The Flash Episode Guide: Season 9, Episode 6 - The Good, The Bad, and The Lucky

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

Plot

With Iris' pregnancy confirmed, she and Barry head out of town to finish up the last of their baby-moon plans. Meanwhile, Cecile and Allegra tackle an unusual case involving an innocent metahuman framed for attempted murder as Chester and Mark try to determine just what Khione's powers are.

Influences

Roy Thomas' Infinity Inc. (character of Hazard) and Superman III (the slapstick direction of the chaos around Hazard is very Richard Lester).


Goofs

How does Becky Sharpe know about the Crisis and her death on Earth-1? (Presumably Cisco discovered she was alive when assembling his Who's Who Binder and helped clue her in to her bad luck powers and past history.)

Why is Becky Sharpe allowed out on the street given she's facing attempted murder charges? (Cecile and Captain Kramer probably pulled some strings and knew which judge to talk to about a hurried bail hearing. It's also possible Becky wasn't formally charged yet and was merely being held for questioning, given the rapid time frame of the episode.)

Granting that Chillblaine has good reason to be obsessed with the idea of Khione having cryokinesis and focusing the tests on that, why does Chester, passive as he is, go along with this?  Shouldn't the genius point out that maybe they should be looking for life or nature related powers given what Khione has displayed so far?

Performances

Sugar Lyn Beard brings life to a largely lifeless role as Becky Sharpe.


Artistry

The scene where it snows indoors is beautiful.


Flash Facts

The opening scene is a parody of The Flash season 1 opening, with Becky Sharpe in place of Barry Allen as the "luckiest woman alive."

The villain of this episode is revealed to be a gambler. This is a nod to the grandfather of Becky Sharpe in the comics, aka Steven Sharpe III, The Gambler.


Technobabble

Allegra uses her powers like a UV scanner to search Becky Sharpe's apartment for evidence.

Chester developed a combat dummy that can detect 56 different metahuman power sets, including pyrokinesis, telekinesis, technopathy and cryokinesis.

Chester notes that there are no fluctuations in Khione's core temperature or surges in dark matter readings when she tries to mimic Frost's ice powers.

The thugs who kidnap Becky Sharpe use a dark matter refractor to cancel out Allegra's powers. This crystal uses an asymmetric matrix to cancel out any metahuman power it comes into contact with. Reportedly Goldface started manufacturing and selling the devices on the Coast City black market, but they stopped selling after word got out the devices were only good for one use.

Chester and Mark determine that there are no dark matter or cold fusion traces in Khione's genetic code. More, she's missing 55 of the 56 common biometric signatures. This means she is not a metahuman like Frost, but she's also not a regular human like Caitlin.

Continuity

Becky Sharpe (aka Hazard) was one of the bus metas in The Flash season 4.  She was last seen on-camera in 414, albeit with The Thinker possessing her body.

Becky Sharpe was one of the lucky metahumans brought back to life as a result of Crisis on Infinite Earths, after dying on Earth-1.

Becky has gained enough control of her powers that her good luck no longer causes bad things to happen to the people around her unless she wants it to.

Becky is currently engaged to a man named Dominic "Dom" Stewart, whom she met after slipping and literally falling into his arms.

Joe West and Jenna are moved into their new home, with Cecile commuting to spend time with them on the weekends.

As the episode opens, Jenna's 5th birthday is one day away.

Cecile only uses organic pancake mix to make breakfast for Jenna.

Barry and Iris are taking a week off to travel to Coast City for a CCC Media expansion party.

Khione says there is going to be an early spring, saying she just knows this when asked how she knows.

Barry and Iris have agreed that Barry will not be using his speed to carrying them anywhere while she's pregnant, so they are driving to Coast City.

Allegra is having issues with her apartment, complaining she hasn't had hot water for days and her landlord can't get anyone to fix it until next week.

Chester offers to come try and fix it, prompting Allegra and Chester to both wonder if he's become her boyfriend. 

Chillblaine suggests they test Khione for metahuman powers, pointing out she clearly has to have some given her kiss bringing him back to life, her sensing Iris' pregnancy and her sensing the change of seasons. Chester agrees to help.

Cecile is called in to represent Becky Sharpe after taking a call from Captain Kramer, who says there is something about the case not sitting right with her, despite it being open and shut.

Like Becky Sharpe, Dom Stewart is lactose intolerant - a fact revealed in 403.

The apparent murder weapon is found in Becky's apartment.

Allegra agrees to help Cecile investigate the crime.

Allegra uses her powers like a UV scanner to locate a retainer and a poker chip in Becky's apartment.

The retainer belongs to Becky, but the poker chip is an actual clue given Becky quit her casino job and Dom is not a gambler. The chip does point the finger at Dom's brother, Tony.

Tony claims that Dom had a secret gambling problem, which he asked him to hide from Becky, and that he owed money to some very bad people.

Cecile senses that Tony is very anxious when the chip is brought out.

Tony says Dom usually played at a high-stakes gambling night held twice a month at O'Shaughnessy's Bar.

The bartender at O'Shaughnessy's doesn't know who Dom owes money to, but confirms he was a regular at the bar's game night.

A group of thugs try to kidnap Becky while at O'Shaughnessy's. Cecile tries to use her telekinesis to stop them, but her powers backfire. Thankfully, Allegra is able to step in and drive the thugs off.

Mark tries to teach Khione how to focus an ice blast like Frost used to, but she can't do it, to his frustration.

Chester confirms that Khione has to have powers, as it is the only way to explain how Mark recovered from his injuries in 905.

Cecile can find nothing in Dom's bank records to indicate a gambling problem or him withdrawing large sums of money.

Cecile freaks out when she realizes she missed her 8 PM train and will not be there to make Jenna breakfast on her birthday. She blames Becky and her bad luck for jinxing her.

Becky is kidnapped by the thugs from O'Shaughnessy's after she leaves Cecile's office. The thugs hold up a device that stops both Allegra from using her powers. Again, Cecile tries to use her telekinesis, but the fire extinguisher she throws at the thugs comes back at her and explodes.

Chester can't find Becky with the STAR Labs satellites.

Cecile's powers are on the fritz, so she can't try to find Becky empathically.

Allegra finds a pillow and sheets in Cecile's office, indicating that she's been sleeping there rather than at home.

Mark is upset because Khione kissed him because that, coupled with the chills he felt when she did it, made him think that Frost was still alive in her, somehow, and trying to reach out to him. This was why he was so insistent on checking her for cryokinesis powers. 

Khione tells Mark that Frost is still alive inside him and that there's more of her in him than there is in her. This causes it to start snowing inside STAR Labs, for some reason.

Cecile admits to Allegra that she's been sleeping in her office because it's too lonely being in Joe's house without him and Jenna.

Allegra and Cecile figure out that someone must have put a dark matter refractor into Becky Sharpe's engagement ring and that is what is cancelling her powers out.

Chester accesses Tony Stewart's bank records and determines that he is the one with the gambling problem who owes money to the mob.

Tony's plan is to force Becky to work as a blackjack dealer at O'Shaughnessy's, so that her bad luck will result in him always winning against her.

Tony apparently attacked Dom after he learned about Tony's plan and tried to stop him.

Cecile frees Becky by pulling her ring off her finger with her telekinesis. After that, her powers enable her, Allegra and Cecile to fight Tony and his henchmen.

Cecile figures out her powers going haywire were because of her own lack of confidence - not Becky's powers.

Dom Stewart is said to be recovering after waking from his coma. He confirmed Becky didn't attack him, so they are free to live happily ever after.

Cecile asks Allegra to move in with her and use Joe's spare bedroom.

Team Flash throw Barry and Iris an impromptu baby shower after they return from Coast City.

Chester and Mark determine that Khione isn't a metahuman but isn't an ordinary human either, after a consultation with Dr. Carla Tannhauser.


Location

O'Shaughnessy's in Keystone City.


Untelevised Adventures

Iris and Barry spend a week in Coast City, attending a party in honor of the CCC Media expansion. 

The Fridge Factor

Cecile's power loss is explained away as being due to her being unable to cope with her daughter and boyfriend being away from her for most of the week.


The Bottom Line

A bland filler episode, neither outstanding nor awful, that doesn't do anything to advance any of the storylines. Normally, this wouldn't be too bad, but it is maddening given the shortened season for The Flash's final season.

The Flash Episode Guide: Season 4, Episode 14 - Subject 9

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



Plot

The search for the ninth of the "bus Metas" created by The Thinker leads Team Flash to Izzy Bowin - a country-western fiddle player, whose metagene has manifested in an unexpected way.


Influences

The Flash comics of Robert Kanigher and Lee Elias.


Goofs

You'd think Ralph and Barry would know better than to approach a strange woman and try to lure her away with some crazed story about her being a metahuman whose life is in danger. Even if Barry DID still have his police ID, it would be real tricky.

I'm with Ralph - you'd think one of the geniuses would have thought of checking Izzy's website before he did. (Then again, STAR Labs rightly has a reputation for employing the dumbest geniuses in television.)

Barry sure gives up on trying to work around that force-field in a hurry.

Why doesn't DeVoe grab Ralph's powers while he's there?  He has Barry and Ralph outclassed and dead to rights.


Performances

Miranda MacDougall proves an engaging presence in what is apparently her first major TV role, as Izzy Bowin.

If Hartley Sawyer is meant to be making Ralph seem sleazier and sleazier, he's doing a bad job of it. Apart from Caitlin, Ralph is about the only member of Team Flash I can stand anymore and that's all down to Harley's goofy but likable performance.

The chemistry between MacDougall and Sawyer is so fantastic you really don't mind that they basically fall in love over the course of a half hour.. Shame it only is good for this episode.


Artistry

The special effects work for The Fiddler's sound attacks is impressive and one wishes we'd gotten something like this sooner for the various Black Canaries.


Flash Facts

Izzy Bowin is a gender-flipped, modernized take on the classic The Flash villain Isaac Bowin, a.k.a. The Fiddler. Strangely enough, The Fiddler was a magic-based villain rather than a metahuman.

First appearing in All-Flash #32 (January 1948), Isaac Bowin quickly became the arch-enemy of the Jay Garrick version of The Flash. A thief who was arrested and jailed in a prison in India, Bowin met a snake-charming fakir who taught him the secret mystic arts of music. Bowin was able to build an improvised violin from materials in the prison and learned to go beyond hypnotizing people and animals with music. He was able to unleash destructive waves of energy with his instrument as well as creating barriers of solid sound.

When his teacher declared that Bowin had surpassed him, Bowin arranged their escape, only to kill his teacher and the merchant who saw him arrested before fleeing to America. It was here The Fiddler attempted to replace Maestro Bowin - a violin virtuoso who turned out to be the lost twin brother Isaac Bowin never knew he had!

The Fiddler was one of the villains who united to form the second incarnation of The Injustice Society, to oppose The Justice Society of which Jay Garrick was a member.

The post-Crisis version of Isaac Bowin had virtually the same background as his pre-Crisis counterpart. The chief difference was that Bowin was established as part of the British aristocracy, who was an avid musician and world traveler who turned to thievery after blowing through his savings. He still learned the secret magic of music while in a prison in India and still attempted to murder and replace his twin brother, Maestro Bowin, though he was aware of his twin brother's existence this time.

The post-Crisis Fiddler was one of three villains (along with The Thinker and The Shade) who combined their efforts to hide Keystone City away from the world. Barry Allen accidentally bypassed the vibrational barrier The Fiddler placed around the city, leading to the first post-Crisis team-up between the Barry Allen and Jay Garrick Flashes.

The post-Crisis Fiddler was also part of the international villain group Injustice Unlimited, formed to fight The Global Guardians.

A slight retcon to The Fiddler's origins appeared in John Ostrander's Hawkworld series. One story established that the fakir who awakened Isaac Bowin's powers was truly a demon, who would later awaken similar powers in a guitar player who went on to a short-lived career as the criminal The Thrasher.

Isaac Bowin was part of the original Secret Six line-up formed by Mockingbird in the 2005 mini-series Villains United. He was killed by Deadshot, after a battle with HIVE agents in which his powers proved ineffective. To add insult to injury, Deadshot wondered out-loud why a man who was a classically trained violin player would refer to his instrument as a fiddle - a name nominally used by less-educated, lower-class musicians.

Gail Simone later introduced a new female version of The Fiddler into her follow-up Secret Six series. This villain was dubbed Virtuoso and armed herself with Isaac Bowin's old fiddle. Though she was never given a full name or origin story, she appeared to be of Indian descent and had a Hindu caste mark on her forehead. This seems to be a nod to the origins of the original Fiddler's powers.

The DCTVU version of Izzy Bowin has the metahuman ability to control soundwaves. She does not need her instrument to do this, as she is able to release a focused sonic blast that knocks Barry and Ralph to the ground and deafens them both.

We get a quick glance at Izzy Bowin's touring schedule when Iris goes to her website, which reveals the names of several familiar DC Comics cities. Among them are Central City, Keystone City, Blue Valley, Coast City, Star City and Bludhaven. These are, respectively, the hometown of The Barry Allen Flash, the hometown of The Jay Garrick Flash, the hometown of Wally West, the hometown of Hal Jordan, the hometown of Oliver Queen and the adoptive hometown of Dick Grayson when he became Nightwing.

Izzy Bowin's blog has an entry on 2/1/18 which says that she canceled her concert in Blue Valley because of "some sorta starfish situation." In JLA Secret Files #1(September 1997) and JLA #22 (September 1998), the telepathic alien starfish Starro The Conqueror tried to take over the Earth using Blue Valley as a starting point. This is also probably the incident Wally West referred to in 407 where he mentioned fighting an alien starfish in Blue Valley.


Technobabble

The additional dark matter introduced into The Thinker's system every time he absorbs a new power accelerates the deterioration of his current host's body. It has been about a week since he transferred his mind into Hazard's body and she is already starting to lose control of his motor functions.

Sound is the force of billions of tiny gas molecules colliding into one another. This means that a person who could harness and amplify kinetic energy in the same way as The Fiddler, it could create molecular shrapnel.

It is perfectly safe for most pregnant women to have one cup of coffee a day.

According to The Mechanic, Izzy Bowin's sonic powers were able to accelerate the deterioration of Hazard's internal organs. Specifically, the atrial flutter and bradycardia.

Harry builds a mental activity dampener made of ten pounds of cerebellum-proof anti-telepathy somani steel. He refers to it as a generational breakthrough in vibrational brainwave theory. It is not, as Cecile points out, comfortable enough to sleep in.

The 2.0 version of the mental activity dampener is more compact, but must be adhered to the supraobital ridge. It functions by disrupting inbound brain activity, but by reversing the polarity Harry is able to make it disrupt outbond brainwave broadcasts as well.

Harry dubs this new mental activity dampener, which can be used against DeVoe and block his powers, the cerebral inhibitor.

The cerebral inhibitor is equipped with a kill-switch microchip that prevents it from connecting to a network. Unfortunately, this does nothing to stop DeVoe from hacking it.

Harry speculates that the cerebral inhibitor didn't work because he underestimated the amount of time between each synapse router or overestimated the micro-combustion infrastructure.

Cisco theorizes that DeVoe's lair is in a pocket dimension, based on the fact that the effect produced whenever DeVoe teleports is that of a warping signature of someone moving into a pocket dimension.

Einstein postulated that it was possible for a region-specific fold in space-time to exist between the standard four dimensions that humans perceive - i.e. a pocket dimension.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Ralph and Barry are collapsed on the floor, having just been shot by one of Izzy Bowin's sonic blasts at point-blank range.)
Ralph: I guess now we know what her power is!
Barry: (shaking his head., cupping a hand to one ear, shouting) What?!
Ralph: What?!

(Izzy Bowin has just declared that she doesn't need Team Flash to train her or protect her and stormed out of STAR Labs.)
Ralph: I dunno guys. I kinda feel like if I just followed her into that hallway and just gave her one of those "hey look" inspirational talks, I could probably get her to stay.
Cisco: (annoyed) Then what are you still doing here?!
Ralph: Sorry! I don't know if you like draw straws for this stuff or something?
Cisco: No! Go!

Ralph: Look, Izzy? I know how you're feeling. That day you got your powers? I was on the same bus. So that evil chipmunk? She wants to kill me too.
Izzy: Please. I think I'd remember seeing you on my bus.
Ralph: (chuckles) Actually, I was kinda... big boned back then. I was on a strict diet of gin, donuts and regret. But I got another shot at it. And I worked my tight butt off. And now I'm the hottest superhero in town.
Izzy: (scoffs) Please....
Ralph: My life has never been better. Kinda like yours.
Izzy: Yeah, but aren't you afraid of losing it all?
Ralph: Yeah. I am. Which is why I'm part of this team. You said that your family bailed on you, so I can understand why you wouldn't trust someone to look out for you, but Izzy - I can tell you that these amazing weirdos? They won't bail. They created a buddy system for me. And if you'll stay, they'll keep you safe. I promise.
(The elevator opens. Ralph and Izzy both stare at it expectantly. Finally, Izzy grins at Ralph.)
Izzy: So - who's gonna be my buddy then?
Ralph: (smiles) I may have to pull some strings, but I'll see if I'm available.
(Izzy smiles back and actually giggles a bit.)

(Harry has just noticed the odd expression on Barry and Iris' faces as he reveals the cerebral inhibitor.)
Harry: What's that? What are you guys doing?  What are - what are those faces?
Iris: When Savitar came to STAR Labs, he said we would build a device to use against DeVoe.
Barry: (smiling) The cerebral inhibitor.
Harry: Well, I wish I had known that before I spent all this time trying to come up with a second name. Naming is hard.


Continuity

Despite having all the charges against him dismissed, Barry is still asked to take an indefinite leave of absence from the CCPD per the new Mayor's orders.

The new Mayor's last name is revealed to be Van Buren.

Publicly, Warden Wolfe is said to have died a hero trying to stop a break-out at Iron Heights, during the events of 413.

Again, it is affirmed that DeVoe has taken the powers of Brainstorm, Hazard, Kilgore, Black Bison and Dwarfstar.

Fallout is safe with Tracy Brand.

 Ralph is with Team Flash.

The Weeper is MIA, but we know that DeVoe has his powers as well.

This leaves four bus metahumans at large.

Ralph wears a retainer.

Ralph sweats a lot when he sleeps.

According to Cisco, Ralph's apartment has no lamps but neon beer signs and Ralph uses the kitchen sink as a shower.

Ralph also owns a futon.

After retrieving the lost-and-found box from Bus 405, Ralph discovers Izzy Bowin's demo CD.

Vibe is able to learn who Izzy Bowin is aver vibing her CD. He discovers she is playing a gig at The Busted Saddle Saloon.

Ralph hates country music.

The Thinker says that Izzy Bowin has not yet refined her power to the fullest but he does not have time to wait or locate another host. This means that The Thinker has not found the last three bus metas either.

Izzy Bowin's sonic blasts are capable of permanently deafening a person. Luckily, Ralph's eardrums stretched with the blow and Barry was able to heal the damage after a few hours.

Harry returns from his trip to Earth Two.

Cecile is being kept awake at night because she can't shut off her telepathy to stop from reading Joe West's mind when he's dreaming.

Harry offers to build something that can help Cecile with her telepathic insomnia.

Izzy Bowin's sonic powers are able to hurt The Thinker.

Caitlin suggests using Izzy's fiddle as a means of helping her to focus her powers.

Barry accidentally wounds Izzy by trying to throw skeet targets at her.

Izzy is able to knock Ralph out with one targeted whistle.

Harry creates the cerebral inhibitor - the device Savitar said Team Flash would make to fight DeVoe back in 323.  (It is pointed out, however, that Savitar never said it would work.)

DeVoe is somehow able to sense when Cisco is using his Vibe powers to focus in on a person or location and strike back at Cisco psychically.

This is later revealed to be part of Brainstorm's enhanced powers. Though Dominic Lanse never unlocked the potential himself, his powers allowed him to affects minds as well as read them. This allows DeVoe to attack Cisco while he is vibing on Izzy and to attack Barry with a psychic attack that gives him an aneurysm.

DeVoe is able to hack the cerebral inhibitor using Kilgore's powers, which also allow him to listen in on Team Flash's comm signals.

Cecile tells Harry that the MAD 2.0 worked perfectly and she is sleeping again.

Cecile suggests that Harry call his daughter and invite her to visit him on Earth One.

Ralph invites Barry to be his partner in his detective business.


Untelevised Adventures

Apparently Starro the Conqueror attempted to take over Blue Valley recently, forcing Izzy Bowin to cancel her concert there.


The Fridge Factor

Izzy is killed off to make Ralph angst over her death, to give his character more depth.


The Boomerang Factor

Honestly, most of the problems in this episode would have been solved immediately if Barry and Iris didn't act like idiots/jerks.


The Bottom Line

A likable character is introduced and fridged to give Ralph Dibny more definition. The sad thing is this is the best storyline in the episode and Ralph is the only member of Team Flash apart from Caitlin who isn't a total jerk. Barry suddenly pushes Izzy away so she can be put into danger. Iris and Cisco are pushing Ralph away, further cementing his insecurity about being a hero.

Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that DeVoe is an unrepentant murderer who is responsible for killing all the likable characters on this show while sparing the idiots and jerks, I'd be rooting for him.

The Flash Episode Guide: Season 4, Episode 13 - True Colors

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



Plot

With Warden Wolfe aware of his secret identity, Barry finds himself on the auction block along with all the other metahuman criminals in Iron Heights Prison when Blacksmith comes to bargain. As Barry debates revealing his powers while leading an escape, a figure from Ralph Dibny's past leaves him wondering just how much he's really changed despite his new gig as a superhero.


Influences

The Flash: Iron Heights by Geoff Johns and the television series Prison Break.


Goofs

The whole idea of sending Ralph in to impersonate Wolfe with his fledgling shape-shifting powers seems incredibly ill-advised. Particularly when Ralph was able to successfully break into Iron Heights Prison once before and it would be a heck of a lot easier to plot an escape plan with a stretchy private-investigator with contacts on the inside than to use him as a face-man to con another criminal, leaving Team Flash with the original problem of having to arrange a prison break.

Blacksmith recovers from the knockout gas in record time.

Despite Killer Frost's pep-talk, Ralph doesn't show up for the prison rescue.

Wouldn't somebody notice that Barry Allen is back in his old cell after being moved? 

It seems unlikely that the CCPD DA's office wouldn't demand that "DeVoe" submit to immediate DNA scans to prove his identity, given then have just as many prior experiences with metahumans who could shape-shift.(Everyman from 119, for instance) as they do people who showed up alive after seeming to be dead. Then again, Barry should have been able to prove his innocence given that his body should have been free of any wounds corresponding to the DNA that was supposedly found under DeVoe's fingernails from where he gouged his attacker during a struggle.


Performances

Richard Brooks seems to be having a fun time as Ralph disguised as Warden Wolfe.

The scene between Danielle Panabaker and Harley Sawyer as Killer Frost gives Ralph a pep talk is the high point of the episode.

The final scene of Sugar Lyn Beard as The Thinker, dancing with The Mechanic, is just plain creepy and a great turn for the Hazard actress.


Flash Facts

The character of Warden Gregory Wolfe first appeared in The Flash: Iron Heights special from August 2001. Driven by a near-psychotic hatred of the criminals he was tasked with guarding, Wolfe's tactics were loathed by the CCPD and The Flash, but tolerated because Wolfe proved to be the only warden capable of containing most of The Rogues placed  under his control. Even so, The Flash stepped in when he discovered Wolfe actively torturing metahuman inmates, such as forcing the radioactive Fallout (who turned himself in to face manslaughter charges after accidentally killing his family) to serve as a living nuclear reactor to power the Iron Heights facility.

The comic book version of Warden Wolfe was a metahuman himself, possessing a power to initiate painful muscle spasms that could incapacitate even the most powerful of metahumans. He could also use his powers to force muscles to relax.

The DCTVU version of Warden Wolfe has been revealed to be as corrupt as his comic book counterpart. Rather than being a fascist who abuses his authority, however, the TV version of Warden Wolfe is a crooked cop willing to make bargains with criminals like Blacksmith to profit himself.

Ralph Dibny is able to smell Earl Cox long before he gets to his office. While it is possible that Earl Cox has particularly foul body-odor, Ralph Dibny's powers in the comics include an enhanced sense of smell even before he stretches his nose.

While Ralph Dibny had some shape-shifting powers in the classic Silver Age Flash comics, these were limited to reshaping his face by stretching certain features and reshaping his body to look fatter, more muscular or taller. He disliked doing this, however, because it hurt to force a shape for too long and he couldn't hold fine details long enough to maintain a deep cover. It also proved ineffective for quick disguises since he was unable to change his skin tone or hair-color.

The New 52 version of Ralph Dibny from Secret Six had full shape-shifting powers, being a natural wiry redhead who transformed into a muscular brunette when he adopted the persona of Big Shot.

Ralph's difficulties in walking after successfully shifting shapes seem to be a nod to the difficulties the Silver Age Elongated Man had with disguising himself.

Ralph orders a Gingold on the rocks while undercover as Wolfe. This is the soda from which Ralph extracted the formula that gave him his stretching powers in the classic comics.


Technobabble

The ventromedial prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain where beliefs and doubts are formed.

Hazard recognizes that Barry has a fracture of either the fourth of fifth metacarpal from when he injured his hand punching a technician.


Dialogue Triumphs

Joe: Wolfe is trafficking metahumans? Is everybody crooked in this town?
Cisco: He always did look smug in those Italian wool suits. (pauses) Oh my God! He's literally a Wolfe in sheep's clothing!

The Mechanic: Wolfe and Amunet's latest criminal undertaking throws an annoying wrench in our plans. What shall we do?
The Thinker: I don't know.
The Mechanic: (slowly turning to him) You... you don't know?
The Thinker: My mind is consumed by a near infinite web of variables, more plentiful than there are atoms in an exploding star. (smiling) So, for the moment, I do not know.
The Mechanic: I fail to see the humor in this.
(There is a pause as we hear a faint wooshing noise.)
The Thinker: I heard that. In your mind - a flash of stimuli racing through your ventromedial prefrontal cortex, where belief is formed. And doubt.
The Mechanic: (testily) I don't have any doubt. And if you had asked instead of reading my mind then you would know.
The Thinker: I do know. As for your earlier inquiry, it's not about what we are going to do. It's about what Barry Allen is going to do.

(Caitlin holds a mirror up to Ralph. He has successfully changed into the spitting image of Warden Wolfe.)
Ralph: Wow! Sweet chiseled cheekbones! I did it! Wow! Maybe I can save Barry!
(Ralph stands up.)
Ralph: Oh... uh-oh.
(Ralph suddenly falls over and winces.)
Ralph: Uh - little help?
Caitlin: (To Cisco) Next we need to work on his motor skills.

(Hazard looks disgusted as she tries to avoid walking into sewage. Dwarfstar accidentally splashes her as he moves past her.)
Dwarfstar: Oh! My bad, Tiny. Hey, soon as we get out, I'll steal you a brand new pair of Timmy Choos.
(Hazard smiles a bit.)
Hazard: It's Jimmy. I'm a size 6. You're so sweet.
(Hazzard giggles as Kilgore rolls his eyes.)
Black Bison: If you want to use your powers for something useful, you could help me steal back some native artifacts.
Barry: If you two plan on going back to crime, you might as well just turn around. The Flash will just run you back here. Same goes for all of you.
Kilgore: Don't look at me. I'm reformed. From now on, I only commit legal crimes.
Hazzard: Legal crimes?
Kilgore: The stock market!

(Barry asks Hazard what she's going to do when she gets out of prison if not commit crimes.)
Hazard: I don't know. Using my powers just hurt those around me. My good luck just jinxed everyone else. (thoughtfully) You know, you seem to really care about people. Not like the type of person who'd... take someone's life.
Barry: I didn't kill that teacher. I wouldn't take a life. You know, not every meta uses their powers to hurt people. Some use them to help others. To protect people. Our powers don't decide who we are. We do.

Killer Frost: So you screwed up? Get over it!
Ralph: You are a mean lady!
Killer Frost: I'm just telling you what you need to hear.
Ralph: Yeah, well I'm not going to miss you when you leave.
Killer Frost: Leave? Is that what this is about?
Ralph: Well, yeah. Everybody leaves Ralph Dibny eventually. That's how this whole thing works. I screw up big time and, tch, they take off. (Ralph collapses on his couch.) This time, the people who are going to leave are actually my friends.
(Killer Frost scoffs)
Ralph: They're the first ones that I've had in a real long time.
Killer Frost: That's stupid.
Ralph: Yeah, well I wouldn't expect you to understand. You kidnap and stab all your friends.
Killer Frost: Right! I'm the queen of letting these people down. But you know what? They're still here. No matter how much I disappoint them, they still show up for me. I don't really understand it, but I think that's part of this whole friends thing. So, unless you do something worse than kidnap and stab them, I think you're going to be just fine.
Ralph: You really think so?
Killer Frost: Yes. I do.
Ralph: Huh. You know... that actually wasn't a bad pep talk.
Killer Frost: Well, it's your turn next time. If I ever decide to go full villain again, you can give me the lame heart-to-heart.

Blacksmith: Step aside, boys. Mommy needs to work.
(Hazard looks at Blacksmith intently as Blacksmith touches the gun of one of Wolfe's guards, pushing it out of her way. The gun suddenly misfires, dropping a knock-out gas canister on the ground.)
Blacksmith: Oh, you have got to be kidding me.
(Wolfe and his men begin to fall to the ground as Blacksmith staggers.)
Blacksmith: Not again.
(Blacksmith stumbles as bits of metal shoot off her gauntlet, taking out all of the guards still standing.)


Continuity

Warden Wolfe has a secret ward for metahumans built on the ruins of the first Iron Heights, completely camera-free and off the books.

Blacksmith last appeared in an active capacity 409, though she appeared briefly in the stinger at the end of 412 talking to Warden Wolfe.

Kilgore is seen for first time since 402.

Hazard is seen for the first time since 403.

Black Bison is seen for the first time since 406.

Dwarfstar from 412 returns.

Earl Cox has a distinctive odor of Drakkar Noir, onions and liverwurst.

Harry Wells is absent in this episode, having gone to Earth Two to check on his daughter, Jesse.

Ralph is discovered to have the ability to use his powers to shape-shift, after he accidentally changes into an exact replica of Earl Cox while describing him to the rest of Team Flash.

Cisco says that it took him some time to learn how to clear his thoughts to use his Vibe powers and that Ralph should clear his head before trying to shape-shift.

The DeVoe's song is "Going Out Of My Head", first recorded by Little Anthony and the Imperials in 1964. It was the first song they danced to shortly before their first kiss on June 27, 1997 at 8:13 pm in the countryside in the small hamlet of Boar's Hill. It was also the evening The Mechanic realized she wanted to spend the rest of her life with The Thinker.

The Thinker's telepathy has difficulty reading The Mechanic's mind when she is thinking of music.

Dwarfstar, Kilgore, Black Bison and Hazard now know that Barry Allen is The Flash.

The Thinker's new and improved chair generates a metahuman power negation field and can teleport.

The Thinker kills Dwarfstar, Kilgore and Black Bison after absorbing their powers. He then projects his mind into Hazard's body.

The Thinker kills Warden Wolfe.

Barry's calendar shows that he has been in prison for 19 days.

Ralph impersonates DeVoe in court, claiming that he just woke up in his home alive and well but that he remembered someone stabbing him and saying something about a frame job before he passed out.

Barry notes that DeVoe only killed the bus metas when he could have gone after The Top, Weather Wizard, Peek-a-boo or any of the other metas in Iron Heights.

The Thinker uses the tears of The Weeper to drug The Mechanic and put her in a romantic mood when he can't read her thoughts following her objections to Warden Wolfe's death.


The Bottom Line

A profoundly stupid episode that rushes to restore the status quo of the series. A few golden moments work (the Killer Frost/Ralph scene, Hazard making the decision to be a hero, the creepy final scene with The Thinker in his new body with The Mechanic) but ultimately so much of the episode is pointless filler up until the last 10 minutes amazingly restore everything back to the way they were four episodes ago.

It does manage to make you feel really bad for Hazard, however, so it accomplishes that much. But Blacksmith manages another miraculous, nonsensical escape, Warden Wolfe - one of the best villains in the comics - is killed off for no good reason and everyone continues to treat Ralph like the red-haired step-child of the team when positive reinforcement has been the only thing that's helped him improve.

The Flash Episode Guide: Season 4, Episode 3 - Luck Be A Lady

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




Plot

A new metahuman dubbed Hazard proves to be bad luck for Team Flash and the rest of Central City. At the same time, Harry Wells returns from Earth Two with a message for Wally from Jesse Quick which leads to a momentous decision.


Influences

Roy Thomas' Infinity Inc. (character of Hazard) and Superman III (the slapstick direction of the chaos around Hazard is very Richard Lester).


Artistry

The sequence of Hazard robbing the bank is amazing, from the slow-motion effects showing the chaos breaking out around her to the musical score.


Flash Facts

This episode takes its title from a song from the 1950 musical Guys and Dolls. Originally performed by Robert Alda, it was sung in the 1955 film adaptation by Marlon Brando and became a standard of Frank Sinatra. Indeed, Frank Sinatra's cover of the song is used during the first scene in which we see Hazard's powers in action.

Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Todd McFarlane, Hazard first appeared in Infinity Inc. #34 (January 1987). Rebecca "Becky" Sharpe was the granddaughter of Steven Sharpe III - a super-villain known as The Gambler, who was a continual foe of The Justice Society of America. She fought against Infinity Inc. - a superhero team founded by children and proteges of the JSA - under the name Hazard, as part of a super-villain group called Injustice Unlimited.

Hazard had the power to manipulate luck and probabilities, making things turn to her advantage or against her enemies. Like her grandfather before her, she was a master of games of chance, even ignoring her powers. Unlike most of her partners in Injustice Unlimited, however, Becky had a strict code against killing, which eventually made her turn on her teammates and turn herself in for her past crimes.

The DCTVU version of Rebecca Sharpe has terrible luck and considers herself jinxed until she gains metahuman powers that make her lucky while causing bad things to happen to the people around her.

Becky's work uniform at her job as a blackjack dealer is a perfect replica of Hazard's costume in the comics.

Cisco quotes Oliver Queen's catch-phrase from the early seasons of Arrow - "You have failed this city!" when Barry is the first to be shot playing laser tag.

It is considered bad luck in some cultures for a groom to see his bride in her wedding dress before the wedding. This fact is mentioned after Barry accidentally walks in on Iris trying on her wedding dress.

The pilot who is said to be bad luck appears to be Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger - the hero of the famous Miracle On The Hudson, where Sully was able to make a successful water-landing of his plane with no casualties after a goose flew into the engine. The 2016 film Sully was based on the incident.

Wally decides to leave Central City to stay with a friend in Blue Valley for a while. In the comics, Blue Valley, Nebraska was Wally West's hometown. It was also the hometown of Courtney "Stargirl" Whitmore.


Technobabble

According to Harry, Atlantean plastic on Earth Two is poorly made.

Break-Up Cubes are a piece of technology used on Earth Two used to end relationships. You record a hologram of yourself, select an appropriate piece of music and once the message is done, a tissue pops out so the person you gave it to can dry their tears. It is, as Caitlin remarks, a really convenient way to break someone's heart.

211 is the CCPD code for a robbery. It's also the code for a robbery in California, in the real world.

Harry says that what Cisco calls juju, he calls quantum entanglement. Quantum particles are connected and, when triggered, they simulate a synchronicity that, to the untrained eye, appears to be luck. Barry guesses that Becky affects the particles around her in a positive way, which causes the connected particles to spin negatively. In other words, she has a good-luck field and when good things happen to her, bad things happen around her.

Cisco detected trace amounts of dark matter on Hazard through the censors on Barry's suit.

Newton's Third Law Of Motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Harry evokes this when explaining that the more good luck Hazard experiences, the more bad luck she spreads around her.

The hydrogen particle hatch and electron hatch are parts of the STAR Labs Particle Accelerator.

The hydrogen electron collision released a charge that temporarily negated Hazard's quantum field.


Dialogue Triumphs

Wally: I thought Jesse and I were having date night?
Harry: Yeah. That's what you thought.

Wally: What did she say? In the message?
Harry: You know - you heard. You - "you're a great guy." I don't remember.
Wally: Don't you have total recall?
Harry: Yeah. (suddenly) No! No... don't. I did! I don't. (pauses) I did but I don't.

Barry: If we can stop evil time-traveling speedsters from destroying the planet, we can find a wedding venue!

(The Mechanic and The Thinker are watching as Hazard causes the boyfriend who was cheating on her to suffer a series of accidents in the restaurant where he just happened to walk in with his other date as she was eating.)
The Mechanic: I don't understand. Your plan revolves around this dolt?
Boyfriend: (on monitor) Who makes soup so hot?!
(The Mechanic stops the video feed.) 
The Thinker: As lusterless as Rebecca is, she may be the most formidable of them all.
The Mechanic: (impatiently) Then why don't we get her now?
The Thinker: The capricious nature of her powers warrants further observation.
(The Mechanic sighs and unpauses the video feed.)
Boyfriend: (screaming) Are those live lobsters?!

Becky: Listen, CSI guy - my entire life has been one piece of crummy luck after the next.
Barry: Look, we all have ups and downs in life-
Becky: (laughs) Not Becky Sharpe. I have only ever been dealt bad hands. But I knew one day the universe would see it made a mistake, and then I'd have the run of the table. I got on that bus and Lady Luck smiled on me.
Barry: Becky, this isn't some higher power fixing a miscalculation. You have powers. And they're affecting everyone around you, making them feel as awful as you made them feel.
Becky: I'm sorry about that but... maybe it's just their turn? Maybe, for once, everyone else can feel how bad I felt my entire life. Anyway, there is nothing you can do to stop me.
(Barry looks around the room as Becky walks off, noting a waitress just barely stopping herself from spilling a tray of drinks, a coffee pot that is continuing to boil past the safety point and a workman with a nail gun pointing it downward and clicking the trigger in frustration as a mother with a baby carriage walks underneath him.)

(After Harry lets the Particle Accelerator activate, saving the day.)
Cisco: How did you know to do that?
Harry: (shrugs) Lucky guess.

Joe: I don't want anything more than for you to find what you're looking for. But I've... I spent so much time without you in my life... I don't want to lose you.
Wally: (smiling) You'll never lose me, Dad. Plus, I 'm a speedster. You need me, I'll come running.


Dialogue Disasters

The whole of the "Iris wants to get married in a hurry" scene. It's at this point that the humor of the episode crosses the line from decent slapstick into poor farce, with Iris acting wholly out of character and disrupting a funeral in an incredibly tacky display. The worst part though is the final lines, as the choking priest is being led away from the ceremony.

Barry: (weakly) You know, it was a... very nice funeral.
Iris: (angrily) Really, Barry?


Continuity

The Thinker's second subject is Rebecca "Becky" Sharpe.

Becky Sharpe is severely lactose intolerant.

Central City has legalized gambling.

We see Rebecca Sharpe board a bus with three other people on board besides the driver. One of them is Ramsey "Kilg%re" Deacon, from 402. The others are a man and a woman. The show's opening ends with them all being exposed to a bright flash of light.

Joe West's house has distinctively noisy pipes.

Jesse Wells dumps Wally West through a Break-Up Cube message.

Jesse Wells apparently lost her virginity to Wally West. It's unclear if she was his first time as well.

When we first see Hazard in action, the app breaks for her Uber driver, a security guard starts choking as she enters a bank, knocking over the ladder which a workman is using. This, coupled with a suddenly spilled cup of coffee setting sparks to flying on a computer and a distracted teller talking to her mom about not using an oven allows her to talk into an open bank vault unnoticed. The Flash is unable to catch her, due to a barrel full of marbles suddenly turning over in the street, causing him to slip and fall.

Cisco claims his cousin Hector was cursed by an ex and has not been able to find a parking place at the mall for three years.

Becky Sharpe is 24 years old and has no prior criminal record. She is still in the CCPD criminal database, due to having been rear-ended four times,  having her identity stolen twice and having a cat burglar literally burgle her cat in the three years she's lived in Central City.

Again, the question is raised of how Becky can be a metahuman when she wasn't in Central City at the time of the STAR Labs Particle Accelerator Explosion.

Cisco did leave some new sensors in Barry's suit, despite claiming to have removed all the new tech in 402. They are capable of detecting trace amounts of dark matter.

Joe West finds out it will cost $15,000 to replace all the piping in his house. He says that is more than his great uncle paid for it originally.

Barry accidentally sees Iris in her wedding dress as she is trying it on at home. It is considered bad luck in some cultures for a groom to see his bride in her wedding dress before the wedding.

The venue where Barry and Iris wanted to hold their wedding burned down shortly after they booked it. Their back-up venue booked another event the morning they found this out.

Barry and Iris' wedding is in six weeks.

When Barry left The Speed Force three weeks earlier (in 401), a wave of dark matter came with him. This triggered the new wave of metahumans, according to Harry.

Harry Wells created the calculations to access The Speed Force.  He warned Cisco against using them, however.

Joe's house suddenly starts leaking water from the ceiling.

Iris refers to The Dominators, Savitar and gorillas when listing bad things that have happened to her and Barry in the past.

Iris' attempt at a rushed wedding ends when the priest has an allergic attack to the cinnamon incense the altar boy used.

Over the past few months, Harry Wells organized a support team for Jesse Quick on Earth Two. He was voted off the team, however, due to being his usual dickish self.

Harry decides to stay on Earth One.

Team Flash determines there were 12 people on the bus that Barry infected with Dark Matter.

Wally went to Earth Two an spoke with Jesse. She said she needed time to focus on herself and he decided he needed to do the same

Wally leaves Central City to stay with a friend in Blue Valley for a while.

The Thinker has a camera inside the head of the Samuraoid that is now in STAR Labs, allowing him to spy on The Flash.

Joe and Cecile decide to keep Joe's house.

Cecile reveals that she is pregnant to Joe.


Untelevised Adventures

We don't get to see Wally's journey to Earth Two and his talk with Jesse Quick.


The Bottom Line

There's a good episode here. Unfortunately, it takes place entirely off camera while we watch random stupidity occur. Maybe I'm alone in wanting to see Wally talk with Jesse about their relationship troubles over dated references to famous disasters (seriously, what was up with the Sully reference?) and Iris suddenly becoming Bridezilla and wanting to have a hurried church wedding without any of her friends and family present... but I doubt it. Every major revelation revealed in this episode seems forced and could have used more time to be developed instead of being shoved into the last five minutes while we watch Becky being quirky and adorable as all hell breaks loose around her.