The clock is ticking in this episode of The Flash, titled “Infantino Street,” with only 24 hours until Iris West dies, and Barry’s willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that does not happen. But how far will he go?
But Iris’ death isn’t the only future event that has been glimpsed this season. That Killer Frost-Vibe face-off is here as well.
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Don’t Worry, Barry Won’t Mess Up the Timeline Again … Maybe
If you have a day left to live, you get whatever you want. For Iris, that’s caviar, which Barry runs out to get while she records a message that’s sure to be heartbreaking and come into play at a very emotional moment.
But the team’s not going to give up. While Felicity hasn’t found anything, Lyla has just what they need at ARGUS to power the Bazooka that Tracy built: a piece of tech from the Dominators. However, she’s not willing to part with it because if it gets into the wrong hands, millions could die and she doesn’t know if she can trust Barry with it. (While Lyla does wonder what it would be like to have a daughter instead of a son, it’s not about what happened so much as why it happened.)
Barry decides that they’ll just break in and steal the alien power source, but that’s easier said than done with ARGUS’ security. So he runs back to 1892 to pick Snart up in Siberia. Captain Cold just has one condition since this is his kind of mission: his rules.
After Barry assures the others that he’s not changing time again and he’ll put Snart back when they’re done, Snart takes the lead, having already figured out where the power source is (the deepest part of the facility). All they can really do is make the plan, execute the plan, expect the plan to go off the rails and throw away the plan. Meanwhile, Barry tells Joe to take Iris somewhere far away and don’t tell him so Savitar doesn’t know. But while she knows that Barry is going to do whatever it takes to save her, “don’t lose yourself in the process,” Iris tells her fiance before they part ways.
At first, the plan seems to work. Barry uses HR’s transmogrifier to pose as Lyla, escorting Snart in as her prisoner, but that only lasts until she’s supposed to finish a code. He takes out the guards instead, and Tracy directs Barry and Snart to the cells where Grodd, Cheetah, Cupid and the alien power source are held.
As Cisco worries about getting past the advanced security on the door between them and the tech, Snart breaks into it in 37 seconds, but that’s when they learn who the guard dog is inside: King Shark. The plan has gone off the rails.
Barry decides to go a bit murder-y, using Snart’s gun on King Shark, but Snart’s been watching Shark Week and figures out that they just have to lower the temperature in the room enough to put him to sleep. It works, and Barry’s able to get his hands on the tech, but then the door to the cell starts closing. While Barry slides under in time, Snart is stuck inside. So Barry, what was that about not changing the timeline?
Even the Best-Laid Plans…
Barry could show how ruthless he is and leave Snart there since he has what he needs to save Iris, but he doesn’t. With Snart promising to put a good word in with his sister if Cisco saves his life, Cisco gets to work on hacking to get him out. The door opens, and while King Shark grabs onto Snart’s leg, Barry’s able to pull him to safety.
But they’re not out of the woods yet, as Lyla’s waiting in their path. However, after seeing him risk his freedom and Iris to save Snart, she’s changed her mind about letting him have the power source. With that, it’s time for Barry to return Snart to where he belongs. Barry’s goodness is his strength, Captain Cold tells him before they part ways.
Meanwhile, The Flash reminds me how much I miss Harry when the Wests go into hiding on Earth-2. And after Iris recorded a message for Barry earlier in the episode, it’s no surprise that she takes the opportunity to talk to her father when they have the time. She knows what’s going on is hardest for him, and she tries to lighten the mood by confessing that she switched rooms with Barry when she was 16 so she could sneak out.
In return, Joe admits that when he claimed to be saving money for their college tuition and therefore they couldn’t eat out for a month, he took some of the money and went on a blues cruise for three days. Remembering the song he used to sing all the time, the two dance and then she asks him to hold on to her ring in case and give it back to Barry.
Back on Earth-1, Barry returns to STAR Labs and asks where Iris is, and HR tells him that she’s on Earth-2 … only for “Barry” to turn around and reveal that he’s not their Barry. Savitar now knows where Iris is.
While they try to prepare for Savitar’s arrival on Earth-2, there’s little they can do. Wally tries to fight him, but Savitar breaks his leg and tosses him aside. Savitar steps out of his suit, and Joe tries to get through to him. He was his son once, and he’s sorry for whatever he did to make him feel like he does. He tries to plead with this Barry, but Savitar makes it clear that, to him, that’s not his name. Iris then steps up and says she’ll go with him, as long as he doesn’t kill the others. That wasn’t part of his plan anyway; they have to watch her die first. Iris has accepted her fate, he tells Joe, and suggests that he does as well, before running off with her through the breach. By the time Barry arrives on Earth-2, it’s too late.
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Tick-Tock Goes the Clock…
With 53 minutes until Iris dies, the only thing left to do is put together a plan for Infantino Street. The power source is loaded into the Bazooka, and it should work.
As Cisco gears up, HR admits that he feels like he hasn’t contributed anything except drumming and leading Savitar to Iris. He’s dependable, Cisco assures him before heading off, only to vibe Killer Frost waiting for him in the forest for that fight that he’s known (but didn’t want to accept) was coming. With Savitar not with her, it’s their best chance to help her, and Cisco’s off to try to save Caitlin while the others try to save Iris.
“Try” is the operative word in both cases. Killer Frost thinks that to join Savitar as a god, she has to cure herself of Caitlin, meaning killing Cisco, and she gets the upper hand in their fight.
And on Infantino Street, Savitar arrives with Iris. He’s ready for his ascension, and there are no second thoughts to be had anywhere, despite Killer Frost’s earlier concerns that he might not be able to end Iris’ life since he remembered everything Barry did, including falling in love with her.
At first, the Speed Force Bazooka seems to be working, at least until it doesn’t. Savitar uses the Philosopher’s Stone to stop it because he’s not going to be trapped again. And then all Barry can do is run as fast as he can as Savitar stabs Iris, and we see the video that Iris recorded for Barry: her wedding vows. But Barry isn’t fast enough and can only catch her as she falls into his arms.
Did you think that the team would come up with a way to save Iris at the last minute or were you expecting Savitar to kill her? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
The Flash season 3 airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW. Want more news? Like our Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of The CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
If it’s on TV — especially if it’s a procedural or superhero show — chances are Meredith watches it. She has a love for all things fiction, starting from a young age with ER and The X-Files on the small screen and the Nancy Drew books. Arrow kicked off the Arrowverse and her true passion for all things heroes. She’s enjoyed getting into the minds of serial killers since Criminal Minds, so it should be no surprise that her latest obsession is Prodigal Son.
