The FlashBack: ‘The Flash’ – Episode 3 ‘Family of Rogues’

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.

Image Credit: CW

Welcome back, Flash Fans! I’m really excited about last night’s episode as it featured my favorite bad guy, Captain Cold! Any episode where I get some quality Leonard Snart time is a good episode and this one definitely delivered. Haven’t seen it yet? Spoilers after this point!

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that Barry has a real job and this episode does take a moment to remind us of this. We open with Barry working in his lab, but this is interrupted by a call from Iris. A call complete with gunshots in the background. It seems that Iris has gotten herself into some trouble while working on a story and desperately needs Barry’s help. And help he does: he tells her to jump out the window. That’s a pretty high jump, but Iris does it and is caught by the Flash, who then goes up and takes care of the goons who are involved in a real estate scam (which is what Iris was investigating.) It’s super cute. I’m liking Iris more and more this season.

Meanwhile at Star Labs, the crew (Jay, Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin) are checking out that big scary breach in the lab. They are soon joined by Dr. Stein who seems to be mending from last week. Jay is able to explain that the breach (which is really a wormwhole) is more than that. To Jay, it’s his way home (there is some great banter about how to imagine the wormhole as a series of doors and hallway.) The problem? It’s unstable. They try to throw things at it and they bounce back. Heck, Barry bounces back. They have to get it stable and Jay figures out that a stabilized wormhole would serve as a speed cannon. I really like that Jay is a scientist.

We catch up with Joe in a bar speaking with his ex-wife. Turns out everyone thinks she’s dead because Joe has promoted that. He tries to pay her to leave, but she’s not interested. She wants to see Iris. I’m not sure yet what the story is here, but I am getting the feeling she’s not good for Iris and I think Joe already knows that, especially when the wannabe mom talks about Iris needing her due to her sudden loss and how she understands that. Joe just looks at her incredulously.

In daytime hours the crew is at Jitters getting hooked up with some coffee (a drink Jitters is calling the Flash: coffee with an espresso shot) and Barry briefly interacts with Patty. I don’t really care for Patty. Something’s weird with her. I really would prefer oh say Jessie Quick. Anyway. Everyone’s getting their bean on when Lisa Snart shows up. Seems she needs their and the Flash’s help: CAPTAIN COLD HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED!

Back at the lab Lisa tells them what’s going on. You see, she was out with her brother and crew when stuff whent weird. She was knocked out and Leonard was taken away in a van. Lisa has decided she’s calling in the Flash’s debt to Snart for not killing him. Of course everyone is skeptical, but Cisco tracks the cold gun and the Flash goes to check it out.

For a moment it seems like they may be doing well to be skeptical. Flash finds Captain Cold and he’s…fine. At least he says he does and then an older guy who turns out to be Father Snart rolls up. Leonard freezes Flash up to his chest, but Cisco is able to melt him out. Back at the lab Lisa realizes that her brother would never work with their father. Turns out Father Snart is a real piece of work and Lisa has the scars to prove that their father, Lewis, is horrifically abusive. It’s a sweet and sensitive moment and it definitely bonds Cisco to Lisa. It’s cute.

Joe is still working on his own issue and isn’t really with the team too much this episode. He goes to find Iris at work to talk to her about her mother, but turns out Iris is doing some great work and has landed the front page (thanks cameo from Linda Park!) Joe leaves, not wanting to wreck the moment.

Barry catches up with Leonard at the creepy bar they catch up in and Barry tries to find out what is going on that my favorite Snart is working with is dad. Leonard doesn’t really tell him, just that it’s complicated. There is some interplay where Barry essentially tells Leonard that he doesn’t kill and then Leonard leaves Barry with the bill.

Back home, Joe is struggling so he talks to Barry and tells all about Iris’ mom, Francine. Seems that Joe lied because Francine was not a good mom but now he feels bad about it. Barry tells him it’s okay, but he does need to come clean to Iris. You can tell Joe isn’t so sure.

Now back to the Snarts. Father Snart and Leonard are planning what sounds like a complicated job with the assistance of their tech guy, a dude named Rutenberg. It’s pretty clear that Leonard doesn’t want to be there and doesn’t think that his father knows what he’s doing. See, Father Snart? He’s okay with killing people because reasons and Leonard isn’t. Rutenberg is just annoyed and yells at Leonard…and Lewis uses a device to blow his head up. Uh. Not good.

Now we have a crime scene and brown-nose Patty is right there. She’s being punny and pointless, but Barry seems to like it. He also is doing his real job again this episode and determines that the body has thermite in it. He’s starting to make some connections regarding Lewis and Leonard and he doesn’t like it.

Back at the lab Jay is working on stabilizing the breach. Caitlin brings him food. They flirt, he asks for help, there’s more flirting. It’s lovely. But they get interrupted by Cisco who calls Caitlin upstairs as he has found the bomb in her head. Lewis injected her with a bomb. Talk about abusive fathers. Now they have to figure out how to get it out because Lisa’s in major danger.

Back at the West house Iris comes home and Joe sits her down. He tells her a heartbreaking story about a call from a little girl saying that her mom had taken a lot of pills and wasn’t okay. Turns out the little girl was Iris. Joe put Francine into rehab (again, turns out she’s a big drug addict) but she vanished. Joe couldn’t have Iris growing up feeling abandoned and unloved so he lied and told her that her mother had died. Now he comes clean. It’s obvious that this is hard for Iris, but she is mature and understands it and it is a beautiful moment and the writers are really doing a great job with Iris this year.

At Star they are still trying to figure out how to get that bomb out of Lisa, but first they have to keep track of Lewis. Barry has the genius idea that he is going to infiltrate Lewis’s crew so he does. He finds Leonard and tells him they’re trying to free Lisa and then he ends up telling Lewis that his name is Sam and he’s there to do tech. Leonard sort of vouches for him so away they go. They infiltrate the building dressed as janitors and Barry manages to keep Lewis from killing guards (by getting the guards to let them pass and then by quickly taking out two others before Lewis can kill anyone.) Then he unlocks the Dracon keypad…and Lewis shoots him. For a split second you can see this doesn’t sit well with Leonard, but no worries. Barry is okay (after the commercial break, of course.)

At Star Cisco decides to use a compressed air gun to get the bomb out of Lisa and while she is scared she says she trusts him. Good. Meanwhile the Snart men get into the safe and swipe some diamonds. That’s when the Flash shows up, but Lewis threatens to blow up Lisa if Leonard doesn’t kill the Flash. The Flash kind of stalls, Cisco gets the bomb out, and the second Lisa is safe? Captain Cold blasts Lewis straight in the chest, killing him. Why? Because Lewis broke Lisa’s heart. It’s clear that Lisa matters to Leonard. Enough that he broke his no-kill rule.

So now Cold is in prison (for now) and Barry tells him that he knows that he’s a good guy deep inside. This is clearly a set up for the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow, but it is nice and watching Snart squirm was fun.

Back at Jitters, Patty runs into Barry again. She gives him her number, it’s awkward and I don’t like her. Outside Lisa and Cisco say their goodbyes and Cisco gets a smooch for his efforts.

Back at the lab, the cannon works. They have things stabilized and Jay is ready to go and it’s clear Caitlin is not okay with that so they whole team manages to convince him to stay by saying they need his help with Zoom. Jay agrees to stay, but just until Zoom is taken care of. Then? Dr. Stein lights on fire, turns blue, and collapses. This is not good at all.

And this week’s stinger? DR. CREEPY JEANS COMES OUT OF THE BREACH!  EARTH-2 DR. CREEPY! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!

So what did you think? I feel like this episode was a bridge to get us to some more interesting things (like a new Firestorm!) and set up for that spinoff show, but I do love me some Snart. Let’s talk in the comments!