S04.E16: Run, Iris, Run

[scarynikki12]

Quote

Team Flash confront a new bus meta, Matthew AKA Melting Pot, who has the ability to swap people’s DNA.

 

[scarynikki12]

Episode threads are for episode discussion.  They are not for comic discussion, spoilers, previews, or convincing posters that their opinions are wrong.  We have threads for comic and spoiler discussions.  If you wish to reference comics, previews, or spoilers, that's allowed but they must all be tagged as spoilers and they cannot move discussion from the episode itself.  Posts that fail to use the spoiler tag will be hidden and repeat offenders will be warned. 

[Lady Calypso]

It seems like every time I tune in to Ralph, he's whining about something. Whether it's about being scared or not wanting to be a hero. Can he MAYBE grow up now that he's talked to Iris? Their scenes were pretty good. 

Iris as the Flash was AWESOME. It was the best material they've given her in four seasons. Ok, so Barry had to whine about....something first. But then he came around and let Iris vent. Nice to get clarification on Iris' career status. It was just great to let Iris talk about herself, her fears, and her hopes. I just wish they had let Barry be a tiny bit more supportive. Luckily, he didn't go into season 3 Wally whining about his girlfriend having powers, at least.

It was great to see Iris finally writing again. I loved seeing her eyes light up after this. 

So, Matthew is sticking around? So DeVoe didn't get him at the end? Thank god. I am good if they keep him on the back burner until the finale.

Oh boy, Harry, what did you do??? His final scene gave me Eobard Thawne vibes.

Max Adler's character was really over the top. Like, he turned into a cartoon villain.

Have I mentioned how much I loved Iris as the Flash? Her purple lightning looked EPIC. 

[Terrafamilia]

And Iris's super name is - Black Lightning! Oh, wait...

[SnoGirl]

I love Iris.  Damn right, she's the boss.  AND she's finally getting back to reporting!  Woohooo!  LOVED the Purple.  So amazing, and so Iris.

 

I call foul though.  No nickname?  I hated every moment they called her Flash.  I would literally watch a show of Iris running around like the shero she is, and Barry sitting at Star Labs.

[dkb]

I really liked this episode. Glad Barry was atleast semi ok (or pretended to be) with Iris keeping the powers at the end if that's what made her happy. But I'm glad Iris choose to go back to journalism; not everyone on team Flash has to have powers. Hopefully her writing can connect with future plots, and threats the others have to face.

Gotta agree with everyone that her outfit was nice, go Iris!

[cambridgeguy]

Making Ralph regress into a selfish douchebag who was perfectly content to hide in his room wasn't the best choice - you can't go around accusing someone of hiding at HQ when you're doing the EXACT same thing while also being less useful.

Team Flash (minus Cisco) was also surprisingly OK with Harry messing around with his brain chemistry even though they know Devoe was warped from doing the same thing. 

Is this season lighter because the impending doom is reserved for recurring characters instead of one of the mains?  Because knowing a fair number of decent, likable characters are about to be killed and have their bodies stolen is sure being played like the horror it is.

[Trini]

I never thought anything would really change after Kreisberg's firing, but I'm glad to be proven wrong!

Second thing: THERE ARE TOO MANY METAS IN STAR LABS. They continually have bench half or more of the team so one person can shine.

More about the rest later...

[quarks]

After four seasons on this show, Iris still doesn't know that the plan is always "RUN, SPEEDSTER, RUN!!!" ??????

[HunterHunted]

Also what is the point of Barry being in costume as the Flash when Matthew switched their powers back if Iris is just going to announce that she's part of Team Flash. Argh. This show. Iris is famously married to Barry Allen. They should have had Barry just reveal himself to one more person if they were going to write Iris as that sloppy. Ugh. Even when this show does something right, it still does so much wrong. Also echoing the thought that Max Adler's character went full villain really quickly.

Edited March 14, 2018 by HunterHunted

[Primal Slayer]

It was an ok episode, it was very fun as an Iris fan but I was surprised how fast her story went by? I did enjoy how this episode was used to voice just about everything that's been wrong with the character since S3.  Hopefully they are serious about keeping her on this path. The purple flash effects looked so nice on screen.

[tennisgurl]

Run Iris Run! I loved Iris as the Flash, with her cute outfit and her awesome purple flash colors. They really gave her a lot of good stuff this week, and I am glad it looks like she will be going back to journalism. I also thought Barry's response to losing his powers were understandable. I cant blame him for being upset about the loss of his powers so soon after losing his job and being branded a criminal, but he came around pretty quickly, and he even got to give the "Run love of my life Run" line! When they actually write Iris/Barry like an actual couple without endless angst, I do enjoy their relationship a lot. 

Ralph sure went back to being an asshole, didn't he? And normally I am a Ralph apologist, but he was being a total dick to poor Iris, when she was just trying to help. It seemed contrived, and a bit out of character considering how much he has changed, even knowing he was scared about being killed. I did like how they tied it into her Savitar near murder (and was actually about HER) though. 

Glad that the new bus meta didn't get killed, and might actually be able to help out. I really do like the bus metas, they are way more interesting than most of the previous meta groups, who were mostly made up of criminals, or people who became criminals or crazy the second they got powers. The bus metas have more personality and variety in how they react to powers. It also makes DeVoe an even more nasty bastard as he is hunting down people who can be very heroic, sympathetic, and likable. 

So, was there any reason that Caitlin and Cisco couldn't have helped Iris out against the fire powers asshole from Glee? I get that Ralph is laying low, but what about them?

[Primal Slayer]

1 minute ago, HunterHunted said:

Also what is the point of Barry being in costume as the Flash when Matthew switched their powers back if Iris is just going to announce that she's part of Team Flash. Argh. This show. Iris is famously married to Barry Allen. They should have had Barry just reveal himself to one more person if they were going to write Iris as that sloppy. Ugh. Even when this show does something right, it still does so much wrong. Also echoing the thought that Max Adler's character went full villain really quickly.

Would Iris not have a life outside of her husband? Her working with The Flash doesnt give anything away, certainly nothing more then Joe West being there or Joe West and Cisco who are currently a CCPD team.  With Joe being Iris' father.

2 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

So, was there any reason that Caitlin and Cisco couldn't have helped Iris out against the fire powers asshole from Glee? I get that Ralph is laying low, but what about them?

I think this meta was to new that Frost would've iced him out or came to a draw and a double team would've made it to easy to defeat. It certainly wasn't the best reasoning though.

[quarks]

On other topics -

1. Once again, Candice Patton saves the episode for me. Some really lovely performances there, and she did look great in that costume. 

2. Iris finally gets to have superpowers and a good part of this plot is about Barry and Ralph because of course.  

3. In related news, I think part of my hair is missing. 

4. I hate Ralph.

5. I get why, for meta reasons, the episode did this, but given that Killer Frost has the power to freeze things and Cisco has the power to teleport people away, why did Iris head out there without having those two as backup, especially since she was still training/had needed help the previous time she went out, and especially especially since all of these guys always have issues the first time they try to be superheroes. Team Flash should know this by now. 

6.Team Flash, you're about to unleash a tidal wave onto Central City and not one of you thinks that at least warning the cops about this might be a nice touch? I mean, you usually have Joe at least on speed dial? 

[UNOSEZ]

Man... Mother fluck Ralph Dibny... I have other opinions on the episode.. But I needed to say that... I'll be back later

[Whodunnit]

At one point in the episode Cisco did vibe to where Iris was and saved her, but I agree that Cisco, Ralph, and Caitlin should have already been there playing back up.

Edited March 14, 2018 by Whodunnit

[WindofChange]

Never enough Iris. But for an Iris episode this was surprisingly lacking a lot of Iris. Wish they really focused on her for ONCE but I suppose that's too much to ask for...

But finally finally finally Iris is doing something outside of Barry. Thank god.

I do think there were some iffy bits to this episode but I'll look past it because Iris deserved the focus. If only they can keep it up. With Flash's track history I really doubt it.

[bettername2come]

It was a terrible decision to send Iris into the field and expect her to do everything that it took Barry three years to learn. I mean, every time Barry learned a new trick, he was always shocked that that was something he had to figure out how to do. They should've stuck to Iris solving all the problems with running really fast like he did in the early days. I'm glad we got actual confirmation that Iris hadn't been working, and I hope that we get to see more of her going back into journalism. She can have purpose investigating things; it doesn't all have to be at STAR Labs. I loved the purple look - because irises are purple! I'm way too excited about that. She should wear ponytails more often. In an Iris-centric episode, they really should've given her more to do, so I didn't love it like I wanted to. 

Cisco doing the English accent was far more attractive than it should have been. I'm always amused when Glee alumni show up on here. Caitlin cannot pull off "girl," so either she shouldn't have said it or should have been said in more of an obvious joking tone. And now that I've said that, man, Killer Frost snark about Iris as The Flash would've been really amusing. Loved Harry not believing that his head was on fire. Also loved Barry saying "Run, Iris, run." Really nice delivery and felt like a parallel to Iris talking him through the Grodd fight in season 1. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

So ... many .... pep talks.

Cisco definitely needed to give Iris a nickname.  I thought it was cool that Iris' lightning flashes were purple, so maybe Flash Mauve (sounds like Flash Mob) ?  The Purple Streak ?? Lavender Lightning ?

Edited March 14, 2018 by ottoDbusdriver

[RedVitC]

Very happy with this episode!

First of all: journalism!!!!! That scene where Iris talks about how Barry's speed is his destiny, but journalism is hers made me feel emotional.

Interesting how different people perceive things differently since I thought Barry handled the situation well. I think it would have been a miss if they'd had him not care at all about losing his speed considering how lost he felt the last time he was without it. I love that Iris understood and vocalized that it was hard for him espcially since she was there the last time. But I also love that Barry then was supportive of her (to the point that he even gave her the choice if she wanted to keep the speed!)

I agree that if you're sending a new speedster into the field, at least send some back up.

I feel like this Ralph plot didn't make sense for Ralph after what happened to Izzy (it's like the episode description of him from that episode was his story for this episode with a few adjustments) but since they made up I can't really get too mad about it.

[SnoGirl]

31 minutes ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

So ... many .... pep talks.

Cisco definitely needed to give Iris a nickname.  I thought it was cool that Iris' lightning flashes were purple, so maybe Flash Mauve (sounds like Flash Mob) ?  The Purple Streak ?? Lavender Lightning ?

I liked what Candice posted on Instagram, which was Purple Reign.  I am ridiculously disappointed Cisco didn't say a nickname after she ran away in her new costume instead of "I've got hangers."  Come on Writers!  Way to drop the ball there! 

[ottoDbusdriver]

16 minutes ago, SnoGirl said:

I liked what Candice posted on Instagram, which was Purple Reign.  I am ridiculously disappointed Cisco didn't say a nickname after she ran away in her new costume instead of "I've got hangers."  Come on Writers!  Way to drop the ball there! 

Purple Reign -- that's pretty cool too.

[Trini]

Speaking of names, did they cut a scene of Cisco deciding on 'Melting Pot' instead of 'Melting Point'?

Yeah, not realistic that Cisco didn't give Iris a codename.

[VCRTracking]

Hey, I know that guy! He's from Westworld! But with messy hair!

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Primal Slayer said:

it was very fun as an Iris fan but I was surprised how fast her story went by?

I see what you did there!

[Lantern7]

Announcer: Previously on . . . The Flash!

Harry: I'm learning to unclench and listen to other people. Well, other people that aren't basically me.

Cisco: And we're gelling like near the end of S2!

Ralph: I'm getting into the heroic thing without it merely about looking good! Also, how ironic is it that I'm so flexible, yet I've basically grown a strong spine?

Halfway through the episode:

Harry: I have to beat DeVoe. Every act he commits like he's teabagging me. You get me, Ramone? Like I'm on the floor and he's pressing his sc-

Cisco: Ummmmm, did he frame you for murder?!? Now put down the device that mixes your brain and dark matter. We've run out of smart Wellses. Finding an adequate you would take a whole week.

Ralph: If anyone needs me, I'm gonna squeeze myself into a bedroom drawer and hope DeVoe forgets about ,e entirely.

And then we got Plot Device Meta transferring Barry's speed into Iris, and Iris fails to put out a fire. Yes, she needed backup. You know how she entered the building? Up the stairs, because it doesn't occur to a "normal" person to run up a building. And she let cranky, bitchy Ralph get to her, which . . . she's better than that. She's OG Team Flash. I know, not a part of the actual STAR team, but she's know Barry longer. I did like the purple lightning. Dunno why, and I can't explain why it wasn't red. It was . . . nice. Also, she did have enough skill to make a tidal wave. Also, switch clothes with Caitlin. Meh, I'll let that good. I liked her, and I liked Barry trying to run the show from the lab.

Didn't like Fiery Rip Hunter. Didn't like the new flame guy. I know, he was supposed to be one-dimensional, but he still bugged.

49 minutes ago, SnoGirl said:

I liked what Candice posted on Instagram, which was Purple Reign.

Sweet . . . except Supergirl has a Reign . . . .reigning this season. That Reign could use color, though.

ETA: Plot Device Meta might as well be wearing a red shirt.

Edited March 14, 2018 by Lantern7

[colorbars]

Just when I thought I couldn't hate Ralph more. I have not warmed to him in the slightest despite their attempts, and I really hope he disappears by next season like the other seasonal white men they bring it and then write out (,maybe I should just be glad he isn't a Caitlin love interest yet?). But I have a feeling I'm going to be stuck with him. Let's go, DeVoe!

Loved seeing Iris be a speedster (the purple streak was so nice!), but I wish it had either lasted for another episode or they hadn't wasted so much time with the lead up. I feel like we didn't get much of her being a speedster. It was of course more realistic that she'd struggle a bit, but with only one episode of her, I would've liked if they sped through that a bit so I could've gotten more of her actually suited up and stuff.

So is the new bus meta gonna use gloves? Or, I guess it doesn't have to be skin on skin to transfer the DNA, so that seems rather inconvenient.

[Maverick]

Melting Po(in)t was one of the most underdeveloped bus metas yet.  With the Country Canary we at least got to see her come around to helping Team Flash.  But Melty puts a knife to Iris' throat, performs a bit of plot contrivance and after getting meta-cuffs  slapped on him is totes on the Team.  There's just so many questions here:

 - How long did Kim know he had this power?   How did he find out?  The way he was talking to the hot-headed Brit suggested he was trying to get close enough to take his powers away and he appeared to know he took the Flash's powers.  Yet later he seemed shocked he gave denim dude the fire powers.  

 - If he touches a meta without touching someone else, does he gain the meta power? In the bank he did touch the two guys at the same time so does he hold the meta ability until he touches someone else?  Is there a time limit on passing the powers before they revert or dissipate?   If he absorbs multiple powers, can he control which one he passes on or will they all pass to whoever he touches?

 - When they run into these new metas, why have they not considered that maybe Devoe already got to them and has taken that body?  If you're going to bring someone around who can de-power your whole team, maybe vet them a little first.

 

 Maybe they should have had Melty transfer Caitlin's powers to Iris.   If the split personality didn't transfer (until proven otherwise, I'm assuming Caitlin suffered some trauma making her predisposed to DID and her powers caused it to manifest) then Caitlin could be free of her alter ego and they would still have access to the cold powers.  

 WTH with the line about the Mayor wanting to meet with the Devoes again but they can't find Marlize?  Do they really think Marlize is going to go into the Mayor's office with Ralph and play along?  And what exactly has she told the police?  Surely they talked to her after the trial.  And if she disappeared before they could, then I would think that would raise some questions.  How exactly is Ralphy Day Parade Balloon Float Devoe expplaining his wife's absence?   

 I didn't that Iris was going back to journalism.  She was making an entry on a fan blog.  I thought the point of that scene was that her contribution, in addition to being the team leader, was to help foster The Flash's reputation as a hero.  

[Lantern7]

Theory about Ralph: he's basically all rubber, right? Maybe his brain is like a rubber band. He learns, he evolves . . . and then he snaps back to being a jackass.

Sweet that Cisco mentioned Spider-Man 2. Totally applied to the situation.

[ruby24]

It's probably their way of re-introducing the idea of Iris as a journalist, but I'm guessing they won't get into that in a bigger way until next season. Todd Helbing pretty much said so in one of the interviews today. They should use the chance to make her a TV news reporter though, since they confirmed she doesn't work at CCPN anymore. Might as well start her on a new career.

How the hell are Barry and Iris paying the bills if neither of them are employed? That is such an obvious, glaring question that I feel like they really should tell us if Barry's sitting on a pile of insurance money from his father's wrongful imprisonment or will or something.

[Trini]

It's like the writers made a checklist of things to address, and then addressed them! THANK YOU Helbing and Wallace!

It was dumb to regress Ralph just for this plot. He's not needed and barely welcome, but let's not move backwards, though; okay?

Iris!! So she has been out in the field before, this season and previously, so I’m glad they had Joe shut that down.

Barry was cute training Iris at the treadmill! And I get that they wanted to show him out of his element on comms, but he’s been shown to be a better speedster mentor than that. I’m glad Cisco got Iris out of the fire, because that’s what I was yelling at my screen!

They made so many parallels between Iris and Barry as Flashes! Loved that her lightning was purple, and of course Cisco has a spare mask handy.

So glad that we got to actually hear how Iris speak about her career; Savitar; her role as team leader; being a speedster. I didn’t like that she actually quit her CCPN job - with them not mentioning it so far, one could still assume that she was freelancing on the side. On the other hand; does this confirm that Barry (and Iris) is independently wealthy? Because where was(/is) the money coming from to pay the bills?? (For the loft; STAR Labs; Cisco and Caitlin…) Anyway, I’m glad Iris made the choice to return to writing. I hope it goes further than her blog, though.

I loved that with Barry’s help, Iris was able to save the day with her new powers. Run, Iris, run! But it kinda emphasizes that it can be silly for the Flash to need instructions from HQ, when he/she is so powerful. Plus, they didn’t need Harry’s Thinking Cap in that situation; the tidal wave could have been Barry’s suggestion.

The loft! It’s been soooo long! It was great to see Barry so supportive.

This week's metas: Both the men with the fire powers didn’t get much to do. Frye(?), who got his his powers stolen, was slightly more memorable. (But I admit it might just be for the accent!) Matthew Kim was a nice change of pace in that he was actively trying to use his powers for good. And I’m glad he stayed alive… for now. I hope he does get to help against DeVoe.

The Harry/Thinking Cap plot: if Harry's so smart, he should know the side effects of the brain boosting. At least Cisco was able to keep him from using dark energy. I’m glad he was the voice of reason here.

But speaking of Cisco - and Caitlin - way to sideline the team! They don’t send Killer Frost to help out with a fire meta?? It actually could have been awesome to have Iris and KF work together to stop the guy. They really need to find a way to use the team better, since they clearly want to keep that format. But they really should just adjust or get rid of that format, but they’re committed to it.

So now we've got names for the last two metas; so some progress there against DeVoe.

Edited March 16, 2018 by Trini
argh typos

[TDT]

3 hours ago, Terrafamilia said:

And Iris's super name is - Black Lightning! Oh, wait...

Was just waiting for Cisco to say that name,and for someone to respond "I think that name's already taken..don't ask me how i know.."

[AnimeMania]

Some questions:

Was this a tribute to International Women's Day?

Was Iris's superhero name "Flash - Black"?

Why did Barry buy a pizza and leave the entire thing for Iris to eat? I thought Barry was always the hungry one?

[thuganomics85]

Another pretty fun episode.  It was enjoyable seeing Iris with Flash powers and Candice Patton seem to be having a blast with it.  And she got some great acting moments too, which is always a plus.  I thought the show did a pretty good job at her being effective in the role too, but not being automatically perfect at it, and she did need help and even saving at times.  I even thought Barry's reactions was pretty good.  I came off thinking that he really was glad that she was experiencing everything and getting to be front and center, but he was still understandable upset that he lost his powers, especially after, as he pointed out, he just likely lost his job as well, so he was likely contemplating what his future would be if he didn't get his powers back.  Not surprised Iris relented at the end though, because I'm sure she knew what it would have done to him, even if he would have still supported her.  Plus, it looks like she's finally going back to journalism, which is nice.

On the other hand, Ralph was just a straight-up whiny dick tonight.  At least he did apologize, but stuff like this really makes me think he will never be cut out for this.  It really is jarring comparing him here to how Iris reacted during the Savitar saga, and how much braver she was.  Maybe Kim should give Ralph's powers to her, honestly.

Glad that another Bust Meta is sticking around, but I'm still prepared for DeVoe to find some way around this.  Kim just taking his (or hers, I guess) is just way too easy.

Harry using that Thinking Cap to challenge DeVoe's brain powers is so setting him up to be the villain next season, right?

[Bats27]

So let me get this straight, you have a fire-based meta, and Iris (who has no experience using her powers), AND you have a teammate who has the power to literally SHOOT ICE out of her hands, AND you put her on "fire duty," and yet she does nothing (Cisco neither) and Iris just goes in alone?  You're kidding me right?  I mean I know that this show has struggled to find things for Caitlin/KF to do a lot, but this was ridiculous.

What's the point of giving her powers if she barely gets to use them, even in situations where it'd make perfect sense to do so?

[benteen]

Fun episode.  I liked seeing Iris as The Flash.  As inconsistent as this season has been, one of the strengths this season is how they've worked her into Team Flash and she's a convincing leader for them.

Quote

Ralph sure went back to being an asshole, didn't he? And normally I am a Ralph apologist, but he was being a total dick to poor Iris, when she was just trying to help. It seemed contrived, and a bit out of character considering how much he has changed, even knowing he was scared about being killed. I did like how they tied it into her Savitar near murder (and was actually about HER) though. 

Ugh.  Likewise.  I can't take these constant regressions with the Ralph character, whom I have liked on this show otherwise.  Anything he learns gets wiped away the next episode and that's bad writing.  He was also completely out of line with what he said to Iris earlier in the episode.  Iris has put her life on the line in the field many times, including when she helped Ralph and Cisco regain their size after they had been shrunk THIS season.  Does Ralph even remember this or better yet, do the WRITERS actually remember this?

I'm glad that Cisco was so against Wells trying to boost his intelligence.  Even Barry, the king of bad decisions and running without looking, didn't back up Wells on this.  It's like somebody, GASP, actually paid attention to what happens on this show.  They realized that this is actually a TERRIBLE idea.  This is probably the only way to level the playing field against Wells but of course this will backfire dramatically and Team Flash will have created their latest threat.  Like I've often said about the threats on this show, it's not heroic to put out the fires that you've started.

Edited March 14, 2018 by benteen

[GHScorpiosRule]

9 hours ago, Maverick said:

But Melty puts a knife to Iris' throat, performs a bit of plot contrivance and after getting meta-cuffs  slapped on him is totes on the Team.  There's just so many questions here:

 - How long did Kim know he had this power?   How did he find out?  The way he was talking to the hot-headed Brit suggested he was trying to get close enough to take his powers away and he appeared to know he took the Flash's powers.  Yet later he seemed shocked he gave denim dude the fire powers.  

 - If he touches a meta without touching someone else, does he gain the meta power? In the bank he did touch the two guys at the same time so does he hold the meta ability until he touches someone else?  Is there a time limit on passing the powers before they revert or dissipate?   If he absorbs multiple powers, can he control which one he passes on or will they all pass to whoever he touches?

 - When they run into these new metas, why have they not considered that maybe Devoe already got to them and has taken that body?  If you're going to bring someone around who can de-power your whole team, maybe vet them a little first.

<snip> 

 I didn't that Iris was going back to journalism.  She was making an entry on a fan blog.  I thought the point of that scene was that her contribution, in addition to being the team leader, was to help foster The Flash's reputation as a hero.  

Melting Point was the name Cisco gave to the original person who had that power-the English dude. And when Kim was holding the knife to Iris' throat, he didn't have those powers. That other white guy who ended up with the fire powers when Kim bumped into him at the bank had the powers.

No idea about your other questions. I figure Kim is a conduit. His ability is to take and transfer powers?

I thought that was Iris's old blog that she started writing in again.

 

8 hours ago, ruby24 said:

How the hell are Barry and Iris paying the bills if neither of them are employed? That is such an obvious, glaring question that I feel like they really should tell us if Barry's sitting on a pile of insurance money from his father's wrongful imprisonment or will or something.

I think it would be obvious? Maybe it's money from both his parents' life insurance? Since they never sued or mentioned suing the CCPD for wrongful imprisonment, I don't think Barry got any money from Central City. How much money did Thawne/Wells leave Barry?

7 hours ago, Trini said:

Barry was cute training Iris at the treadmill! And I get that they wanted to show him out of his element on comms, but he’s been shown to be a better speedster mentor than that. I’m glad Cisco got Iris out of the fire, because that’s what I was yelling at my screen!

They made so many parallels between Iris and Barry as Flashes! Loved that her lightning was purple, and of course Cisco has a spare mask handy.

<snip>

I loved that with Barry’s help, Iris was able to save the day with her new powers. Run, Iris, run! But it kinda emphasizes that it can be silly for the Flash to need instructions from HQ, when he/she is so powerful. Plus, they didn’t need Harry’s Thinking Cap in that situation; it could have been Barry’s suggestion.

The loft! It’s been soooo long! It was great to see Barry so supportive.

 

I loved Barry training Iris. And like @tennisgurl, I didn't mind his feeling sorry for himself, when on top of everything else, now his powers, which are a HUGE part of who he is, are taken away. But it's not like he was being passive aggressive toward Iris about it.  And I actually thought it was realistic for him not being able to tell Iris how to phase through the cement that landed on her leg. He discovered that on his own when there was time; here, there's fear and panic for his wife, while trying to figure out how to tell her to use the powers.  And it's not like Barry didn't go out on his own to test his powers when he first got them, either.

I think Iris thought it was exciting and kewl to have speed, and could have a better understanding how it is for Barry, and in this episode, they really were "THE FLASH!" But I don't think she would ever choose to be the Flash instead of Barry, if that makes sense. They did a helluva better job with Irish having speed than they did with giving "Lois" Clark's powers on Smallville. And yeah, I'm pointing that out, because Helbing is a Smallville alumni! Right @BkWurm1????

I do wish we'd seen Mystery Girl with Iris, though.

The Bad and the Ugly, not to mention the WHINING: Can Ralph go away now? Please? The way this show has subverted and perverted the character irks me to no end. I wanted to punch him and twist him up and throw him the car crusher for his ASSINESS toward Iris, accusing her of not knowing what it's like out there, and then proceeds to gorge on junk food and feel sorry for his dumb ass.

And like someone else posted upthread, when Wells said he knew the names of the remaining metas, that smile and look on his face? Very Season One Wells/Thawne!

 

Next week looks like another funny episode!

Edited March 14, 2018 by GHScorpiosRule

[Lady Calypso]

9 hours ago, Maverick said:

 - How long did Kim know he had this power?   How did he find out?  The way he was talking to the hot-headed Brit suggested he was trying to get close enough to take his powers away and he appeared to know he took the Flash's powers.  Yet later he seemed shocked he gave denim dude the fire powers.  

It is a good question. I think he knew that he could transfer powers. But I think his shock with giving Max Adler the fire powers is more that maybe he didn't realize that he touched him? Or maybe he thought that he just took away powers but not how or where they would go. But then did he really know that Iris would have The Flash's powers, or that he had just taken them away from The Flash and that's what he meant? I kind of would have liked a small flashback to when Matthew first discovered his ability; I think it would have answered some questions. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I'll need to rewatch. 

17 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I loved Barry training Iris. And like @tennisgurl, I didn't mind his feeling sorry for himself, when on top of everything else, now his powers, which are a HUGE part of who he is, are taken away. But it's not like he was being passive aggressive toward Iris about it.  And I actually thought it was realistic for him not being able to tell Iris how to phase through the cement that landed on her leg. He discovered that on his own when there was time; here, there's fear and panic for his wife, while trying to figure out how to tell her to use the powers.  And it's not like Barry didn't go out on his own to test his powers when he first got them, either.

I definitely don't blame Barry for cracking under the pressure. He did learn on his own, but he also had Eobard-as-Harrison walk him through a lot of his early training, especially out on the field. I know he also trained Jesse and a little of Wally, but for him, Iris is different. He panicked, just like Iris panicked. I felt like it was very realistic for Barry to completely freeze up, and I kind of like that he did. I'm kind of hoping that it's also taught him that he got too comfortable with powers and that he needs to step up in a leadership way. Plus, he's still said to be the creator of Gideon, right? I'd love to see smart, leader Barry again. 

And yeah, at least Barry wasn't like Wally last season. Barry needed some time to adjust not having powers, but he was completely supportive to Iris by the end of the episode. I could have done without Cisco's "my boy's back!" line, though. In that moment, it did feel like Iris being a speedster had been more of an inconvenience. I just felt like it was a bad misstep in the writing for that scene. 

[Racj82]

I don't care about Iris, what she is thinking or her with powers so this episode didn't mean much of anything to be. I'm not mad Iris got the focus. I just don't care or have any interest in it.

[tallykat]

56 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

10 hours ago, Maverick said:

 - How long did Kim know he had this power?   How did he find out?  The way he was talking to the hot-headed Brit suggested he was trying to get close enough to take his powers away and he appeared to know he took the Flash's powers.  Yet later he seemed shocked he gave denim dude the fire powers.  

It is a good question. I think he knew that he could transfer powers. But I think his shock with giving Max Adler the fire powers is more that maybe he didn't realize that he touched him? Or maybe he thought that he just took away powers but not how or where they would go. But then did he really know that Iris would have The Flash's powers, or that he had just taken them away from The Flash and that's what he meant? I kind of would have liked a small flashback to when Matthew first discovered his ability; I think it would have answered some questions. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I'll need to rewatch. 

What I got from Kim was that he knew he could take the powers away from the bad metas, but he wasn't aware that he gave them to others. He mentions that he thought he was doing a good thing, but was realizing that he was just transferring the power to someone else--which negated the good he thought he had done, at least in the one instance of the Flame. He didn't know about transferring the fire power and he didn't see Iris's reaction after he took Flash's power. So he thinks he's a fire extinguisher, not a relay switch. 

Although it wasn't specifically addressed, my guess is that he "holds" the meta power until he touches the next person. We could spend a season tracking down all the people who got powers transferred to them by Kim. I hope at the very least he doesn't die. He'd be a great guy to have around. For every bad meta locked up at IHP, we could find a willing hero-in-waiting. 

Hey, maybe that's how Iris and Barry can make some much needed money. Pimping out Melting Point's skills to hero wannabees. How much would Bruce Wayne pay to be a real metahuman?

Edited March 14, 2018 by tallykat

[GHScorpiosRule]

7 minutes ago, tallykat said:

How much would Bruce Wayne pay to be a real metahuman?

0. Because Bats doesn't care for powers. He's the GREATEST DETECTIVE and gets shit done with the toys he gets made. 

Not that I'm biased or anything...

[SevenStars]

1 hour ago, Lady Calypso said:

I could have done without Cisco's "my boy's back!" line, though. In that moment, it did feel like Iris being a speedster had been more of an inconvenience. I just felt like it was a bad misstep in the writing for that scene. 

I think this is the main reason Cisco didn't bother trying to come up with a name for Iris cause he saw it as a temporary inconvenience that would hopefully be fix as soon as possible. Everyone saw it as temporary and wanted it to be temporary and giving her a name would imply that it wasn't. 

[DearEvette]

Fun episode.  I agree with some others it would have been nice for it to have gone on for at least two episodes to feel a bit fuller.  To let Barry at first mourn and then come to terms with the loss of his powers.  To let Iris settle in to them and maybe let us see her realize she really doesn't want them.  As it was it was a little too much tell and not enough show.  But for all that it was still fun.  Except Ralph.

God, I hope he is a one and done character and we don;t have to be saddled with him again next season.  While he was busy shitting on her and hypocritically calling her a coward (dude, have you not seen all your own episodes?) I wish iris had forcefully reminded him that he'd only been with them for a nanosecond and knows nothing about what she has done 'in the field' with the team.  Hell just months ago she was helping to repel alterna-Earth Nazis. So he can have ten seats.  I think I would have been cheering for her reading him for filth as much as I did when she got to run with her purple flash if only they'd given her the opportunity.

 I really do hope this is a big sign that she is going back into journalism.  Their world needs to expand out of Star Labs and that would be one way to help that along.  Also she still needs to write that future article.

[tricknasty]

I feel bad for The Thinker's wife. Continuously being pimped out to the different meta's bodies that he inhabits. Then I remember that she is an accomplice in killing people and my sympathy evaporates.

[benteen]

2 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Fun episode.  I agree with some others it would have been nice for it to have gone on for at least two episodes to feel a bit fuller.  To let Barry at first mourn and then come to terms with the loss of his powers.  To let Iris settle in to them and maybe let us see her realize she really doesn't want them.  As it was it was a little too much tell and not enough show.  But for all that it was still fun.  Except Ralph.

God, I hope he is a one and done character and we don;t have to be saddled with him again next season.  While he was busy shitting on her and hypocritically calling her a coward (dude, have you not seen all your own episodes?) I wish iris had forcefully reminded him that he'd only been with them for a nanosecond and knows nothing about what she has done 'in the field' with the team.  Hell just months ago she was helping to repel alterna-Earth Nazis. So he can have ten seats.  I think I would have been cheering for her reading him for filth as much as I did when she got to run with her purple flash if only they'd given her the opportunity.

 I really do hope this is a big sign that she is going back into journalism.  Their world needs to expand out of Star Labs and that would be one way to help that along.  Also she still needs to write that future article.

Yes, I think this annoyed me more than anything.  Iris HAD put her life on the line many times over and I wish to hell she had used this to defend herself, not that she needs to defend herself to the likes of Ralph, a guy who constantly has to be dragged kicking and screaming into risking his life to help anyone.  It annoys me when the writers don't have characters like Iris, who has actually done something, defend themselves.  Barry usually deserves it when characters give it to him like that because it usually is because of something stupid he did that caused their current problems.  But Ralph's attack on Iris and Iris just taking it was ridiculous.

I was never a fan of Iris as a journalist though, as it feels like its something that too many characters do on these shows.

[GHScorpiosRule]

11 minutes ago, benteen said:

I was never a fan of Iris as a journalist though, as it feels like its something that too many characters do on these shows.

Like it or not, that

IS what her character is in the comics as well.

I'm hoping Iris writing a blog again will lead to her becoming a reporter again. The show can switch to on camera if they want.

What I find so hard to believe is that the precursor for all these shows, Smallville, was also filmed in Vancouver, probably didn't have the budget the current shows do, yet was able to use more sets, or make the sets they did have, look like different places. I don't understand how the current shows can't do that. I mean, that's the BIG reason for filming in Vancouver, right? It's cheaper?

[Quark]

I really liked this episode. Iris was amazing as The Flash and the visuals for this episode were quite stunning. Especially that thermocyclone and the tidal wave at the end of the episode.

I know she wasn't in this episode, and this is purely speculation on my part, but what if Mystery Girl turns out to be Joe and Cecile's daughter, making her Iris' sister? Mystery Girl hasn't had any scenes with any of them...

[Lady Calypso]

I'm smacking myself on the head because I didn't get why Iris' streak was purple until now: it's because the name Iris is also used for a colour, a shade of....you guessed it, purple.

[Cthulhudrew]

Is Iris still a reporter, or have they given up any pretense that she does anything else all day except sit around in the lab and provide timely inspiration to Barry?

 

ETA: NM. She notes that she did quit being a reporter.

Edited March 15, 2018 by Cthulhudrew

[sarthaz]

I liked them showing Barry panicking (twice) trying to do Iris's job. They should have spent an entire act having Iris list all the times she's been hunted my ruthless killers, or narrowly escaped death, or risked her life to save others, or provided the motivational speech that saved everyone.  Do an overlapping time-lapse thing where we see the hours tick by as day turns into night and she's still telling Ralph to STFU.

Can Matthew give Ralph's powers to ... anyone? He's such a whiny bitch. Hope DeVoe melts his brain.