THE FLASH 7.15

 

RECAP - THE FLASH  7.15:  "Enemy At The Gates"  

Barry Allen has A LOT on his mind---and it doesn't necessarily mean his job at the CCPD OR his life as The Flash.  Naaah....Barry's had something MUCH bigger on his mind:  fatherhood.  We know that from the last few episodes, Barry and Iris have been trying to start a family, and it's been the one thing distracting him...since they really haven't revealed anything to anyone about actually trying.  They just figured Barry and Iris were playing catch-up after not having much time for each other.  So, Iris has been absent lately (and was in THIS episode as well), and Barry has been accounting for her whereabouts (thus giving us--the viewers--a status update on Mrs. West-Allen), while actress Candice Patton has been off-screen.  Outside of Barry and Iris' attempts to make a baby, we have Allegra trying to save her cousin, Esperanza, and get her the one thing she desires back:  her voice.  Esperanza isn't the trusting type, so Allegra is trying to pull family rank on this one to get her to comply.  Then there's Joe and Kristin Kramer---who are now on the hunt for her former friend and teammate, Crayke, who's gone rogue, and was responsible for the death of her unit back in the Army.  But there's the long awaiting returning threat on the horizon that's going to shake Team Flash up in this final few-episode arc to bring out the end of the season.....Godspeed. 

Barry spends the majority of this episode awfully distracted.  While he and Iris have been secretly babymaking, he's wondering about fatherhood.  So much so, that while in his lab working, he ends up dreaming about Nora----who appears to him----saying that everything will work out as it's supposed to, and for him not to worry.  Turns out, Barry is dreaming, but it gives him something of a premonition that he and Iris are pregnant, and wants to test to see if they are.  So, while at home, he's got the samples from Iris to be able to run a pregnancy test at STAR Labs, but ends up running into Cecile, with whom he has a lunch date with, and he tries to shoo her out and cancel the luncheon, because he's preoccupied with getting the samples to the lab to test them.  She tries to read his mind and emotional state and knows something is up, but he says he'll catch up later and blows her off.  He tries again at STAR Labs, but runs into Chester, who starts asking questions about his weird behavior, but Barry again keeps playing it off.  He gets a private moment, and calls Iris, saying that he's not ready to reveal the results to the team yet, so she encourages him to go to his lab at the CCPD to run the tests.  So, he heads there.  

While Barry is trying to run his pregnancy test, Joe and Kristin are still hashing over the night of the mission, where her unit got killed thanks to the betrayal by her longtime friend Crayke.  She recalls how he wanted to join the Navy, but followed her into the Army instead.  She said he loved the water, and loved to fish.  Joe remembers a place he used to go fish as a kid, and uses Crayke's call sign as a search, and they come up with that name that's on a schooner in Midway City.  Kramer's not happy that he's been under her nose this whole time, but is ready to take him down.  But before they go, Joe warns her that if it's revenge she's after...she's going it alone.  Joe will not help her....because this should be about justice.  Kramer pauses a bit....than asks him to go with her. 

Frost has been a busy gal....trying to comb the city for Mark, and manages to find him at his old bar he used to work at, getting worked over by several thugs, because he turned state's evidence to get out.  She manages to scare the thugs to take a hike, but Mark's beat up pretty good.  She decides to take him to STAR Labs to get healed up, but she warns him that if he crosses her...she'll beat the hell out of him. 

Caitlin is set to operate on Esperanza to repair her vocal chords, and says that there's some circuitry in there, and that she'll need to repair it, or Esperanza can die.  Esperanza isn't one for trusting anyone on Team Flash, but Allegra pleads with her cousin to let Caitlin operate.  She wants to save her cousin.  

Barry's at his lab at the CCPD when Cecile walks in, ready for their lunch date.  Barry again tries to put it off, but Cecile is in his head, and realizes what Barry is up to.  He tries to play it down, and doesn't want this big reveal yet.  So, as they are awaiting the results of the test, things go from bad to worse, as Godspeed....who has returned to Central City....and began making duplicates of himself...is racing around the city, causing damage...zips by the CCPD, and the glass shatters in Barry's lab....and he gets him and Cecile to safety.  But that initial test is destroyed.  Back at STAR Labs, Chester and the team are trying to track Godspeed, but then he blips out.  They try to figure out where and when he will strike next, and Chester has the idea to track them by using their modem voices to get a signature. Frost goes to check up on Mark, and he knows about the Godspeeds in town, and offers up his help, but Frost denies it, and says his injuries will hinder him, and he's benched.  She would need him to be a good guy, but he tells her that "good and bad" are binary, and that SHE....of ALL people....should know. She locks him in his room nonetheless.

They find Godspeed about to destroy the power plant when Flash arrives to stop them.  He needed Frost and Allegra back at STAR Labs as the last line of defense should he fail.  Chester tries to warn Barry that other Godspeeds are coming, and that it was a trap.  They arrive, and Flash vibrates out..taking off and having the Godspeeds give chase.  He tells Chester to lower the shields at STAR Labs, and he does so....and in the process, he ends up trapping the Godspeeds in  an electrical forcefield fence.  They begin to start punching it to escape, leaving them precious little time to figure out how to stop them. Barry then calls Iris, and tells her what's going on, and orders her to stay home (she's been sick), and that he'll do everything he can to protect her and the baby.  Chester overhears this and gives him congrats, but Barry orders him silent on this until they know for sure.  Barry and Chester then figure out a way to possibly stop them, blasting their modem speak right back at them, causing confusion as to what to do.  Barry orders Chester to put it all over the building, and then to hide inside the Time Vault to protect himself.  They put the plan into action, but it doesn't seem to be working.

Frost goes to Mark, and tells him that the Godspeeds are coming, and they need to hold the fort.  She hands him his Chillblaine gloves, and tells him he needs to be a good guy today, and he says he can't because it's not who he is.  But she says if he DOESN'T help....they'll die.  And even HE doesn't want that.  And she reminds him that her trust isn't given, it's earned.  And if he blows it...deal's off.  The continued energy the Godspeeds are using to punch out is causing issues in the Med Bay, as Caitlin continues to work on Esperanza.  But we see Esperanza start to fidget...indicating the fear of what's happening.  Allegra wants to help, but she can't.  Cecile goes to Esperanza, and uses her empath powers to clam Esperanza down, allowing Caitlin to continue to operate.  As Chester is in the Time Vault, and having Gideon continue the broadcast of the Godspeed speak throughout the complex, they manage to break free, and the team has to start fighting them off.  Flash is able to take down a few, and Frost and Mark are able to beat some down....but one gets into the Time Vault, and shorts out Gideon, thus killing the feed to the speakers.  It allows the Godspeeds to recover and fight back.  Flash is on the run again to get them out of the building to save everyone else.  As he tries to outrun them, they overtake him, and blast him down.  As they begin to try and draw his speed away from him, more Godspeeds show up, and they begin battling each other.  Flash is confused by all this, as they all disappear.  

Back at STAR Labs, Caitlin was successful with Esperanza, and she's in recovery.  They all commiserate as to why Godspeeds would fight each other, when Godspeed himself is the one who wants ultimate speed...and Barry realizes that there's a civil war coming...and that's not good for Central City...OR The Flash.  Later on, Mark and Frost are alone chatting, and it looks like they're getting closer.  He sweet talks Frost just enough that when she goes to get them another drink...he rigged the shaker and it pops, distracting her long enough for him to make an escape.  

Barry's back at his lab at the CCPD, and has conducted another test with Cecile there.  He's hoping that the baby will be like Iris.  But...Barry is heartbroken when the test is negative.  He wonders whether or not they've lost their chance at having a child, and Cecile assures him to not give up yet.  

Joe and Kristin are staking out Crayke's place where his boat is, and she and Joe are talking....wondering if she'd ever wind up like her friend...to go down that dark road...and be a killer like him.  Before Joe can respond, a bright light shines behind them...and Kristin orders Joe to move, as their car is truck, causing it to explode.  

Well, we're in the final arc, and it's started off with a pretty decent level of excitement, as we have questions regarding the duplicate Godspeeds now roaming the city, and what exactly the original Godspeed's plan is...outside of taking Barry's speed...is.  Them warring with each other only raises the level of confusion, and hopefully they won't give us a long wait until they answer that question.  

Frost learned a valuable lesson that leopards can't change their spots.  While SHE is an exception to the rule...and she KNOWS she will be looked upon with a jaundice eye because of her past....SHE has made the effort to be a better person. But Mark makes no bones about who he is...and understands the ambiguity of the line between good and evil.  So, he's not going to pigeonhole himself for the sake of staying out of jail.  He is who he is.  There is no changing him. 

With Esperanza now possibly having her voice back....will SHE change?  Will she be able to mend her familial bond with Allegra?  Allegra WANTS to make the effort, but it's now on Esperanza's doorstep as to whether or not they re-bond.  But will Esperanza....much like Mark...find that line and decide to walk it instead of crossing one side to the other?  Or will she just see that what she was doing was too good to pass up?  I believe we explore that story next episode.

Joe seems to be a good counterbalance to Kristin.  And he's gotten her to open up.  Now...do I still fully trust her?  No.  But Joe has been to the point with her:  I don't like your methods, and I'm not big on your absolution when it comes to metas, and I'm not here for your revenge party.  But if you seek justice...I'll stand by you.  I think that's why she admires him---because he pulls no punches, but his years of experience as a cop has offered him TONS of wisdom...especially also being a part of Team Flash.  So, hopefully, they're able to survive this encounter, and we get to see Kristin have some justice....and peace of mind.  

For Barry....you kinda feel for him, as he was SO excited about the prospect of Iris being pregnant...and they've been trying SO hard lately.  But to see his face crestfallen as the pregnancy test was negative kinda hit you in the heart a little....especially when he had the dream about Nora at the beginning of the episode.  We miss Nora so much, and for her to tell him it'll all work out makes US believe...but I think it was also a message saying that "Don't worry, Dad....it may not happen TODAY....but it WILL happen.  Don't give up!".  And I know Cecile will stand by him through this.  But I guess there's a reason they have kept Candice Patton off canvas the last couple of episodes, and only heard about or mentioned by Barry.  The show is a little less without Candice's presence in the physical.  But hopefully, she'll be back soon....and we'll have good news to report from the West-Allen home.  

It was one of the better episodes this season, and I enjoyed it.  But this season as a whole has seemed to just plod along, and not one of the better ones.  Changes to the cast, and the fact that COVID really screwed up the filming schedule, but that's also no excuse to write meandering plots.  This show has shown better than this, and I'm hoping the season finishes strong, so that next season will be better.  But it will be going 8 seasons in next year, and will this show...much like Arrow...finally realize it's run out of gas?  I guess we'll find out in the next few installments, and see what next season beholds. But we DO know that Candice, Danielle, and Jessie have signed on for Season 8, so the core cast is back.  

What're YOUR thoughts after this week's episode, kids?  Subscribe and leave yer comments below....

Until next time....Keep on running!