The Flashback: ‘The Flash’ – Episode 9 ‘The Man In The Yellow Suit’

The Flash is DC’s television adaptation of the comic book of the same name. It airs Tuesday nights at 8/7 Central on The CW. Our writer, Nicole Drum recaps the series each week updating you on the latest episode here in The FlashBack.

It’s that time of year: the mid-season hiatus time which means that last night’s episode of The Flash is the last one we get until January 20th. I know that I’m a bit sad about this, but at the same time I was greatly anticipating last night’s episode and all of the reveals it promised. I’m happy to say that it didn’t disappoint. This was probably the best episode of the series thus far.

The episode opens up with Flash chasing…Flash? Yes, that’s what we get, but it’s not quite what it seems. You see, it’s Barry going speed-to-speed with the man in the yellow suit, aka the guy who killed his mother. He’s not doing so well, either. The man in the yellow suit seems to be besting our hero before we pop back to the days just before that moment.

The days before the Flash-on-Flash violence start out much more cheerfully. Barry is at home with Joe and Iris working on decorating the Christmas tree. Barry uses his super speed to decorate the tree…and then undo it while Iris brings in family recipe eggnog that despite being touted as “light” on bourbon appears to be pretty solid. I know I want some. Joe gets called away leaving the kids to themselves. Iris gets all giddy like a child and insists that she and Barry exchange their presents. Barry is pretty much the sweetest guy alive in addition to being the fastest. He gets Iris a replica of her mother’s wedding band, an item that she lost on a 5th grade field trip. Yes, Barry is like Pepperidge Farms, folks. He remembers. Iris, however, is less thoughtful. She gets him a fancy microscope. I have some questions about how a woman who appears to be a waitress at a coffee shop (I say waitress and not barista because we’ve never really seen her sling coffee) can afford a top of the line device, but okay. Sure. It is a nice gift. Iris later meets up with Eddie who notes her new ring necklace. Iris explains that Barry got it for her and we are really starting to see more of Eddie’s not-so-handsome side. Last week we saw him hating on Flash and this week we see him being jealous over that ring. He’s so jealous he’s practically green, but that’s okay because he has a jewelry box for Iris, too! It doesn’t hold a ring, mercifully, but it does have a house key. Eddie wants Iris to move in. I want to throw up, but yet again Iris disappoints me and says yes. Gross.

Meanwhile back at the lab, the nerd squad is also in the Christmas mood, generally. They exchange gifts, but Dr. Creepy Jeans isn’t feeling great. He’s a little blue this year, so he decides to retire for the night leaving Barry and Cisco to hangout while Caitlin heads home. In the parking lot she’s opening up her car when some shaggy, homeless guy’s face reflects in the mirror. Guys. It’s Ronnie. Caitlin realizes this too, and goes to chase him down. Before she can say or do anything, though he flames up and she quickly backs away.

Across town where there aren’t hot guys literally on fire the man in the yellow suit shows up at Mercury Labs and kills  bunch of security guards. Mercury is a competitor to S.T.A.R. which is always interesting, but right now all Barry cares about is that this is the guy who killed his mother. That is until Joe reveals that this guy has also threatened Iris, which means that Barry wants to stop this guy extra.

Image Credit: CW

The crew figure out that Mercury has been working with tachyon particles which they explain would permit people to move faster than light. Dr. Creepy Jeans and Barry come up with the idea that they could use what Mercury has been working on to lure the yellow suit guy into a trap so the have a chat with Dr. Tina McGee who runs Mercury. Christmas gift number one here, Flash fans, because Dr. McGee is played by Amanda Pays who played Dr. McGee in the CBS series. Naturally, Dr. McGee refuses to hand over her tech to Wells.

While that is going on Caitlin is working on her own investigation of Ronnie. She asks Iris about her blog story on the “Burning Man” and comes up with nothing, but that’s okay. She gives Iris some sage advice about how Iris should just ask Barry what’s going on with him (seems Iris is slowly cluing in) and then ends up recruiting Cisco to help her track Ronnie after he fails to convince her that Ronnie’s dead. I still say Cisco’s known for awhile and has probably been bringing Ronnie sandwiches and clean t-shirts. I would also like to point out that if your girlfriend is a scientist and you’re caught up in some crazy particle accident and survive? She’s probably totally going to understand so hiding out is lame.

Barry is at his lab looking at the case wall of his mother’s murder. We get a beautiful flashback while he’s looking at that wall, one of little Barry and his mom. She’s tucking him in and telling him that there is no need to fear the dark nor being alone in the dark because he is never alone. Barry’s dad also comes to tuck him in and it’s a beautiful family moment. Then we find out that that’s the night his mom died and it stops being so sweet. Iris is right on time for that lack of sweetness as she awkwardly tries to suss out what’s going on with Barry. He lies to her about nothing being wrong and she glees about moving in with Eddie. I swear, Iris is the dumbest person ever. Anguish is all over Barry’s face and body language and she just doesn’t get it. Thankfully she takes her dumb self and leaves and we catch our episode up to where it started. Yellow suit Flash of evil shows up, taunting Barry, and the two have a chase. We’re back to where we started and just like where we started, Barry is not doing well. The yellow Flash is faster and kicking his butt. The end up running into the football stadium and have a sweet Flash fight at mid-field. Barry doesn’t do well and the yellow Flash taunts him. He calls him by his secret identity, tells them they’ve been doing this for a long time, and even tells Barry that it is going to be his destiny to lose just as it was his mother’s destiny to die. Ouch.

Barry tells Joe and Creepy about the fight, but Wells stays pretty cool about it. They’ll just use a force field to trap and nerf this yellow speedster once they get Dr. McGee to hand over that tachyon prototype as bait. Dr. McGee isn’t so keen on that, though, and refuses. Barry’s not going to just let it go, though. He threatens to call up tech magazines and reveal all the goodies that are hanging out in Mercury’s R&D. It’s a bluff because Barry’s not that kind of guy, but it’s enough to get her to relent. And because we haven’t had enough of Eddie being a total jerk and waste this episode he shows up and says he wants in on this because he has his precious task force against the Flash. I hate Eddie. A lot.

Caitlin and Cisco track down Ronnie while all this is going on. She does her best to try to get him back, but he insists that he’s not Ronnie. There is some tender forehead-to-forehead time right before Ronnie says “Firestorm” and then goes all flame and disappears. Caitlin has a hard time with this, and once back at the lab (specifically down in the prison) she tells Cisco she used to play a game about what she’d give up for just one more minute, but now that she’s had that minute she just wishes he had died. I get it. I mean, we’re locking up all the metahumans that aren’t Barry. I get it.

So the plan is in full swing to trap this yellow Flash. Barry’s ready to go, but Joe and Creepy break the news to him that he is not going to be able to help them. He’s too angry, too distracted, it’s not a good idea. This upsets Barry who has built his life around catching this guy so he storms out. Still upset he goes to visit his father in prison. It’s a beautiful scene. Barry apologizes for not catching this guy and thus failing his father, but Barry’s dad? He’s the best dad in the world. He tells Barry that his work to catch this killer has consumed everything. He tells Barry to stop letting this killer take anything else from the Allen family and encourages Barry to just go live his own life and have love and be a human being not consumed by one moment in time. John Wesley Shipp is the man, kids.

Barry takes this advice and we get another really beautiful scene. Barry goes to find Iris at home and confesses his love for her. Of course, Iris is dense and it takes her a moment to get it. Of course Barry loves her and she loves him, but Barry has to clue her in. It’s not just friend love. It’s real love, and he didn’t tell her because he didn’t want to lose her, but in not saying something he already did. Iris sits there stunned with tears running down her face. It’s finally all out.

What’s not out? The dude in that yellow suit. He’s trapped in that force field. It’s time to find out who our villain is oh boy I’m so excited to see if it’s…wait a second. Eddie and Wells are both there. What. So at this point I’m not sure what to think, but at least the cops brought a SWAT team. Joe wants to have words with this evil speedster, but our bad guy really, really wants to talk to the not so good doctor. Wells tells him that he knows his powers are very similar to the Flash, but then the fancy forcefield has a wobble. Our villain, aka Reverse Flash, snatches up Wells and starts beating him to a pulp. Joe destroys the generator before Reverse Flash can kill the doctor. This has the unfortuante side effect of of releaseing Reverse Flash who takes out the SWAT team, pauses in front of Eddie and gives him one heck of a long look, then reminds Joe about his threat against Iris and zooms off.

Barry shows up, thanks to Caitlin sending him an SOS, and fighsg with Reverse Flash. Yet again this is not going well for Barry and this time it looks like he’s going to die. Of course this is only a mid-season finale and just before the end can come for Barry, Firestorm rolls up, blasts Reverse Flash with his awesome flames and drives the bad guy off. Everyone is in awe, and Ronnie takes a moment to tell Caitlin to stop looking for him before flying off into the night sky, flames on.

Now things are settling down for the night. Eddie questions Joe about why Reverse Flash didn’t kill them. Joe opens up and lets Eddie know about metahumans in general and of course Eddie wants to know about who the Flash is. Joe’s not stupid, though. He simply tells Eddie that the Flash saved them tonight. Dr. Wells is getting patched up by Caitlin and Cisco, who both apologize for not telling him about Ronnie. Dr. Wells is actually human for a moment and says he understands and that he will help them bring Ronnie home. I actually believe him.

Back at the lab Barry has a sweet moment with Joe, apologizing for being mad at Joe for being afraid. Barry opens up that he’s been afraid of the man we now call Reverse Flash his whole life. Joe also earns himself Best Dad Ever title to share with Mr. Allen in this scene as he tells Barry that when the young boy came into their home, despite all the darkness that had been in their lives he simply lit everything up. Even in tragedy, you see, Barry is joy. Time to spread some of that joy, too, at the family Christmas party. Iris is classless as usual and is sitting on Eddie’s lap when Barry arrives, but she seems to be genuinely rattled by knowing Barry loves her. Cisco tells Joe that he thinks there may be another speedster beyond Barry and Reverse Flash out there based on the red part of the red and yellow blur around Barry’s mother the night she died. Oh yes, we are setting things up indeed. Merry Christmas for all.

But you know who wasn’t at the Christmas party? Dr. Creepy Jeans. That’s because he’s in his creepy room again. Except this time he has…holy crap, guys that’s the iconic Flash ring. And he puts it on. And then he taps a special place in the wall with it and HOLY CRAP. That’s the Reverse Flash suit! He takes the tachyon prototype and attaches it to the suit, which then gives it faster-than-light speed. You see the suit come alive with it. And then? AND THEN? Wells wishes the suit a Merry Christmas…using the creepy, vibrating speedster voice. BOOM.

Guys? I called this. DR. CREEPY JEANS IS REVERSE FLASH. This makes me wonder if they’re going to transform Eddie into Zoom. Hm. So many delicious options. So much drama and now I have to wait over a month to get more. Ugh! At least the show gave us a great Christmas gift with this reveal so I’ll take it! Happy Holidays!

What do you think about this big reveal? Do you think Iris will finally wise up and break up with Eddie? What about that preview for January with Captain Cold? Let me know in comments!