“Attack on Central City” is episode fourteen of season three of The Flash.
In the post-logo scene of the previous episode, “Attack on Gorilla City”, Barry and the others hadn’t been as successful stopping Grodd as they thought they had. Grodd had another way of opening a breach to Earth-1 – Gypsy, the Collector from Earth-19 seen in “Dead or Alive”. No explanation was given at that point as to why Gypsy was there. With Solovar – who had never planned to attack – being defeated by Barry, Grodd now has an army of gorillas at his command.
This episode opens with Iris coming downstairs in their apartment as Barry had been rushing around, the place is filled with flowers, balloons and food. It seems it’s Valentine’s Day and Barry has possibly gone a little overboard. At 6:30 AM.
H.R. is decorating the speed lab at S.T.A.R. Labs when Harry comes in and asks his dimensional twin what he’s doing. Decorating the speed lab is the answer. Because Cisco wouldn’t let H.R. decorate the cortex. H.R. is interested in the subtle differences between the various versions of Harrison Wells. Including, according to Harry, the not-so-subtle ones. Harry is a genius; H.R. is a moron. Well, one of the differences the others like about H.R. is that he’s nice.
Barry, Iris, Caitlin, Cisco, Jesse and Wally also arrive at the speed lab to see H.R.’s decorations. Leading Jesse to comment that they have Martha Stewart on their team. H.R. is celebrating Friends’ Day; his Earth’s version of Valentine’s Day. When they celebrate friends. Jesse suggests to Wally they tell her father about her moving to Earth-1; there’s never going to be a good time so may as well get it over with. Barry agrees with H.R. in that they are celebrating a win. Defeating Grodd, stopping the gorilla attack and changing the future. Unfortunately, they probably haven’t.
Jesse and Wally find Harry and she tells her father she’s moving to Earth-1. Not because of Grodd but so she can be with Wally. Harry asks Jesse if Wally likes her, if he makes her happy. Yes. Harry’s response is a simple okay. They are adults and Jesse’s happiness is what matters to him. He tells them not to screw it up. Jesse comments on that being weird afterwards – both had expected Harry to shout and throw things. Not be calm and reasonable. Now they need to find Iris a place. Or, rather, Iris corrects Wally – find them a place.
Cisco is asking Caitlin why he doesn’t have a love doughnut. He wants a love doughnut. He also asks where Julian is (in the previous episode, Caitlin had told Julian to be afraid of her. He agreed, and said he dealt with fear by eating a nice fillet steak. Would she like one as well?) Julian is in London, dealing with family matters. Besides, he’s just a friend. Cisco complains that his game isn’t strong. Caitlin tells him it is and, for what it’s worth, she thinks Lisa Snart was totally into Cisco. Not that Caitlin would have let her date him. Caitlin promises that there is a beautiful, intelligent woman out there for Cisco, and she could be just around the corner. With that straight line, Gypsy breaches in. Then blasts Cisco and Barry before Harry blasts her in turn. T6hen asks who she is.
Gypsy comes to locked up and asks why. And says that her powers don’t work in there. Which is the point, Cisco informs her. Cisco wants to know why she didn’t go back to Earth-19 and tell everyone that H.R. was dead, as she agreed to. Gypsy replies that she did. And doesn’t know why she is there. The last thing she remembers is hunting a breacher on Earth-2. In the African jungle. Where she saw a really big gorilla. Grodd evidently took control of her, but his control doesn’t work between dimensions. So, he’s here. Cisco doubts Grodd came alone. He hasn’t.
They have had no luck at detecting an army of giant gorillas – Grodd appears to have scrambled the satellite. Barry is fretting, because Grodd is continually getting better, but they are fighting him the same way. Harry suggests finding out where the attack happens and pre-empting it. Using Cisco’s abilities to see the future. Caitlin thinks that the range of Cisco’s vibe can be widened and Harry thinks he has a way to do that. They’re also going to tell Joe that an army of sentient gorillas is going to march on the city. Cisco tries to get Gypsy to help, but she declines. Although there’s a definite feeling that this is a decline for now.
With Cisco’s vibe, they and S.W.AT. head to where the gorillas are going to attack. Only Grodd takes control of Joe whilst they are there and nearly shoots him in the head with his own gun. Barry realises that this was a distraction; Grodd has actually ambushed a car with an Air Force general in it.
There’s a plan to find out what Joe saw of Grodd’s mind when Grodd was in it. Barry is tiered of just stopping Grodd, and wants to end it. After all, Oliver killed. What’s really concerning Barry is the future. Iris tells Barry he’s a hero, and the deaths weigh on Oliver. He doesn’t need to kill. Harry tells Barry the same thing.
Harry also ‘accidentally’ lets slip to Wally that he’s dying. Which Jesse decides is just a ploy to get her to come home with him. She is not happy. Harry also has a very low opinion of H.R. – which can easily be detected, because Harry keeps calling H.R. a moron.
The post-logo scene has something troubling.