The Flash Episode Guide: Season 9, Episode 13 - A New World, Part Four

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

Plot

With Eddie Thawne embracing the identity of Cobalt Blue and assembling a brute squad of the worst evil speedsters in history, Team Flash will be tested as never before.

Influences

The Flash comics of Mark Waid and Mike Baron.


Goofs

Cecile wears her Virtue costume from the future in the fight with the evil speedsters. (While it's entirely possible she asked Chester to make her a suit based on the design she saw, it's unlikely he would have had time to make it in the space of time since Cecile saved Barry in the last episode.)

Cecile's being able to fly with her telekinesis comes out of left field, even if Virtue had that power in the comics. (Maybe Cecile got the idea while making mental contact with her future self?)  

When Khione says goodbye to Team Flash, Barry says it has been one week since the battle with Cobalt Blue and his gang and, logically, one week since Nora's birth. The next scene opens with a title card reading "One Week Later," with Joe saying that Iris gave birth to Nora a week ago. By that point, it should have been two weeks since Nora's birth.

Performances

Jesse L. Martin steals every brief scene he is in.

Artistry

The montage of Iris remembering her life with Barry as Joe sings Baby Nora to sleep is nicely done.

Flash Facts

The subtitle of this episode is Finale, according to the title card, but the subtitle does not feature in the actual episode title.

This marks the final episode of the first and only four-part episode in the show's history.

The episode was supposed to feature the return of Cisco Ramon, but actor Carlos Valdes was unable to appear due to schedule conflicts.

The episode was rewritten at the last minute to give Barry a happier ending. The original plan had been for him to sacrifice himself to become the new personification of the Speed Force and replace Speed Force Nora. We can see vestiges of this in the final scene, where Barry shares his power with three new speedsters.

Barry's opening and closing monologues mirror his opening monologue in 101.

Jay Garrick steals the speed from Cobalt Blue. This is a classic trick perfected by the Wally West Flash, who could boost his powers by draining the kinetic energy form other objects in motion. 

This episode confirms that Chester Runk has black hole powers, In the Mike Baron Flash comics where Chester P. Runk was introduced, Chester was a morbidly obese man who became a living black hole capable of absorbing almost anything into his mass.

Chester's powers are generated by a consciousness-honed universally neutralized Kerr anomaly in his genes. This is a shout out to his codename in the comics, Chunk.

Upon learning that he has powers, Chester says "Dazzling Dwayne McDuffie." This is a nod to legendary comics writer Dwayne McDuffie, who is best known as one of the founders of Milestone Media and for his work writing the Justice League Unlimited show.

Barry shares the Speed Force with three new Speedsters. The first of them is Avery Ho. In the comics, Avery Ho is the Flash of the Justice League of China. 

The Arrowverse version of Avery Ho first appeared in 806, where she helped XS and Impulse to fix the timeline.

The second new speedster to be empowered is Max Mercury. In the comics, Max Mercury was an alias used by a time-traveling speedster  Originally the Quality Comics hero Quicksilver (no relation to the Marvel Comics character),Mark Waid fleshed out his background to make him an 1830s US Army cavalry scout who befriend several Native American tribes. Max has gone by many names, including Windrunner, Whip Whirlwind and Lightning.

The Arrowverse Max Mercury lives in modern times and is apparently a motorcycle enthusiast.

The last new speedster Barry empowers is named Jess Chambers. In the comics, Jess Chambers is the non-binary Flash of Earth-11. The Arrowverse Jess Chambers resembles the comic book version.

Technobabble

Barry tells Team Flash to execute delta maneuvers before they split up and fight Cobalt Blue's team.

Chillblaine determines that Chester's blood generates Hawking radiation at a molecular level. This is the same kind of energy found in black holes. 

Chester's genes contain a consciousness-honed universally neutralized Kerr anomaly, or CHUNK.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Reverse Flash reveals himself to Zoom and Godspeed.)
Zoom: You're Harry Wells. You're the man who helped the Flash defeat me.
Godspeed: No. That's Thawne. The man who helped the Flash defeat me. Any last words, Thawne? 

Reverse Flash: Never wear white after Labor Day. And Zoloman-- ( chuckles ) Love your work. Although slightly derivative, don't you think? Pretending to be the Flash's ally. Let's see. Who's playbook is that from? 

Zoon: Are you mocking me? 

Reverse Flash: Now, you're catching on. 


Khione: The more I embrace who I truly am, the more I see the natural order of things. You say balance is about violence and death, but it doesn't have to be that way. Nature is about more than balance. It's about coexistence. All things living together. Not in conflict, but in mutual trust. 

Barry: Khione, the last avatar I faced... I sat down. I stopped fighting. Thawne didn't. You want coexistence, but I'm sorry. It's impossible. 

Khione: Then you need to believe in the impossible because it's the only way to create a better world.

Continuity

Barry returns to 2023 and runs to the hospital where Iris is still giving birth to Nora.

Chester reports that there's no sign of temporal fracturing yet, but Barry says it has already started in 2049.

Zoom, who died in 223, is pulled out of time at the moment of his death, into the Negative Speed Force.

Eddie's  lair in the Negative Speed Force resembles Dr. Malcolm Gilmore's house, which was Joe West's home.

Godspeed is pulled out of time from an undetermined point. He says he was about to slit Impulse's throat.

Eobard Thawne, in the guise of Harrison Wells, explains that they are in the Negative Speed Force.

Zoom thinks Thawne is Harry Wells at first, but Godspeed recognizes him as Thawne in Wells' body.

Savitar appears next, apparently pulled from time just before Iris West shot him in 323.

Eddie Thawne reveals himself and explains that all four evil speedsters are dead, resurrected by the Negative Speed Force from just before the moment of their death. This is the first confirmation that Eobard Thawne finally died for good in 820.

Eddie says that Godspeed dies in 2052.

Eddie creates a suit of armor for himself and invites the other villains help him destroy The Flash and his legacy.

Barry gets to the hospital about an hour before Iris is expected to give birth.

Eddie shows up at the hospital calling himself Cobalt Blue. He brings blue flowers for Iris 

Eddie plans to kill Barry, which will kill the Speed Force, and allow for the creation of a new world where the Negative Speed Force will rule unopposed. Eddie doesn't care because, in this reality, he can be the hero Barry was and have the life with Iris he wanted.

Nora runs in and saves Barry. She says that Cecile telepathically called to her across time.

Chillblaine, Khione, Allegra, Cecile and Nora join with Barry to face Cobalt Blue, Savitar, Zoom, Godspeed and Reverse Flash. This collective of villains is later named the Legion of Zoom.

Barry faces Cobalt Blue

Cecile takes on Godspeed.

Chillblaine and Khione fight Zoom.

Allegra goes after Reverse-Flash.

Nora goes after Savitar. 

Savitar attempts to impale Nora like he did Iris in the future where Iris died. Nora phases through his blade, breaks it, and uses it to shank Savitar.

Godspeed creates multiple clones of himself to fight Cecile, but she brings him down with a telepathic attack.

Reverse-Flash goes to STAR Labs and attacks Chester with a lightning attack. For some reason, it doesn't kill Chester (although it does hurt him) 

Zoom is hemmed in by a CCPD roadblock set up by Chief David Singh, Captain Kristen Kramer and Officer Daisy Korber.  Apparently Khione called them in.

Reference is made to Zoom killing multiple CCPD officers in The Flash Season 2.

Barry confronts Cobalt Blue in CC Jitters.

Khione absorbs the lighting Zoom throws at her and throws it right back at him.

Reverse-Flash makes reference to Nash Wells and his relationship mentoring Allerga.

Allegra takes Reverse-Flash out with a major light blast. She then tends to the unconscious Chuck, who suddenly wakes up gasping.

Cobalt Blue threatens to kill the people in CC Jitters unless Barry allows himself to be killed.

Jay Garrick shows up and steals the speed energy out of Cobalt Blue. He says this was a trick his Earth-90 counterpart taught him.  (The Earth-90 Flash did the same thing to Barry in 609, so he could sacrifice himself in Barry's place.)

Cobalt Blue drains the Negative Speed Force power from the resurrected speedsters and retreats into the Negative Speed Force. As he does this, the temporal fracturing reaches 2023.

Jay says that is Cobalt Blue tries to absorb too much Negative Speed Force energy, he will overload and kill himself, like Eobard Thawne in 820.

Chillblaine and Jay think that letting Eddie kill himself may be the only way to save the timeline, but Barry thinks he can make Eddie see reason. 

Khione says she can get Barry into the Negative Speed Force.

Khione says that Barry needs to change Eddie's viewpoint and that they need to encourage coexistence between the Positive and Negative forces.

Barry confronts Cobalt Blue in a Negative Speed Force space that now looks like his and Iris' loft, but with photos of Iris and Eddie together.

Eddie punches Barry, shouting that he always wins. This echoes a line repeated by the Reverse Flash when he fought Barry in 123. This prompts Barry to point out that Eddie is becoming the very villain he sacrificed himself to stop.

Eddie smashes the Cobalt Blue crystal and agrees to remain the Negative Speed Force avatar in order to maintain the balance. He asks Barry to tell Iris he is happy for her.

Barry returns to the hospital just in time for Nora's birth. 

Jay Garrick confirms the temporal fracturing has stopped.

Chester says he feels fine, apart from being oddly hungry after his fight with Reverse Flash.

Chillblaine theorizes that when Chester bonded with a black hole in 601, some of the cosmic energy bonded with him. This gives him some passive ability to absorb energy.

Joe West, Cecile, Chester, Allegra, Chillblaine and Khione all wait at the hospital.

Cecile makes reference to giving birth to Jenna during 423.

Nora also joins the team, but wonders if she is breaking some kind of timeline rules by being present at her own birth.  Chester and Chillblaine say they think they are okay.

Timeless Wells, the original Earth-1 Harrison Wells, appears to Khione. He confirms the threat of the Negative Speed Force is past and it is time for Khione to ascend and become the protector of the natural order she is meant to be.

Khione says she has to say goodbye to her family first. 

Nora is born without complications.

Chester agrees to take care of Khione's plants.

When Khione ascends, Caitlin Snow is left in her place. It is presumed that Khione was just using Khione's physical body.

A homecoming party is held for Nora and Iris one week after Khione ascends.

Future Nora and Timeless Wells attend the party along with Jay Garrick, Joan Garrick, Chief Singh, Captain Kramer, and several of Iris' employees.

Caitlin is overheard talking to her mother on the phone and promising she will visit her soon, so she can run more tests to make sure she is fine.

Barry apologizes for destroying Caitlin's lab in 816.

Caitlin says she will carry Frost's legacy with her and that what she was doing trying to bring her back was unnatural. 

Joe proposes to Cecile. She accepts.

Barry is shown reading a copy of The Runaway Dinosaur. This was his favorite book as a child, as revealed in 221.

Barry creates lightning bolts to give three people a connection to the Speed Force: Avery Ho, Max Mercury and Jess Chambers.  He runs along the same landing strip at Ferris Air where he first used his speed voluntarily in 101 to do this.

Avery Ho was last seen in 806.

When we see Avery, she is calling in late to work, claiming she had car trouble despite not having a car. Barry Allen did the same thing in 101.

Barry made reference to Max Mercury in 815, as he was looking through time using the Still Force.

Untelevised Adventures

Reference is made to a fight between Impulse and Godspeed, in which Godspeed was about to slit Impulse's throat before he was pulled out of time.

Godspeed dies in the year 2052.

Jay Garrick met The Flash of Earth-90 at some point and learned how to drain the speed from other speedsters.

Nora says the 24 hours around Bart Allen's birth is even crazier than her own.

The Boomerang Factor

The resurrected evil speedsters are beaten far too easily.


The Bottom Line

A lackluster end to a lackluster season, drowning in nostalgia for better days. The best parts of the episode are shot-outs to the show's greatest moments, but those only serve to highlight just how bad this show became toward the end.

The Flash Episode Guide: Season 9, Episode 11 - A New World, Part Two

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

Plot

Team Flash searches for the missing Barry Allen, as an unseen enemy starts picking them off. Meanwhile, in the not too distant future. Dr. Malcolm Gilmore investigates the death of Eddie Thawne and why he resembles the dead cop so closely.

Influences

The Venom movies with Tom Hardy (a blonde man named Eddie is pushed around by an alien force that takes control of him.), Avengers: Infinity War (the effects for Khione cleansing Chillblaine look like the people dusted by the Thanos snap) and The Flash comics of Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn (character of Cobalt Blue).


Goofs

No attempt was made to make any of the actors in the 2049 segments look 25+ years older.

The security guard at CCC Media in 2049 makes no effort to stop Malcolm Gilmore from fleeing the scene after he breaks into Iris West-Allen's office.


Performances

It's subtle, but John Cor has a few moments that hint at Chillblaine's possession by the Speed Force before it is revealed, such as his rolling his eyes while burying his head in his hands as if he can't believe his own performance.


Artistry

The sequence in which Malcolm Gilmore has a breakdown on a rainy night, set to a techno remix of Elton John's "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" is a fantastic bit of direction, even if it does look more like a music video than a scene from The Flash. It is at least visually interesting.


Flash Facts

The subtitle of this episode is The Blues, according to the title card, but the subtitle does not feature in the actual episode title.

This episode was the directorial debut of Kayla Compton, who plays Allegra Garcia. 

Cobalt-97 is not a real cobalt isotope. It's number is likely a reference to the year of Cobalt Blue's creation, 1997. 


Technobabble

Chester detects trace amounts of an radioactive cobalt isotope in Barry and Iris' apartment. This seems to be a signature of the Negative Speed Force in action, as Chester notes this kind of isotope does not show up naturally.

The specific isotope is Cobalt-97.

Continuity

In the opening scene, Dr. Gilmore takes the file he found in 910 to CCPD HQ. Several of the officers look at him in disbelief, apparently recognizing him. This includes Daisy Korber, who is wearing the dress clothes of a Detective rather than a CCPD patrol officer's uniform. This is the first indicator that Dr. Gilmore's scenes are not in the present day.

Iris assembles Team Flash six hours and 52 minutes after Barry disappeared.

Chillblaine returns, having spent the past seven months traveling through Tundi, the Arctic and Corto Maltese, volunteering at a few research facilities.

Cecile called Chillblaine in. Apparently Mark reached out to her a few months after he left. He asked her not to tell Khione, thinking he should give her some space.

Chillblaine and Khione go to inspect Barry and Iris' loft, while Chester scans for more cobalt radiation around Coast City. Cecile contacts ARGUS to see if they've heard anything, while Allegra and Iris go to check the CCC Media databases for anything involving cobalt radiation or mysterious disappearances.

Iris finds her old draft of the "Flash Missing - Vanishes in Crisis" headline from the pilot episode.

Iris tells Allegra about how the first version of Nora West-Allen from the future that she and Barry met in Season 5 was from a future where Barry disappeared during the Crisis on Infinite Earths and how she grew up without a father.  She's afraid that they may have only delayed the inevitable and Nora is destined to grow up without a father after all.

Allegra thanks Iris for taking her under her wing and teaching her to be a reporter and a leader.

 Iris' favorite tea is chamomile. 

Allegra is attacked by an unseen figure wielding blue lightning. Whoever they are, she recognizes them, speaking to them before they attack her and knock her out.

The unseen figure sabotages the fire suppression system for the CCC Media building. This results in a gas leak, which causes Taylor and Aariz to pass out.

Khione and Chillblaine respond to Iris' distress signal.

Khione tries to repair the damage to Taylor and Aariz's lungs by growing plant cells inside their body to generate more oxygen so they can breathe better. This has the temporary side effect of turning their skin.This terrifies them and makes them run from Khione, even though she says they should return to normal in minutes.

Iris finds the unconscious Allegra in the hall.

Allegra is taken to STAR Labs, where Gideon determines she is suffering from acute radiation exposure. Specifically, she was exposed to the cobalt-97 isotope.

Chillblaine asks if Khione can cure Allegra's radiation sickness. She can't, because she can only use her powers to cleanse people of unnatural influences. Since radiation is part of the natural order, she can't alter it.

Chillblaine suggests locking Iris in the Time Vault, while the rest of them look for Barry.

In 2049, Daisy Korber tells Dr. Gilmore that he's the spitting image of Detective Eddie Thawne.

When Dr. Gilmore tries to show his ID to Daisy Korber, it is a blank card at first. It later changes to a government ID with the name Malcolm Gilmore on it in a flash of blue light.

Dr. Gilmore describes the events of 910 and how he found the file after being struck by lightning.

Daisy says she worked with Eddie Thawne as a rookie cop. She says there was never an official explanation for why he died.

Dr. Gilmore hears a growling voice speaking to him, telling him to "find her."

Khione is upset that Chillblaine apparently didn't want to talk to her but was willing to talk to Cecile.

Chillblaine says he needed time to come to terms with his grief over Frost, but that now he's scared of what Khione has become and calls her an abomination. This causes her to run off.

Chillblaine is revealed to be possessed by the blue crystal, as Joe West was in  910.

After giving Chester a sob story about wishing he had been there for Frost whens he died, Chillblaine offers to finish reprogramming the STAR Labs satellites so he can be with Allegra. This allows him to disable the satellites completely.

Malcolm starts having visions of Eddie Thawne and Iris West together. This leads him to start searching for Iris West, presuming she is the "her" he must find. 

Chillblaine knocks out Cecile to gain access to the Time Vault and lures out Iris.

The Negative Speed Force is about to kill Iris, but the Speed Force (in the form of Nora Allen) attacks her.

Speed Force Nora reveals that Chillblaine is possessed by the Negative Speed Force.

Speed Force Nora says the other Negative Forces are attacking her on the cosmic plane, to distract her from their plan. She thinks they took Barry, but their connection is disrupted and she can't find him anywhere in time or space.

Speed Force Nora says Khione is the only one who can help them fight back against the Negative Forces.

In 2049, Malcolm breaks into Iris West-Allen's office and starts looking for information about Eddie Thawne.  He recognizes Iris from a framed headline about her expanding her media empire.

Taylor, who is still working at CCC Media in 2049, calls for security upon seeing Malcolm.

Malcolm has more flashes of Eddie's life after seeing a framed picture of Joe West with Iris.

Iris uses Gideon to make a recording for Barry in case she doesn't make it.

Speed Force Nora summons Khione using some of the last of her strength.

Speed Force Nora says she can't help Team Flash anymore and Khione must step up.

Khione says she is inhuman and the Speed Force says that is true, but humanity is important to keep beings such as them grounded even if emotions can blind them.

Speed Force Nora helps Khione figure out exactly what she is.

Chester tracks Chillblaine to Caitlin and Frost's apartment.

Khione's arrival at Frost and Caitlin's apartment generates a shift in the barometric pressure equivalent to a hurricane. 

Iris goes into labor.

Khione turns Chillblaine into dust to remove the Negative Speed Force Crystal and then puts him back together.

The crystal disappears before Khione can take it.

Cecile detects a massive way of panic and joy right before Iris tells her she's in labor.

Barry reappears in STAR Labs at that moment, in a flash of blue light, apparently having just teleported there after vanishing in 910.

Allegra undergoes an iodine treatment for her radiation sickness.

Khione tells Chillblaine that she is a goddess. She says she is not connected to one Force or one element, but all of nature. She says she will need to explore what that entails but that she doesn't think her destiny is to protect just one team or one city.

Khione says she doesn't think she can stay with Team Flash, but she won't leave until after they stop the Negative Speed Force.

Barry is teleported in another flash of blue light from the hospital waiting room.

In 2049, Daisy Korber finds Malcolm Gilmore digging up Eddie Thawne's grave. 

They discover that there is no body in the coffin in the grave.

Upon seeing the empty coffin, Malcolm has a vision of Eddie Thawne killing himself to stop the Reverse Flash in 123. He also spontaneously develops the lethal shot through the chest that killed him.  He reaches into the wound to pull out the bullet, which he shows to  Daisy Korber.


Location

Central City in 2049


The Bottom Line

It makes sense that, after an episode focused on Barry, we should see what the rest of the team was doing in his absence. It does not make sense, however, that so much of this episode feels like padding. The explanation of Khione's powers works with what is given, but it still makes her into a literal deus ex machina to take the place of the Speed Force. The bits with Malcolm/Eddie are also good, but somewhat confusing given it isn't made clear until next episode that they take place in the future.

The Flash Episode Guide: Season 9, Episode 10 - A New World, Part One

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

Plot

It's been several months since Barry Allen's birthday and big things are in the works for Team Flash, with Chester working on a super-suit for Allegra, Khione mastering her powers, and Iris receiving word of a long-awaited career milestone. But Barry Allen is nowhere to be found, lost in time and about to relieve the worst day of his life from another perspective.

Influences

The Flash comics of Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn (character of Cobalt Blue), Flashpoint (the theme of Barry spending time with his parents before their deaths) and The Flash Season One (Barry travels back to the events of the Pilot and the Season 1 finale.)


Goofs

While the cameo from Professor Stein is funny, by this point in time he would have had multiple encounters with the Legends of Tomorrow as a young man. As such, it is unlikely he'd be so quick to dismiss someone claiming to be a time traveler on the phone.

Due to a combination of archival footage being mixed with new footage, Barry is wearing the wrong Flash costume at several points during the fight with Thawne.


Performances

Grant Gustin gives one of his best solo outings as Barry Allen yet, playing up Barry's pain at being powerless to change the past but appreciating the chance he's given to enjoy one last meal with his parents.

Matt Letscher likewise delivers a masterful performance as the original Eobard Thawne that will leave you wishing we had seen more of him in the role over the last nine seasons.

Artistry

The use of the color blue as a theme in the opening scene is nice, from the flowers in Malcolm's home and his suit, the blueberries he eats, to the fact that he's humming Elton John's "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues."


Flash Facts

The subtitle of this episode is Reunions, according to the title card, but the subtitle does not feature in the actual episode title.

This episode introduces the character of Dr. Malcolm Gilmore. His name, and repeated references to the color blue involving him, are nods to The Flash villain Cobalt Blue.

First appearing in Speed Force #1 in 1997, Cobalt Blue was the twin brother of Barry Allen.  On the night Barry was born, Nora Allen gave birth to twins. The doctor overseeing the twins birth, Dr. Gilmore, was negligent in his treatment of another patient, Charlene Thawne, who was also giving birth that night. To balance things, Dr. Gilmore gave the Thawnes the second Allen child, whom they named Malcolm.

Unfortunately, the Thawnes were an abusive family of con artists, who commanded a strange mystic blue flame. Everyone in the family had this power, except for Malcolm. His search for answers led him to Dr. Gilmore, whom Malcolm murdered after he confessed to taking Malcolm from his birth parents. 

Malcolm later gained access to the blue flame through a talisman crafted by his foster grandmother. Powered by his jealousy for his successful, happy twin brother, Malcom became Cobalt Blue and set out to ruin his brother's reputation by posing as him, having learned Barry Allen was also The Flash. 

The colorful patchwork costume Chester crafts for Allegra with a helmet that hinders her ability to see is a reference to the villain Crazy Quilt. Like Allegra, he had light-based powers, though his were based around a helmet.

Barry's parents take him to an Italian restaurant called Zatara's that is said to have the best pizza in Coast City. This is a reference to Giovanni "John" Zatara, who was DC Comics first magic hero and the father of Zatanna.


Technobabble

Barry baby-proofs his loft with proximity-based meta-dampeners, so Nora can't hurt herself by accidentally using her speed.

The C-Net database that allows the police to look up unlisted phone numbers was not developed until 2002.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Barry has just realized he's in the year 2000.)
Barry: What did I do this time?

Nora Allen: Bart, do you believe in fate? Because I do. That's why I believe that there's a reason that we met, so that even for one day, you don't have to go through all of this alone.

Thawne:  Somebody's having a bad day. Unfortunately... ( laughs ) It's only gonna get worse.

Thawne: You can't walk away from what's about to happen, Barry.
Barry: I know. I can walk towards it. 

Thawne: You'd actually destroy an entire timeline just to save your own pathetic existence?
Barry: No, Thawne. I'm not here to save myself. I'm here to save you. 

Thawne: I don't understand. You saved yourself and let me kill her instead. Why?
Barry: I had no choice.

Thawne: (slowly, in comprehension) Killing your mother... it's a fixed point. You knew this was gonna happen. And now I'm stuck here in a hell where I get to watch you grow up and become the hero that I should have been! I swear... even if I have to tear the universe apart, I will find a way to destroy you and everyone you love! Because from this moment forward, my life's work will be finding ways to kill you.

Barry: (calmly) I know. And this night tortured me for decades. Not anymore. Because today I got to see my parents one last time and feel how much they loved me. 

Thawne: (desperate) This is the worst night of your life. I know it.

Barry: And today brought me the peace I've been looking for ever since. I have you to thank for that, Eobard, and I'll always be grateful. 
(Barry is suddenly seized by blue energy and pulled away screaming. Faced with no target to attack and the realization that he's doomed himself and totally failed to ruin Barry Allen's life in a meaningful way, Thawne screams in pure impotent rage.)

Continuity

The opening scene details the morning of a mystery man named Dr. Malcolm Gilmore, who works at Mercury Labs. The man is the spitting image of Eddie Thawne, who died in 123.

Allegra is still maintaining a secret identity in regards to her light powers.

Chester made Allegra a new costume, which she hates.

Cecile is still commuting to Central City while living with Joe and Jenna elsewhere.

Joe West makes a big dinner for Cecile whenever she stays the weekend with him and Jenna.

Khione is living in Caitlin and Frost's apartment. She has now mastered the ability to change her body into fog and back.

Khione is keeping a journal, where she writes letters to Caitlin and Frost, whom she considers her sisters.

Khione says it has been "nine months since she started her journey."  Presuming that 909 took place on March 12. 2023, this would place the events of this episode sometime in the middle of November 2023. This matches up with the presumed date that Iris' pregnancy would come to a close, since she discovered she was pregnant in February 2023 in 905. 

Khione refroze a lake for a group of school kids so they could ice skate.

ARGUS has been helping Khione catalog her powers. She says she is discovering a new power every day.

Khione has not talked to Mark in nine months, suggesting he has kept his distance since 907. Despite everything that happened between them, she does miss him and wants to talk to him.

Iris' article about the Red Death from 907, Nightmare Under Red Skies, is nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

Barry disappears in a flash of blue energy. He finds himself, in pain, on the streets of Central City.

Barry figures out he is in the past when he sees a woman walking by wearing a portable CD player.

Barry figures out it is the year 2000 based on a license plate.

Barry tries to run back to 2023, but something blocks him from the wormhole portal. He crashes into the back of a Gambi's Cleaners van, just like when he first used his speed by accident while running in 101.

Barry goes to CCPD HQ and tries to talk to Joe West. 

Barry confuses David Singh by addressing him as Captain, when he is only a Detective in 2000.

Barry tries to get Joe West to help him find Dr. Tina McGee, who has an unlisted phone number in 2000. Joe, however, wonders how Barry knows about the City Registry as a civilian. He agrees to help Barry, but asks to know who he is.  It is then that Barry sees a desk calendar and realzies it is the day of his mother's murder.

Barry runs off before telling Joe anything more about the past.

Barry tries to call Professor Martin Stein, who hangs up on him, thinking his talk about being a time-traveler he hasn't met yet is a crank call.

Barry sees his parents while using a pay phone. He walks to talk to them, not paying attention, and is knocked unconscious by a streak of red lightning and nearly hit by a car. He is saved by his father running out into traffic to stop the car to treat him.

Barry wakes up in the hospital with his father, Dr. Henry Allen, watching over him.

Barry gives his name as Bart, when asked who he is.

Barry's parents treat him to a meal when he says his blood sugar is low. They take him to Zatara's, which was his favorite pizza place as a kid.

Joe covers the scene of Barry's accident and identifies him as the weird guy who was acting strangely in the CCPD HQ earlier that day. He tells Detective Singh about his gut feeling that Barry was running from something and in need of help.

Joe hears a voice calling his name. This takes him to a blue crystal, which he picks up. This causes him to be possessed by some dark influence.

Barry's parents offer to let him stay with them, but he runs off and has an anxiety attack.

Barry is discovered by Eobard Thawne, in his original body. This is a younger version of Thawne, who has just learned The Flash's secret identity. 

Thawne denies having anything to do with bringing Barry to the past. He thinks Barry showing up there may be the universe giving him one more chance to torture Barry before erasing him from existence completely.

Thawne takes Barry to O'Shaughnessy's Bar to have a drink and taunt him further.

Thawne admits he came to that point in time to kill Barry as a child. He says the only ways Barry can stop him are to kill him or to lock him up in Iron Heights. He says Barry won't do the former because of his moral code and he won't do the latter because it would cause a paradox. 

Henry and Nora talk about looking for "Bart" and both admit to feeling an odd connection with him.

Barry goes to his parents and tells them they reminded him of his parents and what he'd say to them if he had one more day. He tells them that their love made him who he is and he carries their light with them every day.

Barry is confronted by Joe West, who attacks him with a blue energy that saps his speed.

Barry realizes Joe is possessed by the Negative Speed Force.

One doctor takes the initiative in evacuating people as the Negative Speed Force knocks out the power ot the hospital. This doctor is Dr. Rachel Rosso, the mother of Ramsey Rosso, AKA Bloodwork.

Barry is able to knock Joe West out. This causes the blue crystal he is carrying to disappear.

Barry goes to his childhood home to confront Thawne. This leads to the battle seen in 101 and 123, with 2023 Barry in the place of the future version of himself that stopped 2015 Barry from saving his mother.

Thawne is left powerless and trapped in 2000, as in the flashback scene from 117.

In the final scene, Dr. Malcolm Gilmore is working late in Mercury Labs and is struck by a red lightning bolt. He is oddly injured and, when he stands up, he finds a classified CCPD police report regarding one Detective Eddie Thawne and his mysterious disappearance. Dr. Gilmore sees a photo of Eddie and realizes it looks like him.

Location

Cemtral City in November 2023, based on the date in Khione's journal.

Central City on March 18, 2000.

Keystone City on March 18, 2000 in O'Shaughnessy's Bar,

While it is not clear in this episode, Dr. Malcolm Gilmore's scenes take place in the future of 2049.


Untelevised Adventures

Reference is made to the first time Thawne and Barry met, from Thawne's perspective, in the year 2170.  This meeting has never been shown on camera, though Thawne made reference to it as the reason he hated Barry so much in 805.


The Bottom Line

A solid start to the finale, which builts perfectly on the Season 1 battles with The Reverse Flash.  The only problem is everything else involving the supporting cast feels tacked on, especially the bits setting up Cobalt Blue. Still, Grant Gustin and Matt Letscher sell it.

The Flash Episode Guide: Season 9, Episode 8 - Partners In Time

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

Plot

Barry and Iris must puzzle out a mystery together, when a time-traveling thief infiltrates STAR Labs and starts causing anomalies. Meanwhile, Khione meets an old friend of Team Flash, as some ill-chosen words threaten to ruin Allegra and Chester's romance before it begins.

Influences

Doctor Who (the whole time-heist storyline) and Gail Simone's The Atom comics.

Goofs

This episode is said to take place on April 5, 2023, which was the same day it aired in reality. However, this conflicts with the date given in 906, which took place on Jenna West's fifth birthday, which was May 22, 2023. 

It is further impossible for this timeline to work, given Chillblaine left Central City at the end of 907, but was shown to be training Khione in using her powers in 906.

It seems highly unlikely that STAR Labs would go 100 years without any kind of basic safety inspection. (Lady Chronos says the 2023 date was the last inspection "before becoming a museum," so it may have had inspections since then.)

HR Wells opened a STAR Labs museum in 310, yet apparently managed this without the city requiring any kind of safety inspection beforehand. (This is honestly on-brand for HR, who was more of an idea man and wasn't the best at little details like filling out paperwork.)

The meeting between Khione and Carla Tannhauser takes place entirely off camera, which is anticlimactic given how much importance it is given in the early scenes.

Flash Facts

The title is a play on the term "Partners In Crime."

This episode introduces the Arrowverse version of Lady Chronos. In the comics, Lady Chronos was a Chinese woman named Jia, who was a former love interest of the Ryan Choi Atom. She became an apprentice to the first Chronos, David Clinton, and used his tech for herself. She later became the mother of the Atom villain Dwarfstar.

The Arrowverse Lady Chronos has a similar costume to the comics Lady Chronos, with a clock face painted on her face in makeup.

Little is revealed about the Arrowverse Lady Chronos, beyond her status as a time-traveling thief. She tried to rob The Flash Museum in 2123, but there's no indication she is native to that time.


Technobabble

The reason everyone in STAR Labs is trapped is because (for them) space and time have lost elasticity. Some kind of gravitation force, dubbed the Time Magnet, has created a zone they can't escape from and is pulling objects out of time.

Time Magnets must be paired with some kind of stabilizer to prevent anomalies. 

A time traveler might give off excess radiation.

Jane theorizes that time travel might induce temporary amnesia. (This was shown to be the case in Legends of Tomorrow.)

The Time Magnet has an identity matrix, which Lady Chronos reset to her biometrics. This will make it explode if it is taken from her.

The Time Magnet attracts temporal displacement particles, causing everything around it to transmogrify.  

Lady Chronos' chronobelt allows her to travel through time in a single location. This allowed her to access The Flash Museum weapon's vault., then escape by traveling back in time and posing as a safety inspector. Unfortunately, the Time Magnet wouldn't allow her to leave.

The chronobelt requires a rapid kinetic generator to recharge.

Continuity

The opening scene shows a cloaked figure trying to steal a device from the Weapon's Vault of The Flash Museum. The scene ends with a focus on an inspection certificate with the date April 5, 2023.

Barry has painted Nora's crib purple and yellow - the same colors as her superhero costume in the future and her lightning.

Nora's favorite ice cream is cookie dough flavor.

Iris' favorite ice cream is a vanilla bean flavor made at an organic dairy farm in Coast City.

Iris gives Barry a gift - a mint condition copy of a North American Science magazine which has his father's picture on the cover. She remembered it after he mentioned losing his copy as a kid six months earlier.

Iris asks Barry to bring her some of Cecile's casserole when he comes home.

Barry scheduled a mold check at STAR Labs so it would be safe for Nora once she is born.

Barry sealed the Starchives and had Chester and Khione store all the other Team Flash equipment in the Time Vault, so their secrets are safe.

Carla Tannhauser, Frost and Caitlin's mother, expressed an interest in meeting Khione.

Khione is afraid that Carla will reject her, like Chillblaine did.

Barry's request for a mold inspection wound up triggering a full DOE inspection since STAR Labs adn't had any permits renewed since before the particle accelerator exploded.

One inspector is searching for mold. One inspector is measuring any device energy or matter that emits ionized radiation or particles. One is there to inspect the electrical systems.

Iris shows up, having not been able to wait for the casserole.

Barry is stuck for an explanation as to what the Speed Lab is for and why it is called that which does not involve The Flash.

The electrical inspector forgets the name for the breaker box. This is a clue that she is not who she says she is. 

As the inspectors, Barry and Iris try to leave the Speed Lab, they keep coming back to it.

A grandfather clock suddenly appears in the Speed Lab. It is identified as being from the 19th century, but looking as if it was built yesterday.

Nobody can get a signal on their phones.

Iris makes reference to being trapped in a time-loop with Barry (901) and the Dream Realm with Dreamer (907).

Barry decides to travel forward in time to figure out how they escape the looping rooms. He promises to bring Iris a snack with pistachios.

Chester and Allegra are playing board games on their day off. They start off with Scrabble.

Allegra makes reference to "going Nova" with her powers in 906 during the fight at O'Shaughnessy's.

Chester says "I love you" to Allegra, causing her to freeze up.

Chester invites Cecile to play Settlers of Cattan with them, after it becomes clear Allegra is uncomfortable being alone with him now.

The clothing of everyone in STAR Labs suddenly changes into historical garb from different time periods.

Barry reveals his secret identity to the inspectors to calm them as they begin to panic.

Barry recalls that his research for the Map Book of the future revealed a weapon's vault would be built into the Speed Lab in 100 years. He also thinks one of the objects in it is a Time Magnet.

Chief Inspector Howard is replaced with a statute.

Cecile senses things are awkward between Allegra and Chester and asks why.

Allegra froze up when Chester said he loved her because everyone she ever loved had something bad happen to them and she's afraid, on some level, that she's cursed.

Cecile sympathizes, having her own abandonment issues from her first marriage, but she says Chester is not the kind of guy to run.

Barry deduces Inspector Tao is the fraud because of her not knowing what a breaker box was. He later traps her in a lie, saying that check valves are probably to blame for the electrical wiring in STAR Labs going bad.  Check valves are used in plumbing to guide water flow.

Tao, revealed as Lady Chronos, tries to take Iris hostage.

Barry reasons with Lady Chronos, offering to recharge her belt so she can put the Time Magnet back, convincing her that she'll die if she doesn't.

The timeline is restored with one of the inspectors remembering what happened and Barry just convincing them the Speed Lab is named in honor of The Flash.

Khione tells Barry she could have told him that STAR Labs didn't have a mold problem, although she can't say how she knows.

Khione says she is eight weeks old at this point.

Khione says that Carla just wanted to get to now her as a friend and that she hopes to get to know her as a mentor.

Khione can also sense when Iris is hungry.

Khione, Iris and Barry go to get dinner at Helena's, which was revealed to have Iris' favorite cheese fries in 907.

Allegra tells Chester she loves him too and the two officially become a couple.

Location

The Flash Museum - Central City - 2123

Untelevised Adventures

The meeting between Khione and Carla Tannhauser takes place entirely off camera.

The Bottom Line

A harmless filler episode, but a rather odd one given how few episodes are left at this point in the season. It is clear this episode was meant to save the show's budget for the grand finale, with most of the action confined to one room and little in the way of showy superheroics.

The Flash Episode Guide: Season 9, Episode 7 - Wildest Dreams

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

Plot

When Iris and Dreamer becoming connected in the Dream Realm, it falls to the rest of Team Flash to rescue them. Meanwhile, Chillblaine takes Khione out for a night on the town with ulterior motives.

Influences

Neil Gaiman's The Sandman (the dream realm setting and general dark atmosphere.)

Goofs

Iris' article places this episode as taking place on March 28, 2023 - one day before the episode aired in reality. However, the previous episode, 906, took place on Jenna West's fifth birthday, which was May 22, 2023. It is further impossible for this timeline to work, given Mark leaves Central City at the episode's end, but was shown to be training Khione in using her powers in the previous episode.


Performances

Nicole Maines is still a delight as Dreamer. It's a shame this was the best she could hope for after Supergirl rather than a full spin-off.


Artistry

The dream imagery is rather effective.

Flash Facts

The title is a reference to a Taylor Swift song. (This in itself may be a reference to Nia saying she is a Taylor Swift fan in S502.)

Technobabble

Gideon's biometric analysis determines that Nia and Iris were put into a deep REM sleep. Their cortical functions are totally siloed, keeping them from responding to any outside stimuli.

Chester notes that their neural functions in their cerebral cortexes are sinking and this could result in a permanent comatose state.

The Naltorian mystics had a word that means "angry sleep," referring to the phenomena when a dreamer spends too long in the Dream Realm and their body starts to feel intense strain.

At 106 degrees, organs shut down and a person can die.


Dialogue Triumphs

Chillblaine: I'm almost embarrassed. 

Khione: By your secret crush and the love you feel for them? 

Chillblaine: By my not-so-secret love of bourbon, which is why I fell asleep on monitor duty.


Continuity

As the episode opens, Dreamer has a vision where she is surrounded by people and a hooded woman. She sees Iris West, who tells her "It's all about control," before dying.

Iris is having cravings for cheese fries. She thinks this is where Nora probably got her love of that food.

Helena's on Third Street has gourmet cheese fries. 

Iris is still working on an article about the Red Death attacks.

Allegra suggests the title "Nightmare Under Red Skies" for Iris' story. This is the title of the story that Iris was told would win her a Pulitzer Prize.

Chillblaine has a dream about Khione manifesting ice powers and making out with him. This is revealed to be a dream sequence.

According to Khione and Chester, Chillblaine talks in his sleep. 

Chillblaine offers to take Khione out to give her a break from testing herself for powers.

Dreamer travels to Central City to meet with Iris.

Dreamer says that Iris is her idol as a writer. She makes reference to a story she wrote about being kidnapped by Cicada. (517.)

Dreamer reveals that she was trying to hone her powers, seeking out an ancient source of Naltorian dream energy in the Dream Realm.

Dreamer reveals that she lost her powers after her last vision and thinks, because Iris was in the dream, she can help her restore them.

The hooded woman from Nia's dream shows up, but Iris cannot see her. She sends the two women into a dream.

Iris' dream of being a cop is a nod to her original dream career before she withdrew her application to the police academy because of Joe not wanting her to follow in his footsteps, as revealed in 104.

In Iris' dream, she's a Captain, like her father.

Reference is made to Captain Cold and Golden Glider (aka the Snart Siblings) and how Iris took them down.

The door out of the cop dream takes Dreamer and Iris to C.C. Jitters.

Iris' dream of being a barista is a reference to her job in The Flash season 1.

In this dream, Iris is the manager and Nia, Barry and Chester are her employees. 

Barry discovered Nia and Iris in Iris' office and takes them to STAR Labs.

Chester monitors them, while Barry and Cecile go to call the League, Cisco Ramon and John Diggle for help.

Supergirl, Martian Manhunter and Brainiac-5 are all said to be off-world.

Chillblaine takes Khione to O'Shaughnessy's Bar, despite Khione not drinking. Before that, he took her to play paintball, which she also did not enjoy.

Khione asks to do something more relaxing that will nurture the body and soul. She suggests the Arboretum, but Chillblaine suggests midnight roller derby instead.

Khione asks Chillblaine, point blank, why they aren't doing anything she wants to do.

Chillblaine says that gardens are boring.

In the dream world, Iris feels her body temperature going up. Dreamer says this is a sign their bodies are experiencing trauma from the strain of the Dream Realm.

Dreamer says the only hope they have of escape is cracking the code of Iris' dreams. She asks if there is anything worrying Iris about her life.

Iris tells Dreamer that she misses the freedom of her barista job and being in a world where she could clock out at 5 pm and have the rest of the day free.  This leads them to the dream where Iris died.

Dreamer is able to drive the cloaked woman away. This takes them to a staff meeting at CCC Media. Iris is accepting her Pulitzer, but her staff speak badly of her, saying that she only gets her stories because she is married to The Flash. Even Allegra calls her a fraud.

Khione asks Chillblaine if he wishes she was Frost. Before he can answer, the bar's karaoke host tries to get them up to sing Chillblaine and Frost's song, thinking that Khione is Frost.

Chillblaine tells Khione about his dream and how he thought maybe it was a sign they could be together.

Khione accuses Chillblaine of trying to turn her into Frost, again, instead of honestly trying to be her friend. 

Chillblaine admits she's right and Khione leaves him.

Iris realizes she's upset because knowing the future has her feeling like she didn't really earn her Pulitzer. She wants to be able to make her own choices, even if her future is everything she wanted.

Dreamer tells Iris that her choices led to her success and that nothing is preordained. She learned from her dream visions.

Cecile senses another presence in the room with Nia and Iris. She describes it as powerful and kind, like a guardian angel.

Nia leads Iris back into the space with the hooded woman and the random people. She says that she thought Iris was telling her to take control of her path in the dream, but she realizes how she is meant to give up control and trust her intuition.

The hooded woman reveals herself as the First Dreamer and the source of the power Nia was seeking.

Dreamer says the First Dreamer has restored and enhanced her powers and will teach her how to use them.

Everyone meets at Cecile's for breakfast the next morning.

Chillblaine talks to Khione and says he is going to leave Central City to find a new life without Frost.

Khione forgives Chillblaine.

When Khione returns to the breakfast, the table is frozen solid.

Location

The Dream Realm
O'Shaughnessy's Bar in Keystone City

Untelevised Adventures

Brainiac-5 is said to be off-world with Supergirl and Martian Manhunter.

Mention is once again made of the monthly brunches between Batwoman, Dreamer, Supergirl and Sentinel. Iris was invited to join them in 905.)

The Fridge Factor

Dreamer is far less confident in her abilities here, purely so Iris can inspire her.

The Bottom Line

More dull and confused than bad. The Dreamer subplot wouldn't be bad as a B-story, but the whole thing is contrived to make Iris into this inspirational figure to a depowered Dreamer. The Chillblaine story is uncomfortable, primarily because Chillblaine honestly seemed to have worked past his issues in earlier episodes and comes off as a real creep here, which is rough after all the show did to redeem him.

The Flash Episode Guide: Season 9, Episode 5 - The Mask of the Red Death, Part 2

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

Plot

With the Red Death and her Rogues laying waste to Central City, Barry and Iris come up with a plan to stop them but it will require Cecile and the Rogue Squad, who are unwilling to help Team Flash anymore. To save the day, The Flash must face his greatest failure.


Influences

Kingdom Come (The Red Death's method of protecting Central City borrows from the Bat Sentinels and the speed with which The Flash protects his hometown.)


Goofs

Allegra complains about The Rogue Squad not trying to save Chillblaine in the last episode. This would be fair, if Allegra weren't the one responsible for running Team Flash's teleport and controlling the evac that led to the team leaving him behind in the first place.

While it's a dick move on Barry's part that he never checked up on Grodd or Gorilla City, describing it as his greatest failure is a bit much. For that matter, how is the Crisis causing the Gorilla City gorillas to lose their sentience Barry's fault? (Okay, as the Paragon of Love he was responsible for remaking the universe, but still....)

Red Death says that Grodd is amplifying her telepathy. How did she get telepathic powers? Did she steal them from another hero the same way she copied Barry's speed?  If so, why didn't she use it before this episode when it might have been useful, like when she was talking to Iris West-Alllen and pretending to be the Ryan Wilder of Earth-Priime?

It never is confirmed that Red Death's Rogues were captured in this episode.

It never is explained just where Ryan Wilder has been all this time the Red Death was running around.

It also isn't explained how Ryan got to Central City or where she got an anti-speedster Batarang. (Perhaps Luke built one after discussing the problems Reverse-Flash caused with John Diggle? Or maybe he and Chester talk-shop off-camera? Or maybe he started building it after hearing about Red Death?)

Did Red Death kidnap Ryan to get her out of the way? If so, why didn't she just kill her outright or take all of her Batwoman gear to stop her from coming after her? Given her paranoia, wouldn't she be most afraid of the Batwoman of Earth-Prime becoming a threat to her?

This episode completely ignores the rules established in B112 which dictate that two doppelgangers cannot survive on the same Earth following Crisis on Infinite Earths. (It's possible the Negative Speed Force protects its users from this law in the same way it protects them from paradoxes. It may also not apply since Red Death says she comes from an alternate timeline rather than a parallel universe.)

Why is Iris so stunned by the revelation that she's pregnant? Haven't she and Barry planning for her pregnancy for the past few episodes?  Also, wouldn't that be the first thing she or Barry would think of if she were suddenly nauseous?


Performances

As cliché as they are now, Jesse L. Martin can still nail those inspiring Joe West speeches.

Artistry

The make-up for Murmur with her mask off is disturbing.


Technobabble

By boosting Cecile's empathic telemetry and superimposing it over a grid of the city map, Chester can hone in on whatever she senses.

ARGUS upgraded the satellite security system on the GCPD roof.

The device Murmur and Captain Boomerang install on the roof of the GCPD allow Red Death to be in multiple locations at once.

Chester detects multiple reservoirs of psychic energy, which are like individual manifestations of a single telepathic consciousness. 

Allegra's light powers give her X-Ray vision.

Barry claims psychic manifestations cannot hurt someone. However, he is reminded that Psych was able to make a projection of Savitar hurt him in 705.

Batwoman has an anti-speedster Batarang.

Chester reprograms the STAR Labs satellites to find Grodd's tribe.


Dialogue Triumphs

Joe: If there's one thing I'm sure of after all these years, it's you have a gift for bringing out the good in folks, no matter how bad they started out.
Barry: Well, if that's true, I learned it from you.
Joe: Maybe. Either way... I have run out of things that I need to teach you. Just like I don't need to protect Cecile anymore, considering how much her powers have grown. I should tell you, up until a couple of days ago, Cecile and I were talking about moving out of Central City to the country for good.
Barry: What?
Joe: It's okay. We decided to stay. And it's a good thing because the team needs her here.
Barry: We need you, too.
Joe: No, you don't. I'm not a cop anymore, and I'm not a meta, so what am I doing here?
Barry: Joe... no one is more important to this team... to this family... than you. I mean, think of all the heroes you've raised over the years. We couldn't do what we do if we didn't have you to teach us how. Inspiring people is your super power.
Joe: That's nice. But if it's my super power, it's yours, too, Barry. 'Cause you've inspired me. What I learned about being a parent is whatever seeds we've planted, we have to trust that they take root, no matter how dark things get. So you have faith in your way of being a hero. If you do that, you'll always find your way and those who follow you will, too.

Dialogue Disasters

Most of Javicia Leslie's dialogue as Red Death.

The Rogue Squad saying "It's a Wednesday" in unison and everyone laughing when Ryan Wilder asks if Central City is always like this. 


Continuity

As the episode opens, red Negative Speed Force Lightning is striking randomly around Central City.

The shipyard, Central City High School and City Hall are said to have been set on fire.

Murmur breaks into Captain Kramer's office and steals her pager for summoning The Flash.

Captain Kramer tries to copy Rainbow Raider's power and turns it against him and Fiddler. Somehow, Red Death is able to resist the effect. 

Barry is still depowered after using most of his speed to start up the Cosmic Treadmill.

Barry says they need to do something, but the Rogue Squad point out that they need a plan first.

Iris suggests they can use Cecile's powers to track Red Death's anger and hatred of Barry.

Red Death somehow senses Cecile looking for her, but not in time to stop her from figuring out she and the Rogues are at GCPD HQ.

Cecile also senses intense pain and fear from someone at the Red Death's base. She recognizes the person and informs Team Flash that Chillblaine is still alive.

Barry wants to rescue Chillblaine but the Rogue Squad refuse, saying they should take the fight to Red Death while they know where she is and saving the city is more important than rescuing one guy.

Khione offers to go rescue Chillblaine if nobody else will, but Barry refuses to risk her after losing Frost and Caitlin. 

The Rogues agree to help rescue Chillblaine, guilted into it by Khione's courage.

Cecile tells Joe that her powers are growing the more she uses them.

Cecile senses that Joe still feels uncomfortable about something.

Red Death left Chillblaine alive specifically to set a trap for Barry so she could drain the rest of his speed.

Red Death explains that her newfound psychic powers came from Gorilla Grodd, who is now connected to her.

Barry last saw Grodd in 613, where he was going to find Gorilla City and live with other intelligent gorillas like him. It turned out, however, that the Crisis caused the gorillas in Gorilla City to lose their sentience and they all became scattered across Earth-Prime.

Grodd agreed to amplify Red Death's telepathy in exchange for reuniting his tribe.

The Rogue Squad quit, saying there's no way they can beat Red Death and they want to spend what time they have left with their loved ones. 

Khione watches over Chillblaine but tells Iris that she feels useless. Iris says she feels that way sometimes too, but she eventually found her place on the team and she's sure Khione will figure it out someday.

Khione kisses Chillblaine and this seems to heal him.

Joe tells Barry you have to have faith in the people who follow you. This inspires Barry to try to talk to Grodd again.

Chester is able to track Grodd's telepathic signal.

Grodd is confirmed to be the most powerful telepath on Earth-Prime.

Barry persuades Grodd that he can help him save the formerly sentient gorillas.

Grodd restores Barry's speed with the energy Barry loaned him in 613.

The Rogue squad show up to help fight Red Death.

Batwoman shows up to help fight Red Death.

Batwoman has never been to Central City before.

ARGUS takes Red Death into custody.

Ryan Wilder is a fan of Iris' writing.

Joe decides to move himself and Jenna to the country, telling Cecile she can come be with them on the weekends.

Chillblaine comes to Joe's going away party, but tells Barry he still feels awkward, despite Barry insisting he's part of the family now.

Chester and Allegra kiss again in front of everyone.

Iris complains of feeling lightheaded, leading Khione to tell her that she is pregnant. When asked how she knows, she says she just knows.


Untelevised Adventures

Ryan Wilder gets to know Team Flash off-camera.

Ryan Wilder has a monthly brunch with Kara Danvers, Alex Danvers and Nia Nul. She invites Iris to come to the next one.


The Bottom Line

An easy contender for the worst episode of all time. The Grodd subplot comes out of nowhere and doesn't make any sense.  The new Rogues are completely forgotten partway through the episode. Nothing about Batwoman's appearance makes sense. 

The Flash Episode Guide: Season 9, Episode 4 - The Mask of the Red Death, Part 1

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

Plot

The Red Death launches an assault on Central City and The Flash, with a surprising goal in mind. The new Rogues have to help Team Flash keep the peace as an EMP cuts out all the power in town, as Joe and Cecile have a discussion about where their relationship is going.


Influences

Injustice: Gods Among Us (Red Death is more like the corrupted Superman of this story than the Red Death of the comics, being a hero who crossed the line to fascism to try and build a safer world.)


Goofs

Red Death refers to herself as the Red Death, even though it was apparently Goldface who gave her that name with no indication that was what she called herself.

Come to that, if she thinks she's a hero, why would she choose a name liked Red Death?

Barry calls Khione Caitlin in the final scene in STAR Labs. (This could be due to the stress of the moment, but it seems like a mistake and nobody corrects him.)

Artistry

It's a small detail, but all the Rogues are shown to use ASL when talking directly to Murmur.

Flash Facts

The episode title is a play on the Edgar Allan Poe story The Masque of the Red Death, which Goldface quoted in 903.

Jenna West appears on-camera for the first time since 612.

Rainbow Raider appears for the first time since Season 1. While he doesn't have his full array of powers from comics, he can now inspire fear as well as anger.

Chester evokes the name of Otis Boykin - the inventor of the electric resistor.

Many of Red Death's lines are taken directly from various Batman comics and adaptations.

Red Death's line "I am vengeance. I am the night." is taken from the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Nothing To Fear." "

Red Death's line about criminals being "a superstitious and cowardly lot" was first said in Detective Comics #33.

Red Death's line "Everybody's got their limits. I ignore mine." is from Batman #497.

 Red Death's line "You wanna get nuts? C'mon, let's get nuts!" is from the 1989 Batman movie.

Technobabble

The Cosmic Treadmill requires enough power to light up the Eastern Seaboard.

Barry and Chester plan to reprogram the STAR Labs satellites to scan for the Red Death's tachyon signature.

The Flash's cowl is boobytrapped to administer 50,000 volts to anyone who tries to remove it.

Even with their backup generators, STAR Labs can only operate at 20% power after the EMP.

Pied Piper uses a CB frequency 160 hertz to communicate with his team.

Pied Piper's Harmonic Frequency Tracer can be used to detect Flash's vibrational biometrics anywhere on Earth. Unfortunately, it won't work if The Flash's powers are blocked by meta-cuffs.

A Red Team is a group of journalists who try to pick apart a major story before it goes to print.

Chillblaine overloads the capacitors on the Cosmic Treadmill so it shorts out after The Flash charges it. Instead of opening a wormhole, it shoots all the lighting The Flash put into it at Red Death.


Dialogue Triumphs

Barry: Mark, you don't have to do this.
Chillblaine: If I want Frost back, I do.
Barry: What happens when she turns on that treadmill and busts a hole in the timeline? Or decides it's a lot easier to just kill you than help you bring Frost back?
Chillblaine: If I die, I die. Who would even care?
Barry: You are a part of Team Flash.
Chillblaine: No, I'm not... not anymore. Now I'm just another dirtbag who double-crossed you. Aren't I?
Barry: Mark! Before Frost was one of my best friends, she tried to kill me. People make mistakes. I was so desperate not to make the same mistakes I made with Thawne that I rushed into thinking the Red Death was the new Avatar. But, actually, she's a new threat, one I wasn't ready for, and now the whole world might have to pay for my mistake, and the only one that can help me out of this is you.
Chillblaine: Me? You've got the wrong guy. It's too late for me.
Barry: No, you're wrong. It's never too late for second chances. 


Dialogue Disasters

Red Death: You want to know who I am? I'm the last glimmer of crimson a killer sees before he draws his final breath. I am vengeance. I am the night. I am the Red Death


Continuity

As the episode opens, Chillblaine is assembling the Cosmic Treadmill 

Red Death says she will take care of the power source when Chillblaine asks how it is supposed to run.

Red Death leaves Chillblaine to recruit one more Rogue for their team.

At this point, Barry believes Red Death to be a man and the new Negative Speed Force avatar.

Barry theorizes Red Death may be a corrupted innocent, like Dr. Meena Dhawan from The Flash Season 8 finale, based on the fact that they could have killed him in 903 but did not.

Iris is sent Ryan Wilder's last GPS coordinates by Luke Fox.

Cecile finds out that Joe has been talking to a realtor without her knowledge.

Joe found a house with a big backyard in a good school district. Unfortunately, it's a two hour commute from Central City.

Chester talks with his podcast follower, WookieLover77, about Allegra.

The new Rogue Red Death recruited is revealed to be Roy Bivolo, aka Rainbow Raider, who last appeared 121.

Bivolo has upgraded his powers and can now cause fear by looking at people as well as anger. This allows him to paralyze The Flash, who becomes so scared he hyperventilates and passes out. 

The Red Death uses the Negative Speed Force to generate an EMP that knocks out power in Central City.

The Flash asks Bivolo why he's working with the New Rogues when he had previously only cared about money.  Bivolo says he wants payback for being locked in the STAR Labs pipeline for nine months.

All the Rogues are revealed to know ASL so they can communicate with Murmur.

Khione suggests calling in Barry's Rogues when the Team Flash comms are shorted out.

Red Death tells Barry that their real target is Iris.

Red Death, posing as Ryan Wilder, shows up at Barry and Iris apartment.

Red Death lies, telling Iris that she was driving into Central City when her car batter got fried and her arm was burned by the EMP  She also claims to have encountered the Red Death on Gotham City and to have been nearly been killed by them after they looted her utility belt.

Red Death claims that Luke Fox told her Team Flash was looking for her and that she drove from Gotham City to Central City in a day. When Iris questions this, she says her car goes fast.

The Red Death has the ability to control their armor remotely and is confirmed to be talking to Barry through an empty suit while simultaneously talking to Iris.

The Red Death reveals they kept Barry alive to use him as a power source for the Cosmic Treadmill, as only organic speed can charge it.

Red Death claims she is a big fan of Iris podcast.

Iris catches Red Death in a lie when she notices her distaste about the idea of Barry working with Rogues and says that attitude is understandable given Ryan's foster mother was killed by the Royal Flush Gang.  In truth, Ryan's mother was killed by the Wonderland Gang.

Iris also noticed that Red Death was familiar with the layout of her apartment, when the Ryan Wilder of Earth-Prime had never been in Barry and Iris' home before.

Red Death claims that, in her timeline, Iris West-Allen was her best friend and The Flash became the world's biggest villain. She also says she lied because she knew Iris well enough to know that she'd need to build a rapport first, because she wouldn't believe her if she had just said "I am your best friend in another timeline."

Red Death also claims that there was no Batman in her world, that she was adopted by Thomas and Martha Wayne just a few days after she was born and that it was she who saw them gunned down in Crime Alley as a child.

Red Death claims she protected her Gotham City for 10 years as Batwoman, fighting villains like Hush, Simon Hurt and her own brother.

Red Death began studying the technology her enemies used and then began studying the technology of her allies in a group called The League. (Presumably The Justice League.)

Red Death created her own Artificial Speed Force to imitate The Flash, knowing that with his powers she could put criminals behind bars before they could even think of committing a crime. She claims she was so successful in stopping crime that The Flash became jealous, freed his Rogues from Iron Heights, and turned them into an army that tore apart Gotham trying to get to her.

Red Death tried to hide in the Speed Force, but was rejected and kicked into the Earth-Prime timeline. She needs the Cosmic Treadmill to return home, so she can stop her Flash from destroying her world. She claims that she needs Iris to help her do this because the Iris of her timeline is dead and she's the only one who could talk him into surrendering. 

Joe tells Cecile that he wants to move so that Jenna doesn't have to grow up knowing the hardship that Iris, Barry and Wally did.

Red Death tells Iris that she accidentally killed Iris' doppelganger in her timeline

Iris points out all the holes in Red Death's story, like how she claims her Flash was jealous of her, but she was the one who created an artificial Speed Force to imitate him.

Cecile uses her powers to save Jenna from the breaking windows as a Negative Speed Force storm rages across Central City.

Pied Piper is able to detect Barry by Route 119 once he is put on the Cosmic Treadmill.

Allegra uses her teleportation clouds from Nash to take The Rogue Squad to Red Death's hideout.

Chillblaine betrays Red Death and rigs the Cosmic Treadmill to explode.

The Rogue Squad rescue Barry and Iris, but leave Chillblaine behind as they escape.

Allegra tries to talk to Chester about their relationship but he says it should probably wait until after the crisis is over.

Cecile considers that Joe might be right, but after Jenna draws a picture of Cecile saving her, Joe decides they should stay in Central City because it would send a bad message if he made Cecile stop being the hero she is.

Red Death swears revenge on The Flash, promising to destroy his world since he won't let her go back to her own.


Untelevised Adventures

Red Death describes her world and how she became Red Death.



The Fridge Factor

Averted with Iris, for once, as she manages to see through Red Death's lies and tricks her into revealing her real plans.

The Bottom Line

A bit of a disappointment compared to the build up. Most of the cast is on stand-by while the episode focuses on the cat-and-mouse game between Iris and Red Death. This would be fine, except Javicia Leslie hams it up to show how crazy Red Death is when it would be much more effective for her to be cool, controlled and more like the Superman of Injustice her character imitates.

The Flash Episode Guide: Season 9, Episode 3 - Rogues of War

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

Plot

Barry assembles an unlikely team of his enemies to counter the new Rogues menacing Central City.


Influences

The Ocean's 11 movies and every classic The Flash comic where The Flash teamed up with The Rogues to fight villains that were actively trying to hurt people instead of just stealing.


Goofs

Unfortunately, Red Death's "I am Vengeance" line falls flat when we still have no idea why they want revenge on Barry Allen.


Performances

The ensemble play off of each other well in this episode, particularly Barry's gang of Rogues.


Artistry

The special effects work for the Rogues' powers is great.


Flash Facts

This episode introduces a new version of the villain Murmur. The original Arrowverse Murmur was last seen in A417.

In the comics, Murmur was Dr. Michael Christion Amar, a surgeon who went insane and became a serial killer. He cut out his own tongue and sewed his lips together after accidentally confessing to his crimes, earning him the nickname Murmur.

The new Arrowverse Murmur is a medical student named Michelle Amar. Apart from the gender flip, the new Murmur is almost identical to the one from the comics, wearing a similar costume and mask. The only other change is that this Murmur either has metahuman sound dampening powers or utilizes some kind of technology that allows them to neutralize the Piped Piper's powers.

The new Murmur is played by a deaf actor, Alexandria Wailes. 

Reportedly this version of Murmur is also deaf and is shown to speak American Sign Language.

It is Goldface who dubs the new villain the Red Death, quoting Edgar Allan Poe's story The Masque of the Red Death - "And darkness and decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all." 


Technobabble

The knife used by Murmur utilizes cutting edge nanocircuitry similar to Owen Mercer's boomerangs. The metal filings they leave behind are almost impossible to see without a microscope.

A temporal scanner measures radioactive half-lives.

A temporal scanner, Roemer accelerator battery, quantum vibration engine and Pied Piper's gauntlets can be used to construct a Cosmic Treadmill capable of using kinetic energy to open quantum wormholes in space and time. 

The quantum engine is located in a secure vault outfitted with a heavy-duty meta dampener powered by four different generators, each with their own unique power source. Two of these sources are cold fusion and thermal.

Chester helps Iris by running a comparative analysis on the fragments of Owen Mercer's boomerangs comparing them to the filings from Murmur's knife.

Chillblaine says he can eliminate the need for a fifth person for the heist by building a cryo-circuit to disable the thermal generator.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Goldface has revealed that he got out of prison early by betraying his girlfriend.)
Carver: Goldface's only sidekick is cold, hard cash. He ain't some bleeding heart.
Goldface: Ain't it the truth?
Carver: And he sure as hell doesn't stay up all night reading "Dr. Zhivago," then sobbing when Yuri dies before finding Lara.
Goldface: Damn it, Carver! You were told that in confidence. Book club will remain a safe space. 

(Barry negotiates a compromise to get the Rogues to work together.)
Goldface: Hang on. Something's rotten in Denmark. We left the city hours ago. How were you able to catch up with us? And why do we need to disable meta dampeners so you can do "forensics"?
(There is a long pause as Chillblaine and Piper look at Barry expectantly. Barry sighs, clearly aware something has to give and what it has to be.  Suddenly, The Hotness laughs.)
The Hotness: Dude, come on. Even I figured it out. Barry Allen's the Flash!
(Everyone just looks at The Hotness, stunned that he apparently figured this out on his own.)
The Hotness: They have the same Jitters order!
Goldface: Officer Chemist is the... Yeah, no, I see it now.

(Chillblaine has revealed himself as a traitor.)
Barry: Why are you doing this?
Chillblaine: You're never gonna help me bring back Frost. So I had no choice but to join up with someone who will. For the record, my new boss found me at O'Shaughnessy's right before you did, Speedo. (laughs) Made me an offer I couldn't refuse.
Barry: Look, I know you feel like you've lost Frost all over again...
Chillblaine: Shut up! You do not know what it feels like to lose the only person who's ever loved you.
(Barry looks to the exit. Chillblaine notices his eyeline.)
Chillblaine: Think you can make it? (charges his gauntlets) Run, Barry, run.

Continuity

In the opening scene, the new Captain Boomerang and new Fiddler team up with Murmur to rob Corbin Taft Industries, stealing a temporal scanner.

Barry and Iris are shown taking a French cooking class in Paris, France.

Iris is shown to speak French.

Barry reveals he and Iris went into Flashtime 40 times to perfect their dish to the satisfaction of their teacher.

Barry and Iris' plans for their babymoon vacation include getting pizza in three different countries, a sunset cruise in Kauai, seeing Big Ben at midnight, camping under the Northern Lights and a mezcal nightcap in Cabo.

Barry and Iris return to Central City after getting called about the Rogues' break-in. Iris decides to report on the crime herself to give Aariz a day off from covering lab break-ins.

Khione is shown to have something of a green thumb and brings plants into spruce up STAR Labs.

Khione is a believer in talking to plants.

Allegra and Chester are avoiding each other after their kiss in 901.

Khione names her plants Kesha and Bob.

Barry figures out that the Rogues are stealing the parts to build a Cosmic Treadmill.

Reference is made to Godspeed's use of a Cosmic Treadmill to time travel in 717.

Barry contacts Pied Piper to ask who might have a quantum vibration engine.

Piper informs Barry that the Department of Defense has such an engine at Fort LUKIA, a military base outside Central City and suggests that Barry offer to use STAR Labs as a more secure facility.

Barry dismisses this idea after learning the commanding officer at the military base is General Wade Eiling, who has not been seen since 121 but is still holding a grudge against Barry and STAR Labs. This leads Piper to suggest stealing the engine before the Rogues can.

Barry decides they don't have time to recruit reliable heroes, even if he could talk them into running a heist on the Department of Defense, given that the next night the base will have less guards than usual due to maneuvers in Masonville.

Barry and Piper decide to recruit their own team of Rogues while Iris investigates the benefactor behind the new Rogues, figuring someone has to be supplying their tech and acting as the brains of the operation trying to build the Cosmic Treadmill. 

Khione and Allegra go through the Starchives to see if any old Rogue tech has gone missing.

Jaco "The Hotness" Birch, last seen in 808, is recruited to join the good Rogue team. He is revealed to be working at CC Jitters, but quits his job to go off with Barry and Piper.

Barry and Piper recruit Chillblaine, who reluctantly agrees to help, saying that it is what Frost would want. He refuses to take orders from Pied Piper, however.

The last Rogue Barry and Piper recruit is Goldface, who was last seen in 807. 

Goldface makes reference to Barry alias of The Chemist, his criminal alias in 513.

Goldface was released after turning state's evidence on the real mastermind behind the CCPD Hostage Situation - his now ex-girlfriend Amunet Black.

According to Carver, Goldface feels guilty over what he did and stays up all night rereading Dr. Zhivago while crying.

Goldface organized a book club for his gang.

Goldface agrees to join in on the heist after Barry explains the danger posed by the new Rogues and the fact that their heists are cutting into his territory. 

The new Rogues are revealed to be spying on Goldface's meeting with Barry and Piper.

Chillblaine robbed Goldface at some point in 2016.

Chillblaine makes reference to The Hotness opening up an active volcano under Central City and being accused of murdering his favorite bartender in 808. (Jaco notes he was cleared of that crime.)

Chester confirms that Owen Mercer's boomerangs, the Fiddler's violin and Murmur's knife were all uniquely designed and made by the same engineer, but he can't figure out who made them.

The Rogues all fight over who gets ownership of the engine once they steal it. Barry says nobody gets it, which doesn't please the thieves. Hotness wants a cut if he's risking breaking his parole and he needs money to put his son through college. Chillblaine wants it because the tech was designed to be used for cryogenics. Piper wants it to power his new and improved sonic gauntlets. Goldface wants it because it is worth at least a million dollars on the street.

Barry's Rogues decide to go out on their own and steal the engine without him when it becomes clear he doesn't trust them.

Iris has had no luck tracking down the benefactor behind the New Rogues.

Iris says she's worried she won't be able to break any more big stories once she is pregnant, which is why she really wanted to help Barry with this case.

Barry reminds Iris that she's supposed to win two Pulitzer's and there's nothing that says she can't win three.

Chester tells Iris he traced the Rogues' weapons to prototypes being developed by Wayne Enterprises.

Allegra admits to feeling awkward around Khione, due to Frost being the closest thing she ever had to a big sister.

Allegra says Chester is a good kisser and she likes him, but she can't get involved with someone. 

Khione compares Allegra to a daffodil, saying it needs to be carried on the wind to grow but clings to the stem to avoid being hurt.

Barry comes up with a compromise, saying that Piper can get the engine but will pay the other Rogues $250,000 each to compensate them for their help. When Piper protests, Barry reminds him that he said the money wasn't important to him and that he specifically wanted the tech to protect his employees.

When Goldface asks how Barry caught up with them, The Hotness reveals that he is The Flash and that he figured it out because The Flash and Barry Allen have the exact same drink order at CC Jitters.

After Barry's team disable the meta dampener, Chillblaine turns traitor and attacks Barry, stealing the quantum engine.

Captain Boomerang attacks Goldface.

The Fiddler fights The Hotness, though the two seem to have a mutual attraction. If nothing else, Nine Inch Nails is both their favorite band.

Murmur is somehow able to ambush Pied Piper, despite his enhanced hearing. This, coupled with her absorbing his sonic blasts, suggest that she has some ability to muffle the sound around her. It is unclear, however, if this is a metahuman power or tech-based.

The Red Death appears for the first time and is able to dampen Barry's powers long enough for the New Rogues to escape. Barry briefly mistakes them for Thawne, based on their red lightning.

Goldface, The Hotness and Pied Piper agree to help Barry deal with the Red Death once they track them down.

Barry wonders if the Red Death is the new Negative Speed Force Avatar now that Thawne is apparently dead.

Barry noticed that the Red Death had a bat-shaped insignia on their costume.

Luke Fox confirms that the Rogues' weapons resemble advanced WayneTech designs, but their nanotech foundations are beyond bleeding-edge, so he has no idea who they are fighting.

Luke Fox also confirms that they never fought a villain in a costume like Red Death, but that Ryan Wilder did disappear while on patrol as Batwoman several weeks earlier.

Chillblaine tries to back out of the new Rogues when the Red Death says they will only help him resurrect Frost after their mission is complete.

The Red Death unmasks, revealing herself to have the face of Ryan Wilder, saying that she is vengeance.


Location

O’Shaughnessy Pub on the south side of Keystone City.


Untelevised Adventures

Chester speaks with Luke "Batwing" Fox off-camera regarding the new Rogues' weapons.


The Bottom Line

A fun little heist episode which falters in the closing moment because of the anti-climactic mystery built up around the Red Death.