“Family of Rogues” is episode three of season two of The Flash.
In the previous episode, “Flash of Two Worlds”, Barry had finally got over the trust issues he had with Jay Garrett, issues that were caused by what happened with Harrison Wells/Eobard Thawne, and defeated the Sand-Demon with Jay’s help. Professor Stein had come up with a means of detecting the ‘breaches’ between worlds that Jay had mentioned. Only he and Cisco didn’t detect one breach – but 52. The most significant of which is in S.T.A.R. Labs. As the professor was explaining this, he suddenly collapsed. In another S.T.A.R. Labs on another world, a lab which looked rather more intact, there is another Dr Harrison Wells. Called the man who saved Central City. What is this Wells like? Is he really Wells? For the only one encountered so far was actually the Reverse-Flash, who had taken Harrison Wells’ identity.
This episode opens with Barry at his lab when he gets a call from Iris. Who is being shot at. Iris tells Barry that she needs his help now and, once Iris tells Barry where she is, he tells her to find a window. The jump out of it. Which, after a bit of persuasion, she does. And Barry catches her on the way down. Iris tells Barry that she had a hot lead on a real estate scam where people were being illegally evicted. It looks like the scammers took issue with Iris over this.
Later, Barry is at S.T.A.R. Labs and they are looking at a big swirling thing. There are 52 breaches in Central City, and the biggest one happens to be in their basement. Cisco says that the need to call it something and Professor Stein comes into the room and says that it’s a wormhole. Caitlin is concerned and says that Stein could pass out again, but he insists he’s fine.
Jay says that the wormhole could be his way home, as Zoom is using it to cart people between worlds. Cisco says that everything he throws into the wormhole just bounces off. Barry comments that maybe it takes a speedster, and backs up. Then runs at the wormhole. And bounces off. Jay says that this wormhole is like a door, and that there’s another door in Earth-Two. Between them is a hall, and they need to stabilise their door. With a speed cannon. Cisco likes the name. With this, Professor Stein says that everyone is leaving. Including him.
Joe is sitting in a bar and he is approached by a woman. This woman approached him at the end of the previous episode. It’s his wife, Francine, a wife he had told Barry and Iris was dead, and she wants to see her daughter. Joe doesn’t want her to and gives her money to leave town. When Francine asks if he expects her to take money to leave, Jo responds that the last time she walked away for free. Francine replies that that was 20 years ago now, and that she’s different. Francine says that Iris needs her mother, as losing the love of your life is not something you get over in a few months. Going by what Joe says later in the episode, Francine was not a very good mother back then.
In Jitters, Barry bumps into Patty Spivot – now on the Anti Meta-human Taskforce – who seems to call him Flash. Except she’s actually referring to the coffee; it’s been super caffeinated and been named after the Flash as a result. Patty seems to like Barry. In that way. When Barry returns to the table, another woman bumps in Cisco. This one is Lisa Snart, and she tells Cisco that she needs help. Cisco says he can call the Flash and he will be over in a couple of seconds. Lisa is perfectly willing for him to do so – in fact, she wants Cisco to call the Flash. Because she needs the Flash’s help as well, as her brother has been kidnapped.
Back at the lab, Lisa tells them that they were robbing the racetrack when she was hit from behind and knocked unconscious. When she woke up, Lenny had gone and Mick had taken all the money. Lisa says that the Flash owes her brother one, for stopping him from being killed in “Rogue Air” (although if Snart hadn’t double-crossed Barry in the first place, Barry’s life wouldn’t have needed saving). Caitlin doesn’t like the idea but Cisco says that Lisa has a point. Cisco is able to track Captain Cold’s cold gun and does.
When Barry arrives at the location, Snart is there and he says that he doesn’t need rescuing. And freezes Barry. Then an older man enters the room, and Snart calls him dad. Back at the lab, Lisa says that her brother would never work with their father, because Lewis Snart is a bad guy. Caitlin points out that Lisa’s entire family are criminals, so why should they trust her. So Lisa displays a scar that Lewis Snart gave her. It seems that Snart Sr. used to beat on her, but called it teaching her lessons. So Lenny would never work with Lewis.
Barry reaches out to Leonard again. Back in “Rogue Time” the two came to an agreement. Snart wouldn’t reveal that Barry was the Flash, as he’d figured it out, and Barry would leave him alone as long as Snart didn’t kill anyone. Barry points out that, with Lewis Snart involved, there are probably going to be deaths, but Snart still isn’t interested in listening.
One of Lewis’ accomplices turns up, rather dead, presumably (and he was) killed by Lewis. Leonard Snart doesn’t really care for many things in the world, but he does care for one – his little sister, Lisa. So Barry thinks that Lewis is holding a threat over Lisa’s head to get Leonard to cooperate with him. This threat needs finding and dealing with.
There looks to be more to Professor Stein’s collapse than low blood pressure and there’s something new revealed as well.