The FlashBack: ‘The Flash’ – Episode 16 ‘Rogue 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 from last week’s episode***

Welcome back, Flash fans! This week we start literally where we left off last week because that’s kind of what Barry did. If you recall, last week Barry ran so fast he jumped backwards two days in the past. Now, some of you were trying to figure out if this was actual time travel or if this is a parallel universe and frankly it’s the Flashverse. Anything is possible! It takes Barry a moment to figure that out though as he opens this episode just a little confused. This is one of the things I love about Barry. He is so fast and yet sometimes so slow. Anyway, when he figures out that he has gone back in time he kind of gets the idea that if he has traveled back in time he can make changes and save lives! It’s a great plan, but Dr. Wells warns him against it. In fact, Wells suggests that Barry repeat everything exactly as it was before because messing with time is a bad plan. Dr. Wells would know this very well, and we know this about him, but oh snap, in this version of the world no on knows about Dr. Wells!  So he’s back to being CreepyJeans and using that crazy AI to track the future.

So he’s been cautioned to not change anything. It seems like good advice, but Barry has other ideas. He decides to catch the Weather Wizard before he can go after Singh and Joe and sick a tidal wave on the city. Good work, Barry!  But Wells warns that though he may have avoided those problems far worse ones could be coming his way instead. It’s the balance of the universe and you know what balances my universe?  Leonard Snart. That’s right, Captain Cold and his buddy Heat Wave are back! The two Rogues meet with the head of the Santini crime family, a meeting which ends with my favorite bad guy and sidekick being in charge of said crime family. This makes me happy. This is also very bad.

Meanwhile in the rest of Central City, Cailtin and Cisco go to a birthday party for Cisco’s brother, Dante, which is nice because he mentioned his family in the time that was before so it’s good to see it here. While that is happening Dr. Wells is trying to see if Barry can recreate his time travel and while he does that, Joe stops buy for a visit. Everyone chats a bit before Barry has to head out so he can go on his date with Linda. It’s not the best date, really, because they decide to break up because Barry is still stuck on Iris. That kiss in the alternate timeline really got to him. Other things that really got to Barry? Mason, that reporter Iris works with, investigating Dr. Wells. Barry takes a moment to try to throw him off the trail. Do you sense bad things? I do.

Image Credit: The CW

And I’m right. Cisco is approached by some pretty blonde chick named Lisa at a bar and Cisco is very sure there is more to her than what he can see. Cisco is as right as I am. Lisa? Yeah, she’s Lisa Snart (or, as I call her right now, Peyton List in a Crappy Wig) aka the sister of Captain Cold, aka the chick that helped them escape. She takes Cisco to where her brother and Heat Wave are using Cisco’s brother as leverage. You see, the Rogues? They want Cisco to rebuild their special guns, make one for Lisa, and oh yeah, reveal the identity of the Flash.

This is all just going very badly and for Barry it gets worse. This Iris? Yeah, she isn’t harboring any feelings for Barry.  Like at all. This goes well. Barry even gets punched in the face by Eddie over this. Poor Barry.

Now that Barry understands that messing around with time is not always great, he and Dr. Wells talk about time travel and get pretty nerdy with it. Back with the Rogues, Cisco and his brother try to take out Heat Wave, which goes poorly and Dante ends up with frostbitten fingers as Captain Cold tries to force Cisco to give up the Flash’s identity. And he does. Back at the lab, Cisco confesses to exchanging the Flash’s real identity to save his brother’s life. Barry is actually really kind about it, but Cisco is pretty upset. He just wants some space, but Wells decides to take Cisco down to the sub-basement and my heart starts racing because I think he’s gonna kill Cisco again, but Caitlin shows up.  Huh.

Back to the Rogues. They are out to rob the casino’s cash truck, but the Flash shows up. Of course, Lisa can’t drive well so she crashes the car. I’m expecting an epic fight, but instead the Flash takes Captain Cold off to the middle of nowhere and the two end up talking, without their masks or weapons. They come to an agreement: Barry kicks the Rogues out of Central City. This seems dumb to me, but hey, it means I may get some more Snart in other places which is fine by me.

With the Rogues gone Barry ends up meeting with Eddie and Iris. They are less bothered by his weirdness now because Caitlin made up some thing that Barry suffers from (she calls it “lightning psychosis”) because of that lightning strike he suffered. That is good enough for Eddie and Iris and all is well. For them.  Remember Mason? He’s not having a good time. Reverse Flash attacks him, prompting the reporter to give Reverse Flash all his information on Dr. Wells. Mason is then murdered by Wells with that punch through the chest technique last seen on Cisco. Barry ends up seeing a newspaper headline that reports Mason missing after that which actually makes Barry suspect Wells even more. He turns to Joe…and now we are entering set up for the showdown between Flash and Reverse Flash!

So. Not exactly a retcon, not exactly an alternative universe. I’m kind of curious to see what happens next week because next week? Mark Hamill guest stars!  I’m almost as excited about this as I am about Leonard Snart. Until next week!