The Flash S03E11 Recap

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.

This episode is the best and greatest argument for why Barry should never have told Iris that she is going to die. Who knew that she had it in her to be far more reckless than Wally?

The writers of this show seem to have finally remembered that Iris actually has a job; a life beyond being Barry’s girlfriend, Joe’s daughter and Wally’s sister. Seriously, it feels like forever since we last saw her being a reporter. She decides to follow a lead about an arms dealer who is supplying criminals with very advanced weaoponry, despite Joe, Barry and even Wally telling her it’s a bad idea. She promises not to, but we all knew that that was a lie.

When not just Joe but Barry and Wally – Wally! – tells you shouldn’t do something, you should listen Iris!

The only part of Iris’s little misadventure that I enjoyed was when she almost gave Joe a heart attack. His reaction was priceless! Pretending to talk about wanting to have children, then reframing it as a conversation about what kind of pet to get Barry was an amazing and hilarious distraction tactic.

Other than that, I was quite annoyed with her. Especially when she walked right up to thr arms dealer and dared him to kill her. That was the stupidest, most reckless, most ridiculous thing she has ever done in the entirety of this show. I get that she was confident that she would not die because, thanks to Barry, she knows exactly how and when she will, but that does not mean she is to throw her life away.

I understand her angst and I would have been able to sympathise with her if her reasoning for her behaviour was “I’m going to die anyway, so what’s the point of being careful.” That would have been believable. That would have made me feel for her. But the writers decided “I’m not afraid of dying; I’m afraid of dying and not making me mark on the world and making a name for myself” is far more compelling.

It’s not.

That in and of itself is not a bad reason. But the lengths she went to were too far for that to be a reasonable justification. She told someone to kill her because she wants to be memorable outside of Team Flash. She says she wants to make a difference in the world before she dies, but writing that story doesn’t exactly accomplish that. The way she wants to “make a difference” comes off more like she is just trying to be famous.

Cisco fell for yet another bad girl and this time it was Gypsy; the Collector from Earth-19. Only Cisco would flirt with someone and ask them on a date when they’re attacking him and his friends. Clearly he was distracted by her beauty when he agreed to the trial by combat.

Considering how mean he’s been to HR it was confusing that he would then turn around and risk his life for him. Even more so when his lack of experience as a fighter and the fact that he doesn’t have much of a grip on or understanding of his powers are factored in. It really would have made more sense for Barry to do it. But as Gypsy demonstrated earlier, she had her ways of literally stopping a speedster in his tracks.

Ignoring all of that, though, it was nice that Cisco got a moment to shine and once he explained why he was putting his life on the line for HR it made a bit more sense. His relationship with the Wellses is complicated.

Fie on Barry – and HR – for going behind Cisco’s back and trying to take care of Gypsy himself. That was contradictory to his expression of confidence in Cisco and the fact that he did it because of his own feelings of inadequacy makes it even worse. He made it about him. HR and Cisco’s lives were on the line and he put them – HR more than Cisco – in greater jeopardy because he was feeling insecure.

I don’t think Cisco actually won the trial by combat. The rules said that it was a fight to the death. Not that Cisco would ever have killed her, but in such a situation knocking her on her butt would not and should not be enough to qualify as a victory. If he had knocked her out, sure, but not getting one good punch in. That really didn’t make any sense.

From the moment that Julian said, at the beginning of the episode, that Barry is not progressing quickly enough to reach the speed he needs to in order to save Iris in time, I said to myself that they should have Wally do it. Why it took Barry until the end of the episode to think of that is beyond me. Why Julian didn’t think of that at all is beyond me. It was the obvious solution.

Random thoughts:

1. Iris: “I’m still a journalist Barry.” Really? You don’t seem to do it much anymore.
2. Joe is already noticing her odd behaviour. He’ll find out very soon.
3. Barry: “How do we ever know if our actions now will impact the future?” You’re worried about his now?! Also, I don’t know, have Cisco vibe you to the future again maybe?
4. Trial by combat? Is her Earth Westeros?
5. Please never teach Julian to be a better person.
6. If this is 24 hours later why is it a different time of day?
7. When is Cisco going to get a long term love interest?
8. I do not like Cisco’s suit.

The Flash airs Tuesdays at 8 PM on The CW.