The Flash season 7 episode 11 aired on 25 March 2021.
The Forces storyline wraps up this week, for which I am both relieved and sad. Relieved because I didn’t really understand what the show was getting at. Sad that it means no more of Basheer’s smoothly-delivered snark.
There’s always one kid…
So we pick off from last week where Speed Force looked to have killed Alexa, Basheer, and Iris. Barry is distraught. Everyone disappears like they’ve been wiped from the timeline. But then they reappear behind Barry wondering why they’re still alive. First things first though – “Iris,” Barry gasps, and he hugs her in relief.
Oh, it was an illusion by Psych to make Nora think they were dead. His triggered a new ability in the heat of the moment.
Barry decides to hide Iris, Alexa, and Basheer in the old speed force, which appears as his old house, though dilapidated. (I think this is the same “house” he saw in “The Runaway Dinosaur” – The Flash season 2.)
Childhood story: Barry was sensitive about his height growing up so Iris would put her book on the top shelves and have him reach them for her.
Meanwhile, a freak lightning storm has gathered over Central City. Already, part of Iron Heights has been destroyed, letting out lots of metas. As Joe worries, a lightning bolt strikes Cecile.
Barry finds Nora, who has gone all goth-looking. She’s seemingly the one causing the lightning storm, and demands the Flash bring the remaining Forces to her or see his city destroyed.
Shepard in the Storm
Basheer wants to confront and kill Nora before she kills them, and uses his mind powers to get Alexa on his side. Together, they distract Iris with a mirage and steal the transporter to return to Central City.
Barry finds Deon at a football field. Deon genuinely regrets “killing” the other Forces. He too wants to find and kill Nora, and zaps away angrily when Barry doesn’t agree.
Joe is also doubtful there is an alternative.But part of his attitude is adjusting to his unemployment. Allegra reminds him that his most heroic acts came from within and not his badge.
Barry tries to talk down Goth Nora again. Nora points out that she isn’t creating the storm. The storm is the result of all the Forces. The more they run free, the more the universe is out of balance, or something.
Deon suddenly appears. The ‘avadakadavra/expelliarmus’ moment between him and Nora throws everyone apart and Deon is hurt by the impact. The Flash brings him back to Star Labs, where Cisco and Chester confirm that Nora is right about the storm’s origins. Barry needs to choose between protecting the city and saving his “kids”.
A Force-d family reunion
Barry and Iris wonder if they have failed as “parents” to the Forces. Joe snaps out of his funk the moment his own kids need a pep talk. Barry and Iris realise that they shouldn’t be trying to keep the Forces away from one another. Because only when the Forces are in harmony with each other then everything will return to normal, I think. I told you, I don’t really understand this storyline.
Basheer and Alexa return to Star Labs having “sensed a change”. Together with Deon, they follow the Flash to confront Goth Nora again. There’s a fight sequence, including some time fighting in the speed force (so they are in the speed force but Goth Nora still appears, how does that work??) Then it’s like you defeat the big bad and the super boss appears. Goth Nora sets off a collider reaction. Something something, reverse Big Bang, Forces reverting to their original state. This is stretching the limits of pseudoscience.
The Flash runs to create a funnel to contain the collision, leaving the kids to themselves. Alexa, Deon, and Basheer combine to apprehend Nora. With their powers combined, they send her into a vision of a ghost town Central City. Apparently Nora is scared of being alone or something, because she immediately un-goths.
The Forces somehow all mind-connect with Barry and give him their powers. With this extra boost, he runs fast enough to reverse the reverse Bing Bang. City saved, yay.
Barry and Iris return the Forces to the dead-speed-force-Allen-house-dimension-place, which is now all spiffed up.
Roundup
During all of this, Frost got out of Iron Heights. She tries to round up the escapees and runs into Hunky Bartender and they fight. Or flirt. “I’m sensing some wild chemistry here,” says the chemist as he drops into a perfect split. Oh so he’s suave and flexible. Frost doesn’t seem impressed, though and chills him out with an ice blast. However, she later returns to Caitlin’s apartment and admits to having a crush.
She’s also apparently on probation because she tried to get other metas to turn themselves in. Hmm…I’m not sure. with Kramer’s return last week, I think this escaped meta prisoners storyline has more to come.
Now that the storm has cleared, Cecile recovers.
Allegra and Chester hang out with Kamilla and Cisco. The couple make it really awkward with their flirting. “Please tell me there’s another apocalypse?” Chester pleads, when a text finally interrupts the love-in. Chip Cooper (the ARGUS director?!) tells Cisco he “needs an answer.”
And the Flash’s real family starts
Barry and Iris finally enjoy a night in at the WestAllen loft. Barry compares sending the Forces to the old speed force to sending their kids off to college. And then gets a bit awkward about the kids topic. Iris gives Barry a Look, then gets up.
“I’m tired of wondering. Let’s start a family,” she declares.
“I love that impulse,” Barry sighs lasciviously. Then he speeds her off to their room for…you know 😉
Oh my god, that was not subtle at all! But it made all the weird “family” drama these last two episodes worth it. I feel like the season has been holding out on a proper WestAllen moment and we finally got it. Also it was the one scene where Barry actually felt like Barry, with his “anywho” and the way his face lit up. Gone be all the angst and heaviness he has been carrying since we moved into season 7 plot proper.
I’m glad we’re done with the “forces are like our kids we are a family” rhetoric, because it was too weird for me. Also, I’m not feeling the sudden “everyone is okay with Nora” thing. I don’t understand how she suddenly switched to being good? She has a lot of grovelling to do in my opinion.
Anywho, if you haven’t heard the news, Bart Allen is coming!
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Previous recaps of The Flash can be found in our Flash Zone.
