The Flash Episode Recap, Season 1 Episode 2: Fastest Man Alive

Episode Recap of The Flash, Season 1 Episode 2: Fastest Man Alive

This episode starts off with Sisco directing Barry to a fire at an apartment building, where Barry uses his super speed to rescue people who are trapped inside. Kaitlyn catches Cisco, and is furious. Before he heads back to STAR Labs, he seems to feel a little faint. Back at STAR Labs, Kaitlyn yells at him, and Dr. Wells tells him to know his limits.

Just then, Barry gets called away to his day job, to investigate the dead body at a crime scene — a gun store robbery and shooting.  He doesn’t seem to have his “A” game, though, and Joe is upset with Barry.

In a flashback, we see Joe catch Barry as a child trying to run away to see his dad. Joe won’t let Barry see him though, and Barry tells Joe he hates him.

Back in the present, Barry processes the evidence from the crime scene, using his powers to help him, and he suddenly has another dizzy spell. Just then, Iris comes in and reminds him he’s supposed to go to an awards ceremony with her, where Simon Stagg is receiving the Man of the Year award.

Barry gets dressed up in a suit and tie, and they go to the ceremony so that Barry can explain to Iris the science aspect of Stagg’s award, and so that Iris can write an article for her Journalism class. After Stagg leaves the ceremony, robbers come in and steal everyone’s jewelry. The security guard points his gun at the robbers, who open fire at the guard. However, Barry uses his super speed to move the security guard out of harm’s way, then runs outside, where he faints.

Iris finds him passed out, and he says he went outside to try to get the plates, but fainted. Joe and Eddie show up to investigate, and Joe quickly figures out what really happened. Joe makes Barry promise not to try to catch bad guys anymore.

Barry lets his STAR Labs buddies in on his fainting spell and they try to figure out why this is happening. They have Barry run on a special treadmill and track his vitals. They figure out that he’s not eating enough.

Joe stops by Barry’s lab and sees Barry’s evidence board. We then see another flashback about Barry running away again.

Joe confronts Barry at STAR Labs, reminding him that he’s not invincible. Barry reminds Joe that he’s not his father, and tells Joe not to try to stop him from saving people or fighting crime.

One of the robbers, Black, meets with his employer, who turns out to be Stagg’s Head of Security. Black demands to know Stagg’s schedule, but the man refuses, and punches Black. But Black gets back up, clones himself into several other identical versions of himself, and beats the man to death. The next day, Joe brings the case to Barry to look into.

Iris stops by Barry’s lab to ask what’s going on with him, as he missed meeting up with her. He uses his super speed to virtually stop time, and confesses everything to her, but then slows back to normal speed. He then discovers that the skin cells from the previous night’s murder are stem cells, which is impossible, as such cells only come from babies.

Joe and Eddie visit Stagg Instustries to question Stagg about potential suspects. Stagg assures them that Black is not the killer, saying that he’s a clinical researcher, not a criminal mastermind. Just then, Black shows up, with a couple of his replicants, and shoots at Stagg. Joe hides and returns fire, while Eddie gets Stagg to safety. While hiding, he sees Black take off his mask and replicate. Barry hears about the shooter, and runs over there, and uses his super speed to take Black’s guns and move Joe to safety. However, when Barry tries to confront Black, he replicates even more, and beats Barry up. They are about to shoot him, when Barry uses his super speed at the last second to run away.

Back at STAR Labs, Kaitlyn helps patch Barry up, though he has mostly started to heal himself. The look into Danton Black, who specialized in cloning research. Apparently, Stagg stole his research, then fired him. Barry decides that Joe was right, and that this was a mistake.

Continuing the flashback from earlier, child Barry has shown up at the prison to visit his dad, who tells him he’s the one that didn’t want Barry to go there, not Joe. His dad tells Barry that he can’t help him, and to be good, and go home with Joe.

Stagg tells Joe that he has increased his security, and that he hopes Black comes looking for trouble. Dr. Wells rolls in and insults Stagg as he’s leaving. Joe gets Dr. Wells to admit that he had his suspicions about Barry when he had him moved to STAR Labs when he was in his coma. Dr. Wells informs Joe that Barry quit, though Wells is sure it’s only temporary. However, Dr. Wells tells Joe that Barry’s real enemy is doubt, and as long as Joe continues to doubt Barry, he’ll keep doubting himself.

Barry apologizes to Iris. She shows him something she’s interested in writing about — she has found articles about someone out there that’s saving people. Just then, Barry gets a call from Kaitlyn to get to STAR Labs right away.

It turns out that Kaitlyn has grown a replicant of Black. She explains that the clones are an empty shell, and theorizes that if you shut down the real Black, then you shut down all the clones as well. They think that you can identify the real Black by looking for signs of weakness or fatigue. Cisco gives Barry some high calorie protein bars to keep his metabolism up. Just then, the clone begins to move, but Joe is coming in right then, and shoots it dead. Joe tells Barry he knows where the clone was being summoned: Stagg Industries. Joe tells Barry that he’s the only one who can stop him.

Black shows up with a bunch of clones at Stagg Industries and easily takes out Stagg’s guards. Black is just about to shoot Stagg, when Barry uses his super speed to move him out of harm’s way. Barry tries to convince Black not to do this. Black explains that this isn’t about his job, it’s about his wife. He was so close to saving her by growing her a new heart, when Stagg stole his research, and she died.

Black clones dozens of himself, and the clones start to beat up Barry, who quickly runs away. He seems doubtful, but the others, including Joe, are listening in, and encourage him to find the prime. Barry finds the real Black when he sees a drop of sweat coming from him. Barry knocks Black out, which in turn causes all the clones to collapse. While Barry is distracted talking to the others, Black sneaks up behind Barry, but Barry ducks out of the way, and Black goes flying out the window. Barry rushes over and grabs Black’s hand before he falls. Black begins to slip, and he tries to regenerate an extra hand, but he slips, and falls to his death.

At STAR Labs, the team watches the news report about Black’s death. Barry tells the team that when he’s out there, they’re all out there with him.

Back at Barry’s lab, Joe stops by with some pizzas. Joe reassures Barry that they can help Barry’s dad, and that they are going to figure out who or what killed Barry’s mom that night. Barry apologizes to Joe for what he said about him not being his father.

Meanwhile, Iris has set up an alert on her phone for any articles about “red streak.”

In the final scene, Dr. Wells visits Stagg as his office, and they discuss the man that can move at super speed. Stagg says he’s going to get the man in the red mask. Dr. Wells tells Stagg that he will one day be called “The Flash.” Then Wells stands up from his wheelchair, surprising Stagg, and Dr. Wells stabs and kills Stagg. Dr. Wells tells Stagg this isn’t personal, and says that the man in the red mask must be kept safe.