Last time on The Flash, Barry became infected by Bloodwork and set out to join him on his mission to cure the world from death.
Iris, Cisco, and Frost regain consciousness, turn on a force field around the building, and set to work on a plan to stop Bloodwork and save Barry.
Cisco has a photon gun that he’s been working on, but Iris doesn’t like the idea of Cisco shooting her husband with an untested weapon. But things are already getting crazy out there and they don’t have many options.
Beyond STAR Labs, Bloodwork and Dark Flash work together to spread the dark matter virus, turning people into Bloodwork zombies. Frost, Joe, and Allegra battle the zombies while Cisco and Iris work on a plan.
Dark Flash contacts Iris and asks her to meet him at home. Cisco disapproves, but Iris decides she has to try to reach Barry. Unfortunately, it’s mostly Bloodwork that does the talking through Dark Flash.
He nearly kills Iris but stops at the last second. At the end of their conversation, Bloodwork says “Trust me, Iris,” which is meant as a threat but could also be Barry trying to get a message to Iris telling her to trust him. Maybe Barry has more control than they think.
Joe gets injured and Frost has to rush him to STAR Labs for treatment. Meanwhile, Kamilla and Cecile have an awesomely scary sequence as they try to escape a building crawling with zombies. Cecile can use her powers as a zombie detector because she can sense the fear Bloodwork needs to infect them.
Cisco finishes his photon gun and tries it out on Bloodwork. It mostly has an effect on him as a taser would on a regular person. Dark Flash shows up to help Bloodwork and Cisco’s gun gets broken.
Bloodwork could kill Cisco, but for some reason, he doesn’t. Instead, he tells Cisco his whole plan to use the particle accelerator to spread his virus all over the city. Cisco is defiant, “plucky, right up to the end.”
Then Bloodwork says something familiar: “I knew I picked the right guy.”
He also sends Iris a message: “I’m coming home.”
Iris and Cisco realize that Barry is trying to send them a message. When Bloodwork and Dark Flash come to STAR Labs and demand to be let in, Dark Flash says, “Iris. Cisco. Let the light in.”
It is a message from Barry and Cisco knows exactly what his plan is. They lower the force field and let them in.
Bloodwork sets the virus rotating through the particle accelerator while Dark Flash fights against the order to kill Iris and Cisco. While Bloodwork is distracted, Iris shoots him with some kind of fancy gun, leaving him unconscious.
This lets Allegra come in and blast the particle accelerator with UV radiation at just the right moment, sending a UV wave across the city and curing the zombies.
Barry is cured as well, but Bloodwork was able to sneak out during the commotion. Barry tracks him down and fights a giant, oozy Bloodwork monster. Just when it looks like Bloodwork will win, he is confronted by a vision of his mother.
Just as Ramsey invaded Barry’s brain, Barry allowed himself to be infected to do the same thing. Barry uses Ramsey’s doubt to show him his mother, distracting him long enough for Barry to get to him and restrain him in the MAC at STAR Labs.
After Bloodwork is transferred to a secure facility, there are only a few more minutes until the start of Crisis. Team Flash gathers together to share their love and to say their goodbyes. As the clock strikes midnight, Team Flash looks out over the city as Crisis begins.
Down in the tunnels, Nash Welles has fought off zombies and is about to uncover the Monitor’s lair. He unlocks the mystical door and the tunnels are flooded with white light. He is engulfed in the light and dragged away into the portal beyond the door. That is all. Is this what begins Crisis? How is this related to what comes next?
Watch the five-part Crisis on Infinite Earths starting December 8 on The CW. Episodes will feature on Supergirl (12/8), Batwoman (12/9), The Flash (12/10), Arrow (12/14), and Legends of Tomorrow (12/14).