The FlashBack: ‘The Flash’ – Episode 15 ‘Out Of Time’

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.

***This recap contains spoilers***

After what felt like the longest break ever Barry and friends are back tonight  and let me tell you, they are not holding anything back. The threads are all starting to really come together which for fans of the comic books really just means things are about to get more complicated than ever. Nothing about the world of the Flash is a straight line and tonight’s episode starts out by going back into the past, specifically a year into the past on the night of the accelerator disaster. Remember the first episode and the Mardon boys? Remember how there was a plane crash and how the younger Mardon ended up being our first metahuman, a weather-controlling jerk? I think we all assumed that his brother, Mark, bit it in the crash but you know what they say about assuming and it would appear that Mark Mardon got the same as what his brother did before the plane broke apart.

Back in the present it’s date night for Barry and Linda. Barry, being the absolutely adorable nerd that he is, is taking Linda bowling. Guess who they run into at the bowling alley? Why, it’s my least favorites, Iris and Eddie! The quartet end up unintentionally double-dating and it’s kind of awkward at least for Linda and Eddie who both end up a little uncomfortable seeing some very special moments between Iris and Barry. Fortunately for the awkward but not for the city coroner Mark Mardon has shown up demanding information about the death of his brother. When the coroner doesn’t easily give up the information, Mardon reveals his far more precise weather powers. Trouble at the morgue leads to Eddie and Barry having to leave which leaves the ladies alone in their awkwardness.

Image Credit: The CW

On the way to the morgue things get a little interesting for Barry. He sees another him keeping pace before outrunning him. This is a little tidbit to pocket for later because it’s not the primary issues right now, the second Mardon brother is. Especially since he’s out to get Joe. Back at the lab, the nerd squad determines that Mark Mardon is better at his weather powers than Clyde was. Cisco gets to name Mark, finally putting Weather Wizard to use in regards to a name. Cisco also makes mention that he has come up with tech that will ground out Mark’s powers and make him easier to defeat. This is good, but things are still uneasy since Mark is definitely out to get Joe and darn near gets his mark: Joe and Barry are in the car (with Barry trying to talk to Joe about Iris) when they discover that Mark is following them, literally having a rainstorm over them. Mark tries to kill Joe by blowing up the car, but Barry speeds Joe out just in time.

As all of this is going on Cisco is continuing to have doubts about Wells. Something does not sit well with him about the Reverse Flash and other things and Cisco can’t let things that do not sit well go. He’s working on solving just how and why the containment area failed, even trying to get Caitlin on board. Cisco also drops off the special tech that will protect Joe and tries to talk to him about Wells, but it’s bad timing. Cisco leaves, passing Mark Mardon as he gets in the elevator. Mardon is there for no good, of course, and Cisco is able to call Barry just as things get crazy at the PD HQ. Mardon summons a lighting bolt intended to strike and kill Joe, but Captain Singh jumps in front of Joe to protect him…taking the blast himself. Barry shows up and is able to use Cisco’s device to stop Mardon, but Singh is in bad shape. Flash gets him to the hospital where it is unclear how Singh will recover. This part of the scene, there in the hospital, is incredibly well done: we discover that Singh is gay and has a fiance. When the doctor is at first unwilling to let said fiance in the room to see Singh stating that only family is able to be in the room, Joe quickly chimes in that he is family because fiances are family. One of the best things about the Flash is the gentle ways the show illustrates all kinds of families and this scene is just wonderful (even if sad.)

There’s some reporter stuff going on with everyone there suspecting Wells. It’s just more layering into the case against Wells. Of course Joe is very preoccupied right now with Mardon so he and Eddie go to check out his old apartment. Mardon was expecting this and uses a gust of wind to suck Joe out the window, leaving Eddie behind. Eddie goes to the department to get together a massive search party. While he does this we see a battered, leg-broken Joe handcuffed to the pier while a crazy Mardon essentially tells him that he is going to make Joe suffer by killing Iris and do worse to the city. To make it more painful for Joe, Mardon calls Iris and tells her right where Joe is, but warns her not to tell the police. Naturally, Barry and Iris take off together. Linda shows up to talk to Barry, but it is not a good time.  It really isn’t, but you can tell Linda doesn’t buy it. Oh well.

Other members of the Not Buying It Club? Dr. Wells. You see, Caitlin is having coffee with him at Jitters and it’s painfully obvious that she’s stalling him. Back at the lab Cisco is really trying to solve the containment failure issue, but he’s out of time. Caitlin manages to end up distracted (she goes to get the coffee to go) and when she turns around Wells is gone, leaving his wheelchair behind. Oh boy.

Wells finds Cisco replaying the recording of the Reverse Flash. It’s the perfect time for a proper introduction: Dr. Wells reveals his true identity to Cisco. His name? Eobard Thawne (and Cisco puts together that he’s related to Eddie.) WellsThawne explains that he never meant to kill Barry’s mom because he was there to kill Barry. You see, WellsThawne has been trapped in our time for the last decade and a half and really just wants to go home, but he needs Barry’s speed to be able to do that. It dawns on Cisco what this all means and the tears flow as it really solidifies: WellsThawne does genuine care about Cisco–he regards him as his son–but to WellsThawne he’s been dead for centuries and then the evil doctor plunges his vibrating hand through Cisco’s heart and kills him. Cisco falls to the floor and I cried all the tears.

Speaking of death and crying, Iris and Barry get to the waterfront and with all of the emotional stress of things it turns out to be a good moment for Iris to admit to Barry that she has feelings for him. She hasn’t been able to stop thinking about him since his confession of love and Barry tells her that he’s never stopped thinking about her. They kiss and it kind of looks awkward, probably because Mardon is about to send a tidal wave crashing into Central City. That makes it a perfect time for something else: Barry reveals that he is the Flash to Iris because the only hope he has of saving the city and the people he loves is to run really, really fast up and down the coast so he can create an air cushion to cancel out that nasty tidal wave. So run, Barry, run! And he does. Oh he does. He runs so fast that he actually time travels, popping back in time two days previously. Remember how in the beginning I told you to hold onto that little tidbit where Barry sees himself running alongside? Here’s where that comes into play. Barry went back in time and now things are about to get interesting.

Overall this was a great episode. It felt like a season finale, but we know we still have some episodes left and the teaser for next week tells me I get some more Leonard Snart. Couple that up with being back in a time when Barry didn’t kiss Iris and Cisco is still alive and I’m a happy camper. It will be interesting to see how things roll from here because, as any comic book Flash fan can tell you, when the timeline starts to get broken things start to get really tricky. Ultimately the Flash is always a story about time so hold on to your hats and synchronize your watches!

What did you think about this week’s episode? Did you cry when Cisco died? Did you win some money in your “Dr. Wells is really Eobard Thawne” betting pool? Let me know in comments! This is one episode I’m just dying to talk about.

Next week…we get Snart!