Barry and Star Labs tries to help a human bomb and ex-military bomb expert Bette San Souci. She is being pursued by General Wade Eiling, who is interested in her as a weaponry asset. Meanwhile, Iris continues to pursue “the streak” and refuses to give it up despite Barry and Joe’s disapproval.

The Case

A security guard encounters a young woman making her way out of a filing room with a file late at night. She throws something towards him, which causes an explosion and allows her to escape. The explosion puts a late night window washer’s life in jeopardy. Barry, who had been out on the town with Caitlin, Cisco, Eddie, and Iris, arrives and runs up the side of the building to save him. Iris is also at the scene, hoping to see the Streak, and runs right into him as he descends the building.

Barry discovers the missing file is a dossier on an explosives specialist named Bette San Souci, but before any more action can be taken by the CCPD, the case is taken over by the military, led by General Wade Eiling. Eiling and Wells used to work together on genetic enhancement research, but parted ways when Eiling’s methods and purposes proved less than humane. Star Labs does some hacking and finds out her likely whereabouts. Barry intercepts her only to discover that when she accidently touches him, his suit begins to explode. He strips out of it just in time.

Bette think believes that the military turned her into a walking bomb, and so pursues the military doctor who treated her during a coma. Barry intervenes and offers to take her to Star Labs for help. They escape the building just as Eiling starts shooting up the place. It turns out, of course, that it wasn’t the military that changed Bette, but the explosion at Star Labs. Just as they begin testing her, Eiling arrives at Star Labs after following the signal from a tracker shot at Bette earlier. Eiling and Wells have a confrontation as everyone else hides in safety.

Wells convinces Bette to kill Eiling. Barry rushes to stop her, but instead distracts her long enough for Eiling to shoot her dead. He death causes a chain reaction in her body, threatening to explode. Barry runs on water and drops her a safe distance away from the city for the explosion. Eiling comes by Star Labs to threaten Wells, telling him he knows about his pet project and the changes his particle accelerator caused when it exploded. Wells threatens him back, then has a flashback of their original argument and parting over a gorilla named Grodd – according to the comics, a super intelligent, telepathic Gorilla capable of controlling minds.

Iris

Iris has become more and more obsessed with the Streak and is absolutely dedicated to documenting his exploits, letting the world know that there’s a hero out there to bring them hope. Joe and Barry discourage this interest, however, frightened that Iris may uncover their secret about Barry’s abilities. First Joe talks to Iris, then Barry talks to Iris. When that doesn’t work, Barry then decides to talk to Iris as the Flash. She explains that her friend Barry had something happen to his mother when he was a kid and that no one believed him when he said it was the man in the lightening who killed his mother. She feels that he’s lost his faith in the impossible and started documenting the Streak to give him hope again.

Barry finally talks to Iris again, finding out that her obsession now has more to do with spreading hope and that she won’t stop pursuing the truth. Barry tells Iris that maybe they shouldn’t see each other for a while and leaves. When Joe comes home, Iris is facing away from him, calm voiced, but has tears streaming down her face.

Also, we all know how cool Jesse L Martin is, and what a good detective Joe is. He pretty much knows everything about everyone before they ever decide to tell him what he already knows. This includes that Barry is in love with Iris – and Joe is pretty cool with that. He tells Barry that he’s watched him be in love with Iris since he knew what love was and always expected Barry to tell her. Sounds like Joe would much rather Iris be with Barry than with Eddie.

Doctor Wells

We know that Wells is a pretty devious and determined fellow. We’ve seen him kill and he continuously lies to his friends about his paralysis – but now he’s manipulating innocents into killing for him. And just think how close Barry was to knowing the truth. Bette would have told him about Wells if she hadn’t died first, and Barry doesn’t seem to have any sort of suspicion based on Bette’s final words, naming Wells in her last breath. You would think he’d find it curious that she struggled in her last moments to tell him something about Wells. Even if she failed to say anything else, the name itself and the importance she attached to it should throw up some kind of flag. Barry’s a pretty smart guy, but sometimes it’s what’s right in front of you that leaves you blind.

Grodd

Okay, a gorilla supervillain is a pretty comic-booky and hokey premise and honestly seems a little silly. Then again, there is an extremely thoughtful book out there about a super intelligent gorilla called Ishmael, and that’s a pretty moving book. Maybe a mix between the two tones will set the right mood for the inevitable rampage.

It is interesting that the show often times merely hints at the grander community of super villains and future enemies, which sets up potential storylines without over-crowding the show with characters and subplots. It’s a technique that the over-crowded Gotham could take to heart. They seem to be trying to develop too many characters and too many storylines at once, making the show feel disorganized. The Flash, on the other hand, focuses extremely well on a small group of important characters, drops in its villain of the week, and then simply teases the existence and the eventual appearance of other classic villains. Gotham wants to build up its universe but is just moving too quickly.