The fourth season of The Flash starts six months after the end of season three, when Barry walked away from everyone and into the Speed Force. The opening voice over is done by Iris, and she’s talking about running. Kid Flash speeds on-screen while Vibe steps out of a portal. Joe is driving down the road talking to everyone through the radio. The team (Wally says Team Kid Flash, Cisco says Team Vibe) are chasing down a meta and not having much luck.
Iris, back at STAR Labs, figures out the meta is jumping to every third building. Kid Flash and Vibe double team the meta. While I love Vibe, I still don’t think he should be in the field no matter how much he’s improved. Kid Flash and Vibe drop the meta in an alley, but she still gets the upper hand, drawing weapons on the heroes. And that’s when Joe zaps her in the back. Joe doesn’t play games.
Iris is talking to the team and while everyone else thinks they are doing good she points out that one in three metas escape. Iris wants to protect the city since Barry isn’t there to do it. Iris has taken over leadership of the team and everyone can see it.
Cecile, Joe, and Iris are having dinner back at Joe’s house. Cecile attempts to talk Joe into getting rid of some of his records. Joe isn’t playing this game either. He wants to be buried with them. When Cecile steps away Joe talks to Iris about Julian leaving and Barry still in the Speed Force. Iris agrees that they need help at CCPD. Iris tells Joe not to worry, that she’s fine and has to be strong.
Back at her and Barry’s apartment, Iris feels the building rattle and gets in contact with the team. A samurai is attacking the city. Joe, Kid Flash, and Vibe, along with CCPD’s finest, confront the villain. Vibe cracks a joke asking if anyone speaks Japenese. Wally does. I think this is a nod to another speedster from DC, Impulse. The samurai wants the Flash, not Kid Flash. With a downstroke of his sword, he puts everyone on their butts. He gives the team twenty-four hours to deliver Flash or Central City dies.
https://youtu.be/qS8dEzqsFFM
At STAR Labs again Cisco *surprise* has a crazy plan; he wants to bring Barry back. He’s been working on a way to get him back since the day he left. This has Iris very angry. She doesn’t think it’ll work. On a side note: I’m starting to wonder if Cisco’s hair is going to take the same route as Sam’s from Supernatural.
Cisco goes to a bar to find Caitlin. This shows me how much he cares about her. I mean, a guy like Cisco does not frequent bars. Caitlin’s hair is back to normal, no freaky frost powers that we can see. As they are talking a creepy one-eyed guy, Norvok, asks if there’s a problem. Cisco tries to act tough, but Caitlin gets the guy to leave. She agrees to come back and help find Barry.
Iris arrives at STAR to find that everyone is gone. She tracks the van to the track that the fake Harrison Wells tested Barry on all the way back in Season 1. Ah, nostalgia. Joe and Wally are there and they agree to try and get Barry back. Caitlin apologizes to Joe for all the things that she did before and he accepts.
Cisco has created a Speed Force Bazooka to track Barry. It charges up, lights flash, and…nothing. Iris shows up and she is MAD. I think this is her either not wanting to find out he’s gone forever, or she’s afraid he’ll be lost again if he does come back. It’s kind of sweet if you think about it.
At a park, downtown Barry runs out of a portal. Well, we can guess it’s Barry. It’s his streak that comes out of the portal. And when I say streak I mean it. He’s nude, has a funny looking beard, and goes for three hundred miles before he can stop.
https://youtu.be/a-v3FDQPW8o
Back to the team, Iris is livid, but Cisco is confused. He thought it would work. Cecile calls them and tells them some cops brought Barry in.
He’s in bad shape when the team gets to CCPD. He has written on the walls, I think I spotted a Kryptonian symbol or two in there, and he’s nuts. Talking about melting stars nuts. He also mentions Oliver in there, so I’m guessing there’ll be another crossover. Caitlin checks him out and says he’s fine physically. His brain is just going five times the normal speed. She says to Barry since we are dealing with time displacement, it could have seemed like he was gone for ten thousand years.
https://youtu.be/uJZVmGadu0U
They finally get him calmed down and asleep, they drugged him, and want to wake him up again. Cisco uses the song he played to get Barry out of the coma that gave him his powers. It works. He can only talk about stars and pain again which upsets Iris. She asks everyone to leave so they can talk. Iris tries to reach out, but can’t get through to him. Barry runs out of the room, knocking people and things around. Caitlin stops him with one of Captain Cold’s old guns. Then the samurai shows up.
Wally blurs his face as he meets the samurai, but it doesn’t fool him. Wally attacks, but the samurai stabs him in the leg. The samurai then uses wings, from his back, to fly away. He cut through Wally’s tibia and sidelines him until he heals.
https://youtu.be/nCdGRAGeKOU
Cisco thinks the things Barry keeps writing are code and wants to crack it, but hasn’t been able to. He and Caitlin joke about the code having the answers to life, the universe, and everything. Cisco and Caitlin share a moment right before Cisco thinks he’s cracked it. I’m guessing, “This house is bitching,” isn’t what he was hoping to find. Now he’s mopey again, something that we hadn’t seen this episode until now. He thinks the new suit he made was a waste of time.
Barry is in a containment cell, his symbols all over. He’s shaven now which makes him look like Savitar.
Joe talks to Iris about faith and the samurai’s deadline is up. He faces off against a bunch of cops, but Iris walks up to him and tells her to take him so Flash will come after him. I know, and you know that this is a ploy for her to get Barry back, but the whole damsel in distress bit is getting weak. I like to say if it looks stupid, but works it’s not stupid. However, this bit is getting cliched. There has to be a better way people, find it.
Joe rushes back to STAR and tells everyone about Iris. When he gets to Barry’s containment cell he’s still talking jibberish. But his eyes get that Flash bolt through them and he grabs his new suit.
In a large field with a lot of wind turbines is where Barry catches up to the samurai and Iris. The samurai cuts down the wind turbines, trying to stop Barry. But Flash is faster than he’s ever been. He races up one of the turbines, jumps in the air and comes down on the samurai’s back. Barry grabs Iris, cuts off a wing and lands safely. This is where we find out that the samurai is a robot. (Now’s the time to check the link above) Barry is back.
https://youtu.be/F_Rpr5cOSNM
Caitlin gives him a clean bill of health. Barry tells Caitlin he’s glad she’s back. Cisco dubs the samurai robot “Samuroid.” The 60s must have been a fun time…
Barry doesn’t remember anything about his time in the Speed Force and can’t explain anything. Cisco and Iris reconcile about Barry. Caitlin tells everyone she’ll be back.
Back at the bar, Caitlin tells Norvok she’s done. He grabs her and then Frost comes out. She smashes him into a pinball machine and walks away. Frost tries to go do more bad things, but Caitlin gets her under control. She seems to be worried about the person that Norvok works for, so I’m betting we see that as a side story.
https://youtu.be/QMd3pYTfeKQ
At their apartment, Barry tells Iris he’s proud of her. He tells her his past is washed away and only their future matters. Barry speeds off to police sirens. In a lab somewhere, we see a woman with samuroid armor. She’s talking with none other than the Thinker. He will be the first non-speedster big bad for Flash.
The season started out good if a little touchy-feely for my taste. This seems to be the theme for the Arrowverse shows this season. As long as they don’t go overboard I’m looking forward to it. I’m still holding out that Caitlin and Cisco get together.
https://youtu.be/oeOoDdV5SWM