The FlashBack: ‘The Flash’ – Episode 4 ‘The Fury of Firestorm’

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: The CW

I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that there are lot of you out in Flash Fan Land who may have missed last night’s episode due to the World Series. I feel that. I found myself flipping back and forth and being very grateful for my DVR. I’m also guessing that some of you haven’t had a chance to get caught up yet, but that’s why I’m here: to keep you up to date on our favorite Speedster. Spoilers beyond this point!

So two years ago there is this high school football player named Jefferson Jackson, aka Jax, who is celebrating the game-winning touchdown out on the field with his team. It’s a super important game and everyone is happy, but Jax sees the particle accelerator explode in the distance. He tells his friends to get inside and tries to hustle everyone in, but a guy on crutches falls and Jax has a no man left behind moment. They manage to get inside, but before Jax can close the door he is hit by the blast and hurtled into a wall. Ouch.

Back at the present-day lab, the team is trying to stabilize Stein who is not in good shape. He appears to be having a seizure and Cisco gets the stabilizer thing for the Firestorm matrix to work by using the power source that was in Wells’ wheelchair, but that battery isn’t going to last forever. Caitlin has the idea that this is happening to Stein because something about dark matter and the singularity damaging the matrix and Stein needs to get his bro bond on with Ronnie to fix it. Except that can’t happen so Caitlin has looked for someone else to fit that bill. She has it narrowed down to two young men who were impacted by the explosion and who also match Stein’s blood type. Of course one of those men is Jax. The other is a scientist named Henry Hewitt. Jax is working as a mechanic. Barry plays high-speed phlebotomist and gets some blood samples without the dudes knowing.

At the West house, Iris is looking at some of her baby photos with her mother. Joe comes in and tells her the story of one of the photos, but he also tells her that she doesn’t need to meet her mother (there is a planned meeting the next day,) but Iris wants to go. Then we go to the police station where Patty wants Barry to look at shark teeth? For a moment I think Patty is just being weird per the usual, but there was a report of a man-shark (Sharkmano?) that she thinks is a metahuman. Barry also thinks she may be crazy, but he says he will run some tests to help. Joe shows up around then (I guess having left the house) and Patty leaves. Joe notes that Barry is flirting with Patty. Ugh, but then they are interrupted by a text from our man Cisco.

Back at the lab, Stein is awake. He is also rocking a cane that Cisco fashioned up with that power source in it. Caitlin has checked the blood and both guys are still viable options, but Caitlin has a science bias and really wants Hewitt. Barry points out that Jax is a closer match, more fit, and pretty darn smart with a perfect GPA. The team decides to meet both guys with Caitlin checking out Hewitt while Barry and Stein go meet Jax. Cisco goes to do some stuff and…well. He’s being followed by Dr. Creepy (aka Wells.)

Barry and Stein get to the garage and pretend to work for the Department of Safety collecting data from the explosion. Jax isn’t having it. It’s a pretty upsetting thing for him, that night, since his injuries ruined his chances at football and thus, college. Barry leaves his number just the same.

Then we go to Jitters. Francine and Joe are waiting. Iris show sup and hugs Joe, but when Francine holds her hands Iris is uncomfortable. Iris tells her mother best wishes, but she and Joe have done just fine on their own for twenty years and they don’t want or need Francine now. She tells Francine to stay away and then Iris leaves.

Back at the lab Hewitt is there and is excited by what Caitlin and Cisco have told him about Firestorm. He really is excited about it. When Barry and Stein show up Hewitt is even more stoked and calls Stein a legend. Caitlin is beaming, but Barry is still unsure. Cisco has picked up on Hewitt’s ego, but since Jax won’t play ball they decide to give it ago. Cisco gets the stabilizer on Hewitt. Then Stein and Hewitt touch hands. There is a brief few seconds of the flame business, but then nothing. They try again, but again it fails. Hewitt simply isn’t a close enough of a match and this enrages Hewitt who storms out. He also has flame around his hand at the elevator, but he doesn’t notice.

Now for a different lab. At Mercury Labs, Amanda Palmer is having a little conversation with her assistant when they hear a noise. When they check it out they discover a Harrison Wells thief. He walks away before can be stopped. The next day, Patty and Joe roll up to investigate the break-in. Palmer tells them the thief was Wells and a walking Wells at that. Patty things Barry needs to know right away, but Joe says nope. He fills in Patty that Wells killed Barry’s mom and then asks her not to tell Barry.

When they get back to the station, Francine is waiting. Joe tells her to leave and says that Iris made it clear that she is not wanted. Then Francine drops a bomb she’s dying from McGregors disease and it is a side effect of her drug abuse. She says that she maybe has to the end of the year. Well then.

Back at STAR Jax shows up. He thinks that maybe these super geeks can fix his knee and give him his life back. Barry and company explain the truth about Firestorm and Jax is understandably shocked to find out he’s a metahuman. He calls them crazy and turns to go, which makes Caitlin mad. She demands to know why Jax didn’t go to college anyway because he had good grades. She says that he quits when things don’t go his way and Jax leaves. Caitlin wants to try Hewitt. Again.

At the police lab Barry tells Patty that the teeth are human, not shark and my dreams of Sharkmano are crushed. She says she has another case and is generally awkward and says that Joe doesn’t want her to tell him. Of course Barry goes to find Joe. Joe gets him up to date on Francine and Barry asks him about Patty’s new case. Patty is a goof, but Joe is smooth. He shifts the conversation back to the flirting and Barry admits he likes Patty but that she isn’t Iris. Joe gives bad advice and encourages Barry to try something new.

At Hewitt’s work he watches news about Flash Day. Hewitt is angry. Another scientist interrupts because he needs something from Hewitt, but it’s not done yet. The scientist is angry because it turns out that Hewitt is sketchy at best. He threatens Hewitt’s job which makes Hewitt angry and his body gets all flamed out.

The nerd squad back at STAR watch the news and finds that Hewitt’s lab had an explosion and Hewitt is the prime suspect. The gang surmises that they woke up Hewitt’s metahuman abilities. Cisco reveals that he hacked around and found out that Hewitt has a sealed criminal record and that all of his crimes have been very violent and he’s even been to anger management. Stein really doesn’t feel well (maybe because of the bullet he just dodged) and goes to lie down.

Caitlin blames herself, for Hewitt and for losing Jax. Barry tells her that she wasn’t looking at what was in front of her and offers Joe’s advice to try something new. Caitlin goes to the garage to apologize to Jax. She tells him about Ronnie and Jax tells her that without his football scholarship he simply couldn’t afford college. Caitlin tells Jax that she thinks he was meant to be a hero.

And then Hewitt shows up. He’s hunting for Caitlin and tosses Jax aside. Hewitt blames Caitlin for his new powers, but Jax chucks something at Hewitt’s head and knocks him down to save Caitlin and they escape.

Back at the lab Stein is in dire straights. The power sources is dried up and without a merge he will die. Jax sees this and agrees to help. Caitlin gets him suited up with stabilizer and then she and Barry help Stein stand. Bam! It works. They merge into Firestorm immediately. However before Jax can get acclimated there is an alarm. Hewitt is gathering energy at the high school footbal stadium. The same place Jax got hurt. Oh and there’s a game going on.

Fans and players run for cover. Cisco shuts off the power to stop Hewitt. The Flash and Firestorm go to face him and man his Hewitt mad when he sees that Jax got what he, Hewitt, wanted. Jax has his challenges at first, but Stein makes for a good coach. The Flash lets Caitlin and Cisco know that Hewitt appears to be charging on anger alone which leads Caitlin to realize that if he gets mad enough, Hewitt will flame out.

The Flash speeds around Hewitt and makes him angrier by dodging. Firestorm taunts him with anything he and the Flash can come up with to make him even angrier. It actually works. Hewitt has a big burst and then is powerless. Firestorm uses this moment to knock him out and Stein is super happy with how well he and Jax get on.

The day saved, Iris meets Francine at Jitters. Iris tells Francine that she checked her out and that she doesn’t believe her. She knows the disease is real, but Francine says she would never lie about something so big. This really upsets Iris who then tells Francine that she knows that Francine had a son 8 months after she left. Iris is furious with her mother that she is still hiding this and tells her that she never wants to see Francine again. She also says that Joe can’t know that he might have a son.

At Stein’s house, now that Stein is better, the crew talks. Hewitt is now powerless and contained in the pipeline for now. Stein and Jax are going to Pittsburgh to train. Caitlin gifts Jax Ronnie’s compass. Before they go Stein tries once more to get Cisco to tell the crew about his ability. Stein and Jax merge and go off. Barry walks away with Joe and Joe tells Barry he should ask Patty out. Back at the lab Caitlin replaces Ronnie’s file with Jax’s.

Later that night the Flash watches Patty through the window at Jitters, but before he can do something, he gets grabbed.

Turns out the Sharkmano is a thing called King Shark and the point-toothed one holds our hero by his throat with one fin. Zoom sent him to kill him. Patty sees this and shoots King Shark which does nothing. Then King Shark is hit from behind with an energy weapon which does something. But we can’t see the guy’s face since he is wearing a hoodie.

The Flash speeds off with Hoodie Man and when they are alone demands to know who he is. The hood lowers and…IT’S DR. CREEPY!

So what did you think of Sharkmano? Dr. Hoodie Creepy Jeans? Let us know in the comments!