THE FLASH 8.14

 

RECAP - THE FLASH  8.14:  "Funeral For a Friend"  

Well...it was a somber installment of our Scarlet Speedster and the rest of Team Flash, as they all find a way to mourn the loss of Frost, who died fighting and stopping Deathstorm last episode.  We get to see different perspectives of some of the team as they try to find ways to honor their friend and colleague, who sacrificed her life to save her sister's...and the city's.  So, this episode spent it's time hitting the emotional beats of the various members of the team, and how THEY handle the loss.  But this episode also shows us that there is ONE member NOT taking the loss well:  Caitlin.  And amidst the backdrop of this upcoming funeral for Frost----is a new villain named Blockbuster, who shows up to create trouble for the team as well.  

When Mark Desmond---the villain known as Blockbuster---shows up in town to steal stuff and make trouble, Team Flash heads out to stop him before he becomes a bigger threat, but Flash, Cecile, and even Allegra are unable to stop him, as their emotional grief over losing Frost has created enough of a distraction for him to get the best of them, and beat a hasty retreat.  This is also the only REAL time we see him in the entire episode, as his going underground is a way to keep him off canvas, while still mentioning him a couple times throughout the episode in order to let you know there's still a villain on the loose they'll need to stop.  But they all realize they're NOT in the right headspace to deal with him right now, and Joe reminds them that maybe they need to take a breath, allow themselves to process the loss of Frost, and manage to find a way to honor her memory...but do SOMETHING to take stock and remind them of what Frost meant to them.  Joe himself started taking art classes, and Cecile decides to donate part of her salary to pro-bono cases for metahumans needed a defense attorney.  

As for Allegra and Chuck...they argue back and forth about how to find a way to honor Frost.  Chuck comes up with an idea of taking her costume and putting it in a case like Green Arrow's, and instead of a flame, something akin to something Frost-like.  Allegra thinks the idea is lame, because she can't figure out a way to honor her, And, with some bickering about other personal stuff, they realize that they're time being with each other is what makes their lives better.  So, they take her old coat, and put it in the museum to honor their fallen.  They also get a call about a disturbance at O'Shaughnessy's, where they find a VERY drunk Mark Blaine, messing with the DJ equipment, and NOT handling the loss of his lady love well. They drag him back to STAR Labs where he's passed out, to sleep it off.  

Iris...who spent VERY little time with Frost, has one of her staff write the obituary of Frost, because she can't quite put pen to paper and write about someone she know little about.  And while the obit is good, she runs it by Frost's mom, and while Carla feels it's not bad---it lacks an emotional touch.  This leads Iris to interview those who were effected by Frost's presence in their lives...having saved them, or just by being at her trial.  So, the podcast she puts out helps paint the picture of who Frost was as a person.  Meanwhile, Carla encourages one of the young men working at Jitters to ensure the name of the Killer Frost beverage is changed.  

Barry's way to cope is to complete Frost's bucket list...by white water rafting to building a snowman atop Mt. Everest.  But somehow....it's just not enough.  He's also tormented a bit by the fact the Caitlin refuses to go to Frost's funeral, and knows Caitlin will regret it if she doesn't.  When he tried to mention the funeral service to her, she gave it to her mom to handle, and she wasn't going.  Caitlin instead went home and packed Frost's stuff away....and just sat there and moped.  When Mark awakes from his hangover, he and Barry talk about the bucket list, and talk about how Barry still feels empty.  Mark talks about all the times they went out and did stuff....and was not so much about DOING or FINISHING the tasks on a list...it was just the experience in itself.  And Mark hits the key note in everything---it was Frost's destiny...her mission...to protect and save Caitlin.  She cared about saving the city, about standing up for those who couldn't.  It was then during the day of the funeral that Barry pays one last visit to Caitlin.  He tries to convince her that she'll regret not going.  Speaking from his own experiences (because if there is ANYONE who can relate to the loss of a loved one---especially family---it's Barry).  He tells her that as long as they remember the people they were...what they meant to them...they're never truly gone.  It's enough to convince Caitlin to show up at the funeral...in a blue dress (which just seemed appropriate, knowing her sister), and delivers a very touching eulogy to her twin.  They all gather at the casket to pay their final respects to their fallen comrade...and sister.  

Back at Joe's, they all toast Frost, and talk about their favorite Frost stories.  It helps Caitlin feel a little better.  Then, as everyone takes their leave to go stop Blockbuster, who's popped up again, Caitlin makes a phone call, asking for someone's help.  Turns out that she called Mark over to her apartment, and it looks like she's borrowed some equipment from STAR Labs, and set it up at home.  What we DID NOT see at first was her clipping some of Frost's hair from the casket.  She's asking for Mark's help in bringing Frost back.  

At CCMedia, Taylor has written up the story of the Flash stopping Blockbuster, and she wonders about whether or not he's had help.  She asks Iris about maybe investigating that story, and find out the team of players behind the Flash's heroic efforts.  Iris says she'll think about it, and tells Taylor to celebrate her front page story.  She brings up how things seemed okay in her absence when she was in Coast City, and Taylor ensures that not everything was great...in reference to her continued hatred of Allegra.  But she goes to leave, then forgets to ask Iris something, only to discover Iris is gone.  Iris' illness has finally caught up with her, and now she's lost in time.  

We knew they'd devote an episode to honoring Frost, and they did a pretty decent job with how the members of the team handled her death...but you KNEW Caitlin would have the hardest time letting go....because she didn't want to.  And she pushed everyone away in the process.  She refused going to the funeral because that meant saying goodbye, and having to let Frost go, and Caitlin isn't ready to do that...not by a long shot.  Even though Barry...who--above ANYONE else---having lost both his father AND his mother...was the ONLY one to be able to reach her and convince her to show up.  Mark helped him get through to her, because it was Frost herself that told Caitlin that no matter what happens, to NOT push her friends away, or those she loves, because she can't cope.  And while that looked like that speech worked, it's also set Caitlin on a dangerous path, as now she's roped Mark into helping her seemingly CLONE a new body and resurrect Frost in some manner.  This is not a good sign for Caitlin, and we can only imagine how BAD this is going to turn out.  And it's hard to say if THIS will put Caitlin down that dark path towards being a villain, but it will be interesting to see what happens.  Now...in regards to Frost's funeral service, I was pissed off about ONE thing:  WHERE WAS CISCO?!!  Couldn't we get Carlos Valdes at least ONE little guest spot this season if only for THAT?  Or will they save him for the end of the season, when he's needed to help talk Caitlin from that ledge of evil?  Again, the possibility is there.  

As for Iris, her illness has now reached critical mass, and she's Casper-ed out.  What this does for CCMedia will be interesting, as Taylor has made it known she still hates Allegra, and STILL probably wants to get rid of her once and for all and destroy her.  With Iris missing, Taylor will see this as her chance to take the reins of the paper, and find a way to exile Allegra out.  Meanwhile, I'm sure Allegra will be busy trying to help Barry find Iris.  But I have a feeling that Barry will have to do this alone.  But we do have a couple plots hanging now before the end of the season, which will wrap up in 6 more episodes.  Can Barry save Iris?  Or is Iris lost to the time fracture forever, and will time start falling apart around them?  And is this something the Flash can stop?  

What did YOU all think of this episode?  Subscribe and drop me some comments and theories below.

And until next time....keep on running!