The Flash Recap: Run, Iris, Run (4x16)
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Team Flash is still searching for the remaining bus metas created when Barry returned from the Speed Force. Worried that Clifford DeVoe will take their powers and kill them, they’re desperate to find the metahumans before him.
Harry comes up with a plan to create his own intelligence booster, or Thinking Cap, as Cisco names it. While most of the team agrees with the idea, Cisco is worried that Harry will turn into a madman like DeVoe. Harry insists that it’s the only way to beat DeVoe and begins working on the project without Cisco’s help.
Ralph is increasingly worried that DeVoe will find him and decides to stay in the lab. Iris attempts to comfort him, but Ralph responds by questioning her value to the team. In his eyes, she’s not willing to risk her own life even though she expects it from the others.
Meanwhile, Eric Fry, a meta who attempts to rob a bank, has his powers stripped by Matthew Kim. Iris decides to go interview Matthew with Joe, but when Matthew gets upset and threatens Iris’s life, Barry joins them as the Flash. Matthew touches Barry and Iris, transferring the speedster powers from Barry to Iris.
Once Caitlin confirms that the powers were transferred with no other complications, the team realizes that Matthew’s – nicknamed Melting Point – powers could potentially stop DeVoe if they can get Matthew on their team.
Before they can find Matthew, a building fire breaks out downtown and Iris decides to help as Flash. She successfully rescues the trapped citizens but then gets stuck when a beam collapses. Cisco saves her, which leads Iris to admit to Barry that she agrees with Ralph to an extent; she wants to be out there helping people.
In the episode’s climax, we find that a customer from the bank robbery acquired Fry’s meta powers from Matthew and is now threatening Central City. Matthew attempts to stop him, but things get out of hand when Iris arrives. The meta creates a firestorm and Team Flash struggles to find a solution. Harry puts on his in-progress Thinking Cap to develop a plan, despite Cisco’s worries. Based on Harry’s calculations, Barry coaches Iris into creating a tidal wave, extinguishing the fire and defeating the meta.
Matthew returns to the lab with the team and switches the speedster powers back to Barry. The team tells Matthew that his powers may be able to stop DeVoe and he agrees to help.
When all is back to normal, Iris and Ralph have a heart-to-heart. Iris helps Ralph realize it’s no good to give into the fear, just as she didn’t give in to her fear of Savitar the previous year. Ralph decides to leave the lab and continue the DeVoe charade.
The episode’s closing teaser reveals Cisco and Harry pushing the safety boundaries of the Thinking Cap. Just as Cisco turns it off, Harry discovers the last two names of the bus metas.
-kanderson 03.24.2018