The FlashBack: ‘The Flash’ – Episode 8 ‘Legends of Today’

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

It’s the best time of the Flash season, Flash Fans! It’s Flash/Arrow crossover time! Last night we got the first installment (tonight is the second half over on Arrow and yes, I’ll have a recap for that on Thursday) which also serves as something of a backdoor pilot for the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow. It’s a very full episode and we have a lot of ground to cover as we go from Central City to Star City and back again so let’s get to the recap! As always, spoilers beyond this point!

As has been something of a pulse to this season of the Flash (and to an extent last season, too) we see Barry trying to get faster so that he can defeat his nemesis, in this case the nefarious Zoom. As our episode opens Barry is running on the treadmill as Cailtin and Dr. Wells look on, but he’s just not fast enough. Zoom is at least three times the fast that Barry is, which is very frustrating. No progress made this training session, Barry leaves to go meet up with Patty.

We cut to a ship’s captain walking onto the dock. He’s been away at sea and three weeks ago he found a stowaway. The stowaway had 32 knives on his person and hasn’t said anything. You’d think the knives would have prompted some questioning, but now that they are at dock the stowaway finally speaks. He says that he has waited a long time for this hunt and suddenly the stowaway has his handcuffs off his own wrists and onto the wrists of the captain. He also kills everyone there on the dock, gets back his knifes, and strolls off.

The murders at the dock have Barry, Patty, and Joe working. At the police station the trio are looking at some photos of the crime scene and Barry determines that there was just one killer and, even more gruesome, the victims’ bodies had pieces of the knife in them. Patty immediately thinks it’s a metahuman because she’s largely obsessed with them. She’s also really kind of obsessed with Barry, though at least this is in a good way since they are dating, but she and Barry are trying to be cool and professional. Joe sees through that and tells them they’re cute.

Also cute? Kendra and Cisco. Kendra lets Cisco into Jitters after hours so they can have their date (though I do want to know why they don’t just go somewhere like normal people.) Kendra has made them dinner, which Cisco appreciates. There is the usual adorable Cisco flirting and this flirting is working nicely as Kendra is about to kiss him when, oh hey that stowaway guy shows up. He says he is there for Kendra, except he doesn’t call her Kendra. The guy calls her Priestess Chay-ara and tells her that she is just as beautiful in this life as before. It’s a very confusing moment for Kendra and Cisco, who texts Barry for help even as he tries to put himself in front of Kendra to keep her safe. Cisco spouts off to the guy but the guy doesn’t care. He just flings a knife at Cisco which the Flash catches in the nick of time. The bad guy vanishes and a very relieved Cisco forgets himself and calls Barry by his name. In front of Kendra. Barry’s identity is seriously the worst kept secret ever.

The gang gets together at STAR Labs to try to make some sense of things and get information from Kendra. Unfortunately she has no idea what is going on and can’t help them. The guy freaked her out pretty bad, too. The group decides that they need to keep Kendra safe since this guy is clearly after her and Barry thinks they should go to Star City. Cisco isn’t so sure, but Barry convinces him that the STAR squad is all science while Team Arrow has had some experience with magic.

Cut to Star City where this experience with magic is proving true. Damien Darhk and his crew are stealing a bomb from an Argus truck and Team Arrow shows up. Darhk is generally not impressed and says they brought an arrow to a gun fight, but Arrow has a fancy magnet arrow that snatches away the guns. This mean it is fight time (and also Felicity gloat time since she came up with the magnetic arrow.) Things start to look bad when Darhk manages to lay a hand on Arrow and is moments from killing him when Flash speeds in, grabs Arrow, and rescues him. That impresses Darhk.

Flash has also rescued Diggle, who throws up because he gets motion sickness every time the Flash does the speed-move thing. Speedy is kind of shocked that the team knows the Flash and our crossover has truly begun. Everyone goes back to the Arrow lair where Felicity hugs, then hits, then hugs Barry again. Cisco has some critiques of the lair, saying they didn’t follow his advice and they need copper wiring to fix the power outages they keep having. Kendra is introduced to the group and they explain why they are there (after Barry speed-sketches the bad guy’s face.) Felicity runs the drawing through facial recognition and finds a photo of him. From 1975. And the hasn’t aged. This prompts Oliver to have some harsh questions for Kendra, but Barry and Cisco call him out on this. Felicity suggests they all go back to their place for drinks and chill.

Back in Central City and at STAR Dr. Wells is explaining to Caitlin about five attempts he has made to make a special serum for Jay that would increase his speed. Each of the five attempts were failures and Dr. Wells is frustrated. Caitlin points out what should have been obvious: Dr. Wells is a mechanical engineer, but she knows medicine and what he needs is biomechanical engineering. They work together and come up with a new version that just might work.

At Oliver and Felicity’s apartment Cisco tries to give Thea a better nickname. Thea sticks with Speedy while Barry and Felicity catch up. Barry tells Felicity about Patty, and then Felicity is saved by the timer letting her know to get her pigs in blankets out of the oven. This leaves Barry and Oliver to talk about why Barry is asking for help and also how Oliver has found happiness. Cisco also admits to Barry that he vibed on Kendra in regards to some wings, but he doesn’t want her to know he’s metahuman. He’s only telling Barry because he worries that the wings are part of why the bad guy is coming after her. About that time Kendra spots something in the window and sure enough the stowaway comes crashing through the window. He’s definitely back for Kendra, but the crew is ready to fight him. The villain throws knives, Barry catches them all except one that hits him, Oliver shoots the bad guy with arrows, finally managing to get some hits in when Thea helps out. Thea also gives into her bloodlust and shoots the guy a few more times, knocking off the balcony…but instead of going splat below he’s simply gone.

The group goes back to the lair following this attack and Cisco tells Kendra about his ability. He says that he saw her with wings, then the lights go out and Malcom with some League of Assassins goons are there. Um, okay.

Back at STAR Caitlin thinks she has perfected the serum. Jay, who Dr. Wells called, shows up and is not exactly happy. He calls the serum Velocity-6. Caitlin isn’t sure why he’s there, but Dr. Wells explains that he needs a test subject who already has speed force inside. Like Jay. Jay, who says that Dr. Wells simply does not understand the speed force, warns them against using the serum. Dr. Wells leaves to get supplies, and he is seen by Patty as he gets into his car. Because Patty creeps around.

In Star City, Malcolm explains to everyone that the bad guy is named Vandal Savage and they proceed to explain that he’s immortal. This really overwhelms Kendra who leaves for air. Cisco goes with her. She tells him that she’s not ready to handle this and Cisco tries to sympathize and give her some advice, about how it all slowly gets more normal. It’s a good talk until a dude with wings swoops in and snatches Kendra up. The gang jump into action to try to find her.

The guy sets Kendra on a rooftop and reveals himself. He calls her Priestess Chay-ara and he calls himself Khufu. He tells her that they have history and have been lovers. Kendra gets some flashes of memory, but doesn’t know what is going on. Khufu tells her that she just needs to merge, but flies off to go tango with Arrow and Flash. They all put up a fight but ultimate they manage to get the best of Khufu. They take him back to the lair all chained up while everyone questions him. He asks for Chay-ara and says that they love each other and have for 4000 years. He explains that they reincarnate and find each other over and over. His present life’s name is Carter. He also says that this Vandal Savage kills them in every life because their three life forces are connected. Malcolm shows up again to tell them that Vandal Savage has gone off to find a weapon called the staff of Horus. Felicity goes hunting for it.

Back at STAR, Patty has confronted and then shot Dr. Wells.  He is in bad shape because the bullet is lodged somewhere that surgery can’t help. She needs Jay’s help.

So now in Star City the group is on a roof. Carter wants Kendra to jump off because her wings will emerge if she does so. Barry and Cisco do not like this, but Oliver is kind of inclined to let her try. Kendra climbs up on the ledge and Carter pushes her off. Barry speeds down to save her and brings her back up which upsets Carter and Oliver asks Barry for a private word. Barry admits that he feels powerless because things keep changing and while they talk Oliver figures out that the reason that Kendra was drawn to Central City was because the staff must be there. The Flash and Arrow take off to go after the staff which is in a church in Central City.  Kendra and Cisco talk and she tells him that she understands why she always felt different. Cisco offers to help but she says she has to do it alone. She says she knows she’s held herself back so she jumps off the roof and her wings emerge. Cisco names her Hawkgirl.

Back at STAR Jay show sup. He asks Caitlin if she can finish helping Dr. Wells if he gets the bullet and she says yes. So Jay injects himself, he gets his speed back temporarily, gets the bullet out and Dr. Wells will recover. While this goes on Flash adn Arrow get to the church, but Vandal Savage beat them there. He has the staff and they fight. It’s not looking good for the heroes, but suddenly Savage senses that Kendra has emerged with her wings and Savage decides to just blow the church up. It won’t hurt Savage, but Flash gets Arrow out just in time. They realize Team Arrow needs to come to Central City to help fight Savage and Carter thinks if they all work together they have the best chance. They also call Laurel who happens to be in Central City visiting her mother.

Dr. Wells wakes up and thanks Jay. Jay tells him to never give Barry the serum.

With things calm for now Oliver and Barry are at Jitters. Oliver notes that the Flash has his own latte and asks Barry about it. A little boy bumps into him and drops an action figure which gets Oliver’s attention. He watches the boy go off to his mother and as he watches Oliver slowly realizes this boy’s mother is the woman he got pregnant a decade ago.

And that is it for last night’s episode! Tonight we get the other half of the adventure on Arrow so join me Thursday for a recap! Until then!