THE FLASH 7.13

 

RECAP - THE FLASH  7.13:  "Masquerade" 

It's a new era for Team Flash, as they now push on without their heart-and-soul, and all-around Vibe-tastic companion, Cisco Ramon.  Cisco has left the keys to the STAR Labs engineering kingdom to Chester P. Runk.  And Chester is excited to bring his own flare to the team, while honoring what Cisco had done.  We also have Joe...no longer a cop...still investigating Kristin Kramer, who's now assumed command at the CCPD in the wake of his resignation.  Joe knows something is off with her, and he's digging up everything he can about her....with Cecile's help.  And as for our super-couple---Barry and Iris have finally decided that it's time to start a family.  But this week....we have two people who face their own trial and errors...can they make it through?  Let's see how these two fared

Starting with Chester---who's now remaking Cisco's workshop into his own when Caitlin pops in.  He tries to get her to groove to his new sound system, but it shorts out.  He goes to get some parts from the storage facility when he hears a strange noise, and sees a fallen part on the ground.  He then unfortunately stumbles upon Barry and Iris---who're in the midst of a little baby making hanky panky...and they awkwardly try to make excuses for being there.  Both leave, and Chunk wonders why Cisco didn't warn him about these things.  

Cecile and Joe are at home, and Joe has been investigating Kristin Kramer, trying to get more background on her---since most of her military record is redacted, and classified. She tells him that he should follow a lead she got, and he's out the door...though he feels something is a tad off with her.  As he goes, we see that the Psycho Pirate has taken over Cecile's mind, and she's locked in a white room that looks like it's from a sanitarium.  Cecile is cowered in the corner. When Barry left STAR Labs, he was answering a call from Cecile.  It was about a case she was working on, but Barry feels they've been down this road before with another case.  It was just a ruse, however, as Psycho Cecile used her powers to whammy Barry, and trap him in Cecile's mind, to get him out of the way, so she could execute her master plan.  She then brings Barry back to STAR Labs, where Caitlin surmises that he's in a coma.  Chester suggests Cecile try to read his emotions...but she fakes it, and says she can't get a read....but she gets an image....of a gold mask.  Chester recognizes that from one of Cisco's files....that Psycho Pirate had a gold mask.  But according to Caitlin, he's locked up in Arkham.  But it turns out that during the Arkham breakout, the original Pirate was captured once again, and the mask was taken from him, and given to the Central City Museum.  According to legend, the mask is seeking a new host, and is feeding off of someone's mind.  We all know that's Cecile.  Cecile then suggests why don't they try to get it from the Museum.  If it'll help save Barry.  The longer Barry is in his coma, he will die in the real world.  So far, Psycho Cecile's plans are working. 

Cecile keeps influencing Chester to see if he can come up with a plan to get the mask out of the museum...for Barry's sake (she lies), and he says he's called in a favor for help:  Sue Dearbon.  Apparently, Ralph is busy, and she also found a good excuse to check in on Central City.  Chester then goes over the plan to obtain the mask with Sue, and there are some roadblocks:  guards.  Chester suggests Cecile could use her powers to emotionally push them to do something else in order for Sue to grab the mask.  Cecile plays her part, and agrees to go on the mission with Sue.  Chester thinks he's got it all figured out, and planned down to the minute detail, but Sue feels that something is off...and it just seems too smooth a plan.  The plan is going smoothly for the most part, as Sue breaks into the vault where the mask is, and easily works her way around the laser beam security using some nifty dance and acrobatic moves....something she learned from dance class, apparently.  Cecile then stumbles her way in, and she gets the guard to go away with her powers.  It's then things go wrong, as Psycho Cecile grabs the mask, puts it on, and manages to mind control Sue into subduing herself with a knockout dart.  She then takes off, ready to wreak havoc on the  city with her powers.  Later on, Sue manages to get back to STAR Labs, and they discuss everything that went down, and Sue immediately roasts Chester for not listening to her when she had her suspicions.  Chester feels guilty when he realized that Psycho Cecile preyed upon his fears about replacing Cisco, and took advantage of him.  He feels he failed, and doesn't deserve to be a part of Team Flash, and he bails.  

Back in Cecile's head, Barry is trying to find a way out, because he knows if they die in her mind, they die out in the real world.  Cecile seems extremely afraid to get out, and is helpless against the fear.  Barry makes an attempt to escape, but another version of Cecile in a straightjacket pops up, and it's Psycho Pirate, trying to prevent Barry from leaving...zaps him once again, and he winds up back in the cell.  He realizes this is a sanitarium, and Cecile confesses it's one in Houston, Texas.  She had a stay there when she was in law school, because she studied so hard, and didn't come home when her mother got sick with cancer.  Her mother ended up dying without her being there, and that has weight heavily on Cecile the whole time.  She felt guilty and ashamed, and decided the only way to deal with it was to lock it away, and focus on her work.  It got her to where she is at, but she never really coped with the loss of her mother.  Barry let's her know that he understands all too well about what it's like to feel hopeless and helpless when losing a mother.  But he says she can escape this realm, but only if she finally confronts her guilt and fears.  When he DID ask how she got there earlier, she did mention she wound up there after the lightning strike, but that was two weeks ago.  So, they definitely have to find a way out...and Cecile HAS to do it.

In the real world, Chester is in his workshop when Iris pops in, and tries to give him a pep talk.  He said he never wanted to replace Cisco, just work WITH him.  And he doesn't feel like he belongs on Team Flash.  Iris disagrees, and says that they all make mistakes, and that he can't feel guilty about it.  Chester said he hardly knows them, and she says that while Cisco was the lynchpin, it took time for all of them to get to know each other.  He then said he'd work harder to up his game, and it's then he gets a revelation.  The chair he's in with the speakers...amplify.  He says he knows what Psycho Cecile's plans are to keep Cecile has a host for a long while---The Thinker's Chair in the basement of the building.  Just then, Psycho Cecile has found the chair, and sits in it---activating it, ready to amplify her powers. He says he's got a crazy idea, but Iris says crazy will work at this point.  He has her run interference, blasting her and distracting her while he executes his plan.  So, Iris plays hit and run with Psycho Cecile, as she tries to destroy her. 

Back in the Dreamscape, Barry and Cecile try one more time to face down Psycho Pirate...and know that the portal will open, but only when Cecile faces her fear.  Pirate takes out Barry again, because his powers don't work...only when Cecile can overcome Psycho Pirate that she would escape.  Cecile DOES manage to overcome he fear and guilt...not allowing the death of her mother haunt her anymore...and they destroy the Pirate in her head...this allows Barry's powers to activate, and they make good on their escape back to the real world.  At that moment, as Psycho Cecile tries to kill Iris, and protect herself, Chester leaps from out of nowhere with a katana blade, and impales the back of the chair...shorting it out, and ending Psycho Cecile's threat.  At that moment, Barry wakes up, and Cecile comes back.  

Caitlin is seeing the mask to ARGUS in Star City, and Cisco is building a psychic proof shield around it, to prevent it from trying to take over a new host.  Sue apologizes to Chester, and she says that she's going to stick around Central City for awhile, and invites everyone to her place for a party.  Everyone agrees, but Cecile has to rain check, because she needs to clear things up with Joe.  Barry and Iris make sure that Chester comes along, but he DOES warn them NOT to be around the lab if they wanna get freaky.  Back home, Cecile informs Joe of everything that went down, and told her story to him.  He's understanding, and says that she should never fear of telling him anything.  They agree to no more secrets.  He fills her in on what he's been doing with his investigation into Kramer.  Turns out, she led her group into an ambush, and she was the only one to come out alive.  She set her platoon up to be killed by the metahuman.  Joe and Cecile realize that she's working for the enemy.  

I give TOTAL props to this episode to Danielle Nicolet---the woman was given a great story for Cecile, and she nailed it---both as Cecile and the Psycho Pirate.  She has GREAT facial expressions when she's being evil or mischievous.  She played her part to the hilt in this episode, and it was fantastic work.  Also, kudos to Brandon McKnight, who's really starting to develop Chester a lot better, and giving him some meat to chew on this episode.  Chester, of ALL of Team Flash...has the hardest adjustment:  he's STILL the new guy, and he has to get to KNOW these people better....and he's gotta live up to Cisco's reputation...and that isn't easy.  His first real mission, and it backfired....but he realizes that the team has his back, and that they'll be more mistakes.  But now he does realize the show is his...and when he DID need to step up...he did.  

How great is it to have Sue Dearbon back?  That was a surprise this episode, and it's cool that she's getting to feel and be a part of Team Flash for the meanwhile (at least until they cast a new Ralph), but it'll be interesting to see Sue's dynamic with the team.   And yeah...we're all laughing at Barry and Iris, as they are ALL over the place in the baby department.  We needed comical moments from them, and this is a good start.  Kind of miss the lightheartedness between Barry and Iris...too much has gone down, and they haven't had a breather---so, I'd really like to see more of THAT kind of chemistry between our married heroes.  And as for Joe's investigation----we ALL knew something was fishy about Kramer and her story---and Joe's hit a goldmine of info.  Now...how long before they're able to nail Kramer to a wall?  It's going to take something catastrophic before the exposure of Kramer happens, but when it does...who WON'T be cheerleading?  Woman's a bitch, and a traitor...simple as that. 

This was a good episode, and we needed this after the last storyline...which I wasn't a fan of.  Now, I'm hoping we can start kicking things into high gear before the season finale.  Godspeed is still around the corner.  And when does Frost get back?  We need her banter around the team.  

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Until next time....Keep on running!