In the penultimate episode of season 3 of The Flash, Barry’s desperation reaches new heights. With only 24 hours left to save Iris, he turns to an old frenemy — Wentworth Miller’s Captain Cold — for help. While Barry and Leonard team up for a life-saving mission, Iris prepares for what might be her last day alive. Meanwhile, Killer Frost sends Cisco a message, and H.R. makes a deadly mistake. Take a look back at the most memorable moments from episode 22, “Infantino Street.”
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Barry Turns to an Unexpected Ally for Help
With only 24 hours left before Iris is meant to die at Savitar’s hands, everyone is feeling the pressure. The team is still searching for a power source they can use to operate the device Tracy created to trap Savitar. They finally hit pay dirt when Cisco discovers that the power source they need is being kept in an ARGUS facility. To that end, Barry and Cisco pay Lyla a visit to ask for her help. Lyla explains that she has a piece of alien tech left behind by the Dominators, but she refuses to turn it over to Barry. If the tech falls into the wrong hands, millions of people could die, and Lyla doesn’t know if she can trust Barry to prevent that. She tells Barry that Team Flash will have to find another way to save Iris.
It turns out that Barry’s “other way” is to simply steal the power source from ARGUS. Alas, Cisco says the building has a power-dampening device so Barry cannot use his speedster abilities to make off with the tech. Without his powers and with all the security around the building, Barry knows that he needs a master thief in order to pull off the theft. Luckily for Barry, he knows just such a person, so he travels back in time to ask Leonard Snart for help.
At first, Snart turns down the offer because he’s already busy working with the Legends, but Barry tells him that Iris will die without his help. Leonard finally signs on after Barry explains what the mission entails and on the condition that Barry agrees to follow his rules.
Barry and Leonard Run into Trouble
After Barry convinces the team that they need Snart’s help, Leonard figures out where they are keeping the alien tech while Barry has an idea on how to get them into the facility. Barry uses H.R.’s transmogrifier (also known as the device that allows one person to look exactly like another) to pose as Lyla, and Cisco helps him bypass some of the other security protocols. Alas, Barry doesn’t know the right code words to get past the guards, so he has to knock them out.
Barry and Leonard find the power source easily enough, and Snart manages to get them past the seemingly impenetrable door, but they are stopped by a particularly vicious guard. Yes, it turns out that in order to get the alien tech, they will have to make it past King Shark.
Barry asks Snart for his cold gun so he can take out King Shark, but Leonard has another idea. Thanks to his love of Shark Week, Leonard believes that if they lower the temperature in the room, King Shark will just fall asleep. Luckily, Leonard’s plan works, and Barry manages to get his hands on the alien tech. Unfortunately, as soon as he touches it, he trips a fail-safe. Barry is able to escape with the tech, but Leonard ends up trapped with King Shark.
Barry has the chance to get away safely with the alien tech, but he refuses to leave Leonard behind. Barry asks Cisco for help and Cisco manages to get the door open wide enough for Barry to pull Leonard through. Alas, they are stopped by Lyla and her people. In a surprising twist, Lyla agrees to let Barry have the tech. His decision to save Snart helped her make that choice, but she also says that she couldn’t let Iris die knowing that the tech could save her. With the alien power source in-hand, Barry returns Snart to the timeline. Before he leaves, Leonard tells Barry to stop trying to beat Savitar at his own game because, “Your goodness is your strength.”
Iris Prepares for Her Death
With only 24 hours left before her supposed death, Iris takes measures to put her affairs in order. She leaves Barry a video message, which we do not get to hear until the end of the episode, and she gives her engagement ring to Joe for safekeeping.
Before heading out on his mission with Snart, Barry tasks Joe with taking Iris somewhere that he, and therefore Savitar, doesn’t know about. Joe promises that he and Wally will keep Iris safe. To that end, the three of them travel to Earth-2 to lie low with Harry. While on Earth-2, Iris and Joe have a lovely father-daughter moment reminiscing about the past. They even share a sweet, sad dance as Joe sings to her. It is a fantastic scene played to perfection by Jesse L. Martin and Candice Patton. (Once again, I wish the show had focused more on what Iris, Joe and Wally were going through during this storyline.)
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Savitar Goes After Iris
While Team Flash is preparing to save Iris, Savitar is preparing to kill her. However, Killer Frost wonders if Savitar will be able to go through with killing the woman Barry loves since he has all of Barry’s memories. Savitar makes it seem like those memories are nothing compared to the fact that he was created as a disposable hero to be thrown away when Barry was done with him. Killer Frost seems convinced, and Savitar tells her to be ready to do her part when the time comes.
Later in the episode, Savitar poses as Barry and tricks the team into telling him where Iris is. Savitar then heads to Earth-2 to kidnap Iris. Wally attempts to protect his sister, but Savitar easily bests him. Iris and Joe are shocked at seeing the time remnant with their own eyes. Joe tries talking Savitar down as if he is Barry, but Savitar is unmoved. Iris agrees to go with the villain so he will leave her family alone, but Savitar says that he doesn’t plan on killing them before they have the chance to watch her die. Savitar then speeds off with Iris before Barry can arrive to stop him.
What Is H.R. Planning?
Early in the episode, things seem to be going well for H.R. Since arriving on Earth-1, he’s made a new life for himself by working with Team Flash and now he thinks he has found his purpose through his connection with Tracy. H.R. believes that, by working together, they can change the world. He asks her to join the team and he is delighted when she says yes.
His day takes a dramatic turn for the worse after he unintentionally tells Savitar where to find Iris and the villain takes her hostage. Despite Cisco’s assurance that it wasn’t his fault, H.R. is torn apart by his guilt over leading Savitar to Iris. He is also feeling the weight of everything the team has done for him and his inability to do anything for them in return. Cisco leaves H.R. behind to hold down the fort while they face off against Savitar, but H.R.’s behavior indicates that he has something else planned.
Cisco Faces off with Killer Frost
Before heading off to deal with Savitar, Cisco gets a vibe of Killer Frost luring him into a fight. Barry tells Cisco to go because, with Savitar distracted, this is their best chance to save the real Caitlin. Cisco arrives in the forest he’s been seeing in his vibes since Caitlin got her powers. Killer Frost is there waiting for him. As the episode comes to a close, their fight begins.
Time Runs Out
Wally is devastated and down for the count after his fight with Savitar so the team has to go into battle without him. With the “speed force bazooka” now complete, Barry leaves so the team can come up with a plan that Savitar will not know.
Barry heads to Infantino Street, the exact location where he saw Savitar murder Iris in his vision of the future. Before long, Savitar arrives with Iris in tow. Barry fires Tracy’s device at Savitar, but the weapon is no match for the villain. As Barry watches in horror, his vision of Iris’ death starts to unfold. While Barry tries to run the distance to stop Savitar from killing Iris, a flashback shows us what Iris said in that video message. It turns out that Iris’ “final” message to Barry was her wedding vows. When the video ends, Savitar delivers his blow and Iris “dies” in Barry’s arms.
Since it’s pretty obvious that the show will not kill Iris, what do you think the twist will be with her “death”? My guess is that someone used the transmogrifier to pose as Iris and Iris herself is actually fine. (I suspect they had Barry use that very same device in this episode as a reminder to the audience that this technology exists.) After all, Savitar needs Barry to believe Iris is dead, but that doesn’t mean she actually has to die. If that’s the case, who do you think took Iris’ place? (H.R. seems like a solid bet given his guilt over putting Iris in danger.) If the transmogrifier isn’t the big twist, how do you think the show will get around Iris’ death?
What was your favorite moment from this episode of The Flash? Were you happy to see Leonard Snart again? Do you hope the show continues to find ways to bring him back despite his death in Legends of Tomorrow? Are you glad Iris and Joe had a nice moment together before her “death”? Do you wish she’d had a moment like that with Wally, too?
How do you think H.R. is planning to “make up” for his mistake in giving up Iris’ location? Will Cisco be able to get through to the real Caitlin or will Killer Frost takes his hands like she did with future-Cisco? How will Iris’ family survive her “loss”? What will happen in the final show-down between Barry and Savitar in the season finale? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
The Flash season 3 airs Tuesday nights at 8/7c on the CW. Want more news? Follow our The Flash Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of the CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
