threatens to take him back, but Mercer says there’s no way he’s going back. He throws a few boomerangs, the Flash is caught off guard and Mercer teleports away. Flash isn’t too worried though. He has dinner plans with Iris and tells the crew to take the day off. After the Flash leaves, the electrical tower starts powering up, but the lightning is purple.

DEJA VU

After their date, Barry asks Iris if she’s okay. She asks if he knew about the CatCo offer. He did. Barry shows her his map book. It’s a chronicle of Barry and Iris’ future from his time travel and Gideon’s records. He says they aren’t changing the timeline, just following it. Iris isn’t too thrilled though. 

Barry tells her about the nightmare that he can’t keep her safe. With the book they know what’s coming before it happens … the good and the bad. He knows that Iris will get pregnant in three months. And she will win two Pulitzers. They don’t have to worry who or what comes at them. They are safer knowing what they’re in store for. Iris gets really quiet and says they can talk about it the next day. She asks if they can just go to bed. They go to bed and purple particles emerge from both Barry and Iris. 

Barry is up early, ready to catch Boomerang. He looks at the map book to see what happens that day and gets excited. Iris is not ready for his energy and asks him to take a shower before talking about the future. Iris goes to work and has the same conversation with Allegra that she had the day before. She quickly figures out that something is different and thinks Barry did something to the timeline.

Kramer offers the director position to Barry, but he says he thought she already sent her recommendation. Kramer reads him wrong and thinks he may not be ready for a promotion. Barry gets agitated and asks if she changed her mind. His book told him that he will get the position. The other cop comes in and reports about the transport under attack. Barry realizes he’s repeating the day over. 

Flash encounters Mercer.Iris goes to STAR Labs to find out what’s going on. He tries to stop the villain from taking something from the tower, but causes an explosion instead. In a blink of an eye, Iris and Barry wake up again on Wednesday, February 1. They’re in a time loop. 

WEDNESDAY EVER AFTER

Chester wears a protective suit on The Flash

The Flash — “Wednesday Ever After” — Image Number: FLA901a_0026r — Pictured: Brandon McKnight as Chester P. Runk — Photo: Bettina Strauss/The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The West Allens go to STAR Labs to get help from Chester. Chester has Gideon scan the couple and finds composite temporal particles on both of them. They’ve been exposed to some kind of tachyon feedback loop. Cecile says they’re in a ‘Groundhog Day’ loop. 

Barry tells them about his encounter with the new Captain Boomerang. Chester does some quick digging and finds that the CCPD is transporting a Roemer Accelerator. It’s like the particle accelerator, only portable. If Barry’s speed reacted with the accelerator, it could have created a temporal effect like a time loop. There might be a way to reverse it. They won’t know without getting their hands on whatever powers the accelerator and analyzing the components. 

Barry turns around very fast. So fast that we didn’t see him leave and come back. He hands the power source of the accelerator to Chester. Chester calls it game-changing tech. He’s going to need Barry’s help with this one. In the meantime, Iris just has to go about her day and do whatever she does every day. Barry and Chester play around with the power source and create an explosion. This happens 15 times.

SHAPING THE FUTURE

After the 16th attempt, Barry wakes up to a very different scene. It’s still Wednesday, February 1. Iris is already awake and drinking wine. She decided that she is going to enjoy the time loop. She never has to say yes to anything. Barry thinks that they are in the time loop because Iris didn’t follow the map book’s instructions. Iris refuses to do what the book says and is fine living in a time loop if it means she gets to keep her freewill. 

Barry says that the book guarantees their future. Iris argues that for the first time in a long time, she is not worried about where she is. She is finally living in the moment. Barry thinks they won’t get the future they dreamed of if they don’t follow the book, but Iris says they don’t know that. He asks if she wants their future. Iris says she wants it but she wants to be able to choose it. Barry thought she already did. He leaves to get some air and runs for hours.

Later that night, Barry ends up at Joe and Cecile’s home. He’s irritated that Iris won’t cooperate to secure their future. He shows them the book. Barry admits that he’s afraid to lose Iris. The mirrorverse and the time sickness almost broke him. 

Joe says the book may predict the future where Iris is safe, but he wonders if she’s happy. The book doesn’t tell them why things happened the way they did. Or how people feel about it. You can’t map out the future. It’s something you create with the people that you love. 

Barry goes home. He admits that she was right. The book is a love story, but it’s just a story. He and Iris are the real thing and that’s all he needs. He wants to appreciate every second of their lives while it’s happening. Barry burns the book. He says whatever happens next, they will do it together. 

IN THIS TOGETHER

Iris and Barry smile at each other on The Flash

The Flash — “Wednesday Ever After” — Image Number: FLA901fg_0006r — Pictured (L – R): Candice Patton as Iris West-Allen and Grant Gustin as The Flash — Photo: The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The next day, the couple wakes up to another Wednesday. This time, they plan to have some fun. First they go to CCC media to address the CatCo offer. Iris decides to expand her media footprint, in her own way. She reached out to Sue Dearbon (Natalie Dreyfuss), who agreed to give Iris a loan to buy the Coast City Gazette. 

They have a few hours to kill before Barry’s meeting with Kramer. So they decide to go swimming. Barry is having fun doing cannonballs and Iris is proud of him. Next they both meet with Kramer about Barry’s promotion. Iris promises Kramer that help Barry balance Flash-work life. 

It’s time to face Mercer. This time, when Mercer starts to throw his weapons, Iris blasts him with her laser gun. The blasts throws Mercer backwards, but he still has tricks to play. Mercer sets off a nuclear bomb. He teleports while Flash and Iris try to figure out how to stop it. Barry can’t move the accelerator because it’s too volatile. They have less than 30 seconds to do something. 

Iris said yes, so she’s confused why they are in danger now. Flash says the day isn’t over yet. Flash dissipates the explosion by phasing through the accelerator as it explodes. A blast of fire rushes through the city, but no one is hurt. It’s like the explosion happened around the city. Chester and Allegra are so happy to be alive that they finally kiss. But the kiss ends awkwardly, lol.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2

It’s finally Thursday. Iris and Barry tell the team about their time loop experience. The day started over 58 times before they could move forward. Iris says it was actually romantic because they

Iris gets a call from Sue and leaves the room. The team realizes that Mercer got away with the power source. The satellites are scanning for Mercer. Allegra asks how Mercer is all of a sudden a tech genius. Joe thinks Mercer has a partner that is the brains behind Mercer’s brawn. But who?

Barry finds Iris outside, ending her call with Sue. CCC Media officially purchases the Coast City Gazette. Barry has been thinking. They never really got their newly wed experience. And they will be pregnant soon. They should start their “baby-moon” experience now. Iris likes the idea and agrees. 

Cecile continues her training and finally starts to control her telekinetic powers. Her other powers pick up on Joe’s anxiety. She finally asks what’s wrong. Joe has been thinking about the superhero life that they live. He’s worried about what’s next for them. And he wants to leave Central City. 

FAMILIAR FACE

Barry goes to the lounge after getting an alert from Caitlin. She is standing on the balcony but doesn’t move whenBarry calls to her. He asks if she’s Frost. The woman turns around and she looks exactly like Caitlin with blue streaks in her hair. She says she’s neither Caitlin nor Frost. She apologizes for meeting Barry like this and says she will explain everything. Barry asks for name and she just smiles at him.

Mercer goes to a warehouse to deliver the power source. He is gifted with a case full of new boomerangs. He asks what the next move is. A scary deep voice says not what, who. A shadow appears with red lightning swirling around them. They say the Flash is never alone, but when they are done with him, he will be. The shadow flies into the air and toward the camera and transforms into a bat-like figure. 

RELATED: Stephen Amell Returns as Oliver Queen for The Flash Final Season

 

 

 

 

Follow me