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After spending several years in social services, Nicole has finally followed her lifelong dream of being a full-time writer. In addition to her work for The Hudsucker, Nicole is also a staff writer for Womanista. An avid comic book fan, BBQ aficionado, professional makeup artist and first-time mom, Nicole can be found exploring Kansas City rich history when she's not blogging about suburban life at Suburban Flamingo.

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The FlashBack: ‘The Flash’ – Episode 16 ‘Run Iris, Run’

The CW

Last night on The Flash, Iris finally got to suit up as a hero thanks to a little bit of help from one of the mysterious bus metas. Want to know more? Read on, but as always spoilers beyond this point!

We start with Cisco and Wells trying to figure out how to identify and protect the last three metahumans from the bus. Wells’ plan involves something that he calls an intelligence booster, but it really looks like The Thinker’s “thinking cap” and generally works the same way — boosting the intelligence of the wearer. However, to really work, Wells would have to be exposed to dangerous amounts of dark matter and while Iris and Caitlin agree with Wells that it’s worth a shot, Cisco refuses to help. Ralph, who is very worried about his own well-being, storms off because the team won’t come together to use the cap. Iris tries to talk him down, but Ralph just insults Iris, telling her she doesn’t understand because she doesn’t ever risk herself.

Meanwhile at Jitters, Joe reveals that the mayor is close to fully clearing Barry but needs to speak to DeVoe once more — something that can’t happen as Ralph refuses to leave STAR Labs. Then, over at the bank, a robber is using crazy fire-based powers to get into a safe, though he’s thwarted by a bystander who, in a scuffle, touches him and transfers his powers to someone else. Back at STAR, Ralph tries to help Wells with the cap, but the cap ends up catching on fire during a test run.

Realizing that this EMT from the bank might be of importance, Joe and Iris head over to the hospital to question him. He admits to being there but freaks out and takes Iris hostage as he thinks they mean him harm. Flash shows up to save her but in the scuffle Barry’s powers get transferred to Iris. Back at STAR, Team Flash runs tests and discovers that the metahuman simply swapped the DNA. Caitlin goes to work on a cure of this while the others think this metahuman — named Matthew — might be able to help them stop DeVoe. However, the city still needs the Flash. A skyscraper downtown is on fire and with people trapped that can’t be reached by the fire department, Iris races to help. She manages to save the people but almost dies herself when she’s trapped under debris and doesn’t know how to use her powers. Cisco vibes in and saves her.

With Iris having the powers, it’s Iris who has to be the Flash until things get fixed. Barry starts to train her while he’s left to manage the team. While they’re training they find out that the man who got the fire powers? Yeah, now he’s a bad guy. He decided to use that fire to go after money himself and is in a standoff with the police. Iris suits up and races to the scene to help but the heat is too much. That’s when Wells puts on the reconfigured cap and comes up with the genius plan of a targeted tidal wave. Iris runs on water, creates the wave, and puts out the thermal cyclone. The day is saved! She also has stopped Matthew as well and after it’s all over, Team Flash explains to him what’s going on and has him switch the powers back to Barry. Once Matthew is informed of what’s going on with DeVoe, he decides to stay on with the team and help. Ralph has another chat with Iris and decides to step up again, too.

Later at home, Iris — who revealed earlier in the episode that she gave up her job in journalism when Barry went into the Speed Force — reveals that she’s gotten her passion for writing back. She’s restarted her Flash blog. Welcome back, Iris. And, finally, at STAR, Cisco and Wells are working together on the cap and, after pushing it to the limit, Wells reveals the names of the final two bus metas. Game on.

The Flash is now on hiatus until sometime in April. We’ll catch back up with the speedster then.