Based upon the clever pun in the episodes title, I’m sure you can summarize that Grodd has returned this week (with snazzy new CGI!) and kidnaps Caitlyn, forcing Barry back into action.
SPOILERS AHEAD
We open to find Barry recovering from last week’s beat down at the hands of Zoom. Thankfully Barry’s extremely accelerated healing has helped with repairing his broken back and he’s learning to walk again. Why Zoom hasn’t sent another villain through the breach to kill the weakened speedster is a question that we don’t really acknowledge and the show continues on without a pause. Wells decides that it’s time for him to return to his own Earth to take the fight to Zoom and rescue his daughter. Caitlyn wants to keep the good doctor on Earth 1 since the departure of Jay Garrick has left them hurting for help in the fight with Zoom.
This leads us into Cisco’s planned date with the barista from a couple of weeks ago, Kendra Saunders. You know, the Hawkgirl without wings? Anyway, Patty is concerned about Barry as he’s been MIA for the past week and Patty’s attempts to connect with him get pushed aside by the troubled hero. Caitlyn talks with Wells about staying even though he’s quite set on going back. This leads them to concocting a plan to close all the breaches in the city save for the one in STAR Labs, forcing Zoom to fight on their terms.
Cisco’s date, where they go to see The Princess Bride(!), takes a bit of a turn when he holds Kendra’s hand and gets a ‘vibe’ (sigh…) about a winged man and Cisco beats a hasty retreat. There’s the damn wings! We then cut to a pharmaceuticals lab where a doctor goes a bit crazed and steals a rather specific type of serum. He comes to in the parking lot where he is promptly swatted, and killed, by none other than our telepathic giant gorilla, Grodd!
This brings Joe and Patty to the crime scene where they’re pretty stumped by what could have happened. Patty also tries to get some information out of Joe who divulges the exact opposite of the lie Barry told to throw Patty off the scent in the previous scene. Back in the lab, Barry is getting back on his feet (literally) and running on the treadmill where he has flashbacks about the attack, which throws him off, keeping him from getting back into shape. Barry confesses to Joe that Zoom had destroyed the Flash in more ways than one with his attack which leaves Barry at a rough personal crossroads. And then Grodd takes over Caitlyn’s mind and takes her captive, King Kong style.
The team tries to track down Grodd in order to rescue their kidnapped comrade while Barry longs for the return of his speed. Grodd reveals to Caitlyn that he plans on making an army of Grodd’s, hence his need for her abilities. Barry’s father makes a return after being contacted by Iris as a way of snapping Barry out of his funk. Meanwhile, Wells and Cisco manage to track down Grodd’s location and the rescue plan begins to take shape… aka, get Earth 2 Wells to dress up as Reverse Flash and convince Grodd to back down. Can’t see anything going wrong with this plan at all.
Henry gives Barry a talk about getting back to who he once was, using his trial as a point of reference which obviously hits home hard with Barry. Wells confronts Grodd which goes expectedly terrible and he is forced to drug Grodd and the trio manage to make an escape. Barry has his speed back all of a sudden and he and Caitlyn team up to lure Grodd to a particular breach in the city. After Grodd thrashes Flash for a little bit, Caitlyn lures him into position and they open the portal. A little help from the Flash puts Grodd through to Earth 2 as Barry gets back in the saddle.
Wells agrees to stay on Earth 1 to help the team defeat Zoom and Henry takes his leave without explaining where he’s going or why, (again) while Iris seems like she’s going to tell Joe about his possible son. Barry meets with Patty and they mend their romantic fences while Cisco meets back up with Kendra in an attempt to win her back and he ‘vibes’ again and realizes that Kendra is the winged person in his vision. The stinger finds Grodd on Earth 2 and we catch our first glimpse of Gorilla City!
After such a banger of an episode last week, the more tamer episode tonight couldn’t help but feel underwhelming. Grodd’s return was pretty cool, but it was undercut by there being a complete lack of stakes in the episode. Though the shot of Gorilla City indicates that we probably haven’t seen the last of him and they may remedy that next time we do. The whole episode felt rushed, to be honest, and it definitely tried to get too much done in its hour run time. However, it got done what it needed to and we can continue building towards the exciting crossover episode that will launch Legends of Tomorrow which is finally coming up next week! I’m really hoping that the crossover doesn’t get caught up in what has happened to several Flash episodes and nearly every Arrow episode this season as they try to cover waaaaaaay too much and leave me with a muddled mess. Just focus, guys, focus! Two more weeks and both shows can go back to being their own again.
P.S. Putting Caitlyn in that white outfit after Grodd kidnapped her was a nice touch. Well played.