“Back to Normal” is episode nineteen of season two of The Flash.
In the previous episode, “Versus Zoom”, using Dr Wells’ knowledge about Hunter Zolomon, the real name of Zoom, a notorious serial killer, Barry was able to capture Zoom. Then, stupidly, instead of quickly locking Zoom up, Barry had a bit of a talk with him (during which Zoom told him that the Jay who was killed by Zoom was a time remnant who agreed to help). Just like foolish villains do with captured heroes. Only Barry was the hero. Zoom broke free and went and kidnapped Wally, demanding Barry’s speed in return for Wally. So Barry agreed, Wells drained Barry’s speed and Zoom took it. All things told, this did not go well. Zoom has been brought back through a breach, given Barry’s speed and is no longer dying. And kidnapped Caitlin. We still don’t know who the man in the iron mask is. It’s probably important because, when asked, Zoom replied they wouldn’t believe him if he told them who it was. Perhaps they should have simply waited for Zoom to die from his problem.
Barry is talking about it being a regular day in Central City, as he zooms around doing everything at superspeed. Only now he can’t. He says that it’s just a regular day, and he’s just a regular guy. So he does all of his jobs and tasks at normal speed.
At S.T.A.R. Labs Cisco is vibing on Jay’s helmet, which he says gives him the creeps. He managed to vibe Caitlin, though; she’s in Zoom’s lair, scared but okay. Joe says that, without Barry’s speed to get through the breach, there is nothing they can do right now. Wells enters and agrees with Joe – and says that it’s all thanks to Barry. Barry has lost his speed, they’ve lost Snow and now Zoom can come through the breach any time he wants. Iris tells Wells it’s down to all of them, that they made the decisions as a team. Wells replies that they didn’t.
Wells is heading out to find his daughter, before Zoom finds her again. Through cellular dead zones. Wells tells the others that people from his Earth vibrate at a different frequency, and they leave cellular dead zones wherever they go. So using mobile phones around them is difficult. Wells has tracked Jesse down, so is going to get her. Given that he’s carrying a gun, he’s asked if he plans to bring her back by force. The answer is no; Wells points out that Jesse is not the only person from his Earth hiding out on this one. When Wells has gone Joe asks Barry if he wants a ride back to the precinct. Barry says no, he’s finished all his cases so is going to stay at the lab. Joe tells him that was fast. Then apologises for the poor choice of words. Given that this is the only way Barry has to catch criminals now, he’s working it.
Caitlin is in Zoom’s lair, manacled and with a tray of food in front of her. Zoom appears and tells Caitlin she needs to eat. Caitlin tells him that if he’s going to speak to her, take off the mask. So he whisks away and then back, with the suit gone and dressed as Jay again. Jay tells Caitlin he isn’t going to hurt her, he cares too much about her. She says that he only cares about himself. And calls him Hunter, his real name. Jay says that he knows Caitlin thinks he’s a monster, but when she understands why, she will change. Caitlin asks why she’s here and Jay tells her it’s because he loves her, And that someday she will feel that way about him again too. Well, that’s not remotely creepy. Jay removes Caitlin’s shackles and tells her to make herself at home, because she will be here a while.
After Jay leaves again, she hears the man in the iron mask (who is this guy?) tapping on the glass of his cell. Caitlin says she can’t understand him. Then someone else speaks to her. The someone else is Killer Frost – it looks like Zoom didn’t kill her when she helped the others escape in “Escape from Earth-2”.
At the precinct, Joe is approached by Wally. Wally wants to speak to Joe about the Flash. The Flash showed up when Iris got hurt in the street race in “Fast Lane”, when the man-shark attacked their house in “King Shark” then, when Zoom captured him, Zoom told Wally that the Flash would agree to Zoom’s terms because someone the Flash knew cared about Wally. Wally realised that Zoom was talking about Joe. He understands that Joe won’t reveal the Flash’s identity. Wally just wants Joe to set up a meeting. Joe says he can’t do that either; maybe one day, but not now.
Wells knocks on the door of an apartment and a young woman answers. She tells him that the laser tag club is in 2D – he’s still carrying his gun. Fortunately it doesn’t look like a real gun. Wells tells her he’s looking for Jesse, and she says that he’s the first person to ever come to visit Jesse.
Wells tells Jesse she need to go. She asks him if he thinks she will be safer with him; he tells her yes. That Jesse is in grave danger, and Jesse tells her father that she knows. And says it’s because of him. Everything is his fault. Plus, he killed a man; Jesse may be afraid of Zoom but she tells her father she’s just as afraid of him. And tells him to go. Which he does. As Wells is heading back in the S.T.A.R. Labs van, a man steps in front of it. Wells tries to brake, but there isn’t enough time, and he hits the man. The van comes off a lot worse from the collision. The man rips the van’s door off and takes Wells. It looks like he’s pretty strong.
Barry is watching a news report about how petty crime has risen. Cisco turns it off, saying he doesn’t need to listen to that. Barry says that, sooner or later, criminals will realise he has lost his speed. Cisco tells him that later is better, as they don’t need every criminal thinking he’s untouchable. Then an alarm goes off; Cisco says that the lab van has recorded an accident. And they watch Wells being abducted. Cisco says there are no traffic cams in the area and Barry asks where the last place the van stopped was, because that’s where Jesse is.
In Zoom’s lair, Killer Frost tells Caitlin that if her powers would work, the first thing she would do is shut the man in the iron mask up. She doesn’t know who he is either. Presumably if he was able to speak, that would achieve something. Killer Frost says that, if he’s here, Zoom must want him for something. Caitlin asks Killer Frost what Zoom wants her for. She says that’s an excellent question, but she doesn’t know the answer. She wants Caitlin to help her escape. Why? Well, Caitlin won’t be able to make her way down the cliff by herself.
Barry and Iris are at the lab van and they deduce that it must be a meta after Wells, and perhaps one from Earth-Two. The meta has Wells captive and introduces himself as Griffin Grey. Wells asks if he knows Grey and the latter replies that he should, because he’s one of Wells’ mistakes. The particle accelerator explosion gave Grey super-strength and Grey wants his powers removing. Wells tells him that enhanced strength is not the worst thing and Grey agrees, that’s what he thought too. At first. Then he shows Grey a picture of a young man. The young man is Grey, but he’s a lot younger. Grey’s powers are aging him rapidly and he will be dead in a few months. Even though he’s only 18. Wells tells Grey he can’t fix him; Grey replies that if can’t, Wells will die soon too. At S.T.A.R. Labs they have identified Griffin, a high school senior who vanished 6 months ago. They realise he’s aging too.
On Earth-Two, Caitlin argues with, well, herself – until they find out that their mothers in both cases were ice queens. Thinks are still a bit… frosty. Wally wants to thank the Flash because, despite the reckless things he had done, he never thought he would die. Until Zoom captured him. The Flash gave up his powers to save Wally, someone he doesn’t know (well, actually he does) and that no-one has ever done that for Wally. He wants to tell the Flash just how much that means. Barry is having his own problems. With no superspeed, he also lacks his rapid healing ability – and their doctor has been abducted. Taking down a meta-human without any powers will be tricky.