Warning: This article contains major spoilers for The CW‘s The Flash Season 9 episode, “It’s My Party And I’ll Die If I Want To.” Read beyond this point at your own risk.
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Chester, Allegra, and Cecile come together to plan a second 30th birthday party for Barry — he’s still only 29 on a cellular level after all — and the party is supposed to be a surprise. That night, Iris brings Barry to STAR where he’s greeted by friends and family, including Diggle and Wally. Everyone enjoys the party, even if Kramer and Singh are having a debate of which of them is the better police captain. Diggle gives Barry a special gift — Oliver’s bow that apparently was found in National City and not lost on Earth-38 after all. Barry says he can’t accept the gift and that maybe it should be displayed in the Hall of Justice instead. Elsewhere at the party, Chester gives Allegra a necklace that doubles as a way to conceal her identity as a superhero.
Wally goes to talk to Barry, who is outside getting air from the party. Wally tells Barry he’s been projecting his consciousness into the Speed Force to find other timelines to find another version of himself who has already found enlightenment. He says he needs help because he has a lot of baggage he’s been dealing with, but something seems off about Wally. Inside, they all toast to Barry, but something is wrong with the drink and everyone collapses. The drinks have been spiked by Bloodwork— Ramsey Rosso. Wally tries to solve the issue with peace and talking. Ramsey tells Barry that Nora will be a “blood baby” because of whatever it is he’s doing to keep everyone immortal. Chester didn’t drink anything so Ramsey puppeteers everyone to go after him. Iris, however, is not under his control because fetus Nora is sharing her healing factors. Meanwhile, Barry is trapped in a dreamscape of sorts with Ramsey.
Ramsey tells Barry his plan is to not break him this time but break Wally instead. Elsewhere in this mindscape, Wally is trapped in bad childhood memories with his mother and her addiction. Wally is also still grieving for Jesse and Ramsey goads him by noting that Wally knows he’s sensing not just other timelines but other multiverses — and maybe out there is another Jesse. Ramsey offers to help Wally achieve true enlightenment and unlock the multiverse. He appeals to Wally by saying that if they work together, no one will ever have to see anyone the love die again.
At STAR, Chester is hiding from Ramsey’s zombies but Iris reaches out to Chester before the outside comms are cut. In the Mindscape, Ramsey continues to taunt Barry and suddenly reveals that they are on the set of a television show. — literally the set of The Flash with Ramsey directing. Barry starts reading “Flash Facts” from cue cards about survivor’s guilt. When he tries to run, he hits a coffin and Frost falls out. Then Caitlin shows up and says it’s more important that he lives because he’s the star. Barry is dealing with his survivor’s guilt and suddenly seems to wake up back in STAR, but Wally isn’t okay. Wally is very angry at Barry. Ramsey has gotten to him — and Wally kills Barry.
Barry wakes up on the island and sees Oliver Queen and quickly realizes that he’s dead. Ollie reveals that it also isn’t just Barry’s world that is in danger. Oliver reveals that he created a new multiverse and that the alternate timelines are alternate earths — Red Death was from Earth-4125. Ramsey wants to spread his infectious cells to all the multiverses and needs Wally because Wally can reach other Earths. They must prevent the control over Wally from becoming permanent.
Zombie Allegra is about to attack Chester when Khione shows up using her ice powers. She froze all the water in their bodies. Khione was safe because she wasn’t there when this all happened. Meanwhile, Ramsey uses Wally to start reaching out to the multiverse and creates a gateway for Ramsey to project himself into. On the island, Oliver knows the attack has started. Barry tells Oliver to resurrect him, but he can’t because part of him doesn’t want to go back. Barry’s survivor’s guilt is holding him back. Barry also calls Oliver out for all the people he brought back when he remade Earth, but Oliver notes that he didn’t bring back his own father because it would have been too much. He also explains to Barry that the guilt never goes away. You just must learn to live with it — and heroes don’t stop running. After a pep talk, Oliver punches him to bring him back — but he comes back as Green Arrow, too. To help save the multiverse.
Green Arrow and The Flash go to deal with Ramsey, Kid Flash, and the breach. While Kid Flash and Flash fight, Green Arrow confronts Ramsey, who sends a bunch of his new blood zombies to fight him. At STAR, Khione uses her powers to try to fix everyone, starting with Diggle and it works. She rids him of Ramsey’s infection. Chester gives Diggle the Spartan helmet and tells him that Barry needs his help. Meanwhile, Barry tries to reach Wally with a pep talk/emotional plea and tells him he can beat Ramsey’s infection. It works. Wally is back. Ramsey is about to fight Green Arrow directly when Spartan shows up and he and Oliver reunite. Bloodwork attacks them, but Flash and Kid Flash show up to contain him while Green Arrow gets his clear shot. Oliver tells Ramsey he’s failed this city before taking the shot and ending the threat. Ramsey’s hold is broken — and more than that, he’s been made human again, and even cured of his HLH. He will now die in prison of old age.
After, everyone gets together at Barry’s apartment. They know about the multiverse now. Khione realizes Oliver was the one who told her to go to STAR and save Diggle — she’s connected to the natural world and was able to identify the unnatural that was Ramsey’s infection. Oliver parties with everyone for a bit. Wally and Iris talk and he realizes he must deal with the pain of his childhood from within. Oliver and Diggle have a moment. Diggle gives Ollie an update on his family — he can’t see them because rules but keeps up on them. Oliver also tells Diggle that he did the right thing by rejecting the cube. Diggle finally gets to say a proper goodbye to Oliver.
Oliver and Barry go out for a drink and talk with Barry acknowledging that he might not have become a hero without Oliver and Oliver acknowledging that Barry made him a better man. Oliver reminds him that the bolt of lightning chose him — don’t ever forget it.
The Flash airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.
