With the Flash speedless, Central City is back to fighting crime alone. Cisco has rigged up a mobile hologram system to fool the criminals into thinking the Scarlet Speedster is still roaming the streets, but the hologram can’t touch anything or go indoors. Barry runs on the treadmill back at Star Labs to provide the movements and they manage to take down a pair of thieves by blinding them with the hologram. Although they believe it can help the police, Wells reminds them of the drawbacks and pushes for them to use the particle accelerator to give Barry new speed powers. Barry remains set against it and goes to see his father and tell him that he lost his speed. Meanwhile, Cisco experiences another vibe and sees the face of his brother, Dante. At the precinct, Zoom appears with Caitlin and spares the detectives at her insistence. The police evacuate and Joe goes back to tell the rest of the team. Zoom and Caitlin camp in the precinct and Zoom claims that Caitlin is just as evil as he is but doesn’t admit it. Cisco meets his brother at a bar only for the pair to be ambushed by Rupture: Dante’s doppelganger from Earth-2.
Back at Star Labs, Joe locks Jesse and Wally in the time vault for their protection and goes to the Speed Cannon room to discuss whether Barry needs powers with Wells and Henry. Barry interrupts and tells them that it’s his decision and he has to make it alone. Cisco rushes back to Star Labs to inform the rest of the group about the new Breacher. Wells takes it as another sign that they are losing and Barry goes to inspect the particle accelerator with Iris. Iris reveals she has feelings for Barry and has been thinking about the future and Earth-2 versions of them. At the precinct, Caitlin manages to steal a phone from an evidence box and overhears Zoom and Rupture planning to attack the police later that night. She sends a message to Star Labs to warn them. Barry admits that the Flash might be the only way to stop Zoom but refuses to risk the procedure until he is sure that the city won’t be harmed.
Ramon confronts Cisco about a note Cisco left before leaving for Earth-2 in case the worst would happen. Cisco reveals that he has powers and that he and his brother haven’t been close for some years now. Rupture attacks the police at their new headquarters of CC Jitters. The Flash hologram pretends to be hurt so the police can take down Rupture. Zoom sees the news broadcast and snaps the necks of all but Joe and Singh before revealing that the Flash has been a hologram for the past few days. Cisco and Ramon reconcile following the death of Rupture and Wally and Jesse plan how to break out of the time vault. Wells reveals the next move of Zooms plan: gather an army of meta-humans. Although the explosion on Earth-2 was contained, it had more meta-humans because it didn’t have a Flash to keep them at bay. Now that Earth-1 no longer has a Flash either, meta-humans who were hiding will now become active. Barry finally relents and agrees to undergo the attempt to get his powers back.
The device to give Barry back his powers is finished and is similar to the chair from Flashpoint which did the same. Iris reveals that she will feel the same if Barry is normal or the Flash as Wells starts the procedure. He injects the chemicals that hit Barry the first time as Cisco uses the Wizard’s Wand to send a bolt of lightning down to Barry. As the dark energy and anti-matter flood through Barry, the power overwhelms him and he seemingly disintegrates. The wave of energy continues throughout Star Labs, hitting Wally and Jesse. Zoom saw the lightning bolt from Barry’s laboratory at CCPD and appears in the chamber moments later. Realising that Barry is dead, he taunts them with the burnt chestplate from the Flash costume before vanishing again.
“Rupture” is one of the best Flash episodes to date. It features innumerable Easter eggs and references and opens up new opportunities. Garrick was Barry’s grandmothers’ original name. It could be that the man in the mask is a relative of Earth-2 Barry — the real Jay Garrick. Barry might just be thrown off in time instead of dead. With their hit from the dark matter, Wally and Jesse might be ready to step into their running shoes at last. Whatever happens next, I can’t wait to find out.