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
So last week Jay died and that is exactly where we pick up. Caitlin, despite having just witnessed Zoom shoving his hand through Jay’s chest, is totally in denial. One can’t blame her. This is the second person that she’s lost that she loved. The sense of loss rolls on when Harry tells the team that there is no going back to Earth-2. Ever. This is the part of the recap where if you don’t want spoilers, abandon ship now.
Caitlin is grieving hard, but Harry tells Barry and Cisco that they shouldn’t tell her (and Iris and Joe) about their Earth-2 selves. They shouldn’t be influenced that way and everyone else just needs to move forward and move on. Through a handy voice over Barry tells us that’s exactly what everyone did. They moved on, but things were hard. Jay’s death was difficult to process and Barry just threw himself into his work looking for metahumans to fight.
Cut to some fancy aquarium holding tank where some geniuses power down the containment grid. They let out King Shark. Cue shocked faces from Diggle and his wife. I can’t tell if they’re shocked about King Shark or that he totally ate the guards.
In the West household everyone is having fun. Everyone except Barry. It looks like Wally has bonded very well with his family, except for Barry. Barry doesn’t think they’ve bonded, but Joe points out that he hasn’t really been much around for that to happen. Joe is also pretty observant and can tell that something is eating at Barry. Detective Joe on the case.
At STAR Caitlin is not herself either. In fact, she’s pretty emotionally shut down and snappy. Cisco is concerned that she might be turning into Killer Frost, but Barry dismisses that. Diggle and Mrs. Diggle show up then to let the team know that King Shark is on the loose and out to eat himself some Flash. This is not good. This is not good at all. Diggle takes a moment to debrief the team on King Shark and what Argus knows about him. His whole repeating of “Zoom wants Flash dead” was the tipoff that he’s after Barry. Harry gives them some insight on who Shark was and works on trying to track him. The team sorts out patrol. Barry takes the water, while Cisco and Caitlin go to talk to the Earth-1 counterpart’s widow. She studies sharks. Go figure.
Dr. Shark isn’t exactly thrilled with Cisco and Caitlin, which means when Caitlin demands her research the reception is, well, frosty. Cisco does damage control and the doctor agrees to share research. When he calls Caitlin’s behavior out, though, she calls out his acting weird. Secrets, folks. They’re bad. I’m just saying.
Near the water Shark patrol doesn’t seem to be going well for Dig, Mrs. Diggle, and Barry. It’s really not going well for some of the others on patrol. They radio in that they’ve got something and, well, they get eaten. Once he’s snacked, the shark leaves and so does Barry. He’s going to go try to bond with Wally. Over homework. Barry is kind of critical of Wally’s work, but his approach is kind of harsh which mostly shuts Wally down.
Back at STAR Cisco confronts Caitlin again and this time slips up. He reveals that he met her doppelganger and she gets him to spill. Cisco tells her he’s afraid she’s turning into Killer Frost. Caitlin points out she’s not a metahuman, but also explains that her grief is so strong that she can’t feel right now. She needs to shut down and stick to work. Also sticking to work? Harry. Jesse comes in to help him figure out how to track King Shark. Jesse is super smart and I love it.
What I don’t love is that Wally has a chip on his shoulder about Barry. Wally is about to leave more than a little frustrated about his sort-of brother when King Shark smashes into the house looking for the Flash. Joe tries to fend him off, which gives Barry enough time to get his Flash on. The Flash confronts his enemy and lets him in the closed breach issue. This doesn’t go over well with King Shark, but they don’t battle for long before King Shark hurries off and leaves the Wests to clean up. Wally isn’t quite sure what to make of all of this, but he’s definitely suspicious of Barry. He calls him a coward and then leaves. Joe has had it with Barry’s moping and calls him out. Barry tells Iris and Barry about Earth-2. He also tells them that he blames himself for all of the things that have been happening.
Now for science time! Caitlin has figured out how King Shark tracks Barry and to track King Shark they just have to reverse the idea. The plan? Track down King Shark and Diggle and Mrs. Diggle will reclaim him. Cisco made a fun Flash lure. Mission go time. Granted, mission go takes a long time. During the wait Barry and Caitlin talk a little bit about things and they commit to getting back to Earth-2. Commitment in place it’s Shark Time. King Shark eats the lure and they try to reel him in, but it doesn’t go as planned. King Shark is not stupid and leaps out of the water to get Flash. Barry literally runs on water with King Shark in hot pursuit. King Shark may not be stupid, but Barry is smarter. He electrifies the water and uses it as a weapon against King Shark, functionally electrocuting the metahuman so they can reel him in.
All’s well that ends well. Diggle gives Barry some solid life advice, Joe bonds with Wally and reassures him that he’s just as much his son as Barry is. Caitlin messes with Cisco by pretending to be Killer Frost. And Barry gives a heartfelt apology to his friends. He takes the blame for everything that has happened, but also commits to stopping Zoom. He also memorializes Jay as he promises to beat Zoom, whoever he is.
And who is Zoom? We peek back to Earth-2 and Zoom takes off his mask…and he’s Jay? Oh this isn’t good.
Next week? Lady Speedster. I can’t wait!
The Hudsucker 
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