THE FLASH - SEASON 6.18

REVIEW:  THE FLASH - SEASON 6.18:  "Pay the Piper"


Well, due to production being halted, Season 6 of The Flash is going to end next week.  So, what we're going to see the next couple of weeks will definitely be fast paced, and set us on a path for Season 7.  But for now, we pick up from last week, where Barry finally outed the Fake Iris, who actually wanted to achieve sentient status, and be "alive".  Thus going against Eva's plan, and Eva was forced to destroy her.  And, using a drop of Bloodwork's blood, Eva was able to escape the Mirror Universe, and begin to lay HER master plan to work.  Barry's speed is all but gone, Carver still has HIS mischievous plans afoot, and Iris is still stuck in the Mirror Universe, looking to find a way back, but she has to find Kamilla and Singh first.  Joe is in Witness Protection, and something is wrong with Caitlin.  We also connected more dots to Carver by way of Sue Dearbon, who was trying to stop Carver from extorting her parents...and now Ralph is trying to help her out.  What more lurks on the horizon for Team Flash, as things get seemingly worse---especially now that an old foe has come back to pay a visit....

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Well...with one final chapter to go, this week's installment of our Scarlet Speedster put a lot of focus on what Team Flash has lost this year, and the trials they have all faced prior to Crisis, and now beyond.  Barry is feeling down and has severe doubts about himself, because he didn't figure out that the Iris he was with was a fake...and Cisco is feeling the same way in regards to Kamilla.  Nash is suffering HIS loss, and as much as he wants to make good with Allegra, she's still resistant.  Cecile misses Joe, and Iris is stuck in the Mirror Universe, where she's starting to suffer the same effects as Eva did.  

Iris, having felt the effects of trying to focus on things in the Mirror Universe, is beginning to suffer from the same effects as Eva: headaches, blurriness, and the itching sensation on the arms.  She begins recording a message for Barry...just in case he makes it to the Mirror Universe, only to find that she is gone.  She knows she has to find Kamilla and Singh, and thus begins her search.  She winds up in the mirror version of STAR Labs, where she finds Kamilla.  After having to convince her she's the real deal, they go over what happened, and how they feel.  Kamilla notices that Iris is having trouble, and Iris tells her what Eva said.  Kamilla isn't suffering from it, because she hasn't been there as long as Iris has, so the pain hasn't begun to really take effect yet.  Iris gets pained, and can't stay in the lab, so she takes off, with Kamilla chasing her.  

Barry's day started off with him finding Joe, who'd been sitting and thinking about everything that transpired, while he's in Witness Protection.  Barry and him discuss the Fake Iris, and what happened in his apartment.  They both feel dumb for being played, and should've seen the signs, but there's no time for that.  He later on tells the team about what happened, and they all realize that Kamilla and Singh were also taken.  Cisco is upset because he feels played as well.  Allegra feels pressure because SHE is now in charge of The Citizen until Iris returns.  Ralph tries to be reassuring, but it's not helping.  However, HE gets a call, and has to take off...to see Frost, who feels that her time is coming to an end.  Frost explains that she's never met Carla, Caitlin's mother, and Ralph tries to explain that it's HER mother as well, but she thinks that Carla will reject her.  Ralph tells her that she's giving up, and shouldn't just throw in the towel.  He snaps at her and bails...leaving much for Frost to think about.

Things don't get better for Team Flash, as Godspeed returns, looking for Flash's speed.  He tries to take it, but gets blasted by Nash for his troubles.  He warns Flash he'll be back and takes off.  Barry, Cisco, and Nash find out that he tried to take Barry's speed by using sonics, and if they can use that to their advantage, they MAY have a way of getting into the Mirror Universe.  However, there's only ONE person that is an expert on sonic manipulation:  Hartley Rathaway - the Pied Piper.  And Cisco informs Barry as to WHY Piper has a mad-on for him.  Apparently, during a fight on a bridge during a Piper/Flash battle, Flash used his lightning...combined with a sonic weapon that one of Piper's crew was using to try and kill him, and the combination made one of Hartley's crew, a man named Roderick, unstable, and Hartley, sadly, couldn't help him.  So, he was sent to Mercury Labs in order to get help.  Nash may have a way to help Roderick, but they need Hartley's help.  Flash makes the deal with Piper, and he agrees to help.  

Hartley heads back to STAR Labs to help out, but can't help but take digs at both Barry AND Cisco...knowing that Cisco gave up his powers for the woman he loved, and he knows Barry is the Flash.  Using Allegra to help with the light portion, they conduct their experiment, and it doesn't work.  Pissed off, Hartley says that he refuses to help and takes off.  

Kamilla catches up with Iris, and they discuss what's going on.  Iris feels that she is going to suffer like Eva did, and that she'll never get out of there. She says she allowed Eva to play her, and that her instincts as a reporter didn't kick in. Kamilla says that they can't give up, and that she believes in Iris.  They know that they have to find Singh, and that's what they're going to do before they all get out.  So, Kamilla and Iris begin their search for the Police Chief.

Godspeed returns yet again, and tells Flash that he wants his speed, and has one hour to do it, or the city will suffer.  At this point, the whole team is feeling low, and they are bickering with each other, and the fact that they feel they cannot win.  Cecile's powers come in handy, and she steps up, trying to rally the troops by telling them to not give up.  To believe in themselves.  Cisco tells her that he kind of misses Vibe, and that he had all the answers.  But when he's with Kamilla, he feels greater.  Cecile tells him that Kamilla fell in love with HIM...not Vibe.  She does enough to get him motivated again.  She also does her best to convince Barry to lighten up, and get it together, because HE is supposed to lead the team.  She manages to give Barry and idea, and Barry realizes that Roderick isn't just one of Piper's henchemen...it's his boyfriend.  Hartley has felt guilt over not being able to save him, and Barry says that he's just as responsible.  Just then, Godspeed is on the streets, and threatens the Flash that if he doesn't show up, he'll start killing civilians.  Barry takes off to stop him...even though he doesn't have the speed to do so.  Hartley hears this, and ends up helping Flash stop Godspeed when they realize that they can use the same trick to stop him, as Flash did to stop Hartley that one night.  So, combining his power with Piper's tech, they manage to take down Godspeed.  What the notice however, after Godspeed had fallen onto a car, is that his glowing blood had residual sound in it...which prompts Nash to discover it can be used to save Roderick.

At the lab, they manage to use the blood to fix Roderick and it actually works!  Roderick is saved, and Hartley is reunited with his boyfriend.  In the meantime, Ralph goes to see Frost again, and they both apologize for being harsh to each other.  Ralph presents her with a "Dib-ploma" for "graduating" from his life coach teachings.  She's still afraid of meeting her mother, and Ralph recalls about how his father left, and is afraid of meeting him, but he convinces her that she needs to see Carla...so she can get the help she needs.

Hartley and Barry talk, and Hartley says that he's grateful he got his life back, as is Roderick.  He tells Barry to forgive himself for his mistakes.  They take off, and Barry then gives his team a much needed Pep talk.  Cisco tells him there might be a way to get into the Mirror Universe, but the piece he needs is in Atlantis.  Everyone else is on board, and ready to do what's needed to stop Eva McCulloch before she strikes.  They also know that the Godspeed they stopped wasn't the real one, either.  He said that he was sent by the one who the speed was meant for.  They have no idea who it is.

The episode ends with Eva in a chamber, and coming out of it, apparently refreshed, and ready to seek her revenge on her husband, Joseph Carver.


This episode dealt a lot with guilt for your mistakes, and how it can cost you.  Everyone was feeling it this episode...except Cecile.  Have to give credit to Cecile for holding the fort.  While she is, indeed, missing Joe, she knows that this team needs her right now, and she can feel the guilt and pain everyone is going through.  She takes it upon herself to be the mama bear, and really give them the pep talk THEY all need in order to get through this rough patch, and figure out a way to stop Eva, as well as rescue Iris, Kamilla, and Singh.  Everyone had different levels of guilt:  Cisco and his inadequacy for not feeling like he was 'enough' for Kamilla, and for not being Vibe anymore.  Barry..well...the guilt of letting Fake Iris manipulate him, and make him feel stupid...as well as him losing his speed, and the destruction of the Speed Force.  Nash couldn't save the girl he loved as a daughter...Allegra's doppleganger, and then had to watch the Anti-Monitor destroy the universe because of HIS folly.  But he's had to learn to forgive himself and push on.  Even the Pied Piper had to deal with HIS own guilt in regards to Roderick.  So, this episode played on emotions, as things have gotten harder.  Even Frost...afraid of meeting her mother, for fear of rejection.  Iris was feeling down not just because of the pain she's been enduring by being trapped in the Mirror Universe, but for the fact that, as a reporter, she didn't see that Eva manipulated her.  

It was a drama filled episode, with the Godspeed aspect thrown in.  And HIS revelation that he was sent by someone ELSE to get Flash's speed creates a whole NEW problem for Team Flash down the road.  But for now...dealing with Eva and HER plan is the first thing they have to deal with....as well as rescuing Iris, Kamilla, and Singh.  We have one last episode this season to see what happens, but expect a cliffhanger to keep us in suspense until the Fall...until, with any luck they can get up and running again, we'll start Season 7.

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Okay, kiddies!  That does it!  One more to go for the season, and I sure has heck appreciate ya all bein' along on the ride!  So, subscribe, leave a comment, and we'll race back here for the finale next week!

Until then...Keep on Running!