- Last season on "The Flash"...
- There's no sign of your time sickness.
- You're completely cured. - Barry!
- Iris? - I reignited our spark.
You're my lightning rod too.
I don't know how.
You're the most powerful meta this planet has ever seen.
- You are date-worthy in all the major categories.
- I am? - Yeah, definitely.
- Frost was supposed to live a full life.
I'm gonna bring Frost back.
- The circuitry should stimulate and then reactivate
Frost's residual subconscious left inside your mind.
Who the hell are you?
[dramatic music]
[thudding]
[indistinct shouting]
[roaring]
♪
Guys, look out!
♪
[roaring]
Welcome back.
Let's do this one last time.
Help! Help!
Initiate omega maneuvers now.
♪
Who says work can't be fun?
- Not today, lava-face.
- Hey, Joey, leave my "Friends" alone.
[triumphant music]
Easy peasy.
Joe, now.
♪
- You should've kept your behind
at Iron Heights, Monteleone.
♪
Nice work, Team Flash.
You can't win, Flash.
This is the end of everything.
[suspenseful music]
Wait.
♪
Frost?
But you're dead.
- Because you couldn't protect me.
- [whirring] - [screaming]
[screaming]
- I tried to keep you safe. - But you couldn't.
- Just like you can't save me and Chuck.
[both screaming]
♪
- I'm sorry, son. You did the best you could.
It just wasn't good enough.
[both screaming]
[dramatic music]
Iris, no. Not you.
No, please. I'll always protect you.
I swear.
You can't.
♪
- No, no, no, no. No, no, no, no, no.
Iris? Oh, Iris. No!
[gasping]
[tense music]
[groans softly]
♪
[dramatic music]
♪
[soft music]
♪
Good morning.
Hi.
[groans]
It's Wednesday already, isn't it?
- Yeah, sorry to crash the party.
[sighs]
I'm just not ready to go back to work.
I was lost in time for weeks and now I just want to
stay in bed where it's cozy and safe.
I know.
But Thawne's gone.
So is your time sickness.
It's been a great seven days.
Yeah, it has.
♪
Plus, I probably have
a lot of CCPD paperwork
piled up by now.
♪
And you have a big day at CCC Media.
Big day.
♪
[sighs] Ugh.
Okay, remember,
just say yes.
Yes to what?
We'll talk about it tonight.
Have a great day.
♪
[sighs]
Namaste.
[light music]
[sighs] Your try.
Chester, are--Chester?
- Yeah? - Hi.
Oh, right, right.
Monitoring Cecile's neural output.
- Come on, babe. Give it a try.
Let's work on your telekinetic control
- and accuracy. - Okay.
Just focus. You got this.
I got this.
I am...
telekinetic.
Boom.
Whoa!
- Sorry! - [groans] Damn.
Damn. Hey, no worries, Cecile.
Once you master these new powers...
[chuckles]
You're gonna be the new muscle of Team Flash.
- Yeah? Really? - Yeah. Yeah.
Did you hear that? Muscle.
[soft warbling]
Um...
okay.
What's wrong now?
It's nothing.
Stop stalling.
♪
I'm not stalling.
I got this.
♪
I got this.
Be the ball.
[sighs]
Whoa! Look out!
Oh, boy.
[soft music]
Okay, get me up to speed.
- Well, Taylor is handling our new ad-free portal.
- Oh, you two are okay these days?
- Oh, yeah. You missed the whole
hostage situation with Sunshine and Dr. Light.
- Taylor, Vanya, and Aariz know I am a meta now
and they are keeping my secret, so...
- Ooh! - Oh, I am so sorry.
Iris, we missed you.
But also, we've gotta do something
about our filing system.
I'm trying to fact check my "High Life" piece
and I can't find anything.
- I'll look into it. - Thanks.
And boss, I have a feeling
more than just our filing system is about to change.
- What is that supposed to mean?
I have a surprise for you.
I wanted to tell you this in person,
so while you and Barry had your weeklong staycation,
I had a surprise meeting with one Ms. Cat Grant.
- As in CatCo, Cat Grant? - Yes.
CatCo Worldwide Media wants to buy CCC Media
and expand your global footprint
under the umbrella of a major news conglomerate.
She said it's a blank check.
All you have to do is just say yes.
[chuckles]
Iris, this is your future empire,
the one that Nora and Bart are always talking about.
This is how it starts.
Maybe this is where you win your first Pulitzer.
Wow. Um...
okay, that's a lot.
So what do you think?
[suspenseful music]
I think...
I left my phone at home.
[chuckles]
Uh, I will get back to you.
♪
Okay.
[siren wailing in distance]
- Close the door, Allen. We need to talk.
- Captain, I'd like to put myself up
for the position of director of Central City Police,
CSI division.
- Wow. You must be a mind reader.
That's what I was gonna talk to you about.
Siakam's retiring.
Only I wasn't sure if you'd be interested.
I am. More than you know.
- All right, well, there's just one thing.
Are you sure you can balance
being the Flash with the added workload?
It won't be a problem.
Okay.
Then I will call the mayor's office
and make a recommendation.
- Thank you. [knock on door]
- I really-- - Captain,
we've got a transport under attack downtown.
Mobile units to intercept.
[dramatic music]
♪
[metal clangs]
♪
Hey, there.
You must be new in town.
I'm the Flash. And you are?
- I'm your worst nightmare, dumbass,
and please, you can call me Captain.
You're Captain Boomerang.
Well, look, it doesn't matter how many sticks
you throw at me, this ends with you in Iron Heights.
- You probably have to kill me first,
because I'm never going back to that hellhole.
♪
Flash, are you okay?
- Yeah, just getting my steps in.
We have a 411 on this guy?
- Yeah, his name is Owen Mercer.
He's been in and out of Iron Heights
since he was 19.
Looks like he spent most of his time there
getting his butt kicked by bigger inmates,
and now he's just your run-of-the-mill baddie.
Well, except for the explosive hardware.
Okay.
♪
Ahh!
- Flash, Mercer just teleported out of there.
- Are you okay? - I'm fine.
[groans]
I guess we're not supposed to catch him today.
- Uh, shouldn't we be worried about a guy
with that kind of firepower who jaunts on command?
- No. We'll deal with it tomorrow.
I got dinner plans with Iris. You two get some rest.
- Did he just tell us to take the rest of the day off?
Yup. Yup.
[ominous music]
[electricity crackling]
♪
Babe, you okay?
You seemed a little quiet at dinner.
Yeah. I'm just tired.
Did you know about the CatCo offer?
Yes. So I did.
I figured it out using this.
I call it my mapbook.
It's a record I'm putting together
of everything that's gonna happen to us in the future.
[soft music]
♪
- You're planning our future without me?
No, no, I'm cataloging it.
Instead of changing the timeline,
we're just gonna follow it.
Catalog how?
- I mean, between everything I've picked up time travelling
and Gideon's records,
we already know so much about our future.
I spent all week putting it together.
- Why would you want to do that?
♪
Look, um...
I've been having the same nightmare
ever since we defeated the negative forces,
and in it, I can't keep you safe.
But with this book,
we can see what's coming before it happens.
The good and bad.
Like with Nora.
Iris...
♪
[chuckles]
You're gonna get pregnant in three months.
You're gonna win two Pulitzers! [laughs]
Like how great is this, right?
Now we won't have to worry about any Desperos
or mirror dimensions or time sickness
catching us by surprise.
We're safer now with this.
♪
What's wrong?
Nothing. I'm just...
tired.
Can we just, um...
talk about this tomorrow?
Okay.
♪
- Good night. - Night.
♪
[soft music]
♪
- Morning. - Morning.
- Let's see if I catch Captain Boomerang today.
♪
Hmm. Doesn't say.
Ooh, that's happening this weekend?
- Iris, guess what. - Baby, please.
Can you just take a shower first?
I'm still waking up.
- Yeah. Yeah, I'll take a shower first.
Then I'll tell you. You're gonna love it.
♪
[water running]
- Babe, for the sake of our marriage,
could you please put your smelly socks away?
Sorry, thought I did!
♪
- It's a new day. You got this.
♪
- So our online numbers are up...
Up 8%, yes. Got it.
- So you do read my spreadsheets. Cool.
Also, Taylor is handling our new--
- New ad-free portal.
- Yeah, but she also-- - Knows that you are a meta.
Along with Aariz and Vanya.
Allegra, we don't need to go over this again.
- Hey, watch out. - Ooh.
Oh, Iris, you're back.
Great, 'cause we've got to do something about--
About our new filing system.
I am working on it. Come on.
Thanks, boss.
What, are you psychic now?
- No, I'm just having serious déjà vu.
- I know how to get you out of that.
I have a surprise for you.
- Something about CatCo Media buying us?
- Did Kara tell you? She promised to let me do it.
- No, Allegra, we discussed this already.
- We did? Then why aren't you
freaking out that it's a blank check?
- If I just say yes... - Right.
Iris, this is your future empire.
The one Nora and Bart are always talking about.
- Don't say this is how it starts
or that this is where I win my first Pulitzer.
- How'd you know I was gonna say that?
I don't know.
Barry, what did you do this time?
- So Director Siakim is retiring.
I wanted to talk to you about putting a recommendation in
for you to replace him if you're interested.
- What? Captain, are you joking?
You already recommended me.
Well, not yet I haven't.
- Hold on. Did you change your mind?
You're not supposed to change your mind.
Really?
Allen, I'm not sure that you're ready for more responsibility.
It seems like you may have enough going on already.
What do you mean?
That maybe being the Flash
and a CSI is enough on your plate.
You can't take this back.
It has to happen. The book says so.
- Okay, I have no idea what you're talking about.
And watch your tone.
We're done here. [knock on door]
- Captain, we've got a transport
under attack downtown.
Mobilize units to intercept.
[dramatic music]
Allen.
♪
Ooh.
Captain Boomerang, right?
Didn't we do this already?
- Nope, and since you know who I am,
I'm sure you're aware that I'm your worst nightmare.
- You said the same thing yesterday.
- Dumbass, we just met. Just now.
Let's skip to the fighting part
so I can carve that stupid look off your face.
- Barry, did you time travel us?
- If I did, it wasn't on purpose.
Look, whatever's going on, we'll figure it out.
[shouting]
[both gasping, panting]
What? What just happened?
I don't know.
One second, I was in the Cortex,
and then there was a white flash,
and then I was in bed with you.
- I think I just died. - What?
How are you here? How are we both here?
[dramatic music]
♪
both: We're in a time loop.
♪
It looks like Gideon's scans
detected composite temporal particles on you.
- So does that mean that my time sickness is back?
- No, but you have been exposed to some kind
of tachyon feedback loop. Barry too.
And now, you're stuck on this
merry-go-round called Wednesday.
It's called "Groundhog Day."
Feedback loop over and over like the movie.
Anybody? Come on, guys.
I can't be the only one who's thinking this.
- So this Owen Mercer, what's his connection?
- He robs a Kord Industries truck every day,
- but I don't know why. - Yo, check this out.
So I just checked Kord's database.
Guess what they're transporting today.
A Roemer Accelerator.
It's like a particle accelerator, only portable.
Barry, if your speed interacted with this puppy,
the reaction could've created a temporal effect,
like a time loop.
- Is there any way to reverse it?
- Yeah, if we could get our hands
on whatever powers the accelerator
and analyze its components,
we may be able to figure out what chocolate
is affecting the proverbial peanut butter.
- Oh, where'd you get this? - Kord Industries.
While security was loading the accelerator onto the truck,
I searched the entire device and found this inside.
- This is quantum-based micro-circuitry.
This is game-changing tech, yo.
I'm gonna go get the workshop ready.
Barr, I'm gonna need your help with this.
- Yeah, okay. - All right, well, we'll be
standing by if you need anything else, all right?
- Yeah, see you. - Mm-hmm.
- Barry, the day's already repeated twice.
- I know. - What if this goes on forever?
No, no, it won't.
Chester and I will find a way out.
What do I do till then?
- Just do what you always do today.
Go to work, okay?
Just go to work, and it'll be fine.
It's gonna be fine.
- All you have to do is just say yes.
[upbeat music]
Iris, this is your future empire.
- This is how it starts. - Let me think about it.
- Coffee? - Okay, so
if we reverse-engineer
the photon relays inside this puppy,
we should be able to trigger a reaction
that'll negate the incursion.
Okay.
♪ We go round and round
That's weird.
[both screaming]
- Sorry. - [sighs]
- ♪ You see the way that we go ♪
- Let me guess: whatever you and Chester did didn't work.
- Yeah, but don't worry, we're not gonna make
the same mistake twice.
- This is so simple. I don't know why...
- ♪ Over and over and over again ♪
♪ And again
- All you have to do is just say yes.
- What do you say? - Not today.
- What do you say? - I say not today.
Plus I need more time to consider all the variables.
And what I really want is a cocktail.
Hey, it's 5:00 somewhere.
- [gasps] - [gasps]
[both screaming, gasping]
[upbeat music]
♪ Yeah, we go crazy
You lying.
- Nope. - 15 times?
- We did this 15 times already? - Yes.
- Guess I should probably keep this suit on, huh?
- The Starchive walls are 3 feet thick.
So I will very carefully move it inside,
and then we will use a remote drone for analysis.
- Until then-- - Don't touch the battery,
just you.
Can you--
thanks, man.
♪ Twist, twist, jump
♪ And that's where we're standing ♪
♪ On top
[energy blasts]
♪ Again and again
♪ Over and over and over
♪ Again and again
♪ And again
♪ Over and over and over
♪ Again and again
♪ And again
♪ Over and over and over
♪ You got me running again
♪ Over and over and over
♪ Again and again
[muffled scream]
♪ Again and again
♪ And again
[breathing heavily]
[tense music]
♪
Iris?
♪
[energy crackles]
Oh, thank God you're okay.
Yeah.
I figured, since I already know the drill,
I might as well enjoy it.
What are you doing?
Absolutely nothing.
- Iris, I know how difficult this is,
but are you sure you should be doing that right now?
- Want a glass? - Um--
- 'Cause it won't really matter.
I mean, obviously, you weren't able to get
the battery to work, and, hey,
tomorrow, we won't have hangovers.
Iris, this is serious.
- And today, instead of being forced into making
a major decision, one that... [chuckles]
Seems to have already been made for me somehow,
I realized that I can do whatever I want.
I don't have to say yes.
Ever.
Merlot?
That's it.
Have you been saying no to Cat Grant's offer?
I haven't said either way.
That's why we're stuck here.
What if the time loop has nothing to do with the battery?
What if we're trapped here until you say yes,
like the book says?
- The mapbook says I'm supposed to?
- Yes. You expand to a second building.
CCC Media grows exponentially.
You get two Pulitzers.
Don't you see? You have to accept the offer.
- So what, now you want me to just follow
the mapbook's instructions forever?
- I mean, if it's our way out of here--
Yeah, no thanks.
Barry, if I have to decide between
following instructions for the rest of my life
or being stuck here for the foreseeable future...
[chuckles]
Hmm.
I'll have more Merlot, please.
[dramatic music]
- You want to stay in a time loop?
Yes. Right now, I do,
because that mapbook is not the answer, not for me.
- Why not? - Because I don't want to know
everything that's gonna happen and when it's gonna happen.
- It guarantees a future where we're together and safe.
- Yes, in exchange for our free will.
- Iris, it's not just about today.
I want tomorrow, too, and the day after that
and the week after that and everything else.
- I want all of it. - Barry.
- [sighs] - Look.
When I was lost in the Still Force,
bouncing between past, present, and future,
not knowing where I would end up,
that was my nightmare.
And, look, I know we're stuck here,
but today is the first time in a long time
that I am not worrying about anything.
I am just living in the moment.
[soft dramatic music]
- Iris, I want to meet our kids as babies.
[sighs]
And then grow old together.
But if we don't follow what's in this book,
- we don't get any of it. - You don't know that.
You don't know that.
- But don't you want our future anymore?
Yes, of course I do.
I just want to be able to choose it.
♪
I thought you already did.
♪
I need some air.
[whooshes]
[dramatic music]
♪
[energy crackles]
[breathing heavily]
- Guess somebody else had a bad day.
Join us for dinner, son?
Pasta carbonara, right?
- How'd you know? - Lucky guess.
Lousy ending?
I hate that too.
No, the opposite.
It's a perfect ending-- Iris' and mine.
Is this book from 2049?
No, I made it.
It's a chronicle of my future with Iris.
Or was.
Now I don't know if we have one.
- You're gonna move into this house?
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah. A couple years from now,
Nora chips a tooth on those stairs.
And then right here on this couch
is where Bart says his first word.
Barry.
- It sounds perfect. - It is.
It is, but Iris doesn't want to be tied down
by what's in this book, so she's willing to risk
letting it all go.
[energy warbles]
- And you're afraid of losing her again, aren't you?
I mean, these last few years,
her time sickness, the mirror universe, the--
[sighs]
I mean, when I thought Thawne killed her...
my whole world fell apart.
So when I got her back,
I swore I would do whatever I could
to make sure that we always had a future.
You made this book yourself?
Yeah.
- And I'm guessing you collected
all the facts you possibly could.
Just like a good detective.
Barry,
this book of yours may predict
a future where Iris is safe with you,
but is she happy?
Because one thing this book doesn't do
is tell you why things happened the way they did.
And it damn sure can't tell you how people feel about it.
Barry, honey, Joe's right.
The future isn't something that you can map out
and put in a book.
The future is something that you...
it's something that you create
with the people that you love.
[touching music]
♪
You've been gone all day.
I had a lot to think about.
- I haven't changed my mind. - You don't have to.
This book,
it's a love story,
but it's just a story.
The real thing, that's you and me,
and that's all we need. It's all I need.
Which is why I want to just
appreciate every second of our lives
while it's happening
with you.
- Even if we repeat the same day forever?
- What's better than living out eternity
with the most incredible woman on the planet?
Wait.
Are you sure about that?
I'm sure about you.
Whatever happens next...
We'll do it together.
♪
- Morning. - Mm.
- Morning. - You ready for this?
Let's have some fun.
- Iris, I'm so glad you're back.
Boy, we've got to do something...
- About the new filing system. - Poppy seed?
- Oh, yeah. That's my favorite. [chuckles]
- Iris, let me get you up to speed.
On your big surprise. Yes.
- Want to hand these out? Thanks.
Wait. What?
How did you know it was supposed to be a surprise?
- So I already know about Cat Grant's offer,
and I am good with expanding my media footprint.
- You are? - She is.
- But I am expanding it in my own way.
This is the start of my future empire,
the one that Bart and Nora are always talking about,
so I've already talked to Sue Dearbon,
and she is going to give CCC
a loan to buy the "Coast City Gazette."
They're staff is already experiencing layoffs,
so we can bring in their unique voices under our umbrella.
Not CatCo's.
Okay. Wow.
- Shall we? - Yeah.
Ooh, we still have a few hours to kill.
Well, whatever shall we do
with all of our time, Mr. Allen?
I don't know.
You guys okay?
- Sorry. Yeah. You want to?
See ya.
Cannonball!
This is way better than a coffee break.
How much time do we have?
- Enough to get a refill. - Mm.
[sighs] See my cannonball?
- I saw your cannonball. - It was good, right?
- It was really good. - Did you see the splash?
- I did see the-- - It was a big splash, right?
- It was a big splash. - Yeah.
I don't know.
The director position comes with
a pretty heavy workload.
And you're wondering if I can
balance it with being the Flash.
I'll make sure he does.
- Okay. I will call the mayor's office
- and make my recommendation. - Thanks, Captain.
Got to run. Mercer's gonna be right on time.
Who's Mercer?
Chester, Owen Mercer's attacking
a Kord Industries convoy,
but don't worry. I've got a plan.
- Barr, are you part-Nostradamus?
- Yeah, how'd you know it was Mercer?
I'll tell you later.
- I was hoping you'd show up, Flash.
- Right 'cause you like fighting
ever since you got roughed up over and over at Iron Heights.
Now, you need to prove you're the new big rogue on campus.
- Blah, blah, blah. - Shut up!
[groans] Okay.
[chuckles]
[groans]
[grunting]
Ow! [laughs]
- I'd stay back if I were you. - Yeah.
- I got ya. I got ya. I got ya. - Iris?
- Didn't want to miss out on the fun.
It's two against one, Mercer.
You're going back to Iron Heights.
- Yeah, I'm sorry about that, Flashy.
I promised myself I'd never go back to that hellhole,
and there is one thing you don't know about me.
I always have a comeback.
- I'm picking up a fusion signature
inside the accelerator.
Oh, man. He has a tactical nuke inside that thing.
- You set off a nuclear bomb? - Yeah.
- Millions of people could die. - That's true.
Not really my problem, though, is it?
- Barry, you have to get that machine out of here.
- Barry, you can't. - She's right, Barry.
The fusion buildup I'm picking up
is going to be hella volatile.
If you try and move the accelerator,
it could explode.
Barry, we have maybe 20 seconds to stop this before...
- I said yes. I don't understand.
I know.
We had the best day ever, but it's not over yet.
Ten, nine,
eight, seven,
six, five,
four, three,
two, one.
[dramatic music]
♪
[screaming]
♪
- Oh, my God. The Flash did it.
We're frakkin' alive, baby.
- Yeah. - [laughing]
- We're alive. - We're alive.
[dramatic music]
♪
[quirky music]
[sighing]
Uh...
♪
[dramatic music]
♪
- You still having fun, Mrs. West-Allen?
[laughs]
With you?
Always, Mr. Allen.
♪
[bright music]
Thank God it's Thursday.
You wouldn't believe all the stuff we tried.
Once we even tried connecting
the battery to the particle accelerator.
After 58 time loops, you kind of throw caution to the wind.
- And apparently you learned how to phase
through a nuclear blast mid-explosion.
- 58 time loops? Didn't that get boring?
It was kind of romantic.
Aw.
So how'd you guys get out?
- Living the day apart didn't work,
so we lived it together, the right way.
- And then let the time line correct itself.
- Phasing, explosions, time loops.
You have been through a lot in nine years.
You both have.
And I'm very proud of you.
- Thanks, Dad. [gasps] Sue's calling.
I'm gonna take this outside.
Hi, Sue. What's going on?
- So Owen Mercer--
he still got away with that battery.
The satellites are scanning,
so as soon as he turns up, we'll get him.
- Pinning down a bad guy that can teleport.
That's gonna be tough.
- Yeah and how's a boomerang-wielding psycho
suddenly a tech genius? It doesn't make sense.
He has a partner.
Someone who is the brains to his brawn.
Yeah, but who?
- Thanks for everything, Sue. You are the best.
And when you get back in town,
we will celebrate with a bottle.
Or two. Okay, bye.
- Everything okay? - Yeah.
- Yeah? - Everything is more than okay.
"Coast City Gazette" is now a part of the CCC Media empire.
I got everything the book said I would,
except I did it on my own terms.
- That's great. - [laughs]
- I'm proud of you. - Thank you.
- So I've been thinking about what you said,
how we should write our own future
and enjoy every moment.
These last few years, you know, it feels like
we've spent so much time saving the world.
We never really got that classic newlywed experience.
- Yeah, I know. I'm gonna be pregnant in three months.
Feels like we just can't catch a break.
So let's make one. Together.
- So what? You're suggesting a baby-moon adventure?
- Only let's not wait until the third trimester.
Just start right now.
Okay.
- Okay. - Okay.
I did it.
Joe, I did it. Oh, let all tires
near and far be warned, 'cause baby, I did it.
I knew you could, babe.
Okay.
Okay, okay, you've been super anxious all day,
and you're not telling me what's going on.
I know it's not about my football skills.
What's the deal?
- Nine years in this superhero life.
That's how long it's been, Cecile.
And don't get me wrong, it's been
equal parts incredible and terrifying.
And it will be even more incredible
with your new abilities.
I'm sensing a but coming.
It makes me ask
what's next for us?
Not just you and me,
for our whole family.
Joe, what are you saying?
[melancholy music]
♪
- I think we should leave Central City.
♪
[eerie music]
♪
- Caitlin, I got your alert. What's wrong?
Caitlin?
Frost, is that you?
- I'm neither, I'm afraid.
And I'm sorry to meet you like this, but...
I'm glad you came.
You sent that alert?
From Caitlin's phone, yes.
This is strange, I know, but I'll explain everything.
- If you're not Frost or Caitlin,
then who are you?
[dramatic music]
♪
[whistling]
All that for this, huh?
Sure it was worth it, 'cause I'm kind of, you know,
running out of boomerangs.
Hello?
Creepy.
Oh, now that's what I'm talking about.
Fine.
What's our next move?
- [distorted voice] Not what.
Who.
The Flash is never truly alone,
but once I'm done with him,
he will be.
♪
[dramatic music]
♪
Greg, move your head.