The Flash Episode Guide: Season 3, Episode 9 - The Present

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.




Plot

It's the holiday season but Cisco is in a funk, seeing visions of his brother as he remembers the one time they truly bonded on a Christmas Eve past. Barry is in a similarly dark mood, unable to relax enough to enjoy his and Iris' first Christmas together as a couple with Savitar and Alchemy on the loose. It doesn't help when he and Joe learns about HR training Wally to use his newfound speed powers. A trip to Earth Three to ask Jay Garrick for his help may be just the thing to clear Barry's head, assuming he can survive an encounter with The Trickster of Earth Three. .


Influences

A Christmas Carol (the reoccurring theme of ghostly visitors mixed with visions of the past and future), the film Raiders Of The Lost Ark (The general pulp vibe of the opening, the box holding The Philosopher's Stone resembles The Ark Of The Covenant, Cisco name drops Indiana Jones), the Harry Potter books (the idea of The Philosopher's Stone being used to bring the dead back to life mirrors The Resurrection Stone) and The Flash comics of Mark Waid (character of Savitar, description of how Savitar was defeated in the future matches how he was defeated in the comics.) and Geoff Johns (mention of the villain Plunder).


Goofs

While the effort to tie The Philosopher's Stone into Hindu mythology is admirable, The Brahmastra is probably the worst artifact to parallel to The Philosopher's Stone. While being the signature weapon of Brahma - the god of creation - the Barahmastra could only be used to destroy and was meant to be used only as a last resort as it would completely annihilate the enemy it was used against. Worse yet, it was said that the use of the Barahmastra would blight the land in which it was used and cause infertility in the people and plants of the surrounding region.

How can there be Speed Force myths, legends and rumors about Savitar if Barry is the first speedster to encounter him, as Jay Garrick claims?

For that matter, how can Jay know that Savitar travels around and sends a herald to prepare the way for him to challenge other speedsters he sees as a threat to his power if no other speedster has seen Savitar before Barry?

It seems a bit odd that Joe's girlfriend's daughter isn't spending Christmas with her mom.


Performances

Mark Hamill's brief cameo as The Trickster of Earth Three is a delight.

The chemistry between Danielle Panabaker and Carlos Valdes is particular fine in this episode, as Caitlin and Cisco bond over their mutual losses and Caitlin talks Cisco down off an emotional ledge.


Artistry

The special effects during the fight between Jay Garrick and Savitar.


Flash Facts

It is revealed in this episode that Julian Albert's real name is J. Albert Desmond. In the original comics, Albert Desmond was the name of the first Doctor Alchemy.

Like Julian Albert, Albert Desmond in the comics was not responsible for his actions as Doctor Alchemy. The difference is that Albert Desmond suffered from disassociative identity disorder and had an evil alternate personality who became Doctor Alchemy. Julian Albert, it is revealed, has been possessed by Savitar.

Cisco discover's Julian Albert's old college paper tying the legends of The Philosopher's Stone into the Hindu legends of The Brahmastra. In Hindu mythology, The Brahmastra is the signature weapon of the god of creation, Brahma. Described as a single projectile charged with all the power in the universe, The Brahmastra was meant only to be used as a last resort as it could utterly destroy an enemy, body and soul.

The Earth 3 version of The Trickster resembles a combination of two other comedic DC Comics super-villains - Batman baddie The Joker and Superman villain The Prankster. Like The Joker, he resembles a clown and has a primarily purple color scheme. Like The Prankster, he is an overweight older gentleman in a garish suit and a comically over-sized flower on his coat lapel.. The Prankster in the comics favored green checks, however, while The Earth Three Tricksters favors purple pinstripes. Both should be arrested for crimes of fashion.

It should be noted, because someone will complain if we don't, that Trickster actor Mark Hamill is considered the definitive voice-actor for The Joker.

Savitar manipulated both Julian and Cisco with images of dead loved ones and promises that The Philosopher's Stone could raise to dead. This is similar to a magical item from The Harry Potter books called The Resurrection Stone, which could summon back the spirits of the deceased albeit in a limited and temporary fashion.

Savitar says that he is seeking revenge on Barry now because of how Barry's future self trapped Savitar in eternity. This sounds similar to how Savitar was defeated in the original Flash Comics, where Wally West tricked Savitar into running so quickly that he was absorbed into The Speed Force.

Jay Garrick suggests that Barry can use his powers to siphon off Jay's speed to accelerate himself fast enough to throw The Philosopher's Stone into The Speed Force. Draining speed from other speedsters to act as a turbo boost to his own velocity is a common trick used by The Wally West version of The Flash in Mark Waid's comics.

In the future, Barry Allen overhears a TV report on the trial of a villain named Plunder a.k.a. Jared Morillo coming to a close. In the original comics, Plunder was an assassin whose real name was Jared Morillo. Strangely enough, Plunder was an alternate Earth doppelganger of a friend of Wally West's, who was an honest cop in the Central City Police Department during Geoff Johns' run on The Flash. Plunder had no powers, but was an expert marksman and tracker.

In the future, Barry finds himself standing on Infantino Street. This is a nod to artist Carmine Infantino, who co-created Barry Allen and drew a number of classic Flash comics, including The Flash Of Two Worlds story where Jay Garrick and Barry Allen first teamed up. He also co-created the character of Doctor Alchemy.

Stylistically, the story of this episode has a lot in common with Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. There's the Christmas-time setting of course, and several characters in need of Christmas cheer (Barry, Cisco and Caitlin). There's the appearances of ghosts spurring the characters to action. Cisco dismisses the vision of his brother as a hallucination in much the same way Scrooge dismissed Jacob Marley. And Barry's speech at the end with Jay Garrick where he tearfully asks if the future he saw can be changed mirror Scrooge's plea to The Ghost of Christmas Future, "Are these the shadows of the things that Will be, or are they shadows of things that May be, only?"


Technobabble

Cisco describes the Brahmastra as "a legendary ancient Hindu weapon." He also says it was capable of creating metahumans.

Dr. Alchemy attempts to use The Schults Building as a refractor to restore all the metahumans created in The Flashpoint Reality at once.

Cisco says the box holding The Philosopher's Stone is nothing and does not scientifically exist. He says that he ran it through an MRI, x-ray scanner, mass spectrometer and photon shifter and did not get a single reading off of it.

Barry theorizes that there is no alchemy based on the idea that Savitar and Alchemy had the same voice. Based on the idea that Julian is being used as a mouthpiece in much the same way that poltergeist requires a medium to manifest. Cisco comes up with a way to synch Julian's brain to The Philosopher's Stone so they can speak to Savitar directly.

Jay Garrick describes The Speed Force as "eternity itself... an endless void of time and energy."

Cisco says The Philosopher's Stone is full of gravimetric force.

Jay Garrick says that Barry can siphon off his speed and combine it with his own to throw The Philosopher's Stone into The Speed Force. The feedback from the explosion this causes knocks Barry five months into his own future.

Jay Garrick says that just as there are infinite Earths in the multiverse, there are infinite possibilities to the future.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Caitlin enters Cisco's lab to find him holding the open box. Blue light pours from it.)
Caitlin: Cisco?! Cisco, you have to close the box.
(Cisco turns around to look at "Dante". He sees him, smiles vacantly and turns back to Caitlin.)
Cisco: I'm going to save Dante.
Caitlin: That's not Dante! It's Savitar! Please! He's using your memories against you!
"Dante": You're a good brother, Cisco.
Caitlin: Cisco, we're running out of time. Please, just hand me the box...
(Cisco holds the box in his left hand and raises his right, like he's aiming a Vibe blast.)
Cisco: I can't lose him again.... I will NOT lose my brother again!
Caitlin: Cisco... Dante is gone. I'm so sorry but there is nothing you can do about it. But there are people that you can save right now. If you don't close that box, Barry and Wally will die!
(Cut to Wally and Barry, being thrown around like ragdolls by Savitar.)
(Cut back to Cisco and Caitlin. Cisco is turned to face "Dante".)
"Dante": If you do, then we can't be together.
Caitlin: Cisco, listen to me!
(Cisco looks at Caitlin as she gives him a pleading look only to glance back at the box.)
(Cut to Wally and Barry, both on the ground, as Savitar extends his wrist-daggers and drags them along the stone walls of the room, shooting out sparks as he does so.)
"Dante": Don't.
Cisco: (whispering) Lo siento, hermano.
(Cisco closes the box. In the other room, Savitar disappears.)
Barry: Thanks.
Wally: Are you kidding? That was awesome!

Joe: Hey. You put my son's life in danger. Again.
HR: And he saved Barry's life!
(Wally shakes his head and leaves the room.)
HR: Joe, why... why do you think I help Wally? Because I'm selfish? I get something? I don't get anything out of it. I help Wally 'cause the kid is special! He's extraordinary! His powers are extraordinary! I get it, I.. I'm not his dad and I don't have the same safety concerns as you, of course not... but one thing I do know- the longer you deny someone their potential, the more they're going to look for it elsewhere.

Savitar: None of you are on your knees. It's a smart move to bow before a deity.
Barry: You're not God.
Savitar: To be a god, you just have to make people believe you are.
Iris: No one believes in you.
Savitar: You should, Iris. I hold the power of life and death over all of you.
Caitlin: How do you know so much about us?
Savitar: I know you, Caitlin. Cisco. Joe. Wally.The fake Wells. I know your fears and I know your weaknesses. I know you better than you know yourselves. I know your destinies. One shall betray you. One shall fall. One will suffer a fate far worse than death. This is the knowledge I have for you about your everlasting damnation.
Barry: Who are you?
Savitar: I am the future, Flash.
Barry: What do you want from us?
Savitar: Everything! Everything you took from me, I'm want it back!  And I'm going to take it back! Then, I will destroy you!
Barry: Then why haven't you, already? If you're all-powerful, then why don't you just go ahead and kill us all now and be done with it? Because you can't.
Savitar: You did this to me! You trapped me in eternity. Your future self. You did this to me, Barry! And now the age of my revenge rises. My freedom is at hand. You will feel my wrath! The wrath of Savtiar!

Barry: I've never run to the future. I've traveled to the past but I always came back to the present. I saw myself. And Iris. And Savitar... he killed her. That's five months from now. Is that actually going to happen?
Jay: ... I don't know.
Barry: You don't -
Jay: You shouldn't have seen that.
Barry: This - this doesn't make sense, we - we just got rid of The Philosopher's Stone! I mean, Savitar shouldn't have even been there! Oh my God...this is where the newspaper in the time vault changed. The byline... this is why it's not Iris. This... Iris didn't write that story anymore eight years from now because... she's dead.
Jay: Barry...
Barry: I just watched her die! I saw myself try to save her, but I wasn't fast enough. Jay, tell me that this isn't my destiny.
Jay: What you saw was one possibility of the future. What may be or what may not.
Barry: Okay. Then I can stop this from happening. I can run back there-
Jay: You can't go back there! Not again! Not ever!
Barry: All right. Then I'll figure out exactly how it happened. How we wind up on that street. And I'll just make sure that we don't go there. I mean, if we don't go there-
Jay: Barry! This is why speedsters don't travel to the future. Nobody should know this much about their own. Just as there are infinite Earths in the multiverse, there are infinite possibilities to the future. It's always bending. Always changing. Every decision you make creates another alternative.
Barry: I won't let Iris die.
Jay: The future isn't written yet. And it might not even turn out to be what you saw. You need to focus on the here and now. You have to live your life.

(Everyone stops to listen to the carolers, who are singing in the rain.)
HR: (chuckling drunkenly) Caroling in the rain... that sucks!
(Caitlin walks off to one side and slips off her power-blocking bracelet. Cisco turns around and notices.)
Cisco: Hey! What are you doing?
Caitlin: It's okay -  I've got this. We may not be able to have a perfect Christmas but we can have a white one.
(Caitlin sticks a hand toward the partially cracked window and the rain slowly turns into snow.)


Continuity

It is revealed that Julian Albert used his family fortune to lead an expedition to search for The Philosopher's Stone in India in the summer of 2012. In December 2012, he found it and fell under the influence of Savitar, though he had no memory of this and suffered black-outs for the next few years.

Earth 19 celebrates Christmas in the same fashion as Earth One, according to HR.

Julian Albert attended Oxford University and wrote a dissertation on The Philosopher's Stone.

According to Julian, The Philosopher's Stone was the first object in recorded history that bestowed super powers on people. He also notes that Savitar was said to be the first metahuman to gain speed powers.

Earth Three apparently has blimps as a commonplace means of transportation.

There's a Trickster on Earth Three. Though not identified by name, he resembles James Jesse from Earth One.

Jay Garrick has heard stories about Savitar on Earth Three. He claims Barry is the first speedster to have seen him.

The stories say that Savitar was the first man given speed powers. Over time, he became the god of motion. Before Savitar visits an Earth, he sends a predecessor to prepare the way for his arrival. Upon arrival, he battles any speedster he sees as a threat to his power. Jay learned this through "Speed Force myths, legends and rumors."

HR says "Run, Wallace, Run!' while training Wally, in the same way other Wells have said "Run, Barry, Run!"

While no exact speed is given, Wally is confirmed to be faster at this point in his time as a speedster than Barry was.

Cisco recalls one Christmas Eve he spent with his brother sharing a bottle of whiskey. He says it was the only time they ever really felt like brothers.

Caitlin recalls the last Christmas she spent with her father - they sat inside and watched old movies during a blizzard.

According to Iris, four colleagues of Julian's died on his expedition to find The Philosopher's Stone.

Jay Garrick never had a sidekick in all his years as The Flash on Earth Three.

Barry reveals his secret identity to Julian Albert.

Julian Albert had a sister named Emma who died when he was 20. Visions of her telling him about The Philosopher's Stone having the power to bring her back from the dead inspired his quest to locate it.

Wally West is able to see Savitar.

Savitar apparently has powers of telepathy and illusion projection, even when The Philosopher's Stone is contained within its box. This is how he was able to send Julian an image of his dead sister and Cisco an image of his dead brother.

It is clear, based on Caitlin's reaction when Cisco opens the box, that she does not see the ghostly Dante that Cisco does.

Savitar delivers three prophecies about the people assembled in the room. "One shall betray you. One shall fall. One will suffer a fate far worse than death."

The camera focuses on Wally when betrayal is mentioned. Cisco is shown when it is said one will fall. Caitlin is shown when Savitar says one will suffer a fate worse than death.

Five months in the future, Barry hears a news report about a criminal named Plunder a.k.a. Jared Morillo - whose trial on charges of theft and assault just ended.

Five months in the future, Barry sees Savitar kill Iris West.

Jay Garrick returns to Earth Three before the Christmas party starts.

Caitlin invites Julian Albert to the West family Christmas gathering. He says he prefers to spend Christmas alone, but does eventually show up for the party.

Joe West and Cecile Horton finally kiss.

Wally is given a gift of a yellow Kid Flash costume like what he wore in The Flashpoint universe.

Julian Albert gets Barry his job with the CCPD back.

Caitlin uses her powers to turn the rain over The West House into snow.

Barry signs the lease on a house for himself and Iris as her Christmas present.


Location

The Indus Valley - December 2012.
Central City on Earth Three - December 2016.
Central City on Earth One - May 2017.


The Bottom Line

A solid and satisfying mid-season finale that - for once - answers more questions than it raises and doesn't leave our heroes looking like complete idiots.

The Flash Episode Guide: Season 3, Episode 7 - Killer Frost

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.




Plot

When Caitlin is forced to use her powers to save Barry from Savitar, it seems to trigger a transformation that brings her bad side out. When she takes Julian Albert hostage as part of her desperate search for Alchemy and a return to normalcy, Barry and Cisco may be forced to fight their friend in order to stop her before she truly lives up to the name Killer Frost!


Influences

The Flash comics of John Broome (creator of Doctor Alchemy), The Flash comics of Mark Waid (creator of Savitar and The Alchemist) and the Firestorm comics of Gerry Conway (creator of the original Killer Frost.)


Goofs

Granting that the performances for this episode are generally excellent, they do not excuse the fact that the script is built around the asinine conceit that Caitlin's sudden villainy is due to her powers being inherently evil and that Caitlin will suddenly start taking hostages and breaking into police interrogation rooms.. The whole thing feels horribly forced and while Caitlin's anger at Barry over her current circumstance may be understandable (if not justified), it still doesn't explain why she wouldn't seek help from Cisco as opposed to taking Albert hostage. As a result, the central conceit of the episode doesn't ring true.

If Barry is right and it is Caitlin's powers that are turning her evil, why didn't they put the power-blocking cuffs on her while she was unconscious in a bid to win her back from the dark side?


Performances

Danielle Panabaker sells the hell out of every scene she's in. It's almost enough to make up for the weak script. Almost. Yet there are some great moments here, particular her scenes opposite Grant Gustin.

On that note, I don't often speak about Grant Gustin's acting talents because he is so rarely tested or required to push into new areas. This episode is different, with Grant turning in a phenomenal performance  - particularly when Barry releases Caitlin and tells her the only way she is leaving STAR Labs is by killing him.

Not to be outdone, Carlos Valdes delivers an unusually sober performance as Cisco Ramon learns the truth behind his brother's death.


Artistry

Whatever else may be said about Kevin Smith, the man can direct the heck out of scenes involving two people talking.  Most of the episode plays to Smith's strengths, consisting of a series of dialogues. Even the few action sequences are built around conversations.

The sequence of Savitar "taking Barry for a run" looks fantastic.


Flash Facts

This episode was directed by filmmaker and comic writer Kevin Smith, who also directed episode 221 - The Runaway Dinosaur.

The new role of Detective Tom Patterson is played by Greg Grunberg. A veteran actor who has appeared in numerous science-fiction television series and movies (perhaps most famously as telepathic patrolman Matt Parkman in HEROES), he is notably one of the few actors to appear in both Star Wars and Star Trek. He is also co-host (with director Kevin Smith) of the show Geeking Out.

Savitar was a villain introduced in the Mark Waid run of The Flash. A pilot for an unnamed Third-World country during The Cold War, the man who became Savitar was struck by lightning while testing a supersonic jet and developed super-speed. He took the name Savitar and began to study the applications of his powers, developing techniques no other speedster at that time had. Among these abilities were the creation of force-fields made of inertia and the power to drain the speed from moving objects. He developed a cult of followers, whom he was able to loan his speed to and sought to depower every other speedster on Earth who was not one of his followers.

As HR notes, Savitar is the name of the Hindu god of motion.

We know little about the DCTVU version of Savitar so far save that he is apparently so fast that ordinary humans cannot perceive him. When he grabs a hold of Barry, all everyone else sees an invisible force holding Barry down.  Even Barry only perceives Savitar as a white bolt of light when he is in motion. Despite this, Savitar is still vulnerable to Caitlin Snow's freezing powers, which ice his body over, rendering him visible, and holding him in place for a couple of seconds.

We learn in this episode that Doctor Alchemy is apparently the head of a cult devoted to Savitar and that there are three other people in the cult.

Caitlin attempts to kill Barry at one point by kissing him and draining the heat from his body. This was a favorite method of absorbing the heat from another person used by Killer Frost in the comics.

In the final scene of this episode, Julian Albert is confirmed to be Doctor Alchemy but he seems to be a reluctant servant of Savitar.

In the original Flash comics, the first Doctor Alchemy was a man named Albert Desmond whom suffered from Dissociative Identity Disorder. It was his darker personality that spurred his acts as a super-villain. That may be the case here as well.


Technobabble

Savitar's speed is such that when he is carrying Barry with him, the tracker at STAR Labs seems to show Barry teleporting from point to point around the city. Barry says that it seemed like teleporting, even from his perspective.

Cisco is able to create intra-dimensional breaches - i.e. portals between two points on the same Earth. However, this is an even greater strain on him than creating a breach between two different Earths, for some reason.

The MRI Caitlin takes of Cisco's brain shows changes in the capillary morphology similar to that of a mini-stroke. Thankfully, this is more serious than it sounds and Caitlin assures Cisco he'll be fine after a few aspirin. However, she still advises him against attempting an intra-dimensional breach for a while.

Wally's vital signs and brain function within the cocoon are subdued. Caitlin describes them as being on par with those of a coma patient.

When a caterpillar is in its chrysalis, its body brakes down into enzyme soup before rebuilding itself as a butterfly. For that reason, Caitlin advises against trying to cut Wally out of the cocoon he is in.

Caitlin asks Julian Albert to create an algorithm that will allow him to locate anyone who conducted a specific web-search within the past six months. In this case, the word "Savitar".

Cisco is able to track Caitlin by using the STAR Labs satellite to detect the ultraviolet cold signatures created by her powers. It can also detect rapid temperature decelerations.

Caitlin disables Barry by severing his triceps surae - a pair of muscles located in the calf. Even with Barry's quick healing powers, it will take him four hours to recover.

Joe's attempt to cut Wally from his cocoon results in a power surge in the STAR Labs cortex.

Cisco is also able to program the STAR Labs satellite to scan for rapidly moving objects.

Caitlin theorizes that removing Wally from his cocoon early left him in a fuege state. His synapses aren't used to functioning at super-speed, so his muscles and mind are misfiring. She develops a synthetic neural compound that she thinks will get mind and body working at the same speed again.


Dialogue Triumphs

Savitar: You may serve The Speed Force, Flash, but I rule it! You are only a man, but I am a god! Your god! I am Savitar!

(The Flash runs in, planting himself between Julian Albert and Caitlin)
Barry: Stop.
Caitlin: Get out of here!
Barry: You know I can't.
Julian: What are you doing?! Take her out! Take her out!
Barry: (To Caitlin) You don't want to do this. You don't want to hurt anybody.
Julian: She's willing to hurt someone! Knock her out!
(Barry punches Julian at super-speed, knocking him out.)
Barry: Caitlin...
Caitlin: Leave me alone!
Barry: What are you doing?
Caitlin: I have to find Alchemy!
Barry:  We will find him. All right? Together.
Caitlin: No. You don't understand. I don't want to lock him up. I need him to help me!
Barry: Help you what?
Caitlin: I need him to get rid of my powers!
Barry: Oh, Caitlin... I don't know if it works that way.
Caitlin: You don't know that it doesn't!
Barry: I know that we love you. And we will do everything that we can to help you. You and I? We've - we've been through too much together to let each other down now. Please... let me help you.
Caitlin: Like you helped your mother?
Barry: Caitlin...
Caitlin: Or Wally? Or me? You keep messing with everyone's lives, wrecking everything and we're left behind to pick up the pieces from your mistakes! Some things you break can't be put back together!
Barry: ... I can fix this.
Caitlin: Oh, like you fixed Cisco's family? You didn't tell Cisco that you screwed him worst of all, did you? (loudly to the open air)  You hear that, Cisco? Dante was alive - health and happy - until Barry created Flashpoint! When he reset things? That's what killed him. Barry is the reason your brother is dead!

Caitlin: (To Craig the cultist) Both of my parents are doctors. It's all I ever wanted to be. Growing up I used to practive the Hypocratic Oath. I was obsessed with it. If anyone was even going to step on a bug, I would say "Do no harm!" It's built into my DNA (makes an razor-sharp icicle) Unfortunately, my DNA isn't what it used to be. So believe me when I say... answer every one of my questions or I will harm you and your family.

(The Flash comes running into the scene. Caitlin throws a chilling blast in front of him. Barry slips on the suddenly icy road and falls on his bad leg.)
Caitlin: How's the leg?
(Barry sighs, suddenly punching at Caitlin's ankle and sweeping her off her feet. She lands next to him on the pavement. The two lie there a moment, both pained.)
Barry: I'm sorry, Caitlin
Caitlin: That was cold, Flash. But this is colder.
(Caitlin rolls over on top of Barry, kissing him. His skin turns blue almost instantly as if the life were being sucked out of him... which it is!)

(Barry opens The Pipeline and looks at Caitlin in her cell.)
Barry: We need your help, Caitlin. Wally, he - he's out of the cocoon but his biochemistry is all out of wack. He went AWOL.
Caitlin: So?
Barry: So when we find him, he's going to need your help. He's going to need your medical expertise. Your experience with metas. What he needs is Caitlin Snow MD.
Caitlin: So you came to try and talk some sense into me?
Barry: No. I came to let you go.
(Barry opens her cell door.)
Caitlin: For a smart guy, that was an awfully dumb move.
Barry: Like I said, you're free to go.
Caitlin: What's the catch?
Barry: You have to kill me.

Caitlin: You want to fight? Flash?
Barry: No. I'm not going to fight you. But if you want to leave this room, you're going to have to kill me.
Caitlin: Don't think I won't...
Barry: Then do it.
(Caitlin makes a shiv out of ice and holds it up. She hesitates in stabbing Barry.)
Barry: What are you waiting for? What's the big deal? (tauntingly) C'mon! Live up to your name, Killer Frost. I want to see some killing!  You want to be the villain? This is what they do. They kill their friends, because nothing matters to them anymore, right?
(Barry steps forward, pressing his chest against the ice shiv.)
Barry: Right?! C'mon!  Kill me, Caitlin!
(Caitlin still hesitates in pushing the shiv further.)
Barry: You can't do it. You can't. Because underneath all that cold, you're still you.
(Caitlin's eyes suddenly shift back to normal as she drops the icicle and collapses against Barry, her eyes tearing up. Barry just hugs her.)
Barry: It's okay. I've got you. It's okay.


Continuity

The episode continues right where 306 left off.

Cisco is able to use his powers to teleport through a breach between two points on the same Earth, though this leaves him horribly sickened afterward.

Caitlin's ice powers are strong enough to freeze Savitar in place and ice-over his body, if only for a few seconds.

HR claims to be a crossword puzzle wizard in two planets.

Alchemy is revealed to be an acolyte of Savitar and their cult is devoted towards Savitar. The cultists believe Savitar will judge humanity

We do not find out what powers any of the cultists have gained from their association with Alchemy.

There are three members of the cult besides Alchemy. One of them is captured by the CCPD but goes unnamed. We do not find out what powers he has, but he claims to sense the fear in Caitlin.

Caitlin is able to use her powers to exhale chilled air (a.k.a. freeze breath) and create a smoke-screen of chilled fog.

Cisco is able to track Caitlin by using the STAR Labs satellite to detect the ultraviolet cold signatures created by her powers. This is the same method he used to track Captain Cold in 203.

Detective Thompson is a trigger-happy police officer who hates metahumans and believes they are all crazy.

HR does not have any children.

Cisco learns that his brother's death was caused by Barry's creation of The Flashpoint timeline.

Another cultist- who escaped - is named Craig and has a house in the Central City suburbs. He also has a wife and children, as Caitlin threatens to harm his family, though we only see the wife.

We do not know what powers Craig has but he claims to have seen the future and says that Savitar has plans for Caitlin. He also claims to have seen Caitlin as Killer Frost in the future and that Alchemy can take away powers in addition to giving them to people.

Caitlin refers to both Eddie Thawne and Ronnie Raymond as people Barry failed to save in both 123 and 201.

Barry refers to what Jay Garrick told him about his not being a god in 302 after Iris says something similar.

Wally frequently went to his old house in Keystone City when he was missing his mother.

Wally is confirmed to have super-speed. His lighting is yellow, like Barry's.

Wally's exact top speed is not mentioned but it is said that he's faster than Barry was when Barry first started out as The Flash.

Wally compares the feeling of The Speed Force to everything feeling buzzing and electric, like he can do anything.

Cisco tells Barry, quite honestly, that he isn't sure if they are going to be okay now that Cisco knows that Barry is responsible for his brother's death.

Julian Albert agrees not to identify Caitlin Snow as his attacker if Barry agrees to resign from the CCPD.

It is starting to storm as Barry leaves his lab after packing his things.

Julian Albert is confirmed to be Doctor Alchemy.


Location

The Wests's old house in Keystone City.


The Fridge Factor

Caitlin's entire arc regarding her gaining super-powers is based around the trope that some powers are inherently evil and using them is a one-way street to becoming a villain. It's somewhat disturbing that of all the people to develop powers around Barry Allen, it's the one woman who is in danger of being corrupted and falling to The Dark Side.


The Bottom Line

Strong direction and some strong performances from the core cast salvage an unusually weak script. Thankfully, it seems they are done toying with the idea of Caitlin becoming a villain or are at least going to go about it in a slower, more natural way than her powers just making her evil.

The Flash Episode Guide: Season 3, Episode 6 - Shade

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.

Plot

When Wally West begins having dreams of having super-speed, Barry realizes he may have to break his promise and tell Wally, Joe and Iris precisely how things were different in The Flashpoint Timeline in order to keep Wally safe. Unfortunately, Dr. Alchemy may already have his Wally in his grasp and a new shadow-manipulating metahuman is on the loose in Central City. Meanwhile, Caitlin reveals her cold powers to Cisco and asks him to vibe her future.


Influences

The Flash comics of John Broome (creator of The Shade) and Mark Waid (creator of Savitar).


Goofs

No motive or explanation is ever given for the first man Shade kills. They don't even bother to name him.

If Shade's powers only create the illusion that he is a shadow, how is he able to lift a man off the ground and strangle him with one hand? Or appear as a giant shadow right underneath The Flash and lift him off the ground?


Artistry

The music in the confrontation between Alchemy and Wally is good.


Flash Facts

Barry says the first Shade murder occured in Chubbuck, on the corner of Palmer and Racine.  In the DC Comics Universe, Chubuck is a residental district in Central City and home to Central City Hospital.

In the original comics, The Shade was one of Jay Garrick's villains. He first appeared in Flash Comics #33 (September 1942). Originally, The Shade was just an ordinary thief with a magical cane that allowed him to animate shadows.

The Shade underwent a major retcon in the 1990s Starman series, where he was given a full background and his powers were revealed to be his own - not derived from a magic cane. The Shade was also revealed to be an immortal - a side-effect of his powers - and that he had been alive since the Victorian era.

Shade's powers are a manifestation of a strong connection to The Darklands - a mystic realm of malleable darkness and nightmares in the DC Universe. In addition to being able to fashion illusions of shadow-stuff and manifesting solid "terrors" in a manner similar to how a Green Lantern manipulates light, The Shade can teleport himself and others across great distances through The Darklands. According to one story set in the future - he eventually gains the power to travel through time using his shadowy portals.

The DCTVU "Shade" is but a shadow of the more intersting anti-hero from the comics. We are not given a name or any motive for his doing what he does in this episode, apart from acting as a distraction for Alchemy.  His only power appears to be creating the illusion of being a giant shadow.

HR identifies one piece of currency from his world as "a helbing". This is a nod to The Flash writers Aaron and Todd Helbing.

The villain who appears at the end of the episode says that he is Savitar, The God of Speed. In the Hindu religion, Savitr is the "lord of that which moves and is stationary".

Savitar was a villain introduced in the Mark Waid run of The Flash. A pilot for an unnamed Third-World country during The Cold War, the man who became Savitar as struck by lightning while testing a supersonic jet and developed super-speed. He took the name Savitar and began to study the applications of his powers, developing techniques no other speedster at that time had. Among these abilities were the creation of force-fields made of inertia and the power to drain the speed from moving objects. He developed a cult of followers, whom he was able to loan his speed to and sought to depower every other speedster on Earth who was not one of his followers.

We know little about the DCTVU version of Savitar so far save one thing - he is apparently so fast that ordinary humans cannot even percieve him. When he grabs a hold of Barry, everyone else sees an invisible force pinning Barry.  Even Barry only piercives Savitar as a white bolt of light when he is in motion.


Technobabble

Cisco constructed a set of power-dampening cuffs for controlling metahuman prisoners. Caitlin steals the cuffs to try and keep her powers under control.

Petechiae around the eye, a crushed larynx and finger-prints around his neck indicate strangulation.

Barry notes that despite this - in the case of the first Shade killing - there are no indications of an assailiant - no laceration or finger-nail marks or DNA evidence under the fingernails of the victim.

Earth 19 has facial transmogrification technology. This allows HR to use a hand-held device to give himself the face of his business partner, Randolf Morgan. He thinks it works because of light-refraction but isn't really sure how the science works.

According to HR, the Earth 19 version of Shade was able to vibrate at such a high frequency that it created the illusion that he was a shadow. This is the same thing that Barry Allen does to phase through solid matter.

Cisco determines the Earth One version of Shade is doing the same thing, due to a fluctuating heat signature and a ridiculous red-shift. Caitlin further states this means Shade must be slowing down his molecules when he attacks.

HR gives the rest of Team Flash a retina adjustment through a flash of light so they will see his real face while the rest of the world see Randolf Morgan.

Earth 19 has different currency than Earth One. HR Wells identifies one coin - an equilateral triangle of pink plastic - as a helbing.

Light slows down Shade's molecular vibrations.

By hacking the computers of all the cars in the park and turning on their headlights, Cisco is able to light up the area enough that Shade can't use his powers.

Caitlin gives Wally a dose of Lorazepam - a medication used for treating epilepsy and anxiety.


Dialogue Triumphs

Wally: (voice-over) I'm fast. Really fast. I might even be the fastest man alive. And when I'm running, there's no greater feeling in the world. I can move through the city like a guardian angel, protecting people who need me.
(Kid Flash runs in front of a truck just barely getting a girl on a skateboard out of the way in time.)
Kid Flash: Woah! You've got to slow down and watch where you're going, okay?
Girl: Okay.
Kid Flash: Okay.
(Wally kicks up the girl's skateboard and hands it back to her. It has yellow lightning bolts on it.)
Kid Flash: Cool skateboard, though.
Girl: Thanks!
Wally: (vocie over) They even have a name for me. They call me Kid Flash.

(Regarding HR)
Cisco: Do you think everyone on Earth 19 is missing crayons in their box or just him?

(Cisco accuses HR of stealing his power-dampening cuffs.)
HR: What - you think I took them? I didn't take them. What do I need cuffs for?  I just got to this Earth. I came alone. I haven't met anyone yet. It's going to take a while, even when I do meet them, to get to the cuffs stage.
(Caitlin makes a face at HR as she realizes what "The Cuffs Stage" means.)

(Barry and Iris are watching Wally in his cell through a security monitor.)
Iris: I hate that we have to do this. He so badly wanted powers and now, to keep him locked up so he doesn't get them, it's...
Barry: It's hard. I know.
Iris: I don't know if you actually do.
Barry: What does that mean?
Iris: All Wally wants to do is to help people. And to see you do that every day while all he can do is stand by and watch... it's hard being a bystander sometimes.
Barry: You don't... feel that way too, do you?
Iris: Barry.... c'mon. My contributions here are limited. I don't know science. I don't have powers. I don't know how to help you.
Barry:  I couldn't do this without you.
Iris: That's not true.
Barry: That is true. Whether you realize it or not, there is no Flash without Iris West.

Caitlin: Cisco, I am so sorry about how I reacted. I understand why you told everyone.
Cisco: Never helps when we keep things from each other.
Caitlin: You're right! And.. I'm glad that you told everyone. I'm just not very good at asking for help. I get that from my mother.
Cisco: You're better than your mother.
Caitlin: I don't know. I'm just so terrified because she said if I keep using my powers then it will be impossible to stop them.
Cisco: Your mother might be one of the most accomplished scientists on this planet. But when it comes to the impossible? We're the experts. (he takes her hands) We're going to help you Caitlin. Okay?
Caitlin: Okay.
Cisco: Let's go help Wally.
Caitlin: Okay.


Continuity

Joe refers to the dreams Frankie Kane reported having before her powers manifested in 303 and compares them to what Wally reports.

As the episode opens, Julian Albert is working on the sixth Alchemy husk discovered.

Barry is transferred to the metahuman CSI department full-time.

Joe finally asks Cecilia Horton out on a date to see The Shining at a "movie in the park" event.

Nobody told HR that the Earth Prime version of Harrison Wells was truly dead and that - thanks to Eobard Thawne - the public thinks he's a murderer.

HR suggests turning STAR Labs into a museum, to act as a front for their activities.

Barry tells everyone the truth about Wally West being Kid Flash in The Flashpoint Timeline in 301.

Julian Albert has a girlfriend.

HR drinks nothing but coffee, according to Caitlin. He also does inversion stretches in The STAR Labs intake and medtitates in his bedroom.

HR's partner in the STAR Labs on Earth 19 was a man named Randolf Morgan. Randolf Morgan was the brains of the operation while HR was the face of the company.

HR is apparently a practitioner of BDSM.

According to HR, Earth 19 had a villain called Shade who could seemingly change into a living shadow, like the mysterious killer.

Cisco has a vision of himself in a costume, fighting with Caitlin, who appears to have changed completely into Killer Frost. He lies to her about the vision at first but later confesses when she says he's acting strange around her.

Cisco says everything he's vibed has come true, except for the destruction of Earth 2.

Cisco was scared by the movie The Shining and couldn't make it past the scene with the twins.

Cecile Horton has an 18 year old daughter, who is a year away from going off to college.

HR introduces himself to Cecile as HR Randolf. He then goes on to take over Joe's date.

After Shade is captured, Joe guesses that means Alchemy has three other metahumans working with him. We later see three robed figures along with Alchemy during his fight with The Flash and the CCPD.

Cisco tells the rest of Team Flash about Caitlin developing cold powers and his vision of her being Killer Frost in the future.

Julian Albert is curiously absent as the CCPD gets ready to move on Alchemy.

There is a Gorilla Grodd on Earth 19.  According to HR, there are many sentient gorillas on his Earth.

Wally touches Alchemy's stone and is trapped inside a cocoon at the episode's end.


The Fridge Factor

The whole idea of Caitlin hiding her powers for this long and her inevitably becoming evil because of them feeds into a series of negative tropes involving women with ice powers and women with power in general being inherently evil.


The Boomerang Factor

The subplot with Shade is completely pointless and a waste of one of DC Comics' richer characters, even ignoring the crap explanation for his powers that completely contradicts what we see on screen.


The Bottom Line

A filler episode that serves no purpose other than stretching out several storylines that really should have been brought to a close sooner. Despite giving the episode its title, Shade is barely in the episode and is defeated right after the half-way mark. The only things that redeem this episode are the Cisco/Caitlin interactions and the drama of the last 10 minutes when the plot finally starts moving.

The Flash Episode Guide: Season 3, Episode 2 - Paradox

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.




Plot

The effects of Flashpoint are far worse than Barry anticipated, with Iris and Joe now estranged and Cisco oddly angry at him. Of more immediate concern is a new CSI - Julian Albert- who has taken an immediate and inexplicable dislike to Barry. This and the fact that The Rival has somehow reemerged in this timeline along with a mysterious new villain called Alchemy, who has the power to awaken superpowers in other people!


Influences

The comic mini-series Flashpoint (the idea of Barry's efforts to save his mother creating a much worse alternate timeline for his friends), the film The Butterfly Effect (hero makes things worse for his loved ones by trying to fix things with time-travel) the film Back To The Future II (the scene of Barry trying to explain divergent timelines mirrors Doc Brown's attempt to do the same as does the general plot of the hero's actions while time traveling accidentally causing bad things to happen) and The Flash comics of John Broome, Mark Waid and Geoff Johns (the various versions of Doctor Alchemy and Mister Element)


Goofs

How is Wally part of Team Flash - much less on speaking terms with both Iris and Joe - given that he didn't come into their lives until after Joe first admitted that he'd lied to Iris and both of them had to work on him to join their family?


Performances

Tom Felton doesn't get much screen-time in his first appearance as Barry's work-rival Julian Albert. Yet he manages to establish the character as a snobby professional with little interest in playing nice - at least at this point in his relationship with Barry. Comparisons to his most famous role as the equally elitist Draco Malfoy are inevitable but Felton does distinguish the character as being someone different if for no other reason than Albert is very good at his job and can back up his superior opinion of himself

John Wesley Shipp returns as Jay Garrick and all but steals the episode. He plays the character as something close to the original comic character, acting as a mentor and the voice of bitter experience to Barry Allen. The character is immediately made distinctive from Henry Allen and Jay is far less patient with Barry than his father was while being more friendly than Harry Wells or the Thawne/Wells in Season One. It's a brilliant performance and a highlight of the episode.

Carlos Valdes is beloved as the series' comic relief but he's proven capable of showing his dramatic chops when necessary. That being said, it is scary how completely different he seems as he plays a Cisco Ramon that has been torn apart by grief and anger. Cisco almost seems like an entirely different character - not just because his ever-present smile is gone by his entire physiology and the way he carries himself seems to have changed too.


Artistry

The direction and special effects in the sequence in which Rival crashes and burns after Barry tackles him at super-speed. It's a neat twist on the usual super-speed sequences to watch the characters bouncing out of control.

The use of Soul Asylum's Runaway Train during the diner scene is a perfect choice of music. The title suggests a speeding object moving out of control which is an apt description of Barry at that moment but the song is about coping with depression. The lyrics also make references to keeping secrets, breaking promises, becoming jaded and going where no one else can go and knowing what no one else can know.

The Vibe and Flash fight vs. Rival for both the special effects and fight choreography.


Flash Facts

The episode name - Paradox - may be a nod to The Flashpoint Paradox - the animated movie based on the original Flashpoint comic series.

Emily Bett Rickards has a cameo appearance as Felicity Smoak in the first segment of the episode

The scene in which The Flash disassembles the vehicle of a robber at super-speed whilst in the middle of a chase is taken directly from various comics.

We discover that several things have changed in the wake of Barry's altering the timeline once again. These changes include...

* Iris and Joe are no longer speaking, due to Iris not forgiving Joe for having lied to her about her mother still being alive.
* Iris and Barry never kissed before Barry went back in time to try and save his mother.
* Cisco has lost his sense of good humor and joking personality.
* Cisco's brother Dante was killed by a drunk driver and Cisco is in therapy to deal with the loss.
* Cisco is angry at Barry for refusing to go back in time to save his brother.
* Barry is now sharing his lab space with Julian Albert - the CCPD's Meta-Human CSI Specialist.
* Julian Albert has apparently been working with the CCPD for nearly a year.
* Julian Albert does not like Barry and the feeling is apparently mutual.
* John Diggle's infant daughter Sara is now an infant son named John Jr.
* Caitlin Snow seems to have acquired the heat-draining powers of her Earth 2 counterpart, Killer Frost.

Alchemy appears to be based, in part, on the classic Flash villain Doctor Alchemy.

The original Doctor Alchemy was a chemist named Albert Desmond, who suffered from a split personality. One personality was evil and became a villain dubbed Mister Element and used Desmond's knowledge of chemistry to create elemental based weapons and devices (i.e. bullet-proof car paint, a new anti-gravity element he used to throw The Flash into space).  In prison, Desmond learned the secrets of The Philosopher's Stone and adopted the name Doctor Alchemy.

The Philosopher's Stone offers its wielder a number of powers. By pressing the stone in certain places, the person holding the stone can transmute matter from one form to another, such as changing clean air into toxic gases or steel into rubber. The stone can also be used to transform the human body, as Dr. Alchemy once used the stone to transform The Flash's body into water vapor.

The DCTVU version of Alchemy seems to have powers of a similar scope to his comic book counterpart. We see him holding a stone  as he fights The Flash and he certainly had the power to restore Edward Clariss' memories and his powers from The Flashpoint Timeline. He also releases an energy blast capable of knocking The Flash off his feet.

Both Alchemy and Doctor Alchemy have costumes featuring hooded cloaks. Alchemy's costume includes a full face mask that obscures all his features, whereas Doctor Alchemy wore a mask that left his eyes and mouth uncovered.

While Albert Desmond is the only criminal to go by the name of Doctor Alchemy and wield The Philosopher's Stone, his equipment was used by other criminals. Alexander Petrov - a CSI assistant in Keystone City - became the second Mister Element using Desmond's old weapons. Later, STAR Labs scientist Dr. Curtis Engstrom took on the name Alchemist after stealing a fragment of the original Philosopher's Stone Desmond had created.

Given that two other villains with the same gimmick were employed as police lab technicians or scientists at STAR Labs, there is some speculation that Barry's new enemy at work, Julian Albert, is also Alchemy. They do share a common name - Albert - though it's a first name for the original Doctor Alchemy and a surname for the TV show character.

The television in the Motorcar Diner where Jay Garrick takes Barry is showing an episode of Dawson's Creek. John Wesley Shipp - who plays Jay Garrick - also played the title character's father on Dawson's Creek.

Again, reference is made to a sawmill on Williamson Street being Rival's hideout. This is probably a nod to Joshua Williamson - the writer on The Flash comic book at the time this episode aired.

Mention is also made of the Rival husk being found in Leawood. According to the DCU Atlas, Leawood is a working-class neighborhood in Central City.

Cisco's super-suit - once we see it - resembles his costume in the New 52 comics. With it, he is able to released focused blasts of vibration energy as his Earth 2 counterpart Reverb did and as the hero Vibe does in the comics.


Technobabble

A paradox is anything made up of two conflicting elements that nevertheless remains true. One of the most famous of these is The Liar's Paradox - "Everything I say is a lie."

One popular paradox regarding time travel - The Grandfather Paradox - dictates that it is impossible to go back in time and kill your grandfather, because otherwise you could never exist to go on to kill your grandfather.

The epidermal husks that the CCPD keep discovering are fully-intact human pelts comprised of nothing but the stratum corneum.

Barry notes that spalling can be caused by toxic epidermal necrolysis or by some kind of moist desquamation from intense radiation exposure.

The husk sample Barry stole from Julian Albert was mostly touch DNA - a forensic method used for analyzing small samples of DNA left at a crime scene, like minute skin cell samples left on an object that was briefly touched.

The fifth husk tests positive for Speed Force energy by not dark matter. This suggests that whatever Alchemy did to activate Rival's powers came from a different power source than the STAR Labs Particle Accelerator Explosion.

Jay uses the metaphor of a broken china coffee cup to explain how time-travel breaks the space-time continuum, noting that while you may glue the pieces back together in a way that works, it still won't be the same.

Another term for the alternate timelines of Flashpoints created by Barry's time-travel is mirror universe.

The Rival husk had above normal levels of hyaluronic acids and the androgen degradation was atypically low. Cellular regeneration seemed to occur at a staggering rate.


Dialogue Triumphs

(The Flash disassembles a bank robber's motorcycle as he's making his escape.)
The Flash: You are not gonna get too far on that thing anymore, are you?
(The robber looks down helplessly at the disconnected accelerator grip he's still holding in one hand as The Flash walks around and opens the robber's backpack.) 
The Flash: I will be taking these back to the jewelry store you stole them from, but ah... you can keep these if you'd like.
(The Flash opens his emtpy hand and drops all the bullets the robber shot at him on the ground, as we hear police sirens approaching in the distance.)
The Flash: Good luck with that.

(Barry just learned that he changed John Diggle's daughter Sara into a son named John.)
Barry: Okay, you know what? I don't want to know any more...
Felicity: Okay. I know this is a lot of pressure, but everything's going to be alright.
Barry: I screwed up everyone's life!
Felicity: Yeah, well maybe you should tell them?
Barry: I'm not going to tell them! I mean, how is that going to help? That's just going to make everything worse! I mean, I don't know how to fix this.
Felicity: Okay, we'll you're going to figure it out. If there's one thing I've learned from you is that with you, anything is possible...
Barry: Why? Because I'm The Flash?
Felicity: No. Because you are Barry Allen. And sweet, loving, kind Barry Allen, that everybody likes - the Barry Allen who is just like pudding - can fix this. So go. And fix this.
Barry: Yeah. Okay. You're right. Yeah.
(Barry continues to sit in shock.)
Felicity: NOW!
Barry: Right now?
Felicity: Yes!
Barry: Okay, alright.
(Barry gets up and begins to run.)

Jay: Having a loss like that in your life... I can see why you'd want to erase it. Who wouldn't try to save their parents? I understand that, Barry. Completely. But the thing is, there are consequences to time travel.
Barry: I have heard all of this before-
Jay: Not from me, you haven't! I'm not some doctor with a theory, Barry. I'm a speedster, like you, who's traveled in time. And made these same mistakes you are making right now. (picking up a ceramic coffee cup) Here, let me show you something...
Barry: Okay, you know what -
Jay: Humor me, kid. This coffee cup right here? Think of it as the space-time continuum. Whenever you go back in time, it breaks.
(Jay vibrates his hand rapidly until the cup cracks. He the tries to put the pieces back together.)
Jay: Now, you can reset the timeline. You can try to fix it. But no matter how hard you try, it's never going to be exactly how it was.
Barry: Look, I've learned... all this stuff that I didn't know before. And I'm not going to-
Both: - make the same mistakes.
Jay: Yeah. What you just said right there? That's the paradox of time travel. And also the paradox of life. I mean, If I only knew then what I knew now...
Barry: Why have these powers if I can't go back and fix what I broke?
Jay: We're not gods! We're men. And for whatever reason we've been given extraordinary abilities. The question you need to ask yourself is.. what kind of hero are you going to be? Are you just going to take a do-over everytime you make a mistake? Or are you going to live with them and move forward?

Barry: I'm really trying here, Cisco.
Cisco: Barry, I'm the one who's been trying. I've been trying this whole time to get you to do this one thing for me. But you kept saying "No, Cisco. I can't, Cisco. I would never do that, Cisco." And now you're telling me you went and did it for yourself
Barry: Were you listening? It went bad. It went... really bad-
Cisco: I don't care! At least I'd have my brother back!
Barry: Yeah, you would have him back. But because of it, somebody might have something happen to them that's just as awful as what happened to Dante. And trust me you don't want that on your conscience. It's a heavy burden to bear.  (Barry starts to leave the lab then turns around) And I don't know how many times I've said this, but... I'm really sorry about Dante, man.
Cisco: Sorry doesn't change anything.
Barry: No, it doesn't. But I can't go back. I can't change it. All I can do is move forward. (pauses) I really hope you can too.

Barry: Hey, uh... I need your help.
Julian: It's the four words I seem to hear you most often say, Barry. That and "I hate that guy."

The Flash: And who are you?
Alchemy: I am... Alchemy.
The Flash: Okay, well, what do YOU want?
Alchemy: To help people achieve their true potential such as he has. (gestures to Rival)
The Flash: And why are you doing this?
Alchemy: Because I'm preparing this world.


Continuity

In the original timeline, Iris learned the truth about her mother not dying in 203. Apparently she didn't take the news that Joe had lied to her as well this time around.  Perhaps Francine West approached her before Joe this time around?

No date is given for when Dante Ramon died in the new reality, but a likely guess is around the time 220 originally occurred, as Cisco tried to reconcile with his brother in that episode and a sudden death then might be capable of pushing Cisco into the doldrums we see here.

Barry notes that he's kissed Iris twice and managed to erase it from history both times it happened. The kisses occurred in 115 and 223 respectively.

John Diggle having a son named John Diggle Jr. was telegraphed in LOT 106, where he was using the name Connor Hawke and was Oliver Queen's last ally in a post-apocalyptic Star City.

Iris's favorite one of Grandma Esther's recipes is "the noodle dish". She hates the chicken one.

An unseen figure is there to see Barry as he loses track of Rival while chasing after him.

The scene of Iris asking Barry to talk to her outside the lab because she knows he isn't telling her something mirrors a similar scene from 301.

Jay Garrick decided to keep an eye on Barry for a while after returning Harry and Jesse Wells to Earth 2.

As in 301, Rival hides out at the Prescott Sawmill on Williamson Street.

Rival repeats Barry's words about "quaking his boots" from 301 back to him.

Iris refers to Cisco giving Captain Cold Barry's secret identity in 116.

In his special suit, Cisco is now able to create focused blasts of vibrational energy as his Earth 2 counterpart did.

Joe and Iris reconcile by the episode's end, as do Barry and Cisco.

There are at least four other meta-humans created by Alchemy at loose in Central City.

Caitlin appears to be manifesting the same cold-generation powers as her Earth 2 counterpart at episode's end.

Albert says that he doesn't like Barry Allen because he doesn't believe his good-guy act and doesn't trust him.

Barry and Iris kiss for the first time in this reality.

Alchemy seems to kill Rival in his prison cell in the final scene of the episode.


Location

The Motorcar Diner in Central City, 1998. It's unclear if this is on Earth 1 or Earth 3.


Untelevised Adventures

At least the last year's worth of events have changed, with Iris and Joe apparently not having been talking for the better part of a year.

Harry Wells told Jay Garrick about Barry's difficulties with Zoom and about the deaths of his parents and that Jay was the alternate universe version of Barry's father.

Jay Garrick refers to his own misadventures with trying to alter the timeline and making the same mistakes as Barry.


The Fridge Factor

Neatly averted in the case of Iris West, who continues to be depicted as both assertive and as a good reporter.


The Boomerang Factor

Most of the problems in this episode would have been solved instantly if Barry had decided to be honest with his friends and family or remembered that changing the timeline never solves anything.


The Bottom Line

Much like last week's episode, this is a good episode in spite of it feeling  somewhat rushed. Once again, the supporting cast is under-utilized (Wally and Caitlin in particular, though at least Caitlin gets that scene at the end) and The Rival has apparently been disposed of as quickly as he was introduced.  Of course the character seemed repetitive in the wake of Zoom and The Reverse Flash but his inclusion in the show given his connection to The Flash mythos seems incredibly pointeless now.

Despite that, most of this episode works well. Julian Albert is effectively established as a foil for Barry at work and the examination of the Cisco/Barry bromance is well-played. Alchemy is an immediately interesting villain - both visually and for his motivation. And it's a joy to see Iris being portrayed as a no-nonsense, smart woman after two years of her having little purpose beyond being the girl hostage or the Dulcinea to Barry's Quixote. And John Wesley Shipp's turn as Jay Garrick is something magical.