The FlashBack: ‘The Flash’ – Episode 13 ‘Welcome to Earth-2’

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

This week the team heads off to Earth-2 to stop Zoom and rescue Jesse. It’s an action-packed episode with a lot of great Easter eggs for comics fans, but as always this recap contains spoilers. If you’re not into that it’s time to get off the ride because it’s full speed ahead to Earth-2 from here!

Harry makes an entry in his digital journal, telling it that they are closing the breaches. He’s keeping his journal for his daughter and he says that he’s coming back to save her. The team is going with Harry to Earth-2, but first Barry has to go spend some time with his family. He goes to have dinner with Joe and Iris, who isn’t particularly excited that he’s doing it. Yet again Iris is the voice of reason and wisdom. She questions Barry’s reasons for going to Earth-2, but he assures her he loves his life there and she gives him her blessing.

Jay gives them some parting advice as he and Caitlin are going to be on the other side manning the fort as it were. Barry tells her if they aren’t back in 48 hours to close the breaches, but Caitlin says no. She’s also reluctant to take Cisco’s letter for his family. Once the breach is open Harry, Cisco, and Barry go through. Almost immediately bad things start happening. The breach is now unstable because of the closure of the other breaches which means our heroes? They’re trapped. Already.

Earth-2 is fancy and fabulous looking! It’s a cool mix of modern and Art Deco styles and frankly I want to live there based on that alone. It looks amazing. Cisco and Barry are a bit dazzled as well and they take selfies much to Harry’s chagrin. Harry takes them to STAR Labs Version 2 where they immediately run into semi-familiar faces. Harry is delightfully annoyed and in the best moment ever, the guy on television mentions a Mayor Snart. Yes, my man Captain Cold is mayor! My excitement is short-lived, though, when we discover that Cisco’s fancy glasses don’t work. Something about the frequencies of Earth-2, but I get distracted by seeing Barry 2. He’s extra nerdy which I love. I am seriously loving the aesthetics of Earth 2. I’m moving there. Forward my mail.

Without Cisco’s powers Barry has to use a different plan. He essentially kidnaps himself and knocks him out so he can impersonate him. Barry is so cute. He thinks it will be easy. It takes him a moment to adjust when he gets to CCPD 2 as things are very different. Singh is a criminal, Deadshot is a cop, and Iris? She’s a detective in a truly amazing outfit and she also happens to be married to Barry Version 2. She’s taking him home. Oh, Barry.

In a warehouse some bank robbers get stopped by a heavy of Zoom’s. This heavy is Killer Frost, better known as Caitlin Version 2. She isn’t down with the bank robbers and she dispatches them with some help from Deathstorm, Ronnie Version 2. They know some folks have crossed the breach and they’re going to kill them. I sort of want Killer Frost to use that ice kiss to do it.

Iris 2 takes Barry to the West house where he is dazzled by everything he sees though he sobers pretty quickly when Iris 2 tells him that his mother called. Please take note here, fans, of the other numbers on speed dial. Seems they’re friends with Bruce and Diana and Hal, aka Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern. Barry calls his mother and talks to her. It is very emotional and beautiful, Barry getting that conversation with his mother. He cries and so do I.

Back at STAR 2 Harry is getting anxious because Barry isn’t back, but Cisco is very concerned about his own Version 2. I’m with Harry here that Cisco has his priority wrong. As Harry has his panic attack, Barry and Iris 2 go to “Jitterbugs” where Joe Version 2 is a singer. A very good one, I might add. Joe doesn’t care for Barry and Barry’s distraction doesn’t help. It appears that Iris 2 became a cop to pay for Barry 2’s college. It’s all just so weird.

Back on Earth things are going really poorly. They can’t seem to get the breach back up and running, but to make matters worse there is a metahuman causing trouble. Joe suggests that Jay take Velocity 6 to get speed again, but Jay says no. He decides to come clean to Caitlin. It turns out Jay has been lying all this time. He got greedy about his powers back home, taking Velocity 6 to get faster. It turns out that the side effects took his power and are making him sick.

Back at Jitterbugs, Barry is still trying to sort things out when everyone’s warning apps go off. Killer Frost and Deathstorm walk in the door. They’re looking for the breachers and Killer Frost gears up to go after Iris 2 which results in Barry revealing himself. Joe 2 ends up gravely injured before Barry speeds Killer Frost and Deathstorm away. A fight ensues with Barry managing to fight them off. He gets back to Iris 2’s side with Joe near death.

At STAR 2, Harry has to try to set Barry straight, but Barry’s invested now. He tells Harry that Iris 2 and Joe 2 are his family so he goes back Iris 2. Oh this could go poorly. On Earth, Joe is trying to figure things out at the CCPD. Wally shows up and the metahuman attacks again. Yeah, this could go poorly.

In the hospital, Joe 2 dies. Barry brings Cisco to Iris 2 since Cisco has a weapon that could stop Killer Frost and Deathstorm. Cisco goes with Iris 2. Things are bad on Earth as Joe tries to stop the metahuman who really wants to get his moment with the Flash. The problem here is that our bad guy of the week has figured out that the Flash isn’t there. Until the Flash shows up. Jay has come to save the day! Caitlin appears to have cooked up some Velocity 7, but it only works in bursts. Jay falters. It’s enough for Joe to intervene and the bad guy is stopped.

Iris 2 and crew find Killer Frost and Deathstorm. Turns out they don’t work for Zoom, but Reverb does. Yep, Cisco is evil here. This is bad. Reverb and Cisco have a little moment with Cisco disapproving of Reverb’s hair. Reverb suggests that Cisco isn’t using his powers adequately and offers him a place on his squad. Flash shows up to save them, which also goes badly. Cisco gets a glimpse of his potential, but it is all for naught. Reverb, Killer Frost and Deathstorm get Flash down and they beat him up. Killer Frost is the only one who seems to remember that Zoom wants Barry unharmed. She voices this with great timing as Zoom shows up then and exacts his revenge for his minions failing to heed his orders before taking Barry away. Oh, and he kills Reverb and Deathstorm.

On Earth, Caitlin and Jay have one day left to fix the breach. On Earth-2, Zoom has Barry in a cell. Barry makes contact with Jesse and promises her they will save her, but Zoom tells him not to make promises he can’t keep.

Next week we get further adventures in my new home dimension of Earth-2. I can’t wait to see what happens!