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.

The Flash Episode Guide: Season 8, Episode 8 - The Fire Next Time

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

Plot

When an paroled metahuman criminal is accused of murder in a seemingly open-and-shut case, Barry goes all-out in both his personas to see justice done. Meanwhile, Iris tries to give Allegra an opportunity to mentor a new writer.

Influences

Law and Order (the episode is more concerned with legal proceedings than usual.)


Goofs

Cecile's new rule against using her powers to read if people are guilty or innocent seems to have been introduced only to prolong the drama of the episode and the question of whether or not Jaco Birch has become a killer. (It's also somewhat nonsensical given the whole reason Cecile became a defense attorney in the first place was so that her work as a lawyer wouldn't harm innocent people, after almost sending Allegra Garcia to prison.)

Iris' behavior as editor-in-chief is completely unprofessional. No serious head editor would allow a staff writer to go behind the back of a lower ranked editor after having a pitch rejected. (This is not to say this sort of thing does not happen at less than reputable publishers, but it's hard to make Iris look at all competent when she does this sort of thing, especially after the revelation at the end that Taylor is scheming to take Allegra's job.) It nothing else, Iris should have made it clear that she was trying to get Allegra to mentor Taylor instead of trusting Allegra to automatically work to help the newer writer to develop a weak idea.

Jaco's confrontation with Donna Winters doesn't make a lot of sense unless he is guilty.

Jaco's being treated like a hero for stopping a volcano from destroying Central City falls flat considering it was his powers that accidentally created he eruption in the first place.


Performances

The scene of Joe and Barry discussing Barry's father and Jaco's case is a great moment for Jesse L. Martin and Grant Gustin.


Flash Facts

The title of the episode comes from an essay by James Baldwin about racism in America.

The social media influencer Taylor wants to interview is a woman named Rose Levin. In the comics, Rose Levin was an ancestor of Booster Gold, who wrote a popular blog devoted to proving that Booster Gold was also the hero Supernova.

Technobabble

Barry notes that Stan Mullen's body is burned all the way through, but there's no fire damage to the ground underneath his corpse or any signs of fire damage elsewhere in the bar. This suggests a metahuman attack, as nothing else could create a fire that violates the laws of physics in that way.

Chester confirms the local dark matter readings are consistent with a metahuman attack.

Barry's tomography reports regarding Donna Winter's body confirm the thermal lesions on her body match the marks on Stan Mullen's body exactly. Barry says there is no pyrokinetic meta who could replicate burns like that even if they tried.

Jaco Birch's powers are tied to his emotional state, with his fire becoming hotter the more angry he is.

Chester cross-references the heat signature from both murder victims and determines the signatures produced an anomalous heat effect created by non-composites reacting to hydrogen isotopes, i.e. cold fusion. This proves that Jaco Birch can't be the killer since his powers come from absorbing heat and redirecting it as fire.

Jaco's powers are tied to the earth beneath wherever he's standing. When he became upset at the thought of losing his son, he absorbed so much heat from the planet's core that he opened up a lava channel under Central City.

The Flash phases into the water table under the city releases it directly into the lava channel. This stops the eruption but not the massive heat exchange that would have cooked the city if Jaco hadn't used his powers to absorb the heat.


Dialogue Triumphs

Barry: Joe, the look in my dad's eyes that night... It was the same look in Birch's eyes when they arrested him. Look of an innocent man... desperate not to lose his son... Begging someone to believe him.
Joe: And you do.
Barry: Yeah, I do. I just keep thinking about all the time my dad lost. (sighs) All the birthdays we spent, separated by plexiglass. I can't let Birch and his son go through that if he's innocent. (inhales deeply) I don't know. Maybe the team's right. Maybe I'm making something out of nothing. You think maybe I've had blinders up this whole time?
Joe: Maybe. Or... You can see something they can't. Look, what you went through, I wouldn't wish on anyone. But what it did, was it gave you the ability to believe in the underdog when no one else is willing to. So... If your gut tells you... To not give up on Birch... Then for Henry's sake, don't. Not yet.


Dialogue Disasters

Barry: The fact that Birch ran away doesn't change the evidence. There's still nothing directly tying him to Mullen's death.
Cecile: Sure, Barry, sure, but fleeing custody is not exactly exculpatory, and I am saying that as his lawyer.


Continuity

The episode opens at O'Shaughnessy's, where bartender Donna Winters leaves manager Stan Mullen alone.

Smoke fills the bar just before Stan is burned to death.

A calendar reveals that it is February 1st.

Iris suggests going out to dinner until she sees the calendar, at which point she suggest that she and Barry have a night in or that they both call in sick. Barry dismisses this, however, saying there's too much going on at work and that it is "just another day." It is later revealed that it is Dr. Henry Allen's birthday.

Chester is revealed to have a fear of fire.

After looking at the crime scene and hearing from Donna that Stan had gotten into an argument with a patron the night before, he recalls something and shows her a photo asking if she recognizes the man in it. She confirms that she does. 

The man in question is Jaco "The Hotness" Birch.

Jaco first appeared in 416, where he accidentally gained the powers of Eric Frye because of Melting Pot. It is unclear if he never lost the powers afterward or if he regained fire-generation powers following Crisis on Infinite Earths. In any case, he apparently served time for arson at Iron Heights and was recently paroled due to his good behavior.

Chester notes that Jaco was a thief, not a killer, from what he knew of his record.

Barry notes that Jaco never had the fine control needed to kill someone without burning a building down.

The CC Citizen is starting a new "citizen of the week" profile feature. 

Taylor Downs requested she be allowed to write about social influencer Rosie Levin for the first feature.

Allegra rejected the pitch, believing Rosie Levin to be the sort of pseudo-celebrity CC Media shouldn't give a platform.

Iris reveals that Taylor went to her after Allegra rejected the pitch and she approved it, saying that they need the clicks Rose Levin's 500,000 social media followers might bring in.

Allegra is not happy that her authority is being ignored. Iris says that it's her privilege as Editor In Chief to make decisions Allegra disagrees with.

To add insult to injury, Iris assigns Allegra to interview Rosie Levins with Taylor.

The CCPD approach Jaco Birch as he's showing his son Harold around his new job as an arena security guard. Harold is less than impressed.

The Flash steps in and knocks Jaco into a fountain before he can use his powers.

As Jaco is being taken away by the police in front of his son, he proclaims his innocence in a way that causes Barry to start having flashbacks of his father's arrest.

Barry approaches Cecile and asks for her advice regarding Jaco' case. Cecile agrees to represent Jaco, but refuses to use her powers to read if he is guilty or innocent.

Cecile says the case against Jaco is open-and-shut, due to his having means, motive and opportunity, in addition to the witness who saw him threatening Stan Mullen before his death.

Allegra zones out of the interview with Rose Levin, after she talks about quitting college because she found the university environment to be like a prison.

Allegra recognizes a janitor at CC Jitters as Lydia, a woman she served time with in Iron Heights.

Lydia recognizes Allegra and reads her the riot act for forgetting where she came from and not using her position to help people who are struggling.

Allegra says Lydia is right and she's going to write about her.

Jaco is concerned about his son, who was neglected by his mother while Jaco was in prison.

Jaco says his love for his son was what made him work so hard to get paroled, having his four year sentence commuted somewhat.

According to Jaco, his argument with Stan Mullen was regarding a guitar she was trying to sell. Stan only wanted to pay half what he had previously agreed.

Barry says he believes Jaco is innocent, but nobody else is convinces after Jaco escapes from the truck transporting him to holding.

Jaco confronts Donna Winters and threatens her if she doesn't recant her testimony.

Barry makes reference to Frost going on the run after Chillblaine framed her in 707 as proof Jaco could be innocent.

Donna Winters' body is found, burned in the same way as Stan Mullen's, behind O'Shaughnessy's.

Chester agrees to take a look at the data, but he's convinced Jaco is guilty too.

Barry sets up a murder board in his lab at CCPD.

Joe checks on Barry and says it's been eight years since he saw one of those, in reference to the one Barry made for his father's case.

Joe recalls that Henry Allen missed his 45th birthday party due to an emergency call. Henry was disappointed, but Joe comforted him saying there would be other birthday parties. Unfortunately, it was the last one he enjoyed as a free man.

Allegra writes about Lydia what what ex-cons like here are going through to make ends meet.

Iris agrees its a much better piece than Taylor's fluff piece, but says it isn't what she wanted her to write. She also wanted Allegra to mentor Taylor and help her develop her idea to be more in depth.

Despite this, Iris decides to run Allegra's piece as the first CC Citizen of the Week profile.

Chester finds proof that Jaco can't be the killer. Unfortunately, it comes as he attacks the social services worker transporting his son.

An earthquake begins shaking the city as Jaco is holding up the convoy.

With the Flash advising him, Jaco is able to stop the eruption and save the city.

Jaco is found innocent and given custody of his son.

Allegra tries to apologize to Taylor, but she swears to destroy Allegra.

Henry Allen was bad at softball and liked lite beer.

Henry Allen never made Barry clean his plate as a child and read him the same bedtime story whenever he wanted it - a story about a hippo trying to make friends by making cookies.

Barry asks Chester to look for more victims who died from cold fusion heat.


The Boomerang Factor

Iris is made to look utterly incompetent as an editor-in-chief, allowing Taylor to ignore the chain of command while giving Allegra a hard time for demanding her authority be respected. She also doesn't make it clear that she was trying to give Allegra some managerial experience mentoring Taylor.

Granting that Jaco Birch is presented as a hot-tempered idiot, his efforts to escape prison, confront the woman who accused him or murder and kidnap his son from social services are idiotic even by the standards of a Flash villain.


The Bottom Line

There's a good idea here and some great acting from Grant Gustin. Unfortunately, all the scenes of Joe and Barry bonding can't make up for how contrived the plot with The Hotness is and how idiotic Iris' storyline is, in how it twists reality to try and make Iris out to be this brilliant boss while she's undermining Allegra and failing to communicate her expectations beyond "because I said so."

The Flash Episode Guide: Season 4, Episode 16 - Run, Iris, Run

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



Plot

The tenth Bus Meta - whom Cisco dubs Melting Point - has the power to change the DNA of other people. When his encounter with Team Flash leaves Iris with Barry's super-speed, they will have to switch roles in order to save Central City.


Influences

The Flash #22 (New 52 Series), where Iris West temporarily acquires a connection to The Speed Force.


Goofs

Cisco's speculation at the start of the episode does bring up an interesting point - why not hide Ralph on Earth Two or someplace else?!

Ralph's complaints about Iris not knowing what it's like to risk your life as a hero seem to be meant to make Ralph sound whinny and ungrateful. The thing is, fear-driven as his responses might be, Ralph has a point about how keeping him safe should be a priority when it comes to stopping DeVoe's plan but everyone on the team except Caitlin seems to view keeping Ralph alive as a necessary evil, at best.

Also, Ralph's cowardice has come out of nowhere given Ralph was chomping at the bit to go after DeVoe to avenge Izzy two episodes ago, to the point where he made Barry a partner in his detective business.

Joe and Barry are stumped on how to get Ralph to impersonate DeVoe again to talk to The Mayor about Barry getting his job back while keeping Ralph safe. What about that hologram projector Cisco made in Season 2 that could project an image anywhere in Central City?

Eric Fry was smart enough to leave Central City after The Flash first appeared three years ago and started taking down metahuman criminals. Why then did he come back to Central City now?!

While it's a good idea not to have Barry go with Joe to question a person of interest in regard to a bank robbery given that Barry is persona non grata with the CCPD, that has nothing to do with why Iris tells Barry to stay at STAR Labs - it's so that she can go out in the field and prove to Ralph that she doesn't just hide in STAR Labs bossing everyone around!

On that note, how the heck does Joe justify bringing his daughter along to question a suspect in an official capacity?

Apart from being a funny sight gag, what is the point of Iris changing clothes with Caitlin at super-speed?  Couldn't she just run home and find something else to wear rather than forcibly stripping her friend against her will? Especially since Caitlin was about to change into her Killer Frost clothes anyway?

For that matter, why DOESN'T Caitlin wind up going along to help put out the fire after Iris tells her to get ready to go and do that?

The spare mask Jesse Quick left behind on Earth One doesn't match her red costume.

Iris reveals that she did quit her job as a reporter. So how the heck are she and Barry affording their fancy loft since they're both unemployed. (Yes, I know Barry is supposed to be somewhat independently wealth after inheriting STAR Labs from Wells/Thawne, but they've never bothered to explain this point...)

Pretty much everything involving the stand off with The Hotness. First, this guy decides to become a criminal after two days. Next, the fact that he's able to master his new powers enough to be a threat in that much time when Iris can barely use her own powers with a team of experienced metahuman scientists training her. Third, the fact that his brilliant scheme is to go into a park and start demanding money rather than robbing a bank or a business. Fourth, the fact that he allows the police to surround him. Fifth, the fact that the police let a civilian like Matthew Kim into the area to try and talk to the metahuman terrorist. Sixth, why in the name of little green apples doesn't Iris just run in and punch the guy at super-speed like she did with Matthew Kim?  Seventh, why not send in the metahuman with ice powers to control the fire, apart from Iris needing to do this to prove that she could be a superhero if she had powers?

Cisco says the fire being generated by the man with the fire powers is 800 degrees, which is as hot as lava. This is just barely true in the Celsius scale, where lava ranges from 700-1200 degrees C. In the Fahrenheit measure, lava ranges from 1300-2200 degrees F. Either way, the heat should be enough that convection should bake Iris alive as close as she is to the fire.

Iris' speech to Ralph about not giving in to fear doesn't really ring true given that the only thing that saved Iris from the consequences of living her life was HR Wells switching places with her without telling anyone he'd done so.


Flash Facts

The episode title is an nod to the repeated line, "Run, Barry, Run."

There have been a few stories where Iris West temporarily acquired The Flash's powers. The most recent one was during The New 52 The Flash series, where Iris West developed her own connection to The Speed Force in The Flash #22.

Eric Frye - the fire-starting British bank robber in this episode - is a new character unique to The DCTVU.

Melting Point -a.k.a. Matthew Kim - is a character unique to The DCTVU. His power set, however, resembles that of Ragtag - a villain from the Static Shock animated series. Ragtag was a homeless man who developed the power to give ordinary humans temporary super powers. He could also drain the powers from other metahumans. He used these abilities to get ordinary teenagers addicted to the power that he gave them and then used them as his pawns to commit crimes.

Melting Point uses his powers in a benevolent fashion - not surprising given his status as an EMT.

The advance press for this episode called Melting Point by the name "Melting Pot".

The name of Melting Point has been used before in another DC Comic book. Strangely enough, it was in The Flash: Year Zero comic book, which has largely been declared non-canon since its original release. This comic saw the creation of a villain named Doctor Melting Point, who was Dr. Wangari Hollowell - a former teacher of Caitlin Snow's.  Half of Dr. Hollowell's body had been transformed into Quantum Energy, giving her the ability to melt down organic materials and absorb them into herself.

In the comics, The Hotness was a fire-controlling female villain who made her first appearance in Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S. #2 (January, 2014). She died in that same issue, at the hands of Killer Frost.

The Arrowverse version of the Hotness is a man named Jaco Birch, but has the same power.

Cisco makes reference to the movie Spider-Man 2 in explaining to Caitlin why he thinks Harry building his own Thinking Cap is a bad idea. In that movie, Doctor Otto Octavius was driven crazy after the artificially-intelligent robotic arms he built to assist in his more dangerous lab work took over his brain.

Cisco also makes reference to The Borg from Star Trek, when laying down the conditions under which he will help Harry with The Intelligence Booster/Thinking Cap. Namely that he will vibe Harry elsewhere the minute he starts trying to assimilate everyone.

The date of Iris' first blog post on Saved By The Flash is March 13. 2018 - the original air date of this episode.


Technobabble

Harry suggests altering each Bus Meta's DNA using inter-cellular surgery and turning them into chickens.

Harry determines that DeVoe boosted his intelligence using neurochemical engineering powered by the dark matter released by the STAR Labs Particle Accelerator. Using that knowledge and the security footage from STAR Labs showing DeVoe on the night of the particle accelerator explosion, Harry builds his own intelligence booster (a.k.a. Thinking Cap) to enhance his mind to match that of DeVoe.

Barry says that what Harry is proposing would 10 billion joules through his brain.

According to Cisco, it would take a temperature of 6000 degrees Fahrenheit (3315.556 degrees Celsius) to melt through 10 inches of reinforced steel. This is reportedly 10 times the thermal out of of Mick Rory's Heat Gun.

When pondering how a metahuman could just lose their powers, Caitlin theorizes that Eric Frye's powers, if based around metastasizing solar radiation to create hat, locking him in a dark room should neutralize his powers. As Joe points out, however, Eric Frye lost his powers in the middle of the day when it was sunny.

Caitlin then suggests that Eric Frye's internal bio-chemistry had been altered to develop its own internal thermal combustion and ran out of fuel.

Without the edition of dark matter, The Intelligence Booster causes Harry's neurons to fire 20 times faster.

With the Thinking Cap, Harry is able to analyze Ralph's eating habits and extrapolate them at a predictive behavior model. determining there is a 67% chance that Ralph will spill mustard on himself while eating his veggie dog in four seconds. He is also able to deduce that Ralph is not wearing any underwear based on the movement of the fabric of his pants as Ralph is wiping his hands clan.

Caitlin runs a series of tests - EKG, cellular regression synthesis, dark matter and brain chemistry - to confirm that Irish has become a metahuman with speed powers.

Matthew Kim's powers work by melting down the highly concentrated bonds between DNA, making them pliable so he can extract them and infuses somebody else with the exact same metahuman DNA sequence.

Harry needs a micro-filament compression wrench with a cobalt retrieving clamp to finish his work on The Thinking Cap.

Caitlin considers dark matter splicing, pattern DNA cloning and regrowing meta-enhanced stem-material on a cellular level as a way to replicate Melting Points powers but concludes that nothing else will work.

The fire generated by the new fire-powered metahuman is described as being 800 degrees and "as hot as lava."  Presumably Cisco is using the Celsius scale, where lava ranges from 700-1200 degrees.

The new fire metahuman is able to generate a thermo-cyclone - a cyclone made of fire.

Cisco disengages the photo flow to The Thinking Cap once Harry goes 20% over his own recommended safety standards.


Dialogue Triumphs

Cisco: I'm sorry - don't you have like, six PhDs?
Harry: Seven.
Cisco: Yeah, which one of them is in mad science?
Harry: Mad science is just an area of study. It's not a degree.

Matthew Kim: Stealing is a sin. You shouldn't be using the powers you've been given in this way.
Eric Frye: I'll use them any way I see fit. Including frying you to a crisp, if you move any closer!
Matthew Kim: (calmly) Oh, I don't think you will. You don't want to hurt me. Or anyone in this bank. You can still walk away from this. But the moment you touch that money, your life changes forever. You don't really want that, do you?
Eric Frye: Maybe you're right.
(Matthew Kim reaches out and touches the man's shoulder. There is a quick flash of red light on his hand as the bank-robbing meta punches him to the ground.  Matthew Kim touches another man and there's a quick flash of red into his hand.)
Eric Frye: Or... maybe you've got a death wish!
(Eric Frye raises his hands to throw a fireball... and nothing happens.)
Eric Frye: What the hell?  My powers.... they're gone
(Eric Frye is tackled by a security guard.)
Guard: Hey, buddy!  You're a real....
(The guard looks to where Matthew Kim was as the rest of the hostages look up. He is gone.)
Guard: ... hero?

(Harry has just used his enhanced intelligence to deduce that Ralph is not wearing any underwear.)
Ralph: You got all that from your fancy metal cap?
Harry: Yes I did.
Ralph: It's impressive, Harry. Except for one very small thing.
Harry: Which is?
Ralph: Your head is on fire.
Harry: (laughs) No it's...
(Harry rolls his eyes upward and realizes that the thinking cap just burst into flame.)

Caitlin: Cisco, why can't you just help him?
Cisco: Why am I the only one who thinks putting a rageaholic and dark matter together is a bad idea?
Caitlin: He's trying to stop DeVoe. That's not a bad idea.
Cisco: He's trying to match his intellect with a mad man whose innovations are warping his brain. Have you not seen Spider-Man 2?
Caitlin: No.
Cisco: ... how can you live with yourself?

(Cisco holds up a garment bag, holding a new costume for Iris.)
Iris: Thanks Cisco.
(There is a flash of violet lighting as Iris runs off. Her street clothes falling to the ground as Cisco is left clutching an empty garment bag.)
Cisco: I've got hangers!


Dialogue Disasters

(The line in which Iris pretty much sums up every problem most of the the fandom have had with her  in Season 4.)

Iris: Barry, when I was a reporter, I was always in the field putting myself in danger for a story. And after last year, for some reason, that just stopped. Maybe it was because of Savitar. Maybe because you were gone into The Speed Force. I don't know, but... I quit my job. I joined this team. And now, for the most part, I just stay here while all of you are out there putting your lives on the line.


Continuity

Cisco contemplates breaching the last three Bus Metas and relocating them to Earth Two.  Harry suggests altering each Bus Meta's DNA using inter-cellular surgery.

Harry Wells has seven PhDs.

On Earth Two, Mad Science is an area of study but not one with a degree plan.

Ralph, Caitlin and Iris agree to try Harry's "intelligence booster" idea. Cisco refuses to help.

Cecile is now in her third trimester. She and Joe have picked out names for the baby, but they aren't telling anyone what they are.

The mayor of Central City refuses to let Barry have his job back until she meets with The DeVoes personally.

According to Cisco, the energy output of Heatwave's fire gun is 600 degrees Fahrenheit.

Eric Frye got his powers at the same time as the first wave of metahumans. He left Central City after The Flash appeared and has been roaming around robbing banks ever since.

Matthew Kim has apparently been using his powers in secret to take away the powers of other criminals for some time.

Iris generates violet lightning whens he runs.

The movie Spider-Man 2 exists in The DCTVU. Caitlin has not seen it.

The man who got Eric Frye's powers by accident is named Jaco Birch. He calls himself The Hottness during his short-lived "reign of terror."

Cisco finally agrees to help Harry with The Intelligence Booster on two conditions - that they will now power it with dark matter and that the minute Harry begins to act like Locutus of Borg and starts trying to assimilate everyone, Cisco has permission to send him to another Earth.

Harry calculates 4,827 ways the fight with The Hotness could go but only one that will result in no loss of life. This involves Iris creating a 100-foot tall tidal wave to combat the fire cyclone.

It is revealed that Matthew Kim thought that his power was to remove the powers of other metahumans. He had no idea he was capable of transferring them to other people. He believed that he had been chosen by God to punish those who abused the power they were given.

Matthew Kim agrees to join Team Flash in the fight against The Thinker.

Ralph agrees to see the mayor, disguised as DeVoe in a bid to get Barry his job back.

Cecile recommends a good pizza place in Keystone to Barry.

Iris starts a new blog, Saved By The Flash, detailing stories of people... saved by The Flash.

The last two Bus Metas are named Janet Petty and Edwin Goss.


The Boomerang Factor

Pretty much all of Team Flash is nerfed this week so that Iris can prove that she could be just as good at being The Flash as Barry.


The Bottom Line

Everything insufferable about the fourth season of The Flash in one episode. No DeVoes. Virtually nothing except Iris and Barry being cute together. All of Ralph's character development being forgotten so that he can be the gross cowardly pervert nobody likes again. All of Harry's character development is forgotten so that he can go back to being shoutty jerkass again. And the writers finally confirm that Iris literally subverted her entire life for the sake of the man she loved, as everyone else is nerfed this week so that Iris can prove that she's just as much of a hero as Barry... if she has super powers.  At this point, it''s a neck and neck race for what show disgusts me more  - this or Arrow.