Last week on The Flash, the team identified the last of the mysterious Forces that have come into play since the resurrection of the Speed Force. Having already identified the Strength Force and the Sage Force, Chester (Brandon McKnight) and Cisco identified the Still Force when they found themselves unexpectedly trapped in a time loop in the 1990s. While the Forces are still at large, the Speed Force (Michelle Harrison) remains in danger. This week, that danger will prompt her to stay close to Barry Allen/The Flash (Grant Gustin), something that may just have some unexpected consequences.
But it isn’t just Barry who will be dealing with the unexpected. Frost (Danielle Panabaker) will have to deal with another ice-powered villain, Chillblaine (Jon Cor) who frames her for a brutal crime that she did not commit. With Frost already being hunted by Kristen Kramer (Carmen Moore) for crimes she committed as Killer Frost, the timing is less than ideal.
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Need to get caught up on the major details and stories from “Growing Pains”, this week’s episode of The Flash? We’re here to help. Here are the major plot points for “Growing Pains”. Warning: full spoilers for the episode beyond this point. read on only if you want to know.
Unwanted Help
Morning in Central City. Barry comes home after an early morning heroic outing to find that Speed Force Nora has made a massive and impressive breakfast. Barry goes to pick up a carafe of mimosas, though, and he unexpectedly vibrates so quickly it shatters. At breakfast, they talk about the Forces. Iris comments that it’s like Speed Force Nora has always been a part of the family, which seems to rattle Barry. He notes that his powers are glitching and Speed Force Nora says she’s boosting his speed and he will just need to get used to it. She also eagerly volunteers to go with him to work, but she talks him out of it.
When she does show up later, gives Barry a clue about why the ice is different, but his powers go haywire. At the crime lab, Barry works on analysis of the evidence, but the computers are slow. Speed Force Nora shows up to help. Chester suggests they let her crunch the data but Barry’s powers glitch out and end up destroying the evidence and the data and Barry ends up snapping at Speed Force Nora.
The State steps in
Chester gets called to his first solo CCPD crime scene. It’s an ice attack, one that killed the driver. Kramer arrives and automatically declares that Killer Frost did it. Joe points out that Frost isn’t the only criminal who uses ice to commit crimes and despite some indications that Frost isn’t behind this, Kramer refuses to listen and pulls rank, says she’s having the DA issue a warrant.
Having previously been apprised by Cecile of the charges the state is pursuing against her, Frost goes to her old bar to try to get info and meets the new bartender, Mark. While there, news breaks of a hefty reward for information leading to her arrest.
Frost hits up her old haunts and hits up the new bartender. While at the bar, the news breaks that there is a major reward for information leading to Killer Frost’s arrest and suddenly every patron wants a crack at her for that reward. She fights them, save for the one that the bartender, Mark stops him and then gives her some information about where she might find this new ice meta. However, while Frost is chasing a lead it’s Caitlin that gets arrested by Kramer.
A new ice villain
Chester gets a lead on the ice meta and discovers that they used artificial dark matter — the ice villain isn’t a meta at all and they know Caitlin and Frost used to be one person. Frost figures it out — Mark the bartender is the ice villain. He tipped off the cops about Caitlin so she goes to confront him at the bar.
He reveals his plan, that he was studying her so that he could set her up for his crime, which was to steal back tech he made after his disturbing experiments led him to be fired and also charges to be brought against him. He’s wanted her powers for years. He attacks her, calling himself Chillblaine and the two fight. At STAR, they figure out where Frost is and The Flash heads off.
Frost saves herself by stabbing him with an ice construct (through herself) and The Flash and Allegra show up just in time to save his life and Frost got a confession on tape.
Facing the music
Kramer shows up at the bar to arrest Frost and after a moment of thinking it, Frost decides that while she knows she’s changed, she really did do the crimes that she’s accused of. She has to own up to it. Frost surrenders.
She ends up pleading guilty to her crimes, meaning her fate is up to the judge.
But Barry also has to face up to things. He and Speed Force Nora talk things out and decide to forge a new relationship from there.
