Title: “The Flash Season 3 Episode 22: Infantino Street ”
Genre: Superhero fiction, Drama, Action
Platform: TV – The CW
Director: Michael Allowitz
Writer: Story by : Andrew Kreisberg;Teleplay by : Grainne Godfree
Rating: TV-MA
Release: May 16, 2017
Cast: Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker
Feature image: Source
A sad acoustic guitar plays “Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1)” by Aurora while showing a montage of Team Flash. It is 24-hours before Iris West (Candice Patton) dies, and everyone is looking at their clocks trying to beat time. Tracy (Anne Dudek) is working on an equation while H.R. (Tom Cavanagh) brings her a cup of coffee. Felicity Smoak from “Arrow” sends Cisco (Carlos Valdes) a text, “Subject: Power Source. I haven’t found anything that’ll work.” Joe (Jesse L. Martin) looks at a picture of him and Iris. He and Wally (Keiynan Lonsdale) hug. Iris and Barry (Grant Gustin) lay in bed and stare at the ceiling. Barry tries to assure her that they can find a solution in 24-hours. Iris requests that Barry get her some caviar. Barry is confused at the request, but speeds out to get it. Iris grabs her phone and begins making a recording for Barry. As we hear the lyrics of the song, “Five, four, three, two, one”. The final countdown for Iris has begun.
“Is it really spying if we’re friends?” Cisco —The Flash
Barry gets a call from Cisco; he has tracked down an energy source for the Speed Bazooka. The two men meet Lyla Michaels (Audrey Marie Anderson) in front of ARGUS. Cisco would like to go in since it’s a cold and windy day, but since the interior of ARGUS is bugged, it would be best for them to speak out doors. Using satellites, Cisco tracked down the energy source they would need to power the Speed Bazooka at ARGUS headquarters. Lyla: “I really don’t think you should be spying on me, Cisco.” Cisco: “Is it really spying if we’re friends?” Lyla tells them the energy source is a Dominators’ crystal left behind when they invaded Earth. She turns down their request for it. This is something nations would go to war over; she can’t let it fall into the wrong hands. Frankly, she can’t trust Barry. Barry asks is it because of baby Sarah? Lyla does wonder what it would be like to have a daughter, but his actions lead her not to trust him with it.
Back at STAR Labs, Barry informs the team he is going to break into ARGUS to get the energy source. He figures him and Wally can speed in and speed out before anyone can stop them. Cisco put the kibosh on that plan. ARGUS has a metahuman dampener covering the whole building. Barry and Wally won’t be able to use their powers there. Iris asks him without his powers, can he do it. Barry goes back in time to Siberia, 1892. In the background is the Waverider, Captain Cold/Leonard Snart (Wentworth Miller) comes up behind him and says, “Hello Flash.” Barry responds, “I need your help.” He tells him he needs his help to break into ARGUS. Snart: “The Flash, a thief.” He wants to know why. Barry tells him about Iris. “True love. That’s your pitch?” He agrees to help him but they have to do it his way.
“I know you’re going to do whatever it takes to save me. Don’t lose yourself in the process, okay?” Iris West —The Flash
Everyone is surprised when Captain Cold walks in, especially since he is dead. Joe: “You time traveled again?” Barry: “Yes.” Joe: “That’s what got us into this mess in the first place.” Barry defiantly tells them he will do anything to save Iris. Snart gives them his theory of pulling a heist, “There are only four rules you need to remember. Make the plan, execute the plan, expect the plan to go off the rails, throw away the plan.” Tracy walks in and H.R. covers her eyes to protect Barry’s secret identity. Barry tells H.R. it is okay for her to know who he is. When H.R. uncovers her eyes, she looks at Barry and laughs; it makes sense. Barry asks Joe to take Iris somewhere far away so he won’t know where she is. Barry and Iris say what could be their last goodbye. Barry: “This is not goodbye.” Iris: “I know you’re going to do whatever it takes to save me. Don’t lose yourself in the process, okay?”
On Earth 2, Harrison Wells is tinkering with something when he gets the alarm that someone is coming from another dimension. The West family comes through the breach. Harry smiles and asks, “What brings you folks to this section of the multiverse?”
“No speed gun can stop a god.”Savitar-Barry —The Flash
Savitar-Barry and Killer Frost (Danielle Panabaker) are in his lair. He is outside the Savitar armor, doing some repairs. His last fight with the Flash damaged it some. Killer Frost asks him can he really do it. He does have Barry’s memories of growing up with Iris and falling in love with her. “You sure you’re ready to end her life?” Savitar-Barry answer to her question, “What I remember is being created as a disposable life…He didn’t care about me. Why should I care about his love?” He asks Killer Frost if she is having second thoughts. He needs her to be ready for what she has to do. He sees flashes of Barry’s plan with Snart. Killer Frost asks if he wants her to stop it. He tells her not to bother, “No speed gun can stop a god.”
Lyla and her aide are walking out of ARGUS to catch a flight to San Francisco. The security guard is surprised when Lyla walks right back in with a prisoner, Captain Cold. Everything goes fine until he asks Lyla the counter-phrase ‘Elvis Banana’. Cisco who is listening in doesn’t know what it is. Lyla beats up the security guards. She uses a devise called the transmogrifier to change her appearance back to Barry. He is using the device H.R. uses to disguise him from looking like Harrison Wells, who famously died on Earth 1.
Meanwhile on Earth 2, Joe is cleaning his gun. Iris knows her impending death is harder on Joe than it is on anyone else. To ease the tension, Iris confesses to changing rooms with Barry when they were teens so she could sneak out after her curfew. Joe had an unreasonable hour of 8:00. He laughs and admits he was overly protective. It’s Joe’s time to confess something. Once when they went a month without any takeout food so Joe could save some money for Iris and Barry’s college funds, he took some of the money to go on a blues cruise to see Junior Walker. They remember a song Joe used to sing to her, and he starts singing “What Does It Take”. They happily dance together while Joe sings. After their dance, Iris gives Joe her engagement ring to give back to Barry just in case.
Back at ARGUS, Barry and Snart are down at the cells of the Suicide Squad. Grodd has a cell, along with Cupid, and Cheetah, (a famous foe of Wonder Woman in the comics). They find the Dominators’ crystal cell. Snart easily picks the cells $10 million lock. There is one other security measure they weren’t prepared for, KING SHARK! Barry: “I can’t believe ARGUS turned King Shark into a guard dog.” Snart: “King Shark… that’s adorable.” Barry asks for the Cold Gun so he can kill it. Snart talks him out of it using his knowledge from Shark Week. If it is cold enough, sharks will go to sleep. They will use the device from his Cold Gun to lower the temperature in the cell and put King Shark to sleep. They roll the device into the cell.
Over at STAR Labs, H.R. feels like he knows what his purpose in life is, to inspire Tracy so she can do great things. He wants her to work at STAR Labs. He gets on his knees as if he is going to propose and asks her to join Team Flash. She says yes and they kiss.
“Piece of advice, stop trying to beat Savitar at his game. Your goodness is your strength.” Snart —The Flash
The Cold Gun device covers the cell in a fog. King Shark passes out from the cold, but they can’t see him. They can hear him and can see his fin. Barry: “How long do you think he’ll stay asleep?” Captain Cold: “I like Shark Week. I’m not a marine biologist.” This reminds Snart of the movie Jaws. “They didn’t show the shark because they couldn’t afford to make it look good.” Barry grabs the Dominator’s crystal, it sets off an alarm so he runs and is able to slide under the door before it closes. Snart isn’t as lucky. Snart challenges Barry; security will be there in two minutes, if he is going to get away, he has to leave now. Is he ruthless enough to leave him with King Shark? Barry calls Cisco to open the cell door. King Shark wakes up, fortunately for Snart; Cisco is able to open the cell door slightly. Snart slides under it but King Shark grabs his foot, Cisco closes the door on King Shark’s hand, it cuts off. His hand grows back immediately. Before they can turn around, Lyla has arrived with the guards. She saw on the monitors Barry risk his freedom and Iris’ life to save Captain Cold. She gives him the energy source. Lyla knows he would do the same for her if John’s life were in trouble. She couldn’t live with herself if she allowed Iris to die. Barry takes Snart back to Siberia. Snart tells Barry the reason they get along is Barry sees the good in him and he sees the bad in Barry. Snart: “Piece of advice, stop trying to beat Savitar at his game. Your goodness is your strength.”
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Flash runs into STAR Labs and says they have the energy source. He asks where Iris is. H.R. tells him on Earth 2. The Flash reveals his whole face and it is Savitar-Barry. He heads off to Earth 2. Cisco sends a message to Harry; he’s coming. When he arrives, Wally fights him but Savitar breaks his leg. Joe and Harry shoot at him. His suit seems to breakdown. It didn’t really breakdown, he got out of it so he could grab Iris. Joe is shocked to see he really is Barry. He pleads with him not to take Iris; he calls him Barry. Savitar-Barry angrily repeats that is not his name. Iris begs him not to kill Joe and Harry; she’ll go with him. Savitar-Barry tells Joe that Iris has accepted her fate; they should also. He is going to let them live so that they can see her die. He speeds away with Iris before Barry can arrive.
Barry comforts Wally. Wally blames himself for not being able to protect Iris. Barry tells him not to worry; he will save her. Back on Earth 1 Barry tells Team Flash they are going to Infantino Street. H.R. tries to apologize but Barry ignores him. He tells them they should make their plans without him. H.R. blames himself for telling Savitar where Iris was. Cisco tells him it could have happened to anyone on the team. H.R. doesn’t know what his purpose is, what he contributes to the group. Cisco tells him to hold down the fort while they are gone. That is what he does; he is there when they need him. Cisco walks out to the hallway and vibes on his and Killer Frost upcoming battle in the woods. He tells Barry what he saw and Barry tells him the team can handle Savitar; he should go and save Caitlin.
“I don’t want to fight you either, I want to kill you.”Killer Frost —The Flash
Barry shows up at Infantino Street. Tracy is in the van working the control board, Joe is on a roof with a sniper rifle. Cisco goes to the forest where Killer Frost is waiting for him. Killer Frost thinks she has to kill Cisco to cure herself of Caitlin. Cisco: “I don’t want to fight you.” Killer Frost: “I don’t want to fight you either, I want to kill you.” They begin to fight in the snow and she eventually knocks him to the ground. Back at Infantino Street, Savitar shows up with Iris. He tells Barry it is time for his accession. He pushes Iris out of the way. Barry gets the Speed Bazooka and fires at Savitar. At first Savitar runs, but then he stands still to take the full brunt of the weapon. It doesn’t work. Savitar explains he had an eternity to figure out how to avoid the speed trap again. He is holding the Philosopher Stone, which is calcified speed force energy. It is preventing the Speed Bazooka from working. We see Iris’ recording from early in the episode. The song from the beginning of the episode, “Murder Song” starts playing again. Iris is reciting her marriage vows to Barry. Savitar stabs her, Joe stares in disbelief, Barry rushes over to her and holds her while he screams in anguish. “Five, four, three, two, one.”
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Despite of all of Team Flash’s efforts, Savitar killed Iris West. They couldn’t change the future. Things aren’t looking too good for Cisco because it looks like Killer Frost is winning their fight. This is their darkest moment, and they all have experienced some before. Since we have one more episode left in the season, we know that something is going to happen next episode to help them turn the tides. What is the key ingredient to victory for Team Flash? I think Captain Cold stated it, “Your goodness is your strength.” They have to use goodness to defeat Savitar and Killer Frost. Caitlin is still in Killer Frost and Cisco has to do what Xander did with Dark Willow on “Buffy” when she was trying to destroy the world. Not all the power and magic they possessed could stop her, but her mortal friend simply told her he loved her and if the world were going out, they would do it together. It broke through to her, and Willow emerged. I think Cisco can do the same with Caitlin. I don’t know if Barry can get through to Savitar-Barry, even though it is a possibility, but maybe Barry can make a sacrifice to the speed force to bring Iris back. Savitar and Killer Frost are making sacrifices to become gods, Savitar killing Iris, Killer Frost killing Cisco. Maybe Barry makes the ultimate sacrifice to reverse this.
This was an excellent episode. It was appropriately sad and heartbreaking. They were still able to have some humor thanks to Captain Cold and some fun adventure with the Dominators’ crystal heist. King Shark is always a welcomed sight, along with Wentworth Miller. I hope he keeps appearing on the show throughout its run. The heist storyline didn’t take away from the seriousness of Iris dying. The musical score was great in setting the somber mood. The entire cast was great, each delivering some heartbreaking moments. The scene that really got me was Joe singing “What Does It Take” while they shared a father-daughter dance. Jesse L. Martin and Candice Patton acted the hell out of that. Jesse L. Martin sounded great singing the song, he has a great voice of course, but he made if sound joyful and melancholy at the same time.
I had a few quibbles; the main one being the plot did not quite make sense. Lyla was right not to give him the Dominators’ crystal at first, but her reason for giving it to him didn’t make sense. If she did not want to feel responsible for Iris’ death to begin with, give him the crystal when he asked for it. Send some of your agents to watch it while they finished their Speed Bazooka. I was glad for the heist, but it should not have had to happen. It did not lessen my enjoyment of the episode.
Grade: A-
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