In the penultimate episode of the season, Barry can’t stop the feeling that he’s invincible since the Speed Force told him that it loved him and read him a Night-Night book about a dinosaur. He’s got that sunshine pocket. Got that good soul in his feet.

Even #Metapocalypse 2016 won’t throw off his game. The metahuman army that rallied together when Zoom outed the “disappearance” of the Flash on broadcast TV. Barry swoops in — a little too late, in my opinion — to bail out the Central City Police because EVERYTHING IS LITERALLY ON FIRE. And did I spy Earth-2 Hawkpeople?

Barry pulls through (“I usually stop them one at a time, not 100 at a time.”) and verbally flexes his skillz to Iris back at S.T.A.R. labs. The cherry on top of the cake? Caitlin Snow has returned after being released by Zoom. Is she the cherry on top of the cake or… the SnowBarry?

She tries to warn them that nothing can stop Zoom because he is a monster, but Barry informs her to “Chill out, girl. A lot has happened since you’ve been gone. Number one: I’m invincible because the Speed Force LOVES me, girl.”

Team Flash notices the pep in Barry’s step. They think he’s being delusional; Barry letting his guard down due to overconfidence will only result in someone getting hurt. SPOILER ALERT: They are not wrong. Cisco is the first interventionist to confront Barry the Invincible, but the bro-chat is interrupted when Cisco vibes a vision of a dead bird. At first, I thought this was symbolism of Laurel-2’s appearance as the Black Canary doppelganger… but it’s more.

Meanwhile on the other side of the city, a metahuman in a leather trenchcoat and Italian boots uses her ultra sonic meta-voice to cause the entire Mercury building to collapse. The Flash runs in to save everyone, including our friend Dr. Tina McGee. The scientist thanks him. She uses the name “Barry.” She’s not stupid. Tina meets the team back at S.T.A.R. labs… including Barry’s dad. Yay, a sexy OG Flash reunion… Team Flash keeps growing.

 

Cut to Wally West pulling a Roy Harper and trying to fight crime in his own naively unmasked way. Wally stops a mugger who turns out to be a metahuman. Luckily, Papa Joe West and the CCPD’s anti-meta task force are there to disable the mugger with one of Cisco’s chokers.

Harry Wells walks in on Caitlin examining Jesse; Jesse is convinced that she’s now a metahuman, but her dad is in denial. As they argue, Caitlin gets a PTZD flashback of Zoom. Good job, show, for addressing the psychological repercussions if being held hostage by your speedster serial killer ex-boyfriend. Continuity is good.

Is there a Post Traumatic Zoom Disorder because Snow got it baaaad! #datflash #Metapocalypse

— The Nerds of Color (@TheNerdsofColor) May 18, 2016

Next up for Barry’s intervention is Henry Allen. He asks if Barry is so confident because he saw the future, but Barry explains that his new optimistic outlook is simply his making the decision to not be scared anymore. He gets defensive at his biological dad’s questioning and replies in a hurtful way.

“You don’t know everything I’ve been through, dad, you haven’t been here long enough to know!”

Damn. Pent up resentment coming to the surface. Barry, precious puppy, immediately apologizes but the conversation ends in a “I love you but I’M FINE.”

The alerts inform the team that Zoom is at CCPD, basically summoning Barry to meet him. Henry literally says, “BARRY, DON’T DO IT,” before his stubborn son flashes away.

Everyone: BARRY NO!
Barry: BARRY YES!

In Barry’s CCPD forensic lab, Jay-Zoom casually creeps around Barry’s Investigation board for his mom’s murder. Zoom is fascinated; he never saw the crime scene of his mother’s murder like Barry. He tells this fact to Barry. Both hoods are down.

Zoom: “I know you didn’t call me up here just to banter.”
Barry: “I know you. I know what’s holding you back. You and me, we’re really just the same person.”

Hunter “Zoom” Zolomon’s Reasons For Being the Same as Barry Allen

1. Tragic background
2. Reason for running
3. Desire to be the fastest

Zoom believes that Barry’s pure, fluffy marshmallow-ness will be his downfall; he’ll be too distracted saving people while Zoom is busy “winning.” His words, not mine.

And then Barry runs out and saves people from a building because Zoom is right.

Barry calls a Team meeting when he gets back to the lab: it’s go time. The plan? They need to take care of his minion metas because they are his armor. Zoom is Regina George.  They are his army of skanks. Our hero  comes up with the idea to make vibrational tech to target the frequency of earth-2 and incapacitate them. While working on it, Cisco vibes more birds. Lots of dead birds. It’s like a Hitchcock movie in his head.

His words, not mine.

 

Joe’s turn to confront Barry! Papa West takes a different approach talking about Wally’s invincibility issues. Subtext galore… We all know Joe is talking about both of his sons.

Theres also a KillerVibe heart-to-heart. Shit. It’s a tough time in the lab.

Caitlin: I don’t think I’ll ever be whole again.

Cisco: Of course you will, I promise.

As per Joe’s request, Barry as Flash finds Wally sitting in his car with a stolen police comm. He’s jonesing to beat someone’s ass. Barry half-heartedly lectures Wally to let the police handle the criminals. “This is my city too now,” Wally tells The Flash, “it’s  up to all of us to protect it.” Barry likes his moxy, but he can’t say that because he promised Joe. But Barry is totally tearing up from pride behind his red mask.

"I am not gonna stop the hero he is going to become." -Barry Allen when talking about Wally West. Whaaaaaaat!!! #datflash #Metapocalypse

— The Nerds of Color (@TheNerdsofColor) May 18, 2016

When Barry cuts the conversation short after Cisco sends out a meta-alert, Wally speeds after him. It’s a good thing, too, because Laurel Lance’s earth-2 doppelgänger is powerful. Her name is Siren, and she literally wails on Barry. The sonic screech incapacitates Barry long enough for Siren to begin her Villain Monologue. Sigh, Laurel-2 is just as dumb as second season Laurel-1. During her evil speech, Wally Rams into her with his car. I LAUGHED SO HARD, GUYS.

Barry AS THE FLASH jumps into Wally’s car. Ridiculous. Joe is not happy about it. Iris isn’t happy about it. It’s her turn to knock sense into Barry: Iris tells him that she’s happy that he’s so confident, but fear isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Fear helps determine which risks are worth taking. It’s a lesson both her brother and her future husband need to heed.

The Earth-2 tuning fork is complete! Just in time, too, because Siren is about to knock out a few more buildings. Wells even fashioned two headphones to block the technology for Jesse and himself. #BeatsByWells

To distract Siren while Wells puts  the finishing touches on the Earth-2 Destroyer Machine Thing, Caitlin and Cisco impersonate their doppelgangers, Reverb and Killer Frost. Ohmygod.

They try to pull Siren into a mutiny against Zoom, but Siren figures out they’re imposters when Cisco uses his right hand to catch a pipe that Siren throws at him. Apparently all doppelgangers are mirrors of each other, so Reverb is left-handed.

Luckily, Wells activates the Machine Thingy and all of the Earthling-2’s freak out. Unluckily, Jesse’s Beats aren’t working. Harry removes his own and puts them on his daughter. He then passes out. Oh, Harry Wells. Do I love you? I totally do.

Team Flash celebrates with the end of the Metapocalypse dinner party. Defeating metahumans and saving Central City is the best aphrodisiac because love is in the air: Barry and Iris decide to start things up, Dr. McGee and Henry ignore everyone else to sit on the couch and chat, and Wally and Jesse do that tease-y flirty thing.

But Cisco That’s-So-Raven‘s the rest of the dead birds and Earth-2 splitting in half. Zoom is nearby. He speeds in like Maleficent, butt-hurt he wasn’t invited to the party. He kidnaps Barry’s dad (his biological one). Barry runs after Zoom and Henry while Wally realizes a lot of shit.

It’s about damn time.

Zoom is an asshole and takes Barry to his childhood home. You know, the house where his mom was murdered and his dad was wrongfully arrested? That one. Zoom is determined to prove to Barry that they are the Same with a capital S. He’s effing crazy. Henry maintains eye contact with Barry and tells him he’s proud of the flashy man that he is. Barry cries and begs. Zoom jackknifed Henry in the chest with glee as Barry screams.

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT?