The Flash – The Flash – Don’t Run

By: Stacy Miller

At Star Labs, Cisco (Carlos Valdes) and Harry (Tom Cavanagh) are decorating the Christmas tree while arguing over how properly proportioned the tinsel is on it. Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) enters and asks Cisco about Gypsy (Jessica Camacho).  Apparently, Gypsy had to work the holiday shift and can’t be there.  But Cisco did get her the perfect gift, although she hasn’t gotten him one yet. Awkward, says Wells.  Ralph (Hartley Sawyer) arrives. He is planning on spending the holidays with the grandmother who hardly knows him in order to cash in on an inheritance when she passes (Way to get into the holiday spirit Ralph!). Caitlin suggests that instead of conning his grandmother during Christmas, Ralph could come to the celebration at the West house. “That sounds like a snooze fest,” says Ralph, “Unless they’re serving baking soda.” With that, Cisco, Harry and Ralph high five each other as they are referencing an inside joke about a time they spend with Killer Frost. It seems that the guys enjoy bonding with Caitlin’s alter ego. It’s obvious that Caitlin’s feelings are hurt that her friends like Killer Frost’s company better than hers.

Meanwhile at their loft, Iris (Candice Patton) and Barry (Grant Gustin) are opening wedding presents. In between the expresso machine they received from Oliver and Felicity (which ends up in the return pile), Barry opens a box that is not a set of knives, but contains one knife (this will be important later). Iris notices that Barry is cleaning up the wrapping paper in a normal, slow pace not using his super speed. She comments that even in Bali when they were on their honeymoon he took things slow there too.  Barry remarks that when he first got his powers, he thought he’d be using them to do everything and letting the world go around him.  But lately, he realizes he’s at peace. “I don’t have to run when I’m with you,” Barry tells Iris, which earns him a kiss from his wife. “I love you Iris West Allen.”

At the DeVoe home, Clifford (Neil Sandilands) is experiencing the pain of his deteriorating body. He and Marlize (Kim Engelbrecht) talk cryptically about it being almost time and how Clifford will share his birthday with Lazarus. Marlize says that she never gets tired of hearing her husband’s voice. “The voice may be different, but the words are mine,” Clifford urges, asking Marlize whether she’s having second thoughts. “It will just take some getting used to,” Marlize answers. “Don’t fear my love, this is the great work, I swear I will stand behind you in no time,” Clifford assures.

Caitlin is having coffee with Harry at Jitters. She laments how she spent some much time worrying that Killer Frost would hurt people but now finds out that her friends would rather hang out with her villainous alter ego. Harry reminds Caitlin that she is special and that her friends would much rather be with her.  Suddenly, glass starts flying in the place as Amunet Black (Katee Sackhoff) comes bursting in Jitters.  “Ho,ho,ho,” says Amunet Black.

Iris and Barry are walking down the street when Barry is blasted with a laser beam. Iris looks up and sees DeVoe overhead. “Hello Iris, my deepest congratulations on your wedding.” Back at Jitters, Harry tells Caitlin to run as he pulls out his gun to protect her from Amunet Black.  But Black easily overpowers Wells. Caitlin tries to turns into Killer Frost, but Amunet Black puts power dampening handcuffs on her to stop the transformation. “Frosty melted away, I’ve come for you Caty.” And DeVoe kidnaps Barry.

Back at Star Labs, Iris tells Cisco and Harry that DeVoe took Barry and learns that Amunet Black abducted Caitlin. Cisco tries to vibe to get an idea on his friends’ locations. But Ramon gets a terrible headache and tells Iris it was nothing like he’s ever experienced before. Meanwhile, Barry wakes up in a strange cell.

Amunet brings Caitlin to a place where a new Meta Human named Dominic (Kendrick Sampson) that Amunet Black “found” is strapped to a table.  She tells Caitlin that she needs her to operate on Dominic and adds “Should he die, you die too.” And in his prison, Barry runs around-and-round the room trying to escape. Dominic wakes up and Caitlin tells him that as a Meta Human, he is a commodity to Amunet Black. Caitlin realizes that Dominic is a telepath. He explains how he took the bus to work and once he got there, he got hear what everyone around him was thinking.

Meanwhile, Barry is confronted by DeVoe. The Thinker tells Allen that as a teacher, he is preparing Barry for what’s to come next. DeVoe leaves as he sees on the monitor that Joe (Jesse L. Martin) is at his front door. “If you hurt him,” Barry warns than yells his captor’s name “Devoe!” as he pounds on the cell. Joe demands DeVoe tell him where his son is and warns that if Clifford has hurt Barry and adds him (Joe) to the restraining order, no order will keep Joe from tearing DeVoe apart! Clifford encourages Joe to search his home if he believes his son (Barry) is there. Harry, who is also there, tells DeVoe that he (DeVoe) isn’t as smart as he thinks he is.  In the speed proof prison, Barry continues to try to pound his way to freedom when Marlize appears.  Barry tells Marlize that if she goes down this path with DeVoe, she risks everything they’ve built together.  But Marlize says that Barry’s brain limits his way of thinking; her husband is smarter than he is.

At Star Lab, Cisco and Ralph almost come to blows. Harry reminds Iris that as team leader she has to make the hard choices and choose between looking for either Barry or Caitlin but not both because they are taxing the team’s resources.

Meanwhile, Dominic asks Caitlin about Killer Frost.  She tells him that Killer Frost is her violent Meta Human power that comes out when she’s scared or angry. They try to escape, but run into Amunet Black, who says “Somebody’s made my naughty list.” She brings Caitlin and Dominic back to the operating room.  Amunet Black tells Caitlin how before she (Amunet Black) got powers, she was a stewardess and had to serve drinks to grabby males with power.  But now she has the power.

Back at Star Labs, Iris makes a team leader decision. “Caitlin is vulnerable right now and Barry can take care of himself.  Turn off the speed force, we’re going after Caitlin.”

Caitlin has managed to use some equipment she found in the basement of the building to simulate an MRI machine. “I knew you were the right doctor to kidnap,” says Amunet Black. But something goes wrong with the surgery and Dominic needs to be shocked. But it was all a ruse. Both Caitlin and Dominic were wearing masks and Amunet Black and her goons succumb to the fumes Caitlin released in the pretense of putting Dominic under in order to operate on him. Caitlin and Dominic escape but again are cornered by Amunet Black, who comes to. Fortunately, Team Flash was able to locate Caitlin’s signature and Cisco and Ralph arrive just in time to rescue them.

Meanwhile by standing still really fast, Barry was able to escape the prison. Furious, DeVoe grabs Barry with one of The Thinker’s chair tentacles, takes to the sky and begins tossing Allen around. Barry is dropped into the water but the floating device Cisco installed in The Flash suit helps Barry float. Iris is relieved when Barry returns to Star Labs.  Later, he tells her that she made the right call by telling the team to go after Caitlin.

The holiday celebration begins at the West house. Cisco receives a cube from Gypsy. But it’s not a breakup cube, but more of a naughty sex cube which Joe tells Cisco to take back to his own house. As Caitlin asked whether he could come to the party, Dominic arrives.  When he assures Ralph that he doesn’t want to fight crime but brainstorm ideas about his powers, Cisco gives Dominic the superhero name, Brainstorm. Barry is notified that the alarm at the loft went off. He reasons that it is probably more presents being delivered but goes to check it out anyway. After he turns the alarm off, Barry gets a call on his cell from Dominic.  But it’s not Dominic but DeVoe.  How is this possible?  We learn that Amunet Black cornered Dominic on the street and rendered him unconscious for her buyer. The buyer turned out to be Marlize DeVoe. “Always a pleasure doing business with another savvy woman,”Amunet said taking a briefcase of money.  Then, DeVoe appeared and using his thinking cap, transferred his brain to Dominic’s body. Then, Clifford DeVoe’s body died. DeVoe, now in Dominic’s body tells Barry that when Allen emerged from the Speed Force, he (DeVoe) too needed to be reborn to continue his plan. Barry warns DeVoe not to hurt his family. “I have no interest in them.  Plus you’re going to need someone to miss you after you’re gone,” DeVoe says. “What did you do?” Barry asks. We learn that DeVoe left Barry a “re-gift” something he’s not using anymore: The body of Clifford DeVoe.  Suddenly, CCPD (Central City Police Department) knocks on the door. “Don’t run,” Barry says as he glances at a photograph of himself and Iris. The police burst into the loft.  When he sees the dead body of Clifford DeVoe with a bloody knife (the same knife Iris and Barry got as a wedding present) wound to the chest, Captain Singh (David Sabongui) handcuffs Barry and says “Barry Allen you’re under arrest for the murder of Clifford DeVoe.”

DeVoe (as Dominic) says his goodnights and leaves the West house.  He meets Marlize outside and she slips his wedding ring back on his finger. “I told you I’d stand beside you,” DeVoe says. “Always,” adds Marlize. “Now let’s bring about the enlightenment,” says DeVoe.