THE FLASH 8.12

RECAP - THE FLASH  8.12:  "Death Rises"  

Central City is facing a new terror in its midst:  the fire-being known as Deathstorm.  This being has been killing citizens stricken with grief for weeks now, and with Team Flash no closer to being able to stop it.  Caitlin Snow, however, it seems to have an attachment to, seeing as how it pulled from the grief of Caitlin's late husband, Ronnie Raymond---the original Firestorm---to create itself when Firestorm went into the singluarity to help The Flash stop it, and thus died in the process.  Now, it's looking to continue to feed and grow, and it believes there is NOTHING Team Flash can do to stop it.  Meanwhile, Iris' problems with being caught with her illness that's causing time to fracture all around her, just got seemingly zapped OUT of existence by Tinya, the young Phantom Girl that had been looking for her mother, only to have Iris accidently zap HER away with her illness going haywire.  Now, there are TWO fronts for which The Fastest Man Alive now has to contend with. 

Barry has continued to have his hands full, with trying to now find a way to stop Deathstorm, who has been plaguing them for weeks now, and has a name attached to him, thanks to the info Caitlin provided, as it revealed itself to her.  She apologizes to everyone for thinking it was Ronnie and trusting it, but they know that they were all fooled by the menace, and are now focusing on how they can stop it.  Meanwhile, Barry is also severely concerned about Iris, and he helps her try to summon Deon to see if he can slow down the progress of her illness.  However, he's called to CCPD, as Deathstorm is creating a bodycount on the streets, and he's needed elsewhere at the moment.  He has a meet with Kramer and Joe, and she's at a loss as to what to do.  But Flash promises they will stop it no matter what.  Joe works with Kramer to inform the squad to keep the citizens safe...anyone dealing with grief is a target.  And that includes any officer as well.  She orders them to keep the streets clear of anyone dealing with grief, and to call in any sightings of Deathstorm...but DO NOT confront.  Meanwhile, Team Flash is putting together ideas on how to stop Deathstorm and locate him.  Cecile is the ideal person to help find him because of her empathy powers.  So Chester uses a machine to help channel her empathy powers to try and get Deathstorm to come near them, so that they can try and contain him.  Deathstorm can sense emotion...but can't get rid of them.  Cecile powers up, and Deathstorm draws near....then takes Cecile over.  He warns Team Flash that they can't stop him at all.  He then tries to play on all their grief.  He starts with Allegra, who sees Esperanza.  But she knows it's Deathstorm, and attacks.  She's knocked down, as Barry goes to her, but she's okay.  He ends up disappearing....but not before he kidnaps Caitlin...who had been comforted by her sister, but Frost can't stop Deathstorm from claiming her.  

Deathstorm is being chased by Flash, who uses his powers to "ride the lightning", by using his powers to create a play for him to run while in midair---he's almost caught Deathstorm and save Caitlin, but Deathstorm opens a portal and disappears.   However, Barry realizes that he knows how Deathstorm is disappearing---the singularity that Chester created so long ago before he joined Team Flash.  They figure they can use the containment unit that theused for Chester to capture Deathstorm.  With what they know of the singularity, they figure out that Deathstorm took Caitlin to a carnival, and they go to meet him there.  While there, Deathstorm kills a few more people with grief to power up.  Caitlin tells him to just kill her if he's going to, but he's not.  He's got plans for her:  to make her his wife.  So he manages to imbue some of his power to her.  Flash gets there in time to save her, and he takes off....saying that Caitlin is not ready yet.  They get her back to STAR Labs, and her DNA is changing, as the power he gave her is changing her physiology.  Barry has been down and unsure this episode, but Joe gives the usual Dad peptalk to give him the confidence to go forward. 

While Team Flash and the CCPD are dealing with Deathstorm, Iris and Sue are back at the Allen's loft, trying to get Deon there to help slow Iris' illness.  Deon arrives, but he said it took some time, as Iris' fracturing of time is making it difficult for him to travel.  He said he couldn't find Tinya's mom, because it happened it the past, and he had to wait before he could find out about it.  So, using the app on Iris' phone that allowed them to find Tinya, they try to use it on Iris...and it seems to work---temporarily.   But it comes at a cost.  It appears that Iris needs to stay as immobile as possible, and that means not leaving home---for anything.  And while she may be stable...Deon ends up disappearing, because he's caught her illness as well...and it might be spreading to the other forces.  Iris tries to rest, but she ends up waking up in pain, and looking like she's going to vanish...but Sue urges her to fight for her present...even if she doesn't have a future in front of her right now, Sue tells her to make a new one...focus on what's important to her:  Barry, Nora, and Bart.  She manages to stable somewhat, but it's getting worse.  Later on, at the end of the episode, she starts having an attack again, and time fractures again----and she sees Eddie Thawne.  Now her past is coming back to haunt her.  

The stakes continue to be upped for everyone around Team Flash.  With Deathstorm running rampant, killing everyone experienceing grief and loss...and claiming that pain to power himself up, he's now got the city itself at his mercy.  Kramer feels helpless as a police captain, but Joe does a great job reassuring her that she can handle it, and is there help her rally the troops for the job at hand.  Joe also proves his worth yet again when he has to give yet another pep talk to Barry, when his son feels helpess in regards to Deathstorm AND Iris.  Joe is going to be SORELY missed after this season, when he's not going to be there full time, and the rest of the cast carries on without him.  I have ho idea if Danielle Nicolet will remain as the connection between the off-screen Joe, and Team Flash, but we shall see.  She's been the mother hen to everyone, and hopefully will  continue in that capacity.  Her powers are still needed for Team Flash, so, we shall see how much she's with us in the final season next year.

As for Deathstorm wanting Caitlin as a wife....and giving her some of his powers...I wonder if this is how they write Caitlin Snow off the show...possibly by committing self sacrifice.  Caitlin hasn't done much in a long while, and this looks to be one final big story for her before the end  of her journey is complete. It's hard to say.  There's still the matter of Frost and HER importance to Team Flash.  So, the next couple of episodes will be crucial to see what happens with Caitlin and Frost at the end of this arc.  Things are rapidly changing with the team, and they will be under the gun now that Deathstorm has a plan...and that's to marry Caitlin.  

As for Iris...this illness is tricky.  I am not sure the direction they're going with her.  Is she going to disappear?  Will she die?  And what of the other forces?  Deon is gone, and who knows where he went.  Sue can only do so much to help her.  I have a feeling that they'll resolve the Deathstorm issue...and Iris' illness will be the season's final arc.  It's about to get crazy for Team Flash, so we shall see.  

What's YOUR take on what's about to happen?  Subscribe and lemme know YOUR thoughts and theories below.

Until next time...keep on running.