It’s Flash vs Zoom in Our Episode 2.18 Recap!

On Earth-2, many years ago, we see young Jay (actually young Hunter) who witnesses his abusive father attack his mother. Jay’s dad hints that he was a soldier fighting in a war, and his outfit reflects that and also looks like Jay’s Flash outfit. In his rage, his father kills his mother and Jay is forced to go to an orphanage in town. Meanwhile, in the present and on Earth-1, Barry prepares to test the tacheon enhancer by running from Keystone to Central City. During his journey, he pops in and out of a wormhole and paid a visit to Supergirl over on CBS (read all about that by clicking here!) but when he arrives at STAR Labs everyone congratulates him, he’s finally faster than Zoom. The team begins to think of ways to open the breach, except for Wells who wants no part in that nightmare. Iris prepares to leave, having a date with her editor, but the sexual tension between her and Barry reaches a fever pitch.

At the West house, Barry brought back pizza. Joe invites him to watch racing with him and Wally, but he’s got to get back to the lab to find a way to open the breaches, since Wells won’t help. Wally soon arrives, revealing he moved off campus from school since he can no longer afford it. He refuses Joe’s offer for money, however. Back to the lab again, where Barry has an idea and asks Wells to explain Cisco’s doppelganger’s powers. Reverb could see though dimensions and find breachers, but also fire vibrations from his hands. If Cisco can do that, and do it with enough power, he could probably open a breach. Cisco agrees to try, but nothing happens just yet.

Later that night, Dr. Wells arrives at the West house and asks Joe if he’s found anything about locating Jessi, but no dice. He then asks for a favor – convince Barry not to open the breach. Joe laughs, knowing it’s a fool’s task, and counters Wells’ favor with one of his own: go with Barry and help him. Barry and Cisco go to an old children’s hospital which has high amounts of transdimensional energy, and Barry promises if it doesn’t work he’ll stop asking. Wells arrives with suped-up Reverb goggles for Cisco, and when he tries again… it works! On Earth-2 though, Jay can sense it and heads to the location to watch the breach open. Cisco panics, however, and takes off the glasses and demands they don’t ask him to do this again.

Back at STAR, Wells completes a smaller version of the Tacheon enhancer, and no one quite knows where Cisco is. Joe and Iris arrive to lend a hand, and Iris goes with Caitlin to the medbay. Barry and Joe talk about Wally, and he spells it out for Joe: Wally wants to live with you. While observing the two of them talking, Iris reveals she bailed on her date the other night and can’t stop thinking that she and Barry are meant to be together. Later, Wally arrives at the West house and finds Joe upstairs, who has prepared a room for him. Wally agrees to move in, and thanks Joe as “Dad.”

Barry finally finds Cisco, tinkering with something, and he learns what’s actually wrong. In Star Wars parlance, Cisco is worried that this is his moment of turning to the dark side, but Barry counters that his Doppelganger didn’t have what Cisco has, friends who are his family. He also goes on to point out all the new abilities he’s learned over the past two years and how none of them made him evil. Convinced, Cisco agrees to try again. Wells puts the smaller Tacheon device on Barry’s suit in the main hub. Barry tries to comfort Caitlin, who is uneasy about all this and her past relationship with Jay. She goes on to mention his Earth-1 doppelganger wasn’t named Jay at all, but Hunter Zolomon. This perks up Wells’ ears, who explains Hunter Zolomon was a serial killer on Earth-2 who was undergoing shock therapy treatments when the particle accelerator exploded, giving him his powers. Now they have the power to one-up Zoom, since they know who he really is.

The group hides out in the Time Vault while Barry and Cisco gear up. Cisco opens the breach and Zoom promptly hops through, and the chase is on. Barry keeps Zoom behind him for the most part and leads him to STAR Labs where the trap is set. They run around and Barry triggers two cardboard cut outs that look like Zoom’s parents (just go with it), which dazes him enough for Barry to get some swings in and then brace him to the ground with Wells’ invention. Zoom asks how they found out everything and Barry explains it all, and Zoom counters that he and Barry’s origin isn’t all that different. Maybe Barry could have become him. Barry retorts with family not being a weakness for everyone. This prompts Zoom to go full bad guy, never go full bad guy, and turn his eyes black and growl about darkness. He sets himself free and runs off, and despite Barry’s enhancements, he gets away. Barry, Joe and Iris arrive home to find the place trashed and a message upstairs: “Your speed for Wally.” Zoom holds Wally on Earth-2 and tells him only The Flash can help him. When he reveals he doesn’t know The Flash, Zoom reveals that someone The Flash cares about cares about him. It’s goofy.

At STAR Labs the team is at a loss, no ideas really. Barry, however, says he’ll do what Zoom asks. They go to the main hub and he hands Cisco Jay’s helmet, allowing him to vibe on Earth-2 and deliver the message: Barry will do it. They prepare for Zoom’s arrival and Cisco opens a breach. Zoom arrives with Wally in hand and peels his mask away. Wells begins working on his tech to siphon Barry’s speed, allowing Jay a chance for super-exposition, explaining he found a version of himself in the past (a time remnant like Eobard Thawne earlier this season) in order to maintain appearances and “kill” himself in front of them. Wells returns, ready to do the deed. Barry hops on the treadmill and begins running, and his power flows into the vial. Once it’s full, Barry collapses and Jay injects himself and becomes even faster than before. He runs in and grabs Barry by the throat, only for Caitlin to plead with him to stop, especially if anything they shared was real. Jay drops Barry, but grabs Caitlin on his way out.

You can watch a preview for next week’s episode, titled “Back to Normal,” using the player below.