THE FLASH 8.11

 

RECAP - THE FLASH  8.11:  "Resurrection"  

We finally get some answers to our "Black Flame" saga, as we left off last episode with the Flame calling to Caitlin, and her believing it to be the essence of her dead husband, Ronnie Raymond, the former Firestorm.  We see this week if the team is able to bring Ronnie back, or is there MORE to this story than what we've been given?  Also, Iris' time-fracture illness is getting out of control, and has now caused our Phantom Girl, Tinya's mother, disappear.  Who knows who will disappear or what will fracture next in time before Iris loses complete control, and time itself shatters.  Either way, we have continued problems all around for Team Flash, and---as usual---it looks like it's going to get WORSE before it gets BETTER.

With the Black Flame appearing to Caitlin, and it convinces her that it's Ronnie, we got flashbacks this week to 2013 when they first met at STAR Labs, to how they eventually got together.  It sparked enough of an emotional spark inside Caitlin that she was convinced that Ronnie was reaching out, wanting her to save him.  As Team Flash is back at STAR Labs, looking to find another way to stop the Flame before it kills again, Caitlin shows up, and tells her that the Flame showed up at her and Frost's apartment, telling her it's Ronnie.  She also recognizes all the victims the Flame claimed as her yoga instructor, and the barkeeps that used to work O'Shaughnessy's.  Apparently, they had all attended a biochem seminar back when they were all in college, and were familiar with Ronnie.  So, now they know the connection, Caitlin is adamant that it's Ronnie, and he's looking to be rescued.  Cecile can sense the anguish in the Flame's emotions, and DOES link it to Ronnie suffering.  Barry still has his doubts, wondering as to why Ronnie waited until NOW to finally reach out.  

As Caitlin devises a plan to save Ronnie...using the old splicer that her and Prof. Martin Stein has used to integrate as Firestorm, but having Chester modify it by using a bit of the sphere technology to help balance the other side out, thus making Ronnie whole, Cecile is getting a psychic attack, sensing more anguish, and feeling something A LOT different from before---and informs the rest of the team that she thinks that Ronnie's pain isn't a cry out for Caitlin to save him....but to END his suffering.  Cecile tries to relay this to Caitlin, but she'll hear none of it.  Barry tries to talk to her, but she throws it back into his face about everything HE would do if it were Iris---which, Barry has no leg to stand on there, because Caitlin is right, but she believes that if her friends won't help her, she'll do it on her own.  Barry then makes the decision that they're going to use the sphere to capture the Flame, and end the threat before anyone else dies.  Frost agrees, but also volunteers to talk to Caitlin about it.  However, she tells her sister she's on her side, and has the splicer with her.  They go to take off and find Ronnie, figuring out where he'd be, based on one of Caitlin's memories about a trip they tried to make.  Cait also takes this time to tell Marcus the truth about what's transpired, her working with The Flash, and they both decide to call things off until Caitlin sorts her life out...if that's possible.  

In the woods, Barry and the team manage to track him down and clear the forest out of the campers that are there, and are about to be attacked by the Flame.  Flash races in and manages to suck the Flame into the sphere.  Just as the threat seems over, Frost blasts the sphere, and releases the Flame, as it is now active again.  But Caitlin approaches it, and plants the splicer on it.  Eventually the splicer works, and Ronnie actually reappears, but he is weak.  Back at STAR Labs, everyone apologizes to Caitlin for doubting her, and welcome Ronnie back.  Ronnie appreciates the assist, and is glad to be reunited with Caitlin.  But....later in the evening, as Caitlin is alone in her lab, still monitoring Ronnie, she finds him missing, and follows the voices to another part of the lab, where she finds him up and awake.  But what Ronnie reveals to her, is that--in fact--Ronnie Raymond really IS dead, and he used Ronnie's memories, and absorbed his abilities when he was in the singularity, and this new being emerged from it.  And  this new being's name is Deathstorm.  

As far as Iris goes, things end up getting worse, now that she accidently made Tinya's biological mother disappear.  Sue warns her off to save her from being the next to disappear.  Iris passes out, and Sue takes her back to her suite.  However, Tinya, being the angry pissed off teenager that she is, comes into the suite, and then makes Iris disappear, and tells Sue she's next if she tries to follow her.  Sue then makes her way back to Central City, where she confronts Barry with the news that Iris is gone---but Barry somehow can sense that.  

It was great to see Robbie Amell back on the Flash canvas, and giving us some flashback sequences of he and Caitlin's relationship.  Him and Danielle Panabaker have great chemistry together.  But now that the cat's out of the bag, and we know that the REAL Ronnie Raymond is, indeed, gone, and this new being is using his body, it's going to be tough for her and the team to stop this new villain from killing again.  We got some nice nostalgic feels for the course of the episode, and when he first appears in modern time, we're stoked to see him back...but we know that was just the tease to the truth we got at the end of the episode.  The stakes are now higher than ever to take this new villain down, and Caitlin is going to be in the thick of it.  I DO wonder...with the rumors of a shortened 9th (and possibly FINAL season of the show), that THIS might be where Caitlin takes off from Team Flash after the affair.  There's no more Wells, Cisco moved to Star City to work for ARGUS, and Camilla went with him.  That leaves Caitlin as the final domino of the original Team Flash to depart the series aside from Barry himself.  It would also coincide with Danielle Panabaker's pregnancy, and taking time off for that.  But that means she can still DIRECT episodes...just not be a STAR in them.  We'll see how it pans out.  

For the Iris situation...this is also the OTHER glaring problem that needs to be resolved.  And who knows if this means Iris is going to be written off canvas again for awhile, or whether or not this problem finally gets finished to where we'll her actually pregnant with Nora before the season is out.  But they still have the Phantom Girl issue to deal with, and how long IS Sue sticking around?  And once this is done, will Ralph buzz her, and she'll be off globetrotting again?  Lots of things to sort out here before the end of the season.  

So....the story has had a decent build, and we are ALL curious to see HOW this story arc plays out, and what changes will come of this once it ends.  It was nice for some nostalgia feels, but we're ready for the story to come to its conclusion.  And the same can be said for Iris' story, but I feel THAT will be the final "graphic novel" to Season 8.  So...what did YOU all think of this installment?  Where do you see Caitlin go from here?  And will Frost go with her?  Subscribe and leave your thoughts below.  

Until next time...keep on running! 

THE FLASH 8.10

 

RECAP - THE FLASH  8.10:  "Reckless"  

The Fire Creature Saga continues this week, as Team Flash is desperate to find out how to contain it before it kills once more.  Meanwhile, Iris is in Coast City with Sue Dearbon on the trail of a young teenage girl name Tinya Wazzo...who has the ability to walk through walls and be a literal Phantom.  But that's not the ONLY thing Iris is dealing with---since she's been having gaps in time, and she's been seeing things disappear...it's getting worse for her, and Deon can only do so much.  SO...as we take a look at this chapter, let's see what happens to Team Flash AND Iris, as our two problems continue...

For Iris this week...the news is bleak.  As she's in Coast City trying to help teenager Tinya Wazzo try and find her birth mother, who gave her up years ago.  But Deon has said that her time fluctuations are causing time to fracture all around her--much of it to do with the Reverse-Flashpoint Thawne created that Barry corrected.  Deon tells her that her best option is to stay in Coast City and limit her  movements.  Any more attempts to leave and anything else will cause more problems.  She wants to tell Barry about this, but he tells her to hold off until he can get more answers.  Nonetheless, she does call Barry and he races there.  She tells him what's been going on, and he wonders how long they have.  Deon says he's going to do what he can to solve this problem, and takes off.  Barry wants her to stay in Coast City and listen to Deon, but she's still going to do what she can to help Tinya.  Meanwhile, he heads back to Central City to deal with their Fire Meta problem.  

Iris, Sue, and Tinya begin the search, and wind up at the Coast City Hospital, where they're looking to gain access to records in regards to Tinya's birth.  There was a "do not call" order on her case, thus blocking Iris from gaining access to the information.  However, Sue notices that her uncle is on the Board of Directors, and calls in a favor.  They obtain the info, and after they leave, the woman who was at the desk returns, to find everything gone.  They manage to track Tinya's mother down to an apartment.  They finally meet, and Tinya wants to know why she was given up.  Her mother explains that he was a teenager when she had Tinya, and that she was convinced by her parents to give her up.  She had hoped that she'd have a better life than what she could've provided her, but she didn't have a better life.  And it looks like there might be some headway in the two reuniting and getting to now each other, when Iris' illness acts up again---and when Tinya's mother does to help her, as soon as she touches Iris, she disappears.  And Tinya wants to know what happened to her, as Iris and Sue have no clue....but Iris' illness is getting worse.  

As for Team Flash, this week focused on the Snow family, as Frost was just creating some art at home, when the Fire Meta appeared in her and Caitlin's apartment, and attacked her.  She suffers a burn from it, but survives.  Back at STAR Labs, she talks to Barry about what happened, and while he's updated them on Iris' condition, they're also trying to track the Fire Meta when Frost updates them on that as well.  She goes to seek the help of an expert:  her mother, Dr. Carla Tannhausen.  Carla offers to help, as it seems that because this creature is using cold fusion, that it's attracted to Frost herself, because of her powers.  They come up with a plan to use Frost as bait in order to lure the Fire Meta to them, and then they'd be able to capture it.  Chester uses the corksphere from the Speed Force machine, and modifies it to house the Fire Meta.  Mind you, Barry's really not on board with this plan, but they try anyway.  As they turn the machine on, the Fire Meta is lured in...but it hesitates.  Frost tries luring it closer by blasting it, but it tries to go after her, and she's saved by Flash.  The plan fails, and Frost is hurt.

This brings Caitlin home from her date with Marcus, and she chastises both her mother AND Frost for NOT taking Frost's life seriously.  Frost argues that she's just trying to do what a hero would do...it's part of the job.  Barry is also upset, but it's not just because of Frost---it's Iris as well.  Joe knows this when he talks to Barry because he knows that---despite her illness---Iris will help Tinya no matter what the risks.  Frost is just doing the same.  Caitlin doesn't want to lose her sister, and also tells Carla that she has another daughter to be concerned about.  And if anything bad happens, Carla won't just lose one daughter...she'll lose both.  As Carla and Frost talk about their own growing relationship as mother and daughter, Carla confesses that she too has metahuman powers.  The same powers as Frost.  And if they can combine their power signatures, it might be able to lure the Fire Meta to them, and capture it.  So, the Team once again puts the plan into place, and for a brief moment, it looks as though it's working, but the sphere begins to overload, and Frost ends up saving her mother from being killed, and the Fire Meta escapes yet again.  But this time, they realize they CAN defeat the creature, despite losing out on this chance.  It allows Frost and Carla to get closer together as mother and daughter.  Back at home, Caitlin is visited by the Fire Meta...only to be shocked when it speaks, and it tells her that their life is forever changed.  She's reminded back to when Ronnie Raymond at told her the same thing, and realizes the Fire Meta is actually Ronnie himself.  

Family was the big focus of this episode, as we see two mother/daughter combos looking to connect.  For Tinya and her mother, it's rather tragic and short-lived, due to the fact that Iris' illness causes Tinya's mother to vanish, as time fractures once again, taking Tinya's mother out of the pitcture.  Something Iris is now going to have to answer for.  As for Carla and Frost---it's the understanding that Frost needs to learn to not be quite as reckless, and for Carla to FINALLY see Frost for what she is:  her daughter.  Also, they FINALLY got around to Carla's meta powers after, what, the last 4 or 5 seasons?!  Glad they were able to find a way to USE that little plot device to help out.  But it took Caitlin to come back in and fix the family dynamic.  The other issue was recklessness.  While Frost's recklessness was addressed to the point that she actually GOT where Barry and Caitlin were coming from...and it was a lesson learned by both her AND Carla...Iris' recklessness---despite good intentions---had dire consequences as her illness caused Tinya's mother to vanish completely.  Now, she's going to have to seriously address this issue, and accept the responsibility of HER recklessness to Tinya, Sue, and herself...even though Deon WARNED her to NOT make any more movements.  

It was great to see Carla again, and even better to see her and Frost grow closer.  It's been BAD to see Iris' illness and actions have severe consequences.  It seems like Iris just hasn't made a smart move as of late.  And just how bad things get with HER is yet to be determined.  But on the other hand---it looks like we're about to get the return of Ronnie Raymond, which is going to create some interesting drama for Caitlin...especially since she's JUST started dating Marcus.  What this means for HER is also going to be interesting to see play out.  We got some pretty decent drama out of this, and we shall see what comes of it.  

What did YOU all think of this episode?  Subscribe to the blog if you haven't already, and drop me some comments....wanna know what YOU all thought of this week's installment.

Until next time....keep on running! 

SERIES REVIEW: PEACEMAKER

 

SERIES REVIEW - PEACEMAKER  

Wild.  Crazy.  Crude.  Rude.  Silly.  Campy.  Funny. But what a fun ride!  I don't know if I can FIND anymore adjectives to describe the 8 episode rollercoaster that HBO-Max  provided us in the DC show Peacemaker.  John Cena returns from his stint in The Suicide Squad to once more take up the role of Christopher Smith...the man who loves peace with all his heart, and doesn't matter HOW many men, women, or children have to DIE for freedom.  And when we last saw Peacemaker....he was in the hospital after the Starro affair on Corto Maltese, where...after killing Col. Rick Flag, got hurt himself by Bloodsport, and then getting nearly crushed by Starro.  So, when this series picks up, we get to see Peacemaker in the hospital, finally waking up, and getting back to doing whatever it is he does best---being a superhero...at least how HE sees it.  

We pick things up 5 months later after the Suicide Squad's latest mission in Corto Maltese, where Peacemaker was in the hospital recovering from his injuries.  He then bails the hospital, and heads home, where he's eventually met my Emelia Harcourt, and Jon Economos, who'd been a part of Amanda Waller's Task Force X team, which was there for the Suicide Squad's mission, and were ordered to get Smith, along with former merc Clemson Murn, and newcomer Leota Adebayo, who is secretly Waller's daughter, from ARGUS for a mission called "Project Butterfly".  He reluctantly accepts the mission, then goes to see his dad, Auggie.  He grabs his pet eagle, Eagly, and then meets up with the team at a pub to discuss the mission.  He tries to hit on Harcourt, but gets shot down.  He then picks up a gal named Annie Sturphausen, and ends up having sex with her in a motel.  However, she turns out to be a gal with superpowers, and he ends up having to fight her.  He ends up killing Annie by using a sonic boom device in his helmet.  

He calls Harcourt, and they have to perform a rescue before the authorities arrive at the Evergreen apartment where he had sex and then destroyed Sturphausen.  He comes across a weird device in Sturphausen's apartment, and then takes a married couple hostage, but manages to escape the complex before the police arrive with Harcourt's help.  Police detectives Sophie Song and Larry Fitzgibbon arrive on the scene, and start trying to put the case together.  They end up arresting Smith's father Auggie after Economos had switched the ownership of Smith's car from him to his father, thus keeping his record clean (or as clean as it can be), and that Auggie was the one who caused Sturphausen's death.  In jail, Auggie is hailed by many white supremecists in there as "White Dragon".  Smith realizes that the only reason he was attacked by Sturphausen, is that he left the dossier he was given open for her to openly read, and she was in it.  They were pissed off, and shun him, so he heads home, where he's met by his old friend Adrian Chase, who also romps around as a so-called "superhero" named Vigilante.  When they open the  device that Smith plucked from Sturphausen's apartment, it turns out to be a mini spaceship. They also capture Judomaster in the process. 

Burn tells Peacemaker his first mission, is to assassinate Royland Goff, a suspected butterfly.  Harcourt and Smith stakeout the Goff household, and are soon joined by Vigilante.  Murn orders Peacemaker to assassinate them, but he hesitates.  Vigilante takes over and then assassinates Goff's wife and children, but misses Goff himself.  Goff's bodyguard Judomaster shows up and takes out Peacemaker and Vigilante.  Goff tries to get information out of Smith by unmasking and torturing Adrian Chase, but he doesn't give up anything.  Economous, Harcourt, and Murn come in and save him, and Smith kills Goff...where they see a butterfly creature eminate from him.  They then see the ARGUS computer showing that the Butterflies have spread all over the globe.  

With Judomaster now in the custody of the team, where Smith claims he killed the butterfly, Chase drives him to his dad's to get new gear, only to find out Auggie had been arrested and framed.  And against Murn's and Abedayo's wishes, he goes to visit his dad in prison, where Auggie threatens to expose Project Butterfly to the cops.  Abedayo says Peacemaker would be better off without his dad.  When they get back to HQ, Judomaster has escaped, and after some fighting, Abedayo shoots Judomaster before he can reveal the secret of the butterflies.  Smith returns to his trailer where he's got a butterfly captured in a jar.  Meanwhile, Vigilante gets himself captured so that he can silence Auggie before he spills Project Butterfly to the cops.  He tries to provoke Auggie's cronies in prison to fight him, but it doesn't impress Auggie.  Harcourt ends up bailing him out.  Smith reflects on killing Flag, and being trained by his dad, and the death of his brother.  Abedayo gets a lead on the butterflies, and tells Murn, whom we find out is a butterfly himself. 

Song and Fitzgibbon question Auggie, and he tells them that Smith killed Sturphausen, and after re-checking the facts and questioning the couple Smith held hostage, that things aren't adding up.  Murn informs the team how the butterflies enter humans and become their hosts, and how they eat on unknown amber fluid.  Abedayo's clues lead them to a bottling factory, and Murn enlists an ally, Caspar Locke, as the new police captain to undermine Song's investigation while they take out the bottling factory of the butterflies.  She requests help from her stepfather - a judge - to go after Peacemaker.  While Peacemaker uses his x-ray helmet to discover all the members of the factory are all Butterflies, as well as as an escaped Gorilla named Charlie.  The team raids the factory, and kills the employees, while Ecomomous ears Peacemaker's respect by killing Charlie.  Smith offers Abedayo a drink at his place, and she kind of urges him to be nicer, while she secretly plants a diary at his home at the request of her mother, Amanda Waller.  She then takes off for the office, where she uses his x-ray vision to discover that Murn is really a Butterfly himself.  He attacks her. 

Murn reveals to Abedayo that the Butterflies are an alien race that came from a dying planet, and the Goff Butterfly was going to lead them to world domination, while HE was a deserter to the Goff Butterfly's plan.  Meanwhile, Song releases Auggie much to Locke's dismay, Song gets an arrest warrant for Smith.  At Smith's trailer, the Goff Butterfly he captured tried to communicate with him and Chase, but the cops arrive, with Song looking to arrest Smith and Chase.  Chase accidently breaks the jar the Goff Butterfly was in, as they try to escape from Song and the police.  In the process though, Song is taken possession of by the Goff butterfly, and then amasses her army.  The crew manages to escape, and Locke, who helps them, also finds a way to create a distraction.  Economos then traces the Butterflies' activities to a place called Coverdale Ranch, where they say they have some "cow" that produces the amber fluid they require for sustinence.  Song takes over the Evergreen police, as well as any prisoners in order to gather her forces.  She also uses the diary she found in Smith's trailer and uses it on tv to get an arrest warrant for Peacemaker.   At this time, his father Auggie has gathered his own followers, as he also retrieves his White Dragon suit in order to kill his own son. 

As Smith is pissed off that Leota betrayed him, they have to find a way to get to Coverdale Ranch in order to destroy the cow, and kill off the Butterflies.  Harcourt finds out Leota's mother is Amanda Waller, and calls her out on it.  Murn is killed by Sophie, and Judomaster returns to attack Harcourt and Leota, but they manage to beat him.  Smith eventually confronts his father after he and Adrain tried to escape and avoid them.  Christopher eventually confronts Auggie about the incident that ended up killing his brother Keith.  Then, Smith kills his father.  Economos takes are of his followers.  With Murn dead, Harcourt is named the new leader of the team, and they continue on the mission to Coverdale Ranch.  Smith is pissed off with Leota, and says they're no longer friends.  

Leota, frustrated about everything that's went down, and considering what she's managed to accomplish with Smith, Leota calls upon her mother, and asks her to send the Justice League to help out with the Butterflies....but it may already be too late.  The team DOES eventually get to Coverdale Ranch.  As Economos creates a blast to get a distraction, Chase and Harcourt go on the attack, but are seriously injured.  Peacemaker makes his way towards the cow, but his confronted by the Song-Butterfly.  She says they're actually trying to save the Earth from humans themselves who prioritize profit and personal gain over survival.  She asks Peacemaker to join her, to help.  However, he takes Abedayo, who know has on his torpedo helmet, and tosses her towards the cow.  The cow is destroyed, and Smith shoots Song, thus releasing the Goff Butterfly.  As he collects his team, the Justice League finally arrive, but Smith chastises them for being late, and throws down some nasty remarks towards them.  Leota then decides, as she and Smith make up, to expose Task Force X, Project Butterlfy, and basically ruin her mother's plans and career.  This clears Smith's name in the press, and he heads home as his teammates heal.  But as he an Eagly are resting on his trailer porch...he's still haunted by the memory of his father.  With them is the Goff Butterfly, who is feasting upon the last of the amber fluid.  

This show was wild and crazy, and had some great character development and dynamics.  We see the personal relationships develop between the members of the group, as well as how everyone reacts to whatever it is Peacemaker says and does.  This show also surprisingly uses The Vigilante as another character capable of killing.  However, this is a FAR cry from the Adrian Chase I see in the comics   It's a lot like an even MORE campier version of Deadpool, but the way these two play off each other makes it fun.  Also, how Cena interacts with the rest of the team, and the villains.  We gain insight into what makes Peacemaker tick, as well as how and why he is how he is....mostly because of his racist father who seemed more interested in killing his own son, than wanting to help him.  We then see characters like Leota and Harcourt, breaking down those barriers, and showing him how to be a better person.  We get a great mixture of humor, as well as character evaluation.  The eventual bond that Smith creates with his ARGUS team is phenomenal, and we get to see some growth from them as well.  James Gunn has a knack for weaving in a well crafted story, as well as getting his characters to not only be outrages, but have depth and heart as well.  The jokes were well placed, and I laughed out loud often.  I cannot wait to see how they top Season 1.  Plus....credit due to Gunn for the use of music on this show...giving Peacemaker a love for 80's hair metal bands, as well as the awesome dance intro for the show as well. 

What did YOU all think of this crazy-ass show?  Did you enjoy Cena's performance?  Subscribe to the blog below, and leave me YOUR insights into this show....

Until next time. 

THE FLASH 8.9

 

RECAP -  THE FLASH  8.9:  "Phantoms"  

As we've entered our new "Graphic Novel" saga for this season of the Monarch of Motion, Team Flash is on the hunt for the mysterious "fire meta" that caused the death of a bar owner and his waitress last week, which blame was wrongly placed on a man named Jocko Burch, who had fire powers, and was a former criminal.  However, with his name cleared, the Team focuses back on this villain who uses "cold fusion" as a way to burn its victims.  They need to stop it before it kills again.  Meanwhile, we get a great surprise visit as our wonderful gal pal traveler Sue Dearbon returns home to Central City for a visit, and brings up a mystery that catches Iris' attention---and she needs it.  Things are NOT WELL will our intrepid reporter, and she needs to figure out what's going on...fast.  So...with what's going down in our Scarlet Speedster's town...let's see what happened. 

Deon paid a visit to Iris this episode, and it looked like he gave her yet another "checkup", and it seemed that she was fine.  At first, she was hesitant about revealing the time lapses she's been having, but eventually brings it up to him.  She even mentions that she and him were in a train station (the scene eliminated from the Thawne Time Line thanks to Barry), and he decides that he'll look into it.  She feels she should tell Barry, but Deon warns her to keep it between them for now until he gets more info.  This leaves Iris extremely concerned.  So, she tries to bury herself in work, but she an Allegra get a visitor in the form of our old friend, Sue Dearbon.  Sue's back in town on business, now that she's inherited the family business thanks to her parents being put in white collar jail thanks to their part in Black Hole's affairs.  And with them permanently gone (thanks to her and Ralph, no doubt), she's just checking on things, and decided to visit old friends.  However, she DOES have business in Coast City, and talks about a gal who is like a phantom---disappears, and thinks there might be something to it, and invites Allegra along, but Iris instead takes her up on the offer...looking for a distraction.  

Once in Coast City, Sue knows something is bugging Iris, and tries to pressure her into spilling the beans, but they're distracted by Iris' app that tracks metahuman activity.  They manage to find a young girl named Kayla.  They try to question her about her powers, and Iris offers to help her in regards to using them, but Kayla's really not interested in what either Iris OR Sue have to say, smashed Iris' phone, and then bails.  Sue eventually gets Iris to open up and explain what her issue is.  Sue sets Iris straight, and says that instead of running AWAY from her issue...let her family in.  The last statement was enough to spark Iris' brain, and she eventually has an idea as to where Kayla may be going.  They end up finding her through Iris' investigative reporting. Sue and Iris catches up to Kayla, and Iris says that she's looking for her mother.  Kayla's wondered what happened to her, since she was abandoned when she was young.  Iris promises to help her find her mother.  

Back home in Central City, Team Flash is desperate to find out who or what this fire meta is, as it has claimed yet another victim---a yoga instructor.  With no real rhyme or reason to the crimes, it's driving the team to their wits' end as to try and figure out any sense of pattern to it.  Answers begin to develop more as we start seeing a change in Chester during this ordeal.  He seems frightened by something, and when the meta flame enters STAR Labs, and Flash and Frost cannot stop it, it seems to focus on Chester.  The creature then disappears.  But it has gotten Chester spooked.  We then learn that Chester has been thinking about his dad, and that they didn't always get along, and when he died, he never really grieved for him....out of fear.  Chester is given a pep talk by Allegra, who says that she's there for him...to open up.  So, he discusses when his dad died, and how he's lived with the guilt and grief all these years.  Allegra says he can get through this, and, after yet another encounter with the fire creature, they realize that it's not some ONE trying to control it...but a living entity that is killing it's victims by being drawn to their fears and anxieties.  They end up cross referencing all the backgrounds of the victims, and they realize they all share a singular pattern:  some sense of guilt, depression, or loss that is consuming the creature's victims internally and emotionally.  Cecile can sense all the previous victims when the creature returns, and takes the form of Chester's father.  Cecile tells him to resist it, and think about how good his life has been since then.  Chester is able to fight off the temptation of the fire meta, and it dissipates and takes off.  Chester has finally started coming to grips with his father's death, and allows him some peace of mind.  But...this STILL leaves the fire meta on the loose, looking for new depressed and guilt ridden victims.  

Barry and Iris facetime online, and she talks about the amenities of her room in Coast City, while she and Sue are helping out this Phantom Girl.  Barry tells her it's good she's there, because he'll feel better if she's safe in Coast City, while they try to stop the fire meta on this end.  After their call ends, Deon shows up to inform Iris that he's found out what's wrong with her...and it ISN'T good.

We finally get to find out what kind of creature this "fire meta" is this week...and it's an unusual power:  it feeds of pain, guilt, misery, and depression of those who've lost something or someone.  Lots of despair.  And there is no actual physical way to stop it.  I still feel that Firestorm (or the Earth 2 equivalent), will show up by the end of this arc.  What that does for Caitlin, I am not sure.  But Caitlin is off doing date things with Marcus right now (freeing the current pregnant Danielle Panabaker to only have to shoulder ONE role per episode).  As for Chester, we finally get more insights to his relationship to his father---rocky as it was---and the guilt.  And sure enough, his friendship with Allegra is what helps him get through.  They've done a lot to tease these two as an item, and HOPEFULLY, it gets into gear after Cecile sensed the attraction between the two.  

It's ALWAYS a treat when Sue returns to town, because we get a little humor, but also some outside insight into Team Flash, while having been friends with them.  We find out that Sue's in charge of the family business now, and that Black Hole has been taken down---no doubt due in part to her and Ralph Dibny.  It also makes me wonder whether or not they've EVER gotten around to recasting Ralph.  I'm still convinced you can do a miniseries with him and Sue, and it would be FANTASTIC.  But I digress.  I like how Sue was the one to draw Iris' fears out, and get to the core of her problem.  But Deon has bad news for her, and I am not sure what her phasing in and out of time has anything to do with maybe her disappearing for quite some time.  We have questions, and hopefully, the showrunners will provide the answers.  But all in all, not too bad an episode.  Hopefully this "fire meta" has a sweet payoff to it---but we got more story this installment.  That was pretty much the entire episode, and was glad that Coast City got some love on the show.  

What did YOU all think of this episode?  Subscribe and leave a message below.  I'm curious to know YOUR theories.  

Until next time...Keep on running!