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!