This week’s episode recap of The Flash, Violet and I discuss the motives for wanting to become FIRESTORM and why anyone would want to pick up the job. It will also help you catch up if you have trouble remembering exactly what happened, or fill in some gaps that are hazy. Check out the recap for The Fury of the FIRESTORM!
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The Flash, Season 2 Episode 4: The Fury of FIRESTORM
FIRESTORM Storyline
The episode of The Flash opens up starting 2 years in the past, at a high school football game that has just finished. The camera focuses on a player, who apparently is the hero of the game, and looks to be on the fast track for college football. But then the “event” happens, the particle accelerator explodes. Jefferson Jackson, the football player, helps people to get to safety, but he himself is hit by the wave.
Back in the present, Dr. Stein is in bad shape, and Cisco is not sure what to do to save him. Caitlin has an idea though, suggesting they find a new person for him to merge with, which will stabilize him. Caitlin has already found two candidates–one seemingly from a more collegiate background, and the other being more athletic in nature (the kid we saw from the beginning of the episode). Caitlin puts Barry to work, and he takes a “run-by” blood sample from each for Caitlin to test.
At the police station, Patty Spivot finds Barry to have him test some shark teeth because there have been reports of a shark walking on land. Spivot seems excited to work together with Barry, but Barry tries to play off the whole meta-human interest. Joe shows up and once Spivot leaves Joe accuses Barry of flirting with Spivot. They don’t talk long though, as Barry heads back to the lab to check on Stein.
Dr. Stein is up and about, and Caitlin presents her findings. Team Flash seems on board with the scientist, despite Barry pointing out that Jefferson Jackson, the football kid, might be a better match. The Team splits up to take care of business, when we see Dr. Wells lurking in the shadows…
Stein and Barry visit Jefferson Jackon’s car garage, who appears to be a little “street” for Stein’s liking. Barry and Stein play themselves off as government officials investigating people who were affected by the particle accelerator. Jackson is pretty upset to talk about the event, as his injuries basically ended his pro-football career. He refuses to come to STAR Labs with them.
Caitlin, meanwhile, has the promising scientist, Henry Huet, at STAR Labs. He seems to get along well with Dr. Stein. Caitlin has already explained the details of FIRESTORM, and Cisco prepares the equipment for Huet so that Dr. Stein and he can merge. Everything is prepared, but when the two touch to merge, a brief flash of light happens, but that’s it. It appears he is not a match. Huet seems a little bent out of shape about the situation, and storms off. On his way out, he seems to be gaining some new sort of abilities though, as his hand glows red.
At Mercury Labs, Dr. Wells has made his way to Applied Sciences. He is spotted by Dr. McGee. Dr. McGee calls Joe, and reports that Dr. Wells was seen in the lab. She also notes he is walking again, which she found odd. Spivot is with Joe, and wants Barry to do some forensics, but Joe doesn’t want to bring Barry into it.
At STAR Labs, Jefferson Jackson shows up finally, and Team Flash explains the situation to Jackson. Jackson finds the whole thing a bit ridiculous, and leaves. Caitlin is pretty ticked at his decision, and Barry and Caitlin talk about how to handle Jackson, and Barry seems more understanding with how Jackson feels. Caitlin seems set on trying to get Huet back and try him again.
Later, Barry provides the DNA testing of the shark teeth to Spivot, and to her disappointment, they are just shark teeth. No man shark, it seems.
Back at Huet’s job, and his boss is riding him pretty hard, and Huet gets heated, physically. He turns into his own FIRESTORM. At STAR Labs, they find out about Huet’s incident, and he apparently isn’t such a good guy after all. Dr. Stein is not feeling well again and has had to lay down.
Caitlin takes it upon herself to visit Jackson, and apologizes to him for being mean. She asks him for help, and tells the back-story of Robbie. She tries to convince him that being a hero is what he is meant to be. But their chit-chat is cut short by Huet, who is pretty peeved about not being compatible with Dr. Stein. He shows up and starts through fireballs around. Jackson is able to lob an object at Huet’s head and knocks him out. This gives Caitlin and Jackson enough time to escape.
At STAR Labs, Dr. Stein is in dire straits, and Jackson has to commit to FIRESTORM now. He agrees, and they do the merging process. The process works, and “Jax” has become FIRESTORM, with Dr. Stein in his head.
Huet is apparently causing trouble at Jax’s old high school, so the Flash and FIRESTORM head there to stop him. Dr. Stein tries to help Jax gain control of his powers. Caitlin gives Flash and Jax an idea as to how to take him out– get him so angry be blows a fuse. Eventually, Huet blows a gasket, and the two heroes take Huet down.
After the big battle, it looks like Dr. Stein and Jax will be going on a long term trip. As some advice, Stein tells Cisco to tell the others about his powers. Dr. Stein and Jax merge and they head off on their new journey.
The episode gets ready to end, and we see Barry “Flashing” around, and he watches Spivot. But his gazing is interrupted pretty quickly by–a Man Shark. Spivot sees it attacking Barry and tries to help to no avail. But another person shows up–a hooded figure, with a futuristic type gun, and saves Barry. It looks like this person is Dr. Wells.
Joe and Iris
Joe and Iris are at home, and they are reminiscing over some family photos. Iris seems to be getting prepared to meet her mother.
Later in the episode, Joe and Iris meet up with Iris’ mom, Francine. The three sit down, and Iris takes Francine to tasks. She asks why she is here. She demands apologies for her leaving them alone. But Iris shuts her down, telling her that she doesn’t really want her in her life. Iris “drops the mic” and leaves.
Francine shows up at the police station, and tells Joe that she is dying from a disease caused by all of her drug use. Joe meets up with Barry for a talk, and Joe seems uncertain of what to do. Spivot also comes up in the conversation, and Barry seems stuck on Iris still.
Back home, Joe tells Iris about her mother dying. Iris isn’t sure about believing her. Iris decides to meet up with her mother again at Jitters. Iris apparently did some investigating, and found she is really sick, but also hiding a secret–she has a son that not even Joe knows about. Iris tells her to leave and not to talk to her or Joe ever again.
Josh’s Thoughts: The Flash, Season 2 Episode 4: The Fury of FIRESTORM
I was not particularly thrilled with this week’s episode. I actually also found this episode very odd in a number of ways. The first thing I have to say about this episode is–how do you ask someone to basically quit their life so that they can become essentially half the person they are? This was a really bothersome aspect of the episode, that I basically felt the show portrayed as Jackson’s previous life, whatever it was, didn’t really matter. Team Flash made some comments about the sacrifices he would make, but I felt overwhelmingly, particularly from Caitlin, that Jax should be honored to do this. I just didn’t really understand it myself. The story never really gives an answer as to what happens in Jax’s life. He had to have had family, friends, and such, but they are all just left in the lurch it seems.
As for the rest of the episode, I am curious to meet Earth 2 Dr. Wells, and see what his end goal is. So far he has just been sneaking about, and I haven’t been able to read which side he will wind up on. In the end, he saves Barry from the King Shark, so I wonder what their next meeting will be like.
As for Iris, I am curious to find out who this brother is. I am wondering if it is Jax. He seems to have taken off for now, but he seems to be close to the right age, and it seems odd they would being this character in the same episode a mysterious child is brought into the storyline.
I am also liking Spivot, and am curious to see where this storyline goes with Barry. The whole Iris thing might tangle Barry up, so I don’t know what direction the story will go.
Violet’s Thoughts on Season 2 Episode 4 of The Flash: The Fury of FIRESTORM
This was an okay episode, but contained some weird and somewhat unbelievable events that felt kind of cheesy. At the beginning of the episode, when we first meet Jefferson Jackson, he tries to get to safety by closing some doors in order to keep the particle accelerator explosion at bay — but it doesn’t seem likely that had he been able to close the doors that it wouldn’t have gone through the doors and gotten to him anyway. This action was reminiscent of last week’s episode where Captain Cold uses his cold gun to freeze lasers. The Flash needs to stop having these types of scenes where the viewer has the reaction that what just happened wouldn’t have worked. It makes this scientifically based show lose some credibility. Okay, yes, this is all science fiction, but there should be at least some semblance of actual science since that’s how it is portrayed.
It also seemed a little too convenient, or inconvenient, that their first choice, which seemed like a pretty good one, would turn out to be a bad guy. You’d think they’d be a little more thorough about the background check. How come they were able to come up with more information after he turned out to be dangerous than the first time they checked on him? I guess Huet himself gave some foreshadowing when he said that they should do better research next time. It was a little weird that we don’t learn anything about Jackson’s home life and his family. But maybe they did this on purpose because he’s going to turn out to be Iris’s brother…?
Anyway, so now that Dr. Stein and Jackson have flown off as FIRESTORM, I’m wondering if we’ll see them again on The Flash, or if they won’t show up again until Legends of Tomorrow. I don’t remember seeing Jackson in any Legends of Tomorrow promos, just Stein, so it’s possible something may happen to him in the meantime. On the other hand, maybe the show was just trying to keep things about Jackson under wraps so as not to spoil The Flash.
I have to admit, King Shark showing up randomly at the end was actually pretty awesome. It was very unexpected and came out of nowhere. Never discount the element of surprise. It looks like we’ll be dealing with the arrival of Earth 2 Dr. Wells next. I feel like everyone is assuming that he’s evil. However, isn’t it possible that he’s actually the original non-Eobard Thawne Dr. Wells? This is an alternate world, after all, where things have happened much differently. Maybe this Dr. Wells is just here to help. I realize once again that I am defending Tom Cavanaugh, much like I did last season when I kept coming up with reasons that he might not be evil… Guess we’ll soon find out!
Scenes from The Flash, Season 2 Episode 5: The Darkness and the Light
Here are scenes from next week’s The Flash episode titled The Darkness and the Light:
