Barry screams in anger as Zoom kills Henry in front of him. He goes to his father and pleads with him not to leave him, but Henry is gone. Zoom reminds Barry that family is a weakness, and figures that he feels the anger. He insists that now the two of them are the same, and Barry slams him against the wall. Zoom tells him to us his anger like he did, and streaks across the city. Barry goes after him, and the two of them run through the streets. They fight across the city and Barry finally beats Zoom, who tells him to embrace his anger. When Barry hesitates to deliver the death blow, another Zoom arrives and kills the first one. Barry realizes that the first Zoom was a time remnant, and the original Zoom tells him that he's almost ready before speeding off.
Later, Barry and his friends attend Henry's funeral. Once the priest leaves, Barry is unable to say anything in Henry's honor. He steps back, and Joe talks about how Henry lost his wife and his son, and was proof that love can get anyone through the darkest of days. Barry puts a rose on his father's coffin and vows to find Zoom and take from him what he took from Henry.
That night at home, Wally brings Barry some food. Barry isn't hungry, and Wally says that he had no idea Barry was Flash. He offers his condolences and offers anything he can, and Barry thanks him. He then tells the others that that they need to come up with a plan to defeat Zoom, and Cisco wonders what else their opponent can do that may cause the destruction of Earth Two. Barry goes out to get some air, and Iris goes after him. Outside, Barry talks about how he had finally come to grips with Nora's death only to lose Henry. He wonders how he can find peace with that, and Iris says that he's going to have to find a way or it will tear apart. She takes his hand and Zoom runs by.
Barry runs after him and finds Zoom waiting for him. He says that there's always more to take, and whether he kills Barry's friends is up to Barry. Zoom says that the two of them have to race to see which of them is the fastest. If Barry wins then he gets to be the hero. If he doesn't then Zoom will kill the others. He says that he'll be waiting and speeds off.
The next day at S.T.A.R. Labs, the team tries to work out what Zoom is up to. Harry examines the Magnetar that is being developed at Mercury Labs. It can act as a pulsar, and Cisco recognizes the energy blasts from his vibe of Earth Two's destruction. With the right power source--Barry--it can destroy a universe. Caitlin notes that Zoom boasted of how many Earths he conquered, and they realize that Zoom wants to take out every other world in the multiverse. Barry realizes that he has no choice but to race Zoom... and win.
Later, Joe finds Barry and tells him not to race Zoom. He says that they have the advantage because Zoom needs Barry, but Barry refuses to let another person he loves die. Joe figures that Barry wants to kill Zoom, and Barry angrily says that he wants Zoom to suffer for everything that he's done. He figures that he has to do whatever it takes... and Harry stuns him out with a pulse rifle.
Barry wakes up in a pipeline cell and sees the others outside. Joe says that Barry is too angry and he'll lose without a plan, and Harry says that if Barry races Zoom on his terms then Barry will lose. They all decided together, and Harry says that it's for Barry's own good. They seal the cell and walk away. Joe wonders if they made the right call, and Iris says that they did.
Back at the cortex, Harry says that it will be hard to take down Zoom without Barry. Cisco locates Zoom at an industrial park, and Harry tells Caitlin that everyone would understand if she stayed behind. She figures that she can get through to the human part of Zoom. The team reviews the plan: Caitlin distracts Zoom while Joe and Harry hit him with the boot. Cisco will open the breach and they'll send Zoom through it, and Harry will destroy the Magnetar. Joe tells the others that they stick with the plan no matter what.
As Harry packs in his room, Jesse wonders what's happens after they stop Zoom. She points out that he cares about the people on earth one a lot, but all of her friends are on Earth two. When it's over, she's going to go back home. She understands if Harry stays, and says that seeing him happy is all that she ever wanted for him.
At the industrial park, the team moves into position. Caitlin goes in and calls to Zoom, who is working on the stolen Magnetar. He runs outside to where Caitlin is waiting, and she says that she came alone. Zoom reminds her of what he said if she left her, and Caitlin asks for the chance to explain. She says that she made a mistake and she's sorry that she abandoned him, but she didn't want to accept that there's a dark side to her. As they move toward each other, Caitlin says that she's ready to accept who she is. Zoom says that he knew she'd come around eventually but tells her that it's too late and attacks... and discovers that "Caitlin" is a hologram.
Joe fires the boot and Cisco opens a breach. The gun jams and Joe runs forward and jams the tranquilizer darts into Zoom's shoulders. Harry runs out and fires the pulse rifle, knocking Zoom back into the breach, and it closes behind him... and he pulls Joe in with him.
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Cisco tries to get a vibe of Joe without success because Zoom is on the move. Harry and Jesse return and warn that Zoom set up the Magnetar so that if they do anything then it activates. Wally arrives and Iris tells him what happened. He's surprised that they tried to stop Zoom without Barry, and Iris says that if they got Zoom off of Earth One then they would close the breaches no matter what. Wally refuses to lose his father and walks off.
On Earth Two, Joe wakes up to find himself chained up in Zoom's lair. He tells Zoom to kill him and get it over with, and says that he made sure that Barry won't race. Zoom glances over at the prisoner in the iron mask, and tells Joe that explaining who it is would just confuse him. Joe tells him to do it anyway, and Zoom says that after he gained his powers, he soon conquered Earth Two. He created Velocity-9 to make himself fast enough to travel to other universes, and one day he found the prisoner on another Earth and found he was a speedster. The V-9 was killing him and he searched for a cure, and the Speed Force has been sending its wraith enforcers ever since. Zoom was unable to steal the prisoner's speed, but then he saw Barry and stole his speed. He keeps the prisoner there as a trophy, and borrowed his name to become a hero: Jay Garrick. Once he defeats Barry, he'll lock him up in a cage as well.
Wally releases Barry and says that he needs his help. The team realizes that Barry has escaped, just as Barry runs in with Wally. Harry insists that there's nothing that they could do, and Barry says that they don't get to decide for him and Wally if Joe is sacrificed. Caitlin says that she understands, and reminds Barry that he was the one who kept her in check when she lost Ronnie. Harry warns Barry that he will lose against Zoom if he's too angry, but Barry says that they're running out of time and he's going to go ahead with or without their help.
Cisco rigs up the vibe goggles and says that he'll vibe Barry to Earth Two. They go ahead and Barry finds himself in the other universe. He appears as an image in Zoom's lair and says that he'll race, but he wants Joe back unharmed. Zoom says that he'll release Joe once they race, and Barry agrees.
Later, the team goes to the industrial park and meets Zoom with Joe. Harry says that they know what his plan is, but Zoom says that Earth One is at the center of the multiverse. It is the access point to every other Earth in existence. Once he triggers the explanation, it will destroy every universe except Earth One's. He leaves them to say their goodbyes, and Barry assures Iris and Wally that he'll save Joe. They refuse to leave Barry on his own, and Harry tells Barry that they believe in him. Iris tells Barry to kick Zoom's ass, and Zoom returns.
Zoom explains that they will have to run 500 times to provide enough power to activate the Magnetar. Once it's full, there is no stopping it. To stop Zoom, Barry has to kill him.
The two speedsters run around the loop of the Magnetar. As he runs, Flash creates a time remnant and it frees Joe. Zoom realizes what he's doing and tackles the original, and says that he's too late. However, the remnant keeps running and Harry realizes that he's trying to send the Magnetar out of phase to counteract the destructive way. However, he realizes that Flash will die.
In the loop, the remnant disintegrates and the energy wave shuts down the explosion. Meanwhile, Flash attacks Zoom and finally takes him down. Zoom points out that Flash is a hero and couldn't kill him before, and won't kill him now. The wraiths soar out of the breach and Flash steps back. The creatures take Zoom and age him in a matter of seconds, hauling him away back through the breach.
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, the team explains the concept of time remnants to Wally. Barry figures that creating the remnant would draw the wraiths and they'd go for Zoom rather than him. Caitlin points out that the remnant died, and Barry says that he was willing to sacrifice himself for all of them. Harry and Cisco are arguing and removing the iron mask from Jay. They realize that he looks just like Henry. Barry can't take the shock and walk out in the hallway, crying. Joe joins him and Barry explains Henry said that his mother's name was Garrick.
Once Barry gets control of himself, he returns to the cortex. Cisco confirms that there was a dampener in the mask, and Jay destroys it with his superspeed. Harry says that on their Earth the Flash's helmet stood for hope. Jay plans to continue the sentiment and put the helmet on, and he thanks all of them for saving him from Zoom. Harry says that they'll help him get to his home of Earth Three via Earth Two, and tells Jesse that they're going home together.
In the breach room, Harry tells Caitlin that she's a tremendous scientist but a better person. After they hug, Harry tells Joe to take care of his kids. He hugs Barry and says that he's a better man because of Barry, and Cisco says that he'll stop in to visit Harry occasionally. Harry calls him by his first name for the first time, while Jesse says her goodbyes to Wally and they hug. Cisco opens a breach and Jay takes Harry and Jesse through.
Later at home, Barry watches the others watching TV together. He goes outside and Iris goes after him. Barry explains that seeing Henry's doppelganger should have made it easier for him, but it doesn't. He wonders why he lost against Zoom, and Iris says that he's lost a lot in his life. However, she figures that seeing where their relationship can go will give him something for a time. Barry says that he feels more broken then he's ever felt in his life, and he needs to find some peace or he has nothing to offer. Iris says that he waited for years for her, and Iris says that she'll wait for him as long as it takes. When Barry gets back from wherever he has to go, she'll be there. With that, they kiss and Barry says that he'll always love her.
Once Iris goes inside, Barry looks in the window at his friends and says that he has to do it, and then races off through time. He travels back to the moment when Nora died and attacks Reverse Flash, defeating him before he can kill Nora. He then turns to his watching time traveling self from a year ago, who smiles and then vanishes.Flash assures Nora that he won't hurt her and says that she's safe.
Written by Gadfly on May 25, 2016