BWW Recap: Never Mind the Trickster, Who the Heck Is Reverse Flash on THE FLASH?

A copy-cat villain (Devon Graye) takes up the moniker of "The Trickster" and Barry (Grant Gustin) and Det. West (Jesse L. Martin) team up with the original Trickster (Mark Hamill) to try and stop him. Grab a seat, we'll get you up to speed on tonight's ep, "Tricksters."

For those of you who missed the 1991 TV series based on the Scarlet Speedster, Mark Hamill (STAR WARS) turned in an iconic performance as the villain The Trickster (aka James Jesse). Hamill returns tonight to play the character again. It's yet another nod to the original series and as a fan of that series, I love being rewarded for sticking with a franchise --even if there is a two decade gap between series.

We open 15 years ago as two speedsters --one red and one yellow-- go racing toward the boyhood home of Barry. His mom (Michelle Harrison as Nora) tucks the young Barry (Logan Williams) into bed. THE FLASH and Reverse Flash (aka Harrison Wells, played by Tom Cavanagh) duke it out.

We cut to present day (before we see Nora get killed). Barry is investigating Wells. West thinks its too much of a coincidence that Barry's mom was killed by a speedster and Wells' machine turned Barry into a speedster. Barry is all for arresting him. West tells him that if Wells was involved, he has waiting 15 years for things to come to fruition and they need to be just as patient.

Meanwhile, on a playground, children and parents alike watch as boxes parachute down and then explode. One child reaches out to grab one of the packages as his father screams in horror. Barry pulls the boy out of harms way.

Atop a building, the new Trickster tapes a warning to the city. Cisco (Carlos Valdes) is pouting because the villain already named himself and Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) calls him out for it. Det. West corrects him. This is the second Trickster. The first is currently in prison and Barry and West are soon visiting him.

Not before Wells has a flashback. Barry lands a punch and speeds off, leaving Reverse Flash to be told by his virtual assistant that his suit has been drained of energy and he is stuck back in time. He takes off his mask. It isn't Wells, but rather the real Eobard Thawne (Matt Letscher). Good thing we had a comercial break. I needed it to pick up my jaw from the floor.

In prison, a guard hands a bag of red licorice to Barry and lets them into the Trickster's cell. Barry's analysis of the bombs from the playground is that they match the explosives in the bombs the Trickster set off 20 years ago. The original Trickster is mad that someone has swiped his bomb formula. He refuses to help, but does offer one tidbit: the new Trickster clearly stumbled upon his old hideout.

At the police station, Iris (Candice Patton) laments to her boyfriend Det. Eddie Thawne (Rick Cosnett) that her journalism mentor has gone missing and no one seems to care. Eddie tells her he's probably working on a story. Seeing as we saw Wells murder him last episode, we know that's not the case. She begs him to work on the case, but he's stuck investigating the Trickster.

In the Trickster's hideout, Barry and West find the Trickster's weapons storage completely cleaned out. They return to the prison. Which gives Barry a chance to chat with his dad (John Wesley Shipp) about how close he is to solving his mother's murder and freeing his dad.

The pair tell the Trickster that all of his weapons and gadgets are gone. Trickster is understandably upset. This isn't just the theft of things, it is the theft of his legacy. Oh, and maybe there was this bomb big enough to blow up the entire city.

Cisco rings Barry at the prison to send him the new Trickster's latest video blog. Barry shows the original Trickster the video. He screams at it. New Trickster is wearing old Trickster's mask.

Cisco gives props to ARROW's Felicity! New Trickster has masked where he uploaded the video in a manner similar to her. Wells pulls Barry aside. He knows what Barry has been thinking. Except he doesn't. He assumes Barry has been distant because the cast has brought him to the prison housing his dad.

Flashback 2: Harrison on the beach with Tess Morgan (Bre Blair). He is showing her his drawing for the lab that will be S.T.A.R. labs. The real Eobard Thawne watches them from a distance.

Iris is waiting at the coffee shop. THE FLASH shows up. She asks him to look into the disappearance of his co-worker. Cisco radios him that the new Trickster is broadcasting again. THE FLASH borrows Iris' laptop and speeds off (against Wells' wishes) to track down the new Trickster. Barry finds the box from the video.

The box is a decoy, though. New Trickster is at Iron Heights Prison. He detonates a bomb, blowing a hole in the floor and freeing the original Trickster. Oh, and Barry's dad has been taken hostage.

New Trickster is fawning over old Trickster, but doesn't understand why they took a hostage. Old Trickster explains that Henry is the father of a cop and in a jam, the father of a cop is leverage. And we have a STAR WARS shout out as old Trickster tells new Trickster "I am your father."

At S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry is lamenting about not listening to Wells. Everyone assures him they will get his dad back.

Flashback 3: Thawne has lined the road with nails, causing the car crash that killed Wells' wife. Thawne approaches the over-turned car. Wells pleads for help as his wife is dying. Thawne tells him "This woman has been dead for centuries."

Barry stares at the entrance to the metahuman prison at S.T.A.R. Labs and asks Det. West if his dad is alive. Joe tells him that the old Trickster took Barry's dad as leverage. They also have a heart to heart about Wells.

Iris is at a gala and takes a glass of champagne from old Trickster (disguised as a waiter). He is joined by new Trickster who tells him they are almost out of champagne. Old Trickster tells him "The fun is about to begin." He tells the crowd at the fundraiser if they don't give him money, he won't give them the antidote for the poison he put in the champagne. The first guy to the event drops dead. Old Trickster tells them to call their banks and wire all the money to him. Barry races to the fundraiser to confront old Trickster. New Trickster clamps a bomb on Barry. If THE FLASH goes below 600 miles per hour, he blows up.

He runs and radios the Lab. Wells tells him to run into a wall. If he vibrates fast enough, he should be able to pass through a wall, leaving the bomb behind him. He does it and the bomb falls away. He next speeds back to the fundraiser, giving everyone the antidote and then rushes off to save his dad.

Then it's back to the Lab for a victory lap. Dad gives Caitlin a hug and thanks Wells for everything he did for his son. Joe takes Henry back to prison (he leaves the cuffs off, though). Barry tells Wells he is lucky to have him and shakes his hand. He turns and the smile fades from his face. He clearly does not trust Wells.

Final flashback: Wells is trying to pull himself out of the wreckage. Thawne grabs him and tosses him to the ground. Thawne takes out a device and stabs Wells with one end and then himself with the other. Thawne absorbs Wells' body and becomes him.

Joe meets with Eddie. He needs his help. THE FLASH arrives and takes off his mask. Eddie is shocked.

Eddie meets with Iris and tells her that Mason Bridge left for Brazil. Joe and Barry arrive home. Iris gets up to make dinner. Eddie asks what their next move is. Barry tells them after Wells' pep talk to get him to vibrate through matter that Wells is Reverse Flash.

And with that, our episode ends. THE FLASH returns with new episodes on April 14. Comment below and follow me @triggercric and follow @BWWTVWorld for all the latest updates, scoops and recaps.

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