Starting from the exact moment the previous episode ended (see my post on SFFWorld), the team is stunned that Jay Garrick knows all of their names, and realize he has been spying on them. Jay explains that he is from another world, where he is known as The Flash.
In his own world, Jay’s version of The Flash fights another Speedster, Zoom. Zoom has won, and is about to deliver the killing blow when the other end of the singularity from Barry’s world opened over them. First Jay’s winged helmet is sucked in, then Jay is as well. He lost his speed, and has spent the last six months trying to piece together what happened. Barry is skeptical, and insists that they test Jay.
Flash (Jay Garrick) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Caitlin begins testing him to see if he is in fact a speedster from an alternate Earth (Earth 2). The team discusses the theory of a multiverse; Stein and Cisco take the lead breaking it down. Joe is confused and takes his leave to use his skills and pay the bills. Zoom makes his first full appearance as he transports a metahuman — Sand Demon — onto Earth-1 via a dimensional breach. Zoom is a flickering, shadow=black horror, sporting blue lightning. He promises to return his pawn to Earth-2 if he kills the Flash. Newcomer to the series, Officer Patty Spivot, petitions Joe to allow her to join his meta-human taskforce. Joe is dismissive, refusing to hear her out and denying her request. Sounds like there are a few trust issues this episode.
Jay finishes his tests and tries once again, without success, to convince Barry to trust him. Barry is still unsettled from Wells’ betrayal. Barry locks Jay in a cell. Jay says Barry will need his help to defeat Zoom. They are interrupted by a call from Cisco, there’s a fire in town. Barry speeds off.
The Flash puts out the fire and is about to leave when he is attacked by a mass of sand. The sand gathers together and turns into the man Zoom brought through the breach earlier. The Flash tries to fight him, but every time he delivers a blow, that part of the man turns to sand and is unharmed. The Flash has to run away. Barry and Joe investigate the scene of the fire with other police and firefighters. Barry can’t find anything to identify this new metahuman, but Patty shows up, she’s found something. She’s also quite a fan of Barry’s and his forensic reports. She’s collected some sand for Barry. Patty clearly hopes this has impressed Joe, but he still refuses to let her on the task force.
While examining the material left by Sand Demon, Cisco feels another vibe and catches a glimpse of Sand Demon’s activities here on Earth-1. Notably disturbed, he struggles to understand the changes happening to him. Team Flash determines Sand Demon’s real name, Eddie Slick, and Joe tries to track him down. Spivot beats Joe to the task, catching him as he tries to flee. Back at the precinct Joe interrogates Eddie Slick. While observing Joe interrogate Slick, Barry and Patty become fast friends. Eddie’s alibi is confirmed, lending credence to the alternate Earth concept. Cisco and Stein work on a method to detect the breach allowing Zoom to transport his assassins across the multiverse.
A depiction of several alternate Earths within the Multiverse and the variations of the Flash inhabiting each Earth. Art by Dan Jurgens and Art Thibert (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
At S.T.A.R. Labs, only Barry still does not trust Jay. Iris asks to speak to Barry alone. Iris tells Barry that she does not recognize him. He’s someone else now, with major trust issues. Barry admits that Jay reminds him of Wells, who he trusted. Iris points out that they beat Wells because the team trusted each other. He needs to believe in the team. At the Police Station, Joe and Patty release Slick. Joe asks why Patty wants to be on the task force so badly. They think they see Slick returning, but it is Sand Demon, who knocks Joe out. Patty tries to shoot him, but the bullets pass through the sand. He grabs her. Learning of the abduction, Barry relents and asks Jay for help. Jay, the Crimson Comet, teaches Barry to throw Speed Force lightning, indicating that it is the best shot for defeating his foe. With the team unable to find where Sand Demon is hiding Spivot, Cisco rushes off to tap his new powers for a solution. Stein is getting suspicious of his behavior and follows him, arriving moments after Cisco has experienced another dimensional vibration. Unwilling to explain to the professor what is going on he rushes off to tell Barry.
Jay joins Barry in the field to fight Sand Demon. While Jay distracts his Earth-2 enemy, Barry scoops up Spivot, moving her a safe distance from the bomb. Tables turn on Jay and put him in mortal danger, since he’s been bluffing Sand Demon into thinking he’s still got his powers. Barry races in, throwing a powerful bolt of lightning that fuses Sand Demon’s body and shatters it. Arguably one of the Flash’s coolest takedowns to date.
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Caitlin bandages Jay’s wounds. He admits that losing his speed is harder than he thought. Caitlin talks to him about loss getting easier. They just have to find a new way to live. She calls him a hero. Barry comes to apologize to Jay and thank him. He asks about Zoom. Jay explains that Zoom wants to be the only speedster. On any world.
At the police station, Joe tells Patty he looked her up. He asks about her connection to Mark Mardon. Patty says that a few months before the particle accelerator exploded, the Mardon brothers robbed a bank. Mark killed her father for a few hundred dollars. Murderers got super powers, and she wants to fight against that. Joe tells her she starts on the task force Monday.
Cisco and Stein find a way to map the breach, unfortunately they have discovered there are in fact 52 inter-dimensional breaches. This is a nice Easter egg for comic fans, referring to 52 different Earths present in the current DC Comics universe. Looks like Team Flash is going to be very busy this season. Mysteriously Stein collapses while discussing the breaches; his fate awaits us in the third episode of this season. At another, active version of S.T.A.R. Labs, a group of children are lead around by a tour guide, who explains about the Lab’s impressive record. Suddenly, the guide becomes excited and tells the kids that they get to meet the savior of Central City. Standing before them is Harrison Wells. “Hello kids.”