5 Developments From The Flash: Season 2, Episode 21 [SPOILERS]

With Barry gone or dead, the STAR Labs team tries to figure out how to get him back. Also, Wally and Jesse deal with the after-effects of getting hit by Barry's mist. Where is Barry and how can he come back from the dead?

Warning: Spoilers for the episode ahead.

Barry isn't Dead

Obviously, the titular character of the CW show isn't dead. He's alive, somewhere, and Cisco catches a vibe of Barry, standing within a tornado-like structure. Cisco's powers are getting more and more powerful, especially with help from Harrison Wells' technological advancements. With that, Cisco can actually reach into the other world where Barry is at and communicate and interact with him.

The Speed Force is a Sentient Being

Prior to this episode, the Speed Force was just a concept that Barry got his power from. This season has hinted at the fact there's more to the Speed Force than previously thought. Barry finds himself inside the Speed Force in the episode and can communicate with it. The Speed Force takes form as people Barry recognizes and leads him through places familiar to him in order to bring everything in perspective.

Barry Can Go Home Early, Without His Powers

Cisco reaches through to try and get Barry to come home. At this point, Barry can go home, but if he does so, it's without his powers. Barry chooses to stay in the Speed Force, in order to get his powers back, since he'll need them to defeat Zoom, and trying to get his powers back is how he ended up "dead" in the first place.

Girder Returns from the Dead

One of Barry's old foes come back as the villain of the week. Stray energy from the accelerator, when the STAR Labs crew were trying to make Barry fast again, somehow put some zombie-like life back into Girder. He's after Iris, and goes on a bit of a rampage in Central City, including beating on a man's mother's car. Said man was played by Kevin Smith's best friend, Jason Mewes (Smith directed this episode). Obviously, it took some of Wells and Cisco's tech, along with The Flash, to bring him down.

Zoom has his on gallery of Rogues

The episode leaves viewers with Zoom at Central City Police Department, giving a speech about taking the city. After his speech is finished, we see a sea of metahumans inside the police station. Looks like Zoom has been recruiting everyone he can in order to take over this world.

Once again, The Flash tries to put a bit too much into an episode in order to please every viewer. The reintroduction of Girder was unnecessary, as Barry's story, along with Cisco and company trying to get him back, was more than enough for the episode. Because of the inclusion of that story, it took away some of the emotional impact from moments like Barry talking to his mother (the form of his mother that the Speed Force took). The Girder story did add some action and fun to the episode, picking up the pace a bit, but overall, this episode feels a bit overstuffed.

The developments with the Speed Force should be considered the biggest moment in the episode, even though it feels like a background piece to everything going on. It's a much more complex concept. It's more like an entity capable of thoughts, feelings, and decision-making. This brings another level to who and what The Flash is.

Obviously, this episode ends with a bittersweet moment as Zoom has gathered his own group of rogues. It's going to lead to one big battle in the final two episodes of the season, and it seems like Flash will be up against impossible odds. However, when Barry touched Jesse, it seemed like the Speed Force shocked her back to life. Because of what happened in the last episode, fans are all speculating that they'll see both Jesse and Wally as speedsters before the season is over, and that's how they'll beat Zoom.

What did you think about this week's episode? What were your favorite moments?