The Flash – Therefore She Is

By: Stacy Miller

Oxford University, Eight Years Ago.  Marlize (Kim Engelbrecht) is giving a speech about how technology can aid The Enlightenment. Professor Clifford DeVoe (Neil Sandilands) disagrees; he feels that whenever technology has been available, man has used it to hurt each other and cause destruction. DeVoe also thinks that life expectancy being increased from fifty to seventy years is a bad thing as any useful technology must be shared.  “Okay professor doom and gloom, remind me never to take one of your classes,” Marlize says. Clifford DeVoe counters that maybe she should as there’s much he could teach her.  In the present, DeVoe tells Marlize they only need one more thing to obtain and then they’ll be able to start enlightening people.

At Star Labs, Cisco (Carlos Valdes) receives a message cube from Gypsy (Jessica Camacho) who asks on behalf of her father Breacher whether Cisco has decided to accept the breacher job on Earth 19. He receives a call from Harry (Tom Cavanagh) asking him to meet in the lab. Harry has an idea to have Cisco vibe Caitlin’s cells (Danielle Panabaker) in order to bring Killer Frost out of dormant. When he keeps getting facts wrong, Harry has to admit to Barry (Grant Gustin), Iris (Candice Patton) and Caitlin that his use of the thinking cap has caused him to begin losing his intelligence. Cisco says it’s reversible, but Harry doesn’t want Caitlin to spend time trying to figure out a solution to a problem that’s his fault.

DeVoe brings Marlize to a lab that contains alloy seventeen seventy-one, which harasses power at four hundred deficiency. But as they are leaving, a security guard attempts to stop them. Marlize wants to leave without hurting the guard but DeVoe has other ideas. “Clifford, this is unnecessary.” “You knew there were going to be casualties when we started. This is his own doing,” DeVoe tells Marlize then uses his inherited mind control Meta Human power to get the security guard to turn the gun on himself. The security guard blows his own brains out!

Joe (Jesse L. Martin), Iris, Barry and Cisco arrive at the crime scene. Detective West says this smells like some “Meta Madness” so Cisco vibes and learns about alloy seventeen seventy-one but wonder why DeVoe wants it. Barry suggests that Cisco combine his power with Gypsy’s in order to learn more about what DeVoe is up to.

Joe tells Harry that he needs him to distract Cecile so she doesn’t know what he (Joe) is doing. What is Joe planning?

Another flashback finds Marlize and Clifford on a date when her cell phone rings. “Maybe you were right about technology, it can destroy moments,” Marlize says. “But sometimes they can create them,” Clifford adds as they share a romantic dance.

At Star Labs, Gypsy tells Cisco that in order to combine their powers their minds have to be totally in sync. Cisco is able to see a dock and shipping container number sixteen. Barry, Cisco and Gypsy arrive at the docks to try to intercept DeVoe from taking what’s in container sixteen. DeVoe appears and smugly tells them that he already has what he needs from another container. After enabling The Flash, DeVoe makes his exit. Cisco can’t believe they saw the wrong container. “Because someone’s vibe wasn’t clear enough,” Gypsy accuses her boyfriend. “Are you blaming me?” Cisco asks angrily. “Because you lost your focus,” Gypsy answers. But Cisco says she was the one who lost her focus. “Is this how it’s going to be if I took the job?” Cisco asks Gypsy. “What job?” Barry wonders.

Back at Star Labs, Cisco tells Barry about Breacher’s retirement and how Gypsy’s dad offered him a job over on Earth 19. Barry suggests that maybe working together with Gypsy now will help Cisco to make a decision.  He (Cisco) and Gypsy just need to be on the same page.

In another flashback of the history of Marlize and Clifford, Marlize found Clifford’s journal in which page one was titled ‘Promulgations of our Future.’ When he returns from getting wine and dinner, Marlize confronts Clifford about what he wrote. “It reads like some radical’s manifesto,” Marlize says. She continues and reads from Clifford’s journal in which he calls technology a cancer that needs to be purged. Clifford says that humankind are like babies and technology is their pacifers. He tells Marlize that they can fix mankind and lead them on the true path to enlightenment.

Cecile (Danielle Nicolet) tells Harry that his thoughts are screaming at her. Harry explains that the more he tries to use his brain, the more he’ll lose it.

Barry speeds Gypsy to Cisco so they can talk. He starts them off: “Gypsy is worried that it’s taking you too long to accept the job. Cisco is worried that he’s letting the team down.” But the relationship sharing has to wait as there’s another security breach that left three people dead. DeVoe is taking what he wants and killing anyone who gets in his way.

“There’s lots of way of being intelligent not just using your head,” Cecile tells Harry. She is able to write down what he’s thinking before it disappears.

A flashback of the past shows Marlize in a third world country working for the Peace Corps. Clifford calls Marlize and begs her to come home. “I’m making a difference, these people need me,” Marlize tells Clifford. “I need you,” Clifford pleads. Marlize wishes that a brilliant man like Clifford had as much compassion for others as he does for her. Suddenly Clifford overhears an explosion over the line. Marlize is knocked unconscious while he screams her name.

Cisco tells Gypsy that he’s tired of the way their relationship is where they have to breach in order to spend any time together.  He doesn’t want the breacher job but he does want her. But Cisco knows how important working for the agency is to Gypsy and wouldn’t ask her to give it up.  He asks her honestly whether it is enough for her.  Although Gypsy says it is, unfortunately it’s not enough for Cisco. Where does that leave them and their relationship?

Team Flash learn what DeVoe is doing.  It seems that he is putting satellites together in order to communicate and spread his message of the enlightenment. And he’ll be at Mercury Labs. Meanwhile, Clifford DeVoe uses one of his Meta Human powers to shrink what he needs. The Flash suddenly knocks DeVoe off his feet while Cisco grabs Marlize and Gypsy uses her powers to keep DeVoe immobilized. “You’re killing him!” Marlize screams before she disables Cisco’s grip, throwing him to the floor. And Devoe is able to do the same to The Flash and Gypsy. Suddenly, Caitlin appears with a cold gun. “Caitlin, what are you doing?’ Iris asks from Star Labs’ communication. “Bringing her back,” Caitlin responses referring to Killer Frost. But DeVoe is able to disarm Caitlin.  He knows what she’s doing; she wants him to frighten her in order to bring her better half back. DeVoe taunts that he can do that, he’s sure that watching a bestie die will frighten her. But because he can’t kill The Flash who is an integral part of The Enlightenment, Gypsy will have to do. DeVoe uses his powers to put a chokehold on Gypsy’s windpipe. But Marlize tries to talk her husband out of killing her (Gypsy).  She says that she can’t watch him kill an innocent person again.  “Is this what you want your legacy to be?” Marlize asks her husband, causing DeVoe to change his mind about killing Gypsy.

Harry and Cecile reveal what DeVoe is planning.  It seems that he wants to spread a large quantity of dark matter onto the Earth and do to mankind what is currently happening to Harry.

Cisco and Gypsy decide they can’t be together. They say goodbye on Earth 19.

Joe was planning a baby shower for Cecile. With all Team Flash is going through, a distraction is in order and what better way to distract than to celebrate the pending birth of their child. Barry tries to comfort his hurting friend by telling Cisco that he did the right thing.

Iris tells Caitlin she can’t do what she (Caitlin) did again just to bring Killer Frost back.

In the last flashback of the episode, after hearing the explosion Clifford rushed to Marlize’s side.  She tells him that he was right when he said that technology was like a cancer that causes men to kill innocent women and children for it. Clifford encouraged Marlize to work with him in order to bring about The Enlightenment. Back in the present, Marlize tells Clifford that her husband is dead. “The Thinker’s first victim.” “The Enlightenment will come for you too Marlize,” DeVoe warns, “I will be all that remains.”  “Oh Clifford, you are nothing without me,” Marlize tells her husband as she leaves him in his pocket dimension alone.

A mysterious girl (Jessica Parker Kennedy) delivers a diaper bag to Joe and Cecile.  She hides when Iris goes to look for her then super speeds off. Who is she?