The Flash Recap With Spoilers: The Race of His Life

The episode opens where the last one left off — Barry is in his childhood home, screaming, as Henry drops to the ground before Zoom. While Barry mourns, Zoom monologues. Barry attacks him, and then gives chase when Zoom runs out of the house. Zoom seemingly time-travels during the run, with a second Zoom appearing next to the first, but the two just keep fighting. Barry chases down Zoom and is about to kill him, but that's what Zoom wants. When he begs Zoom to "end me," the other Zoom comes up behind him and kills the first Zoom, saying that Barry is "almost ready." While Barry is shocked, he blows past and escapes.

At Henry's funeral, Barry can't deliver a eulogy, but leans down after Joe steps in to do it and promises his father that he'll have his revenge on Zoom.

Later, at home, Barry is looking out the window when he's approached by Wally, who tries to convince him to eat. He says that he had no idea Barry was The Flash, and he appreciates that what he's done for the people of Central City. He says he's sorry and will do anything he can for Barry.

Barry approaches Team Flash asking what they're going to do about Zoom. The team is at a loss, and when Barry excuses himself to get some air, Iris follows him out.

Outside, Barry tells Iris that this happened just as he was finally over his mother's death, and that he doesn't know if he can find peace with it. She tells him that he has to, or the grief will tear him apart. Zoom runs past the house, and Barry chases him down. When they catch up, Zoom tells him that he wants to race Barry to see who's the fastest man alive, and that if Barry says no, he'll start killing Barry's friends. He disappears.

Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Wells figures out that a magnate that Zoom stole from Mercury Labs can be weaponized to be a weapon of mass destruction — and Zoom wants to siphon their speed energies during the race and use it to destroy the worlds of the multiverse.

Barry says that he apparently has no choice but to race Zoom and win.

In the core, Joe comes to Barry and tells him not to race Zoom. Barry is determined that he has to do it, but Joe says that Zoom needs Barry's speed, which puts them at an advantage. He quickly realizes that Barry wants to kill Zoom, and Barry says that of course he does.

When Barry says they can't talk him out of racing Zoom, Joe tells him he's sorry, and Wells shoots him with a tranq dart. Barry wakes up inside the Pipeline. They tell him that he can't race Zoom on his terms, or he'll lose and everyone will die. Joe says that the team made this decision together, in contrast to last year when they all let him make the time travel decision himself. Barry begs the team to let him out, and they all lave, doubting their decision but leaving him to calm down.

In the Cortex, Wells has a plan to take down Zoom. Cisco and Jesse have figured out how to find Zoom, and Harry is planning to bring Caitlin as bait. The others are going to hit Zoom with a boot and Vibe will push Zoom back through to Earth-2 so Harry can destroy the magnetar.

Jesse follows Harry into the next room to ask what's next: are they going to return to Earth-2 or not? She says she is going to, but if he needs to stay on Earth-2, she understands. She says that seeing him happy again is all she wants for him.

At an industrial park (man, the bad guys like these places!), Team Flash is waiting for Zoom. Caitlin walks out into the open to approach him, and Zoom arrives to talk to her. She tells him that nobody else knows where he is, but she says that she wants to explain to him why she left before. She tells him that it was a mistake, and she's sorry she abandoned him, but that she scared him by saying she was like Killer Frost. She says he's the only one who understands who she really is. As he draws close to her, the rest of the team prepares to pounce. Zoom says he knew she'd eventually come around — and then he tries to kill her, but it turns out she's just a hologram. The team boots Zoom, but Joe's gun jams, leaving him open to an attack by Zoom when he has to go shove darts into Zoom in person. When the breach opens, both Zoom and Joe are thrown through it.

Back at S.T.A.R., Cisco vibes on Zoom, but can't get a clear image and has no idea whether Joe is okay. Harry says they can't stop the magnetar because Zoom modified it to go nuclear and destroy Earth-1.

Wally comes to say they need to get Barry and rescue Joe. Iris says they all agreed not to open the breaches ever again if they got rid of Zoom, but Wally won't take the answer.

At Zoom's hideout on Earth-2, Joe tells Zoom that he's out of luck and Barry won't race him. He asks who the Man in the Iron Mask is. Zoom tells him that the's been traveling to other Earths and taking out other speedsters, and this is one of them. He says that the Speed Force has been sending Time Wraiths after him since he started trying to break the rules of the Speed Force. He says that the Man in the Iron Mask is Jay Garrick, whose name and role as hero Zoom stole.

On Earth-1, Wally lets Barry out of the pipeline. Barry is furious that they let him take Zoom. He's throwing a fit, and when Team Flash tries to talk him down, he keeps claiming that he's good. Harry tells him that if he wants to fight Zoom for revenge, he'll lose. Barry tells them that they're running out of choices, and he's going to beat Zoom with or without their help. Grudgingly, the team agrees. With the same device they used to vibe iris into the Speed Force, Barry appears to Zoom on Earth-2 to tell him he'll race him. He says to bring Joe, unharmed, and Zoom says that he will, but that he won't let Joe go free until after the race.

Back at the industrial park, there's a giant loop/track. Zoom shows up to boast about how after the race he's going to use the magnetar to destroy all of the other Earths in the multiverse except the one they're standing on, which he'll rule. The team refuses to leave, saying that if he doesn't get rid of Zoom, they'll die together. Flash and Zoom prepare to run, with Barry realizing that all he needs to do to save the multiverse is to stop Zoom before they go around the loop enough times to charge the magnetar.As they go, Barry makes a time remnant of himself, so that the extra Barry can free Joe. Zoom pulls him out of the loop to fight, while his time remnant runs in loops around the base of the loop. The time remnant is going to die to stop the weapon by counteracting the pulse it's creating. Meanwhile, Barry and Zoom fight all around the industrial park, with Barry finally getting the better of him. At the last moment, Barry doesn't kill Zoom, instead leaving him to the Time Wraiths, who arrive and drag his desiccated form through a breach.

Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry has to explain the idea of a time remnant to Wally. He's puzzled but want to just forget about it.

On the other side of the lab, Cisco and Harry are prying open the iron mask, revealing that Jay Garrick looks just like Henry Allen.

In the hallway, Joe goes to console Barry, saying that Garrick doesn't realize he's Henry's doppelgänger.

Jay suits up as The Flash, taking Zoom's helmet, which was a symbol of hope when he was pretending to be The Flash. He lives on Earth-3, and Harry says he and Jesse are going to Earth-2 and can help him get home. Wells and Jesse pack up to head home, with Jay in tow.

After he leaves, Barry continues to mourn as the team and the city celebrate his victory against Zoom.

Out on the porch, Barry is sitting alone when Iris comes to him, offering her support. Barry says he can't stop thinking about seeing Jay, and that knowing that he's out there should make it easier but it doesn't. She tells him that maybe their relationship can help him feel a bit better, but he says he's too broken right now to focus on a relationship. He says he needs to find some peace before he can be with her. She promises to wait for him, like he waited for her.

The two kiss, and say they love each other, and Barry looks into the house, saying "That's why I'm so sorry, but I have to do this," and he runs off as The Flash, popping into a breach. He travels back to the night of his mother's murder and stops Thawne from killing her. He sees the Season 1 version of himself disappear, and then tells Nora that he isn't going to hurt her; that she's safe.