In the present, Barry shows Joe a board he has made full of information on Harrison Wells, similar to the murder board from the pilot. They discuss how little the both know about Wells. Barry is concerned about Well’s intentions towards him. “Do you think that he wanted me to become The Flash?” They discuss how Wells has helped Barry become faster and how he must want something. Joe points out that they can’t get Wells right now. Wells is amazingly patient. They need to be patient too.
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Children play on a playground. Suddenly, a large number of parachutes descend. The children and their parents all watch, fascinated. The parachutes are all carrying gift boxes, which turn out to be full of bombs that detonate when they hit the ground. Parents rush to save their children as bombs go off all around them.
Barry and Joe hear the explosions, and see the smoke in the distance. Barry hurries off.
A father yells for his son, who has wandered away on the playground. The Flash rescues the boy from another falling bomb just in time.
A young man in a mask takes credit for the bombs. He calls himself The Trickster. Barry, Joe, Wells, Caitlin, and Cisco watch all this on a recording at S.T.A.R. Labs. Joe tells the gang about the original Trickster, James Jesse, who was arrested twenty years earlier. Jesse now resides in Iron Heights. Barry is somewhat rude to Wells, which is noticed. Barry and Joe decide to head to Iron Heights to interview Jesse while Cisco beings research to find the new Trickster. Wells privately asks Joe about Barry. Joe assures Wells that Barry is fine. Wells remembers the night Nora died.
Flashback. The Reverse Flash carries young Barry from the house, with The Flash in pursuit. They leave young Barry behind as they speed off. The speedsters separate and The Reverse Flash suddenly loses his speed, falling hard. He manages to summon Gideon, who he sees as a projection from his hand. Gideon explains that the Reverse Flash has drained his power and lost the speed force. He removes his mask. It is Eobard Thawne, and he looks nothing like Harrison Wells.
At the prison, Barry and Joe are lead to a cell deep below the other cells. The cell was built specifically for Jesse, after he talked his therapist into committing suicide. They are also provided with Twizzlers to give Jesse. The cell wall is transparent, and James sits in a single chair in the middle. Joe introduces himself and Barry. Jesse smells the candy in Barry’s pocket. Barry gives Jesse some crime scene photos, as well as the candy. Jesse is not helpful at first, preferring to brag about his body count. But when he learns that the composition of the new Trickster’s bombs are identical to his own, he grows angry. Jesse examines the pictures and says that the copycat must have found his old lair. Jesse asks them to leave the safeties on their guns off when they find the imposter.
At the police station, Iris asks Eddie to look into Mason Bridge’s disappearance. Eddie thinks it is nothing, he assumes Bridge is on a bender, or undercover for a story. He tells Iris that every cop is currently working on the bombing case, but he will search for Bridge after that case is solved.
Joe and Barry find Jesse’s old lair. It is filled with items, everything from old costumes to a large clock. Barry finds a locked door, and vibrates it until it unlocks. He starts to open the door, then suddenly grabs Joe and speeds them both away as there is an explosion behind the door. They get up and peer into the scorched room. It is empty. The young Trickster took everything.
Barry and Joe return to Iron Heights. They stop at Henry’s cell so Barry and his father can talk. Barry tells Henry that he is close to finding Nora’s killer. Henry tries to stop him, but Barry refuses to stop. Henry asks Joe, but Joe tells Henry nothing.
Back at Jesse’s cell, Barry explains that everything was taken. Jesse is livid and admits he had a bomb there big enough to destroy Central City. Cisco calls, he sends Barry the latest vlog from the new Trickster. Barry shows the video to Jesse, who calls the young man a fraud. Jesse screams for the new Trickster to take his mask off.
At S.T.A.R. Labs, the gang watches the Trickster’s vlog. Barry is rude to Wells again. Joe and Cisco try to get the investigation back on track. Cisco has so far been unable to track the videos. Wells asks to talk to Barry alone.
Wells says that he knows what Barry is thinking. He thinks Barry is upset about Henry. Barry plays along with that and Wells promises to help. He asks Barry to focus on the new Trickster. Iris contacts The Flash, wanting a meeting. Before Barry can go, Wells tells him “I’m always here for you.”
In the past, a younger Harrison Wells sits on an otherwise empty beach with a young woman, Tess Morgan. They chat about science, and Wells tells her about plans for a lab which he wants to name after her. She suggests S.T.A.R. Labs instead. Because he is the only star she sees. Eobard spies on them from a distance.
Iris waits at Jitters, which is otherwise deserted. Giving up, she starts to leave just as The Flash arrives. Iris asks The Flash to find Bridge. He agrees. Iris sees that something is wrong and asks if The Flash is okay. He has a heavy heart. Cisco calls to tell him there’s a new broadcast. On Iris’ laptop, The Flash sees the new Trickster making a new bomb threat. He gives an area to search for the bomb. Everyone at S.T.A.R. Labs and the police station all watch. Captain Singh sends the police out to look for the bomb.
The Flash speeds through the entire area but can’t find the bomb. Wells realizes that the threat must be a trick and asks Barry to trust him. Unable to, The Flash keeps searching. Cisco can’t understand why The Flash won’t listen to Wells. The Flash finds the crate from the broadcast, but when he opens it there is no bomb inside. It was a trick.
The new Trickster is at Iron Heights, down in the basement. He sets off a small explosion, blowing out the floor of a room above him.
The Flash calls Joe to tell him the bomb threat was a trick. Joe tells Barry that both Tricksters were working together. And that they not only escaped jailed, but they kidnapped Henry in the process.
In their hideout, the new Trickster ties Henry to a chair. Jesse watches gleefully. “You have to admit, that was one hell of a trick!” The new Trickster clearly idolizes Jesse, who decided they should take Henry because a cop’s father makes a good hostage. Henry isn’t scared, he knows The Flash will come. Jesse wants The Flash to try and stop him. The new Trickster wants to know why Jesse chose him. Jesse calls the new Trickster Axel and says that he knew his strength, it was in his blood. Jesse looks right at Axel. “I am your father.”
At S.T.A.R. Labs, Joe identifies Axel. Barry feels guilty about his father’s kidnapping, he knows he should have listened to Wells.
Back in the past, Wells drives a tired Tess home. They flirt, not seeing the line of nails stretched across the road. They drive over it, the tires blown, and the car flips over. Wells survives. He sees Tess is badly hurt and starts to call for help. He sees feet outside the car and begs for help for Tess. Eobard answers that this woman has been dead for centuries.
Barry sits near the pipeline. Joe finds him and assures him that Henry is still alive. Barry is scared to leave his father’s fate in the hands of the man who might have killed his mother. He doesn’t understand Wells’ motives. Joe answers that whoever else he is, he is Harrison Wells. Joe admits to being jealous to Barry’s ability to always see the best in people. He considers it Barry’s real power. Barry sobs. He can’t lose his father.
Iris shows up at a formal event, dressed beautifully. She is served a glass of champagne by Jesse, dressed as a waiter. Axel is also disguised as a waiter. The event turns out to be a re-elect Mayor Bellows party. Jesse starts to make a speech, which Bellows interrupts, wanting to know if this is all a bad joke. Jesse reveals who he is and admits this is a robbery. Axel pulls a machine gun. They poisoned the champagne. Jesse has the antidote, but it needs to be administered in an hour. Suddenly, a man vomits. He arrived an hour early and had the first drink. They are all to transfer the contents of their bank accounts to him, there is a number on their glasses. Jesse draws a gun, threatens anyone who calls 911. Iris manages to call Joe and lets him listen in. Cisco pings Iris’ phone to find her, while Wells and Caitlin go to make an antidote.
Jesse eyes Iris, attracted to her. The Flash speeds in and shoves Jesse against a wall. While The Flash is focused on Jesse, Axel gets behind him and attached a devise to The Flash’s wrist. It is a bomb. If he tries to remove it, or slows down to below 600 mph, it will explode. Jesse shouts for The Flash to run.
Speeding through the city, The Flash calls Cisco. Cisco identifies that the bomb is real. The Flash knows he can’t run forever. Wells asks the Flash to run through a wall. If he vibrates at the correct frequency, he can pass through a wall, leaving the bomb behind. Wells calms The Flash, talking to him about how running that fast feels, about feeling the lightning’s power. Wells calls it speed force. Barry sees a large truck ahead, and runs through it, leaving the bomb on the other side. “That felt weird.”
Jesse watches on a device as the ransom grows larger. The Flash speeds through the room, dosing everyone with antidote. He demands to know where Henry is.
Henry is still tied to the chair, the ropes attached to some kind of booby-trap. The Flash speeds in and rescues Henry from the trap, a series of knives that drop onto the seat of the chair. Outside, Henry laughs. Barry unmasks and they hug. Henry says he looks good in red.
Henry gets a look around S.T.A.R. Labs. Cisco offers to teach him about all the tech when he gets out. Caitlin offers Henry a hug. Then Henry joins Barry near The Flash suit. He asks his son how the speed feels. Barry looks at Wells when he answers. “There’s no feeling like it.” Henry thanks them all, especially Wells. Wells calls Barry extraordinary. Barry and Henry hug again, then Henry says it’s time. He holds out his wrists to Joe, who refuses to cuff him. Barry and Caitlin hug. Wells compliments Barry, who answers that he is lucky to have Wells. When Barry turns his back, his smile fades. So does Wells’.
Flashback. Wells manages to crawl out of the car. Eobard throws him “Who are you?” “My name is Eobard Thawne.” Eobard knows that Wells invents the particle accelerator in 2020, along with Tess. Eobard needs it to happen a bit sooner. He attached a device to Wells chest, then to his own. Eobard’s face turns into Wells, while Wells dies.
Eddie looks for Joe at the otherwise deserted police station. Joe asks Eddie to sit. He wants Eddie to stop Iris from looking for Bridge. The Flash speeds in, and reveals his identity to Eddie. Joe asks for help.
In Joe’s house, Eddie tells Iris that Bridge moved to Brazil, there was a girl involved. Joe and Barry enter. Iris accepts Eddie’s story and returns to cooking dinner for all of them. Joe asks if Iris bought the story. Eddie thinks so. He doesn’t totally agree that keeping the truth from Iris is the best thing to do. But he puts it aside to ask what Wells is up to. Barry realized that when Wells was describing how speeding feels, it came from firsthand knowledge. Wells is the man in yellow.
In the past, the police arrive at the crash site. The body of the man who had been Harrison Wells is nowhere to be found. “Wells” emerges from the car and introduces himself. “My name is Harrison Wells.”
