Violet recaps the Season 2 finale of The Flash, titled The Race of His Life, where Zoom challenges Barry to a race! Following the recap, both Violet and Josh share their thoughts about the episode.
- His thoughts on The Race of His Life, Episode 223 of The Flash
- Her thoughts on The Flash, Season 2 Episode 23: The Race of His Life
Picking up at the end of the previous episode, we see Barry’s dad collapse on the floor and die at the hands of Zoom, as Barry cries over his body. Zoom says that he told him family was a weakness, and now the two of them are the same. Barry goes after Zoom, and Zoom encourages him to use his anger, just as he did. Barry and Zoom take off on a high speed chase around town. Barry catches up to Zoom, who tells him to embrace his anger and end him. However, another Zoom speeds up behind the first Zoom and kills him, as Barry realizes it was just another time remnant. Zoom says that Barry is almost ready.
Barry and the team attend Henry’s funeral in the pouring rain. Barry starts to speak, but finds that he isn’t able to do this, so Joe takes over and speaks instead. Barry lays a rose on the casket and promises his father he’ll find Zoom, and take from him what he took from his father.
That night at Joe’s house, Wally tells him that he’s sorry. Barry then tells everyone what Zoom told him about being almost ready, though he doesn’t know what for. Barry steps outside for some air, and Iris follows him. They sit on the front steps talking, and Iris comforts him by taking his hand. Just then, Zoom runs by, and Barry goes to talk to him. Zoom challenges Barry to a race to find out who is the fastest man alive on either Earth. Barry tries to decline, but Zoom threatens his other loved ones.
The next day at STAR Labs, the team tries to figure out what else Zoom could want other than just to race. Dr. Wells figures out the real reason: that Zoom wants to use a pulsar machine to siphon off energy from them as they run, and then use it to destroy all the other planets in the multiverse. Barry realizes that he has no choice but to race Zoom – and win.
Down in the Pipeline, Joe tries to talk Barry out of racing, but Barry is set on saving his loved ones and the multiverse. Joe figures out this isn’t just about racing Zoom – he wants to kill him. Barry confirms that this is true, and that he wants Zoom to suffer. Barry confirms that Joe can’t talk him out of racing. So Dr. Wells shoots Barry in the back, knocking him out.
When Barry comes to, he is locked in a containment unit, while the team looks on. Joe says Barry is too angry right now, and Dr. Wells says that if Barry races Zoom on Zoom’s terms, he’ll lose. Everyone confirms that they agreed to this decision to lock Barry away. Joe second guesses their decision to Iris, but Iris is confident that they made the right choice.
The rest of the team gets to work on their own plan to take out Zoom. Caitlin will distract Jay, so that Joe and Harry can shoot him, Cisco will open the breach and they’ll put Zoom through it. Harry will disarm the Magnetar and save the multiverse. They all agree that if anything goes wrong, they stick with the plan.
Jesse talks to her father, asking what’s next. She’s noticed that Dr. Wells cares about the people here. However, her friends are back home, so she wants to go back to Earth-2 and live her life. She wants her father to stay so he can be happy.
The team heads out to the Magnetar site to face Jay and carry out their plan. Caitlin steps out into the open and calls for Jay. He comes out to talk to her, and apologizes for leaving him. She says she’s ready to accept who she really is. They slowly approach each other. He tells her it’s too late, and tries to kill her — but it turns out she’s just a hologram. Joe shoots Jay in the neck, and Cisco opens up a breach. Joe gets too close to Zoom, and is sent through the breach with him when Dr. Wells comes down and shoots him into it.
Later, back at STAR Labs, Cisco tries to use his vibe powers to look for Joe, but can’t find him. Caitlin figures out it’s probably because they’re on the move. Dr. Wells walks in and reports that he isn’t able to deactivate the Magnetar because Zoom did something to it, and if Dr. Wells tries anything, it’ll destroy the world. Wally comes in and Iris has to break the bad news about Joe. Wally doesn’t like the agreement the others made that they wouldn’t open another breach if they were able to get Zoom back onto Earth-2.
Meanwhile, on Earth-2, Zoom has Joe chained by the wrists. Joe notices the Man in the Iron Mask and asks about him. Jay tells Joe about how he himself became a speedster, and was using Velocity-9 to make him faster — but was also killing him. He says the man is another speedster that he brought back from another Earth, to steal his speed, though it didn’t take. He used the man’s name though — Jay Garrick.
Down in the Pipeline, Wally secretly lets Barry out. Barry angrily speeds upstairs and yells at them about what happened to Joe and the agreement they made that he wasn’t part of. However, Dr. Wells warns Barry that if he wants to beat Zoom for revenge, he will die. But Barry says that they’re running out of time, and he’s going to do this whether they like it or not.
Cisco uses his powers to vibe Barry so that he can appear to Zoom and have a conversation with him. Barry tells Jay that he’ll race him on one condition: that he brings Joe back. Jay agrees to bring Joe and to give him back after they race.
They all meet up at the Magnetar. The others refuse to leave Barry. Zoom tells Barry his terms. One lap creates 1 gigawatt, while he needs 500+ to power the Magnetar. So Barry has to stop him before it gets powered up.
The Flash and Zoom take off running laps around the machine, while the team watches and yells for Barry to catch up. As Barry runs, he splits into two, creating a time remnant. One of them releases Joe, while the other continues running. Zoom notices this and attacks the Barry that released Joe, while the other Barry keeps running, except on the ground around the machine. Dr. Wells figures out that he’s trying to create his own pulse in order to counteract the other. The running Barry eventually disintegrates and dies, but successfully stops the Magnetar.
Meanwhile, Zoom and the surviving Flash continue to fight. Barry seems to get the better of Zoom, but Zoom doesn’t think Barry has it in him to kill him. However, Barry says that he doesn’t have to. Just then, a couple of time wraiths come and carry Zoom away.
Back at STAR Labs, Barry explains to Wally about the time remnant. They then remove the mask from the Man in the Iron Mask — and are surprised to see that it’s Barry’s dad! Well, his doppelganger anyway. He introduces himself as the real Jay Garrick. It’s too much for Barry to take, so he goes out into the hallway. Joe follows him and calms him down.
Meanwhile, the real Jay Garrick puts his own Flash suit on. Cisco explains that there was a dampener in the mask he was wearing, so that’s why he didn’t have his powers while Zoom was holding him captive. The real Jay uses his powers to destroy the mask. He then decides to use the helmet that Hunter Zoloman had used for his Flash costume, since Dr. Wells says that it stood for hope on his world. The real Jay Garrick thanks everyone for their help, including Barry, who has rejoined the group. He says now he has to find his way back home, which he thinks they would call Earth-3. Cisco says he can get him to Earth-2, and Dr. Wells says that he and Jesse can help with the rest, confirming to Jesse that they are returning home to Earth-2 together.
They go downstairs, and Dr. Wells says his goodbyes to everyone. Jesse and Wally say their goodbyes to each other and hug. Then Cisco opens a breach, and Dr. Wells, Jesse, and the real Jay Garrick jump through.
That night, they all hang out at Joe’s house, watching TV. Barry quietly goes outside, and Iris follows him. They sit on the front steps, talking. Barry says that even though they beat Zoom, he still feels like he lost. Iris says that maybe seeing how things go between them can give him something, but Barry says he’s not in a place right now where he can try that with her, as he feels hollowed out and broken, so he wants to fix what’s wrong with himself first. Iris tells him to go and do whatever he needs to do, and she will wait for him. She tells Barry that she loves him, and they kiss. Then Barry tells her he loves her too, and always will. Iris goes back inside.
Barry stays outside, looks through the window, and says he’s sorry, but he has to do this. Then he takes off running, and goes back in time to the night his mother was murdered. Barry saves his mother from Reverse Flash, and assures her that she’s safe now.
Her Thoughts on The Flash, Season 2 Episode 23: The Race of His Life
As suspected after Henry Allen mentioned that his mother’s maiden name was Garrick, this episode revealed the doppelganger of Barry’s dad to be the Man in the Iron Mask, whose name on Earth-3 was Jay Garrick, from whom Hunter Zolomon stole his name. It was quite sad that Barry’s dad had to die so soon after finally getting him back permanently (even though his absence after being released from prison and exonerated didn’t make much sense), but now with this revelation about the real Jay Garrick, it’s possible that we may be seeing more of this actor.
I’m still not completely on board with this time remnant concept, as it seems like such a cop out, and doesn’t make a lot of sense, but okay, I’ll roll with it. I just hope the show doesn’t make a habit of randomly bringing it in to get themselves out of a jam.
As usual, another emotional episode. I was quite surprised by the ending. He finally “got the girl,” except that he didn’t feel like he was in a place at the moment where he wanted her. Of course. Instead, he rushes off back in time to save his mother. Didn’t see that one coming! It makes me excited to see how this will change things! Although I haven’t read Flashpoint Paradox, I did watch it on Netflix, and I really enjoyed it. I’m curious to see how much the show will be like the movie (or comic book, though I’m not sure how much the movie is like the comic book). I love time travel stuff, especially when it actually results in changing things, so I’m really looking forward to Season 3 of The Flash!
His Thoughts on The Flash, Season 2 Episode 23: The Race of His Life
COMING SOON
Scenes from The Flash, Season 3 Episode 1: Flashpoint
Preview of Season 3 Episode 1 of The Flash
