The Story

While Joe and Cisco take a field trip to Starling City to investigate the scene of Harrison Wells’ car crash – under the suspicion that something changed Wells that night – Barry, Eddie, and Caitlin track down a shapeshifter who commits robberies and pins the crimes on innocent people. The investigation is complicated by the fact that they don’t know whether the shapeshifter could also replicate Barry’s powers if they came in contact with each other. They track down the shapeshifter, a man named Hannibal Bates, by tracing a string of crimes in which otherwise upright citizens were caught in the act but protested innocence. Barry and Eddie find him impersonating his grandmother and end up in a chase. Bates impersonates Eddie and shoots two policemen, framing him for attempted murder. While Eddie is locked up, Barry continues to pursue Bates, hoping that his capture will exonerate Eddie. Barry, however, is oddly gullible and is tricked by Bates in disguise. Bates impersonates Barry, knocking him out and tying him up, and goes to STAR Labs with Caitlin, who says she might have a power suppressor for Bates. While Bates is acting oddly, Caitlin writes it off as the tension between them over Wells. Wells notices immediately, however, and tasers Bates, entrusting him to Caitlin and Iris to take to the police. Bates wakes up mid-transit and shifts into a little girl, pretending to be kidnapped and attracting the attention of some construction workers who free him. It turns out, however, that Bates cannot replicate Barry’s powers, which allows Barry to capture him and administer the suppressor. The surveillance video of the fight between the Flash and Bates proves his shapeshifting ability and clears Eddie of the shooting.

Starling City

When Joe and Cisco visit Starling City, they come into contact with Captain Lance and his daughter Laurel (AKA Black Canary). Cisco modifies a sonic device for Laurel while Joe and Lance bond over their relationship with their daughters. When Cisco and Joe investigate the scene of Wells’ tragic car crash, they discover a body buried by the side of the road. They test the skeletal remains and discover that the body is that of Harrison Wells. No one quite understands the details, but it is now clear to everyone that Wells is not who he says he is. This new information convinces Caitlin, who was very much on the fence about Barry’s suspicions.

Wells

I don’t think Wells is fooled for a minute by the act. He probably knows something is going on and that his friends are acting weird. I don’t think that Barry could possibly have telegraphed his feelings and suspicions toward Wells any more clearly the last couple episodes, and certainly Caitlin is too innocent and good-hearted to hide a guilty conscience. Things are coming to a head for the end of the season, and it looks like Wells knows the jig is up.

And if the body of the real Dr. Wells wasn’t enough, Cisco, Barry, and Caitlin find Wells’ secret room at STAR Labs where he keeps his yellow suit and future stuff. The yellow suit is pretty damning, but what really draws their attention is the newspaper headline from 2024 about the disappearance of the Flash.

I also just like how Wells – who is really Eobard Thawne, remember – stops by the CCPD to look in on his ancestor Eddie Thawne after his exoneration. After all, he’s gotta look out for family, otherwise he may never even be born.

Iris and Eddie

Iris is still upset about Eddie hiding things from her, but when she finds out Eddie’s been arrested her stone-faced manner melts into desperate concern. When Eddie is finally released, her resolve to force his hand dissolves. Eddie, however, can’t stand to keep lying to Iris, so he tells her a version of the truth – explaining that he’s been secretly working with the Flash, but not that he knows who the Flash is or that it’s Barry. In all likelihood she’ll find out soon enough, and if Joe’s conversation with Captain Lance is any indicator, the revelation will likely cause a rift between she and her family.