The Flash – Run Iris Run

By: Stacy Miller

At Star Labs, Cisco (Carlos Valdes) and Harry (Tom Cavanagh) are talking about how they can protect the bus Metas. Harry wonders if they could reshaped their DNA, making it difficult for DeVoe to locate them. Cisco thinks that’s a terrible idea; they’re not playing Frankenstein to the bus Metas. The problem is that DeVoe has been outsmarting them, how can they out think him?  This gives Harry an idea.

Harry meets with Team Flash and tells Barry (Grant Gustin), Iris (Candice Patton), Cisco, Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) and Ralph (Hartley Sawyer) about his idea to create an intelligence booster a/k/a thinking cap like the one DeVoe made. “I’ll finally be able to outthink The Thinker,” Harry says, reasoning that with his genius and the intelligence booster, they’ll be one step ahead of DeVoe. Cisco doesn’t think a thinking cap is a good idea. Harry says that he got the idea from both Cisco and Barry. And then hacking into the security footage of the night Barry became The Flash showed that DeVoe had his own intelligence booster which was powered by the dark energy of the particle accelerator explosion. “And if we build our own, we can do the exact same thing,” Harry tells the group. “You want to blast your brain with 10,000 volts of dark matter?”  Barry asks. Everyone thinks it’s worth a shot, except Cisco. He reminds that DeVoe was a mild-manner Mac N’ Cheese loving professor until he did what Harry is talking about. Cisco doesn’t think it’s worth the risk; they should come up with something else. He walks out of the room. “I’m going to do it with or without his help,” Harry vows.

Iris assures Ralph that they will stop DeVoe. But Ralph is starting to believe that they can’t.  And as he is one of DeVoe’s targets, Ralph prefers to hide out in his little guest quarters. Ralph tells Iris that she doesn’t know what it’s like putting your life on the line. Iris says as team leader, she does know. But Ralph begs to differ, she hides behind a monitor while they’re out in the field.

Barry meets Joe (Jesse L. Martin) at Jitters. He asks about Cecile and the baby and whether Joe has heard anything about when Barry can return to Central City PD. Joe says that they’ll need Ralph to use his powers and turn into DeVoe again.  The problem is Ralph is afraid to use his powers, not even to help the other bus metas.

Meanwhile at a Central City bank, a Meta Human named Erik Frye (Oliver Rice) uses his powers to melt the door off a bank vault. A guy named Matthew Kim (Leonardo Nam) tries to talk him out of the crime. Frye warns Kim that not only will he melt the door, he’ll melt him too. But after coming into contact with Kim, Frye doesn’t seem to have his powers. The back security guard is easily able to tackle Frye to the floor and calls Matthew Kim a real hero.  But Kim is gone.

Joe and Cisco arrive at the bank and question Frye about being a passenger on the 405 bus. “Do I look like a person who takes public transportation to you?’ Frye asks sarcastically.  He explains that he’s had his powers for a few years but never used them in Central City once The Flash came along. And now his powers are gone. Joe and Cisco wonder how Frye could have lost his powers.

Back at Star Labs, Caitlin offers theories on how Frye could have lost his powers. But all Ralph knows is Frye wasn’t one of the bus metas, there are still three of them out there so he’s safer. Barry reminds that the bus metas as innocent people. “I’m innocent,” Ralph says. He realizes that he is Sarah Connor and DeVoe plans to terminate him! Ralph returns to his room for some comfort food.  After looking at the security footage of the attempted bank robbery, Cisco sees that Frye lost his powers after coming into contact with Matthew Kim, an EMT out of Central City General. Because she never gets out in the field, Iris decides to go with her dad when Joe goes to question Matthew Kim.

Ralph joins Harry in the lab where Wells has created the intelligence booster. It seems to be working even without being powered by dark matter.  The only problem is that it causes Harry’s head to catch fire.

Joe asks Iris about her sudden interest in going to question persons of interest. Iris tells her dad that Ralph said that she stays safe while everyone else puts their lives on the line so this made her question the kind of leader she is. Joe reminds Iris that everyone knows how fearless she is; she’s gone out into the field when she was needed. After being shown where to find Matthew Kim, Joe questions Kim about his attempt to stop the bank robber this morning. Panicking and thinking that they are there to steal his powers, Matthew Kim grabs Iris and holds a scalpel at her throat. Matthew orders Joe to put his gun down. Worried for his daughter’s safety, Joe does what he’s told but manages to send a Distress Call out to Barry from his phone. “He didn’t deserve those powers, he was hurting people,” Matthew says. The Flash arrives. “You’re not the only one with powers Flash, I’m helping people,” Matthew tells Barry. “Not like this,” Barry replies as he super speeds to Matthew and quickly moves Kim’s scalpel from Iris’ throat and grabs Iris out of the way. “You did this, not me,” Matthew tells The Flash, running off. But when Barry starts to chase after him, he realizes “I lost my speed.” “I think I found it,” Iris says as her hand vibrating.

Back at Star Labs, Iris super speeds around the room. “This is amazing,” she says excited. Caitlin confirms that every test she’s run confirms that Iris is a speedster. And that everything that Barry held including his connection to dark matter and The Speed Force now resides with Iris. Barry asks whether Caitlin can reverse it. Joe says that Matthew Kim is transferring abilities with a touch and therefore creating new Meta Humans. So, Matthew Kim is their latest bus meta. And if DeVoe gets his hands on Kim, he (DeVoe) can take away all of their powers. Unless they get Matthew on their side first. Then, Matthew Kim may be able to take away DeVoe’s Meta DNA. Caitlin reasons that Matthew Kim’s ability is that he is able to melt away the concentrated bonds of DNA and transfer them to someone else. Cisco gives Matthew Kim the Meta Human name of Melting Point. They decide they have to find the person who now has Frye’s powers. And in the meantime, Barry will train with Iris.

Harry comes to Cisco to borrow a tool, but Cisco refuses to help Harry with his death cap. Angry, Harry leaves the room. Caitlin asks Cisco why he can’t just help Harry. Cisco doesn’t know why no one but him can see what Harry is trying to do is dangerous.

Meanwhile, Iris is training and is running so fast and can’t stop. She falls into some boxes but isn’t hurt because of her powers. Barry is sadden that he lost his job and abilities because of DeVoe. What if he can’t get them back? Iris assures that Caitlin will think of something.  But in the meantime, Barry will have to keep watching her like she has him these last three years.

Team Flash learn of a huge fire in an office building. But even though Barry can’t go because he no longer has his powers, they still have a flash.  Donning one of Jesse’s masks, Iris super speeds to the building and rescues the people who are trapped on the fourteenth floor.  Now, she has to put out the fire. Barry tells Iris she needs to flap her arms at super speed to create a funnel. But it speeds up the fire. She reverses the direction. By now the building is suffering from structural damage. Iris gets trapped under a fallen beam and can’t move. Barry tells hers he’ll have to phase through.  But Iris doesn’t know how. Team Flash look towards Barry for him to tell Iris would to do. But it is Cisco who saves Iris by creating a breech and getting her out of the burning building in the nick of time.

Caitlin tells Iris, Barry, Cisco, Harry and Ralph that she can’t figure out a way to reverse Melting Point powers so unless they can find Matthew Kim and get him to change Barry and Iris back, Iris is now their flash.

Cisco agrees to help Harry with his intelligence booster on two conditions: One they do it without the use of dark matter. And two, if Harry becomes Locutus of Borg (Nice Star Trek: The Next Generation reference), Cisco will breech him back to Earth 2.

Iris tells Barry that she has to prove to herself that she is willing to put her life on the line; that’s the only way to be a real team leader. Team Flash discover who has Frye’s powers and Iris says she’ll go stop the man. They warn that Matthew Kim will probably be there too to get the power so she can’t let him touch her.

Jaco Birch (Max Adler) has Frye’s powers and tells the arriving Matthew Kim that he gave them to him when he touched him in the bank. Iris saves Kim from Birch’s fire and tells him that she will take it from there. But the heat is too intense for her and she doesn’t know what to do. Harry puts on the intelligence booster and comes up with a solution that will work: Iris will need to create a tidal wave using Central City bay. “Run Iris Run,” Barry tells his wife. Iris does it and saves the day. “Good work Flash, “Joe says with pride.

At Star Labs, Matthew apologizes and gives Barry back his powers. He decides he’ll never use his powers again until Iris tells him about DeVoe. Wanting to make a difference, Matthew agrees to help.

Iris tells Ralph that Matthew will need a buddy to help watch out for him. But Ralph doesn’t think he’d be a good buddy because of his own fear for DeVoe. Iris knows how Ralph is feeling, she felt the same way last year when she knew that Savitar was trying to kill her. But she fought through the fear and encourages Ralph to do the same.

At their loft, Barry tells Iris that he would have never asked her to give up her speed. But being The Flash isn’t who she’s meant to be. We see Iris writing the byline for an article “The Fire Within Central City…And All of Us.” And using his intelligence booster, Harry is able to get the names of the last two Meta Humans.