BWW Recap: The FLASH, Don't Hold Your Breath. On Second Thought... You Should

This week's episode of CW's new hit series THE FLASH started off with Barry Allen and his best friend (and secret crush) Iris out for a fun night at the movies. The night is interrupted only momentarily when Barry is notified of a runaway car nearby. In a flash (pun 100% intended) he whooshes the criminal out of the driver's seat and into the back of a police car... and still gets back to Iris before she hangs up the phone on her boyfriend.

Meanwhile, an oddly mysterious meeting occurs in a local restaurant that ends in homicide by poisonous gas. The catch? There is no proof that gas was ever used. Sounds like a case for the folks over at S.T.A.R. Labs.

It is determined that the gas that killed those people was a metahuman- The Mist, as Cisco calls him. Kyle Nimbus, the man behind the Mist alias, was a death row inmate who was in the middle of his death sentence when the particle accelerator malfunctioned and he as transformed by it. His newfound ability to turn himself into a poisonous gas (the type that he ironically was supposed to inhale to die), added to his desire for revenge, made him this week's villain. His hit list included his three family members who turned on him during his trial (the people he suffocated in the beginning of the episode), the judge who sentenced him to the death penalty (whom he killed in a mall elevator), and one Joe West. I'll get to Joe in a bit. But, let's backtrack a little bit.

This episode gave us a better look at what happened the night the particle accelerator flew off the handle. Caitlyn's story in particular was intriguing because we were able to see her last moments with her fiance Ronnie Raymond, who helped build the accelerator. Caitlyn let Barry in on the emotioanl ride that she's been on since she lost her fiance, and the two bond over losing loved ones; forming a friendship that I think will only strengthen as the season progresses. Seeing how scared she was when Barry went after the Mist at the mall was a great way to show how well (and quickly) they've bnded, but my favorite moment had to be when he walked her down the hall to the particle accelerator, where she spoke to Ronnie that one final time. Caitlyn always seems so strong and guarded, and seeing her be vulnerable with Barry was a really touching moment.

When Barry found out that he was too late to save the judge in the elevator, his confidence was knocked down a few pegs. Joe helped him realize that he can't possibly save everybody, and that the hardest part of the job is living with knowing that, as well as living with the guilt when you make a mistake (referring to the fourteen years Barry's dad has spent in prison under false pretenses).

After talking to Barry, Joe decides to visit Henry... a trip that was LONG overdue. A bit hostile at first, the two old friends seemed genuinely relieved that the other was okay. Ironically, that was the exact moment The Mist arrived to take care of Joe. Luckily, Barry got there in the knick of time with an antidote for the poisonous gas that Nimbus evaporates into. The serum was supposed to be used to destroy the Mist, but was used to save Joe's life. After an exhausting battle, Barry was able to get Kyle to remain in human form long enough to lock him into S.T.A.R. Labs' make-shift prison... the particle accelerator. Seemingly done with a hard day's work, the team goes their separate ways. Cisco almost tells Caitlyn something (important, I'm guessing, by the serious face he was wearing; then again, when does Cisco ever not have a serious face?) but decides against it. Joe is still recovering from the attack when his daughter and his partner finally reveal their relationship to him... only to have him reveal that he's already known.

In the last scene of the episode we see the always allusive Harrison Wells, in a flashback, going into his secret room to watch Barry get struck by the lightning that fateful day nine months ago. I don't know abut you, but I cannot figure out if this guy is a friend or foe. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!

Once again, the CW has left me begging for more. I guess I'll just have to wait until next Tuesday. THE FLASH airs at 8/7c.

Check out a sneak peek at next week's episode below:

Photo Credit: The CW

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