“Attack on Gorilla City” is episode thirteen of season three of The Flash.
At the end of the previous episode, “Untouchable”, Jesse had come through from Earth-2 and asked Wally for help. Her father had been kidnapped by Grodd and taken to Gorilla City – Grodd having been sent through a breach to Earth-2 and Gorilla City in “Gorilla Warfare”.
This episode opens on Earth-2 with Harry Wells running through some trees, away from some roaring, only to be grabbed by a gorilla. Presumably Grodd.
On Earth-1, Jesse is telling everyone – bar H.R. – that it’s two weeks since her father disappeared, and no-one has heard from him since. Barry wants to know why Harry went and Joe wants to know what Gorilla City. He’s told that there are sentient, highly-evolved gorillas on Earth-2 and that they live in a city deep in Africa. It’s where, Cisco tells Joe, they sent Grodd. Joe, having had a bad experience with Grodd, asks why Jesse’s father would go there – why anyone would.
According to Jesse, they received a cryptogram at their S.T.A.R. Labs that took a year to decode. It was an invitation from the gorillas to Harry – they wanted to meet. He took an expedition of ten other people but, after missing multiple check-ins, a party was sent after them. And found bodies. At this point H.R. enters, which gives Jesse a momentary relief, until she discovers that it’s not her father.
Barry is thinking about the future. One of the headlines was about the city still recovering from a gorilla attack. He’s sure it’s not a coincidence and Grodd is planning to come back. Saving Harry could save Iris. Barry isn’t sure, but he’s going anyway. Cisco presumes that Barry will need someone to open the breaches. Barry tells him they had so much fun last time. Funnish, according to Cisco. Caitlin volunteers as well, as she has a connection to Grodd. Barry wants Jesse to remain behind, because she’s a speedster and can help Wally take care of the city whilst they’re gone. Maybe she can teach him a thing or two. Jesse didn’t know that Wally had become a speedster; he’s more excited than she is.
At the CCPD, Barry asks Julian if he can cover for Barry at work the next few days. Flash stuff. On questioning, Barry elaborates; a friend is lost on a parallel Earth and they are going to get him back. Julian is interested, and wants to know if they often travel to parallel Earths. Also, what does Caitlin think. Julian is not certain that taking Caitlin is a wise move, but Barry explains that they might need her with Grodd. On hearing about the sentient gorillas, Julian states that they are going to Planet of the Apes (Tom Felton starred in Rise of the Planet of the Apes). Julian agrees to cover, but it looks as if he’d prefer to come with.
Barry is fretting a bit and wants Iris to take care of Wally (who is in the same room within hearing). Iris tells Barry not to do something stupid. Like volunteering to go to a city of super apes he suggests. Then Julian arrives – and his attire gets some Indiana Jones comments. He tells them this isn’t his first expedition. He is coming with and he did cover with Captain Singh – Julian told Singh that he and Barry are heading to a conference in Blüdhaven. Caitlin points out that they aren’t going sightseeing; Julian is armed.
Julian finds the travel through the breach bloody brilliant. In the distance there is roaring and a city with a giant stone ape head. Julian wants to know how saving someone on this Earth can prevent an attack on theirs. Barry explains that if Grodd is planning an attack, he needs someone to open a breach. and Harry is the only one here who can do it. Well, was the only one; Cisco can as well.
Cisco leads them to Harry’s bracelet and, on the way, Caitlin explains about Killer Frost, her evil twin that she met here. She’s dead now. Julian tells Caitlin it won’t happen to her; she’s happy he came along. At the bracelet, Barry realises it’s a trap, but too late as darts hit them all and knock them out. Then Grodd appears. Seems he as expecting them.
There are a heck of a lot of gorillas in the city and the group are held in cells under an arena. Neither Barry nor Cisco can use their powers; the assumption is that Grodd is dampening them. Grodd, through the medium of Harry – Julian asks if that’s a thing and is told it is – claims he used Harry to lure the Flash because he needs Barry’s help. Grodd was sent to this hell and is forced to serve Solovar, the ruler of the city. Solovar wants to rule humans and bring war to their Earth.
Solovar is afraid that humans will attack and, now they are here, will fight them in the arena – where all trespassers are executed. Julian would have liked a warning sign posted about that. If Barry defeats Solovar, the other gorillas will see his weakness and not follow him. Grodd will take Solovar’s place and keep the gorillas in Gorilla City. Earth-1 is still Grodd’s home and there are those amongst he will never forget. If Barry fails, his home will be turned to ashes. No pressure.
Barry gets Solovar to agree to one on one combat. Solovar says that Barry will die by his hand, and show the other gorillas that Solovar’s justice is wise and swift. Cisco comments that speedster vs. super gorilla is the best worst video game ever (both the Flash and Grodd appear in the video game Injustice 2). At the start of the fight, Cisco tells Barry it’s all about the speed punches. Which quickly changes to it’s all about the running away.
On Earth-1, Wally is a bit confused because Jesse doesn’t seem as thrilled to see him as he though, or as thrilled that he has speed. The two have seemed to have a thing. There are reasons for that; Jesse was concerned that Wally was attracted to her speed, not her. With a bit of communication, things get sorted out.
Julian and Caitlin definitely have some mutual attraction. Grodd is not merely a super gorilla, but a really, really smart one, and bears a grudge. The post-logo scene leads into the next episode, “Attack on Central City”.