Recap: 'Flash' Episode 303, 'Magenta'

NOW THINGS GET INTERESTING.  When we catch up with The Flash, it's just in time to see Barry on an awkward first date with Iris which withstands a robbery in progress, only to be later abandoned due to an all hands on deck Team Flash Emergency Alert.  Yet and still, I have to say that, no matter the timeline, dimension or alternate earth in which you happen to be, wifing* Iris is priority one. Let's do that first and once that's locked down we can start to handle all these other Meta-Issues. So Bravo Barry! I ain't mad at ya.

When Barry and Iris get to Star Labs, they learn the Speed Canon is being activated from the other side; in other words - incoming traveler.  So when a door that leads to other worlds can be opened by friend or foe alike and when said door lets out into your basement, you want to have certain precautions in place.  It's at this time I want to praise the Early Alert System as well as their Panic button apps, for as Cisco pointed out so poignantly, "We kept getting kidnapped."  The question remains.  Are there locks on the door?!  More than once, in our original timeline, some undesirable or a speedster simply let themselves into Star Labs (or out in the case of Harry).  To everyone's relief, the "incoming" was Harry Wells and his daughter Jessie, or should I say Jessie Quick.  Yes, there has been an awakening and Jessie is feeling the Speed-Force.  Where do you go to get your speed checked out? The Earth-1 speed force experts, of course.

Harry is hoping they will talk Jessie out of using her powers to help others. Jesse wants them to be happy for her while she shows off her stuff. Cut to the Speed Room where Barry has a large indoor track, a Speed Treadmill and who knows what else; the upgrades continue. Once here, we have to address the elephant in the Speed Room - the Speed Room itself.  The differences are immediately recognizable to Harry, who deduces - within the very next millisecond - that Barry went back in time and changed something in his timeline.  So not soon after their arrival, Team Flash, Earth-2 division is caught up on the state of the union, new timeline edition.

Remember when I said Jessie wanted all her friends to be happy for her?  Well, they ain't. Wally's all in his feelings because he wants to be a speedster too; it's just not fair, especially when he got hit with the same dark matter as Jessie and at the exact same time. His next thought is to duplicate the circumstances that sparked her speed.  Jessie's inciting incident was a car running a red light that would hit her in the crosswalk.  The next thing she knew everything was in slow motion (actually, she was moving so fast). In Wally's dysfunctional mind this equates to 'I just need to get hit by a car.'  Screw a second thought; I don't think Wally let Jessie finish her story before he's in the middle of the street looking to dance with a car and destiny.

Destiny is a thing on The Flash.  People are so driven and focused on whatever, be it powers or money, that they are willing to sacrifice life and limb for it. Wally was highly more likely to meet his maker than the speed-force, and yet he was upset when Jessie saved him.  She just denied him his one shot.  But if I may, I'm all for seeing Wally play the damsel to Jessie's Hero. These two definitely had chemistry during their brief interactions in season two, at the club.  Trust me; they were going to get it popping if life had not gotten all up in the way. So I'm looking forward to seeing their relationship blossom, whatever direction it takes.

The villain of the week is Magenta, a teenage girl who has powers awoken by Doctor Alchemy. Things are slightly different. Doctor Alchemy created Magenta but it isn't Frankie Kane who gets powers. Now it's a separate consciousness fighting for control over Frankie's body. She just wants to hurt her abusive foster father.  Magenta gives her the means to do so.  For once, the Flash is able to successfully talk down the bad guy, a scared girl in over her head.  Alchemy has a very low tolerance for failure, so could Frankie be opening herself up to possible annihilation?  We see The Rival didn't even survive his first night in jail. Did Magenta promise to deliver something she couldn't deliver?  Dr. Alchemy seems content to let her to fail at taking over Frankie's body.

One thing I didn't quite catch - maybe I will upon my second viewing - was the exact DNA that Julian matched up with Frankie's sample. Whatever test he ran in that five minutes told him that Frankie was a Meta-human and the culprit who attacked her father earlier that day. I saw it but I don't know what I saw. Just tells me that Barry should keep both eyes on this one. If he has his sights on Allen, it's only a matter of time before he knows too much.

I really enjoyed this episode.  It reintroduced some friendly reminders of the crew we used to know, proving the adage 'the more things change, the more they stay the same.'  Unless you're one Kaitlin Snow that is; baby is switching the game all up.  Don't let me out of here without telling you how she checks Harry on how to handle his Jessie Quick issue, because Kaitlin is the last person to get loud or confrontational with anyone.  She did tonight though and in spades.  I shudder to think what other changes she'll showcase in the upcoming weeks but I'll be right here bringing you the play by play.

*Wifing - when a guy decides to make one girl, his number one. At this point he will be talking about loving you, buying you stuff. Extreme Wifing: moving in, marriage, kids, and *gulp* REAL commitment. (Urban Dictionary)