Violet recaps Season 3 Episode 21 of The Flash, titled Cause and Effect, where Cisco has an idea which accidentally causes Barry to get amnesia! Following the recap, both Violet and Josh share their thoughts about the episode.
- His thoughts on Cause and Effect, Episode 321 of The Flash
- Her thoughts on The Flash, Season 3 Episode 21: Cause and Effect
Barry and Savitar pick up where their conversation left off at the end of last episode, when Savitar stepped out of his suit and revealed himself to be a future version of Barry. Savitar confirms that he is a time remnant, the only surviving time remnant that future Barry created in order to fight Savitar, and that future Barry and the people he loved shunned him because he wasn’t the true Barry Allen. Savitar says that he only needs two more things, one of which is for Iris to die, the other which he won’t reveal. He goes on to say that Barry will be the one that will be abandoned and forgotten. This causes Barry to get angry and punch Savitar, then is able to get Savitar in a headlock. But Savitar’s suit can apparently move on its own, and saves Savitar from Barry. Savitar jumps back into his suit and the two start to run at each other — but they repel off of each other, leaving scorched ground.
Barry returns to STAR Labs and tells the others what happened. Cisco draws a diagram to try to explain things.
Later, Iris talks to Barry about Savitar and tries to reassure Barry that he’s a good person and he’s not going to lose her. Barry wonders what he’ll have to become to stop Savitar. Suddenly, Cisco comes running in saying that he has an idea.
Cisco’s idea is to stop Barry from making new memories so as to prevent Savitar from remembering what the Flash team is doing to stop him. Barry agrees to do it. However, after coming out of the machine, he can’t even remember who he is, much less everyone around him.
Barry begins to panic, but they try to calm him down, and Iris shows him some pictures to prove that they’re his friends and he can trust them. While they leave Wally alone with Barry, Cisco and Julian try to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. Just then, Joe gets a call from Cecile, saying that she needs Barry at CCPD right away.
H.R. check on Tracy’s progress on creating a device to trap Savitar in the Speed Force. She seems discouraged, so he tries to calm her down. They almost kiss, but then he pulls away.
Iris and Joe bring Barry to CCPD. Cecile tells them that Coolidge’s trial was moved up and she needs Barry to testify. Joe explains the situation to Cecile about Barry’s amnesia, and he and Cecile go to the courthouse try to stall the hearing.
Killer Frost confronts Savitar, who is kneeling and brooding. He suddenly gets up and grabs her by the neck. It seems that he doesn’t remember who she is — or who he is.
Iris and Barry go to Jitters, where Iris tells Barry about himself in high school. She is happy to see how carefree Barry seems. Barry gets a text and heads over to the courthouse.
At the courthouse, Cisco and Julian give Barry a special pair of glasses. When Cecile questions him on the stand, Barry is able to see messages on the lenses, which Julian types to him. However, a bead of sweat shorts out the glasses, and he doesn’t know how to answer Cecile’s questions about accelerant fires. As a result, the case gets dismissed, and Heat Monger goes free.
When the Flash team returns to STAR Labs, Killer Frost is waiting for them.
Barry and Iris have gone back to their place though. When Barry sees pictures of his parents, she breaks it to him that they have passed. They talk a little more, and then begin to kiss. Suddenly, Barry’s hand begins vibrating, and he runs quickly around the room with his super speed. He is very confused about what is happening to him.
Iris, Barry, and Joe go to STAR Labs. Wally explains that Killer Frost is there to help — Wally himself has lost his powers. She wants to help Barry get his memories back so that everything can go back to the way it was. Killer Frost won’t reveal what’s in it for her, though.
H.R. goes to tell Tracy that they need to focus on the task at hand, but they end up kissing. Suddenly, Tracy has an epiphany and gets back to work.
Cisco, Julian, and Killer Frost begin working together to solve Barry’s memory problem. Then Cisco begins telling a story about the old days, which Killer Frost steps in to finish the story. Cisco tells Caitlin that she’s in all the memories that he cherishes. But she ignores him, saying she just wants to get this done.
Meanwhile, Iris and Joe talk while Barry runs around with his super speed, excited about his newfound powers. Joe realizes that Iris doesn’t want Barry to get his memories back. Iris begins to think maybe the city doesn’t need the Flash.
But then we see Heat Monger attacking the occupants of a high rise building, setting it on fire.
Joe and Iris tell Barry about him being the Flash. The Flash team turns on the TV and they see what Heat Monger is doing. Barry volunteers to help, and runs over there. Cisco remotely tries to jump start his brain to get Barry his memories back. It doesn’t work, but Killer Frost says that he needs a visceral memory. Iris tells Barry about the night his mother was murdered and when Joe brought him to her house to live with them. That night, she found him crying alone on the couch, and she held him while he cried. She says now she realizes that was the night they fell in love.
Barry remembers everything — and we see that Savitar does as well. Kid Flash also gets his powers back, and he and Barry work together to put the fire out and catch Heat Monger.
Back at STAR Labs, they question Barry and determine that he indeed has his memories back. When Killer Frost goes to leave, they try to convince her to stay, and that she’s family. Julian tells Caitlin that he’ll find her a cure and that he loves her. However, she replies that she doesn’t love him, she never did, and that she never loved any of them. She gets in the elevator and leaves, but we see that her Killer Frost eyes go away for a moment and her brown eyes come back. But then they quickly turn back into her Killer Frost eyes.
Barry tells Iris that pain and darkness are part of him, and he needs it to push him to be who he is. H.R. interrupts their kiss and calls everyone to see Tracy’s Speed Force bazooka. However, she says that they need 3.86 terajoules — which Cisco says is more energy than is in the sun. They wonder where they’ll find something like that.
Cut to King Shark guarding something glowing red…
Her Thoughts on The Flash, Season 3 Episode 21: Cause and Effect
I thought it was kind of interesting how Barry suggested that if he killed himself, then that would eliminate Savitar – but then Savitar pointed out that this didn’t work with Eddie and Eobard Thawne. Because yeah, that’s what the audience was led to believe was supposed to happen, but didn’t, considering that Eobard Thawne is still around on Legends of Tomorrow. Even more interestingly, Savitar talks about how the rules keep changing. I thought this was rather convenient for the show. I think they know that a lot of what they write doesn’t make sense and goes against their own rules that they have set, so they threw this little comment in so that they can pretty much do what they want! So I found that kind of amusing. Because I am questioning and losing track of what is changed and what isn’t and what has always supposedly been this way in the so-called closed time loop that Cisco described. There’s also the issue of Barry having the same memories when they questioned him at the end, when those memories might not be the same due to Flashpoint… but I digress. There are no rules anymore apparently, so it doesn’t matter.
It was nice to see Barry be so lighthearted and carefree. He has been quite emo lately, even when he wasn’t Emo Future Barry. It was a nice story that Iris told to help get Barry’s memories back, but not quite so sure that I buy it as the night they fell in love. She had no interest in him romantically until much later in life. Then again, I’m sure WestAllen shippers loved this. Oh, I thought it was funny how when Barry asked Wally how they were related, Wally responded that they’re brothers. Therefore, it follows that he and Iris are brother and sister. That is all. Yeah, sorry, don’t think I’ll ever get over that!
I’m still also confused about Killer Frost and why Caitlin must necessarily become evil when she has her powers. She seems to have more control than they’ve made it seem recently, the way she was able to civilly work with everyone at STAR Labs. The “real” Caitlin even broke through for a moment. Hopefully they can solve this problem and make it so that she can be a good meta and use her superpowers to help out the Flash team.
But for now, it looks like we have another run in with King Shark!
His Thoughts on The Flash, Season 3 Episode 21: Cause and Effect
COMING SOON
Scenes from The Flash, Season 3 Episode 22: Infantino Street
Preview of Season 3 Episode 22 of The Flash
