The Flash – Magenta

By: Stacy Miller

Barry (Grant Gustin) is still dealing with the ramifications of the changes to the timeline. However, that doesn’t stop him from looking forward to his upcoming date with Iris (Candice Patton). But before he can enjoy spending the evening with her, Barry must deal with Julian (Tom Felton) who has an issue with Barry leaving at 6:58 PM. He’s supposed to work until 7:00p.m. Really Julian? First, it’s only two minutes and second, when did you become the boss of Barry? No problem for a speedster who can make time fly, literally. So, it’s off to his date with Iris.

Barry meets Iris and they go to a fancy restaurant. She tells Barry that she has a few rules for the date, which are no use of speed or conversation about The Flash. No problem. They’ve known each other their entire lives and have a lot to talk about. It doesn’t seem like it though since the date actually seems more like a blind date, boring and awkward. Let’s hope that the only interest Iris and Barry share isn’t The Flash drama because that will be a problem in establishing a relationship.

The uncomfortable date is interrupted when they have to go to Star Labs because the portal has opened on its own. Joe (Jesse L. Martin) has his gun drawn for whatever menace appears. Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh) jumps out of the breach. He’s followed by daughter Jesse (Violett Beane) who runs out at warp speed. Yes, she’s now a speedster. This is disappointing for Wally (Keiynan Lonsdale) who is eagerly awaiting his own powers to develop.

Meanwhile, teen Frankie Kane (Joey King) has to deal with the latest abusive tirade from her foster father John who expects dinner on the table when he gets home. The timid girl suddenly reveals Meta Human abilities, which shake the house and injures the bullying foster dad. She’s Magenta! 

At Central City PD, Joe questions Frankie about her foster father John’s accident. She pretends that she doesn’t remember what happened, but Julian later realizes that she is a Meta Human. Her powers are triggered when she is angry. She is kind of like a female Incredible Hulk, but instead of big and green, she’s petite and well…magenta. The Flash saves Julian’s life when Magenta’s out of control powers almost kills him.

While Barry is dealing with this latest Meta Human, Wells is dealing with his own – namely Jesse. Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) runs tests on her and Jesse is enjoying her speedster ability. Harrison wants Cisco (Carlos Valdes) and Caitlin to discourage Jesse from using her powers. He thinks that Cisco could best talk Jesse out of wanting to use her powers because he’s a Meta Human, too. Jesse later confronts her father, telling Harrison that she knows that testing her abilities wasn’t the only reason he wanted them to leave their home and come back to this Earth. He was hoping to get everyone at Star Labs to give her a “Meta Human intervention” and convince her that going down the path of a speedster will lead to fast trouble. Jesse assures Wells that she knows what she’s doing and is old enough to make her own decisions.

One person who wouldn’t talk Jesse out of it is Wally. He wants powers SO BADLY that when Jesse tells him that her powers were activated when she was almost hit by a car, he deliberately stands in the path of a moving vehicle and Jesse has to save him. Barry scolds Wally for risking his life in an attempt to become a speedster. Joe agrees, telling his son that Meta Human powers aren’t worth endangering himself.

Frankie meets with Doctor Alchemy (Tobin Bell) who reminds her that she needs to get her revenge against foster father John for the way he’s treated her. The way to getting Frankie’s revenge lies in Magenta dropping a tanker on the hospital building where John is being treated. Fortunately, Iris connects the dots and reasons that Frankie as Magenta will want to make John pay and visits the hospital where the revenge is in full swing.

Barry rushes to the hospital to stop the tanker, but even with the speed of The Flash he needs help. Harrison Wells tells Jesse that The Flash needs her. “Run Jesse, run,” he says. I feel that with this line, Harrison admitted not acceptance, but trust in his daughter’s decision and Jesse ability and determination to be a hero. Jesse arrives and takes over stopping the tanker while Barry talks with Magenta. He tries to get her to see the good in herself and not go down a path she’ll regret. Tearfully, Frankie gives up her vendetta. A Meta Human saved.

When Team Flash talks with Frankie about Magenta, she explains that she sought out Doctor Alchemy after she was having dreams that she had powers. Personally, I hope that Wally (who wants speedster ability so badly) won’t take her lead and go looking for Doctor Alchemy to give him powers.

Wells apologizes to Jesse for being an over protective father about her speedster abilities. And to show he’s on board with her being a hero, he gives her a superhero costume similar to The Flash.

If at first you don’t succeed, date until you get it right. Barry and Iris go on another date. Barry realizes that the problem with the first date may have been that they were trying to be the people they were before the particle accelerator turned him into The Flash.

At Central City PD, Joe shows Barry and Julian security footage of Edward Clariss a/k/a The Rival being killed by an invisible menace that he calls Alchemy. “Maybe it’s a ghost,” Julian says and asks, “Do you believe in ghosts Allen?” Barry doesn’t answer the question. He knows it’s not a ghost, but a dangerous entity that needs to be stopped.