[Warning: Contains Spoilers… obviously]
After a brief recap, we return to the scene of the nuclear explosion from the previous week, to find that Barry and Caitlin have suffered no immediate effects from the radiation, leading them to investigate ground zero a little closer. The explosion was of course caused by Firestorm in an attempt in separate Ronnie and Dr. Stein, and as the smoke clears we find both men alive and well in the crater.
Upon returning to STAR labs, the tension between Ronnie and Stein is palpable; a natural reaction given that they’ve unwillingly spent nearly a year and a half in each other’s heads at this point. After a bout of bickering, each of them leave to become re-acquainted with their better halves.
Joe asks Barry to meet with him, and they visit the house where his mother was murdered. Joe shows Barry the three dimensional representation of that fateful evening recreated by Cisco, before telling him the blood found at the scene is his. Barry now knows he will travel in time at some point in the future, and seeks the advice of Dr. Wells, before consulting Dr. Stein on the matter.
The nuclear explosion is investigated by General Eiling’s team, and they discover that the Firestorm Matrix has been separated. Seeking to use the power of Firestorm for military application, he locates and attacks Ronnie whilst he is catching up with Caitlin over coffee. At this point, Dr. Stein begins to feel Ronnie’s palpitations, indicating there is still some form of link between the two men. As Ronnie is about to be apprehended, Barry shows up to help, but is stopped in is tracks by some sort of chaff grenade thrown by Eiling, which distributes spines attracted by kinetic energy. Barry is badly injured, but thanks to Caitlin is able to escape alongside Ronnie to STAR labs.
In light of the military’s interest in appropriating the Firestorm Matrix, Ronnie and Dr. Stein decide to go into hiding, with Caitlin and Ronnie heading to Joe’s place. Meanwhile Dr. Wells makes a visit to Eiling, who reveals that he knows who the Flash is and threatens to harm him unless Wells co-operates in the capture of Dr. Stein. With his hands tied, Wells drugs Stein and delivers him to Eiling, before helping in the subsequent plan to free him.
Stein is taken to a seemingly defunct military facility, number 27, and is subsequently set upon and tortured. After a brief bout of electric shock treatment, Stein begins tapping the number of the facility in Morse Code, allowing Ronnie to learn his location with help from Cisco. A scientist working for Eiling reveals that the Firestorm Matrix information is actually stored in Stein’s DNA, meaning there is no need for him to be left alive.
Barry arrives just in time to stop Eiling shooting Stein in the head, taking him outside to the waiting Ronnie. Dr. Wells notes that if each man accepts the other, the Firestorm Matrix will become more stable, leading both men to recombine, this time with Ronnie in complete control, and Dr. Stein taking a third person role in his head, much like the comic book incarnation.
Once more Barry is almost incapacitated by one of Eiling’s weapons, this time a phosphorous rocket that begins eating through his suit. As Firestorm takes out the advancing soldiers, Barry creates a vacuum by running in a circle, starving the phosphorous of oxygen, thus nullifying it. After the dust settles, both Ronnie and Dr. Stein decide to leave the city and head to Pittsburgh where they hope to learn more about their condition from a colleague of Dr. Stein’s.
In the closing moments, Barry tells Joe of his determination to change the past and save his mother when he finally comes face to face with the Reverse Flash. The epilogue features a scene in which General Eiling is snatched from his military base by the Reverse Flash, who reveals himself to be Dr. Wells. He then introduces a ‘friend of his’, and former recipient of torture at the hands of Eiling; none other than Gorilla Grodd!
So there you have it folks, that was our recap of the latest episode. Let us know what you thought of it in the comments.
The Writer of this piece was: Martin Doyle
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You can check out more of Martin’s reviews and thoughts on random retro things over at Retromuse
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