This excellent Kevin Smith-directed episode of The Flash was one of the best of the season and it all because of the emotional punch it gave me. I haven’t cried this much over a Flash episode since the season 1 finale. Grant Gustin and Michelle Harrison just have such great mother-son chemistry that their scenes together are just so heartfelt and heartbreaking at the same time.

Before we get to the scene where tears were flowing down my face, let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.

Divide and Conquer

We pick up immediately moments after the last episode ended. Harry, Iris, Joe and Henry are mourning Barry’s death but Cisco vibes on Barry’s suit and sees that he is okay but trapped in another dimension.

However, Harry has other things on his mind as Jesse is in a coma, similar to Barry’s after being hit by the particle accelerator blast. Luckily, Wally is okay but later Joe suspects that his son might be a meta-human but so far he isn’t.

Another problem caused by the particle accelerator explosion part 2 was that Girder has come back to life, whom Cisco dubbed “iZombie” of course this is an in joke as Greg Finlay also appeared on that show as Liv’s love interest.

So the team divides and conquers to deal with all the fires going. Henry is tasked to look at Eobard Thawne’s files on Barry while he was on a coma to see how he can help Jesse.

Cisco and Harry are tasked to open a breach to bring back Barry. So Cisco vibes and Harry manages to manipulate the vibe energy to open a breach to try and bring Barry back. Cisco does see Barry and tries to get him to come back but he doesn’t. More on that later.

Joe and Iris will deal with Girder as the two determine that he is after Iris because of their last encounter where he kept on hitting on her. So Iris is going to lure Girder back to STAR Labs. Iris successfully does bring Girder back and Cisco attempts to use STAR Labs’ MRI machine to use Girder’s metallic skin against him. However, it doesn’t work and Girder is banging on the door itching to get in the room where the particle accelerator explosion part 2 occurred.

In the Speed Force

So where the Barry end up after the last episode. We see Barry wake up in his childhood bedroom that is filled with dinosaur toys, posters and the book “The Runaway Dinosaur”. When Barry makes his way down the stairs, he finds Joe at a crime scene. However, this isn’t Joe but is the Speed Force. Barry needs to go back home to his friends, family and city to protect it from Zoom. “Joe” says he isn’t going anywhere until he catches a speedster zooming outside.

When Barry tries to run after it, he ends up in the park were he first kissed Iris before he changed time. This time the speed force is now in the form of Iris, who berates him for giving up his speed. Barry says he didn’t give up his speed but did so to save someone’s life.

When Barry sees the breach that Cisco has opened, he is tempted to go back but when “Iris” explains that if he goes back, he won’t have his powers back.

So Barry continues to chase after the speedster. Barry ends up in the Central City Cemetery. The speed force is now his father. “Henry” berates Barry for not visiting his mom’s grave since she was killed. This is where the first tears were shed. Barry still wonders if he made the right decision not to save his mom. “Henry” questions Barry on that decision and if he rather save his mom versus all the other lives the Flash saved. Barry had enough of this conversation and returns home.

And this is where the floodgates open. The scene between Barry and the speed force as Nora just made me cry. “Nora” tells Barry that his mom is proud of him but that he should no longer feel guilty about her death. More tears are shed as mother and son read “The Runway Dinosaur” together about a dinosaur, whose mother will always be there for him. “Nora” tells Barry that he is ready, presumably to go back. Barry catches the speedster and it is Barry dressed as the Flash.

Back at STAR Labs, Team Flash realize they need the Flash to stop Girder. So Cisco vibes again but bring Iris with him to convince Barry to come back.

The breach opens, Barry takes one look back at his mom. Iris appears asking Barry to come back home to her. The two grasp hands and he is back.

Hugs are to be had but the reunion is cut short as Barry has to deal with Girder. Barry uses his speed to turn the MRI back on and manages to take down Girder.

Barry goes to the infirmary to see Jesse and touches her. Electric current passes between the two and Jesse wakes up. Harry believes it was the speed force that woke Jesse up. I think everyone thinks that Jesse is now a speedster.

As Henry gives Barry and checkup, he tells his son that he isn’t going anywhere and he is here to stay.

Barry and Iris visits Nora’s grave. Barry tells Iris that he always made an excuse not to visit his mom’s grave. Barry lays down flowers and a copy of “The Runaway Dinosaur”. Barry then tells Iris that he may not know what is going on between them but that he will always come back to her.

Coda

After being MIA for most of the episode, we see Jay/Hunter/Zoom has made the CCPD his new home. Caitlin is still Jay’s prisoner and is being held in Barry’s lab. Jay pretty much tells Caitlin it is either him or her friends. Jay is stepping away to talk to some people and if he sees Caitlin gone then he will know she chose her friends and will show no mercy.

Zoom makes his speech about making Earth-1 theirs and crushing humans and we see that he has assembled a whole bunch of meta humans that if I was a true DC Comics fan, could ID most of them. Meanwhile, Caitlin is listening to the speech with horror on her face.

Only one more episode left till the season finale.