The Flash (2014–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - Things You Can't Outrun - full transcript

Barry and Joe track a deadly metahuman with toxic gas powers, and Caitlin relives the night of the explosion that killed her fiancé.

My name is Barry Allen
and I am the fastest man alive.

When I was a child, I saw my
mother killed by something impossible.

Run, Barry, run!

My father went to prison for her murder.

Then an accident made me the impossible.

To the outside world, I'm
an ordinary forensic scientist,

but secretly I use my speed

to fight crime and find others like me.

And one day, I'll find who killed my mother

and get justice for my father.

I am... The Flash.



Previously on The Flash...

I'm sorry I didn't believe you.

But you really did see something
that night your mom died

and your dad is innocent.

The explosion that put you
in a coma also killed my fiance.

Can you imagine if
you could control his power?

If you could harness it,

you could change what it means to be human.

He's called The Flash.

Or, at least, he will be one day.

He must be kept safe.

It doesn't matter if you're the slowest kid

in gym class or the fastest man alive.

Every one of us is running.



Being alive means running...

running from something,

running to something

or someone.

And no matter how fast you are,

there's some things you can't outrun.

Some things always manage
to catch up to you.

Regular movie scale,
that was a seven or an eight.

Zombie movie scale,
it was, like, a four, tops.

There's a zombie movie scale?

Did you know that zombies exist in nature?

There's a species of fungi
that infects ants,

causing the ants to attack plants

that can release spores
which in turn infect new hosts.

I'm going full nerd again, aren't I?

- Yep.
- Yeah.

Yeah. It's okay though.

You are still the cutest nerd that I know.

Anyways, I'm a lot more interested

in the amazing as of late.

You mean 'cause of this "streak" thing?

He's out there.
People are talking about him.

How do you even know he's a he?

Maybe it's a she.

It's a man, okay?

You know I am really intuitive
about this kind of stuff.

Someone even posted a picture

after being yanked from a car accident.

It's a red blur leaving the scene.

Here, what do you see?

I see your boyfriend's calling.

Oh, I should probably get this.

I'm crashing at his place tonight,

and he's supposed to leave
a key for me somewhere.

Hey, babe. What's up?

Not much, just hanging out with Barry.

You off yet?

Hello.

Code 237 on Waid Boulevard.

Public indecency?

Wait, I think I meant a 239.

Dog leash violation?

Bad man with a gun in a getaway car.

Go.

You don't have a mat.
Do you have a planter?

He's got a gun. Look out!

Where'd he go?

What the...

Key's in the mailbox.

I'll see you later. Bye.

- Eddie says hi.
- Nice of him.

You wanna grab a bite?

I'm feeling a little famished.

After the Mongolian barbecue
we had before the movie

and the extra large popcorn
you had at the movie?

How are you not fat?

I've been jogging.

Oh, okay.

Why so public a meeting, uncle?

We're dining out to show
our enemies we're not afraid.

Relax, nephew.

We've replaced the windows
with bulletproof glass.

Close it up.

Come.

Have a drink.

Our own drivers are ripping us off.

Someone is paying them

to steal from us.

None of you will sleep
until we find out who.

And then those thieves...

Those thieves...

Will draw

their last breath.

Uncle!

- Where'd you cut him off?
- So we cut him off at eighth.

I mean, the perp was in
the backseat of the cruiser

before he even knew what happened.

Congratulations, Paulson,

on that arrest last night.

- Hell of a job.
- You come by later, Joe.

I'll give you a driving lesson, okay?

Wasn't even him last night. It was me.

I figured.

I just didn't realize

you were helping people for the glory.

It's not like I want a
museum built in my name.

Keeping what I can do a secret
from Iris and everyone,

it's harder than I thought.

I know, but it is safer that way.

Besides, me and you got work to do.

The evidence from my mom's case.

I had it brought up from storage.

I've been through this box 1,000 times.

Before, your story about what
really happened that night...

the lightning storm,
the man in the middle of it...

I thought that was a kid

trying to protect his father from prison.

But now that I know it's true,

we're gonna go through
every scrap of evidence

until we find something that helps us.

It took the jury 52 minutes to come back

with a verdict of guilty.

They moved too fast,

which is why we got to take our time.

Barry, Joe, we got multiple homicides.

Do you know the Darbinyan crime family?

Bay?

Ah. Anything?

Signs of histotoxic hypoxia.

The cells in their bodies
were unable to utilize oxygen.

It's consistent with
exposure to poison gas.

What kind of poison?

I'll need to take a lung sample,

see if I can narrow it down.

The only other exit was
bolted from the inside.

They were trapped.

I was thinking someone
pumped gas in from the outside,

but witnesses say the street was empty.

So it was from the inside.

That means there should be a canister

or a container left behind.

The gas just didn't come in by itself.

Unless it had a mind of its own.

Eddie, would you mind canvassing again?

Somebody had to have seen
something suspicious.

Okay, explain.

The boss collapsed by the table.

This guy made it 10 feet away.

That guy had a chance to move off

and fire three shots into the window

trying to break the glass.

But they all started in the same spot,

which means they should have
all been affected by the gas

at the same time, but instead,
it's as if...

They were attacked one by one.

My gut feeling,
if we're gonna solve this one,

you and me are gonna need...

- Backup.
- Yeah.

Fascinating, a meta-human
that can manipulate poison gas.

Is it just poisonous gas,

or can he control all aerated substances?

And how is he able
to formulate the connection?

Is it physiological or psychological?

This individual can create

a mental nexus using gaseous substances.

You mean connect with gases
on a molecular level?

- Yes.
- That is ridiculously cool.

They get really excited about this stuff.

The only thing I'm excited about

is putting criminals behind bars.

Except Iron Heights isn't exactly equipped

to handle meta-humans.

Then I guess it's fortunate the ones

you've encountered so far
are no longer with us.

Well, unless we're planning on executing

every super criminal we stop,

you geniuses are gonna have to come up

with someplace else to hold them.

A meta-human prison. Sweet.

Until we figure a way
to remove their powers.

There is one place here
that might hold them.

You can't be serious.

I mean, we haven't been down there since...

it's cordoned off.

Cisco is right.

It could be modified to act

as a makeshift prison.

What could?

The particle accelerator.

Tonight, the future begins.

The work my team and I will do here

will change our understanding of physics,

will bring about advancements in power,

advancements in medicine.

And trust me, that future

will be here faster than you think.

Dr. Wells, we just got
the latest weather report.

A big thunderstorm is rolling in.

We're not launching a space shuttle.

We'll be fine.

Tahiti?

I know it's a long flight, Ronnie,

but we can binge watch
Orange Is The New Black.

Oh, okay.

But what about Italy?

Pizza and wine and more pizza.

Yes, but Italy doesn't have mai tais,

and a honeymoon isn't a honeymoon

without nai tais.

Dr. Wells, the accelerator is primed

and ready for particle injection.

Well, I feel I should
say something profound

like "one small step for man,"

but all I can think of to say is,

I feel like I've waited
for this day for centuries.

That's it?

You'd think there'd be, like, a loud bang.

If there was a loud bang,
we'd all be in big trouble.

Take it from the guy who helped build it.

Ladies and gentlemen, we did it.

Mai tais it is.

Was that...

A loud bang.

Caitlin.

Caitlin.

Did you hear me?

We're going down to the accelerator ring.

Actually, Dr. Wells,
I could use Caitlin's help

identifying the poison gas.

Okay.

If that's okay with you?

Let's go.

Welcome to the CCPD.

So this is your day job.

Mm-hmm.

I'm gonna rip out your hearts

and eat 'em for lunch.

Delightful.

Lab rat, I need prints off this gun pronto.

Allen!

Where the hell is the fiber
analysis on the Orloff case?

Upstairs. It's all finished.

I can just run up and bring it down.

With you, that could be
three days from now.

I'll go with you. Who are you?

Dr. Caitlin Snow,

Barry's personal physician.

The fiber analysis for the Orloff case,

like you asked for,

sir.

Clean up your lab.

It's a mess.

The lightning was in the house.

I told my son to run,

he disappeared,

and that's when I saw the blood.

Your prints were on the murder weapon.

I needed to stabilize the knife.

I'm a doctor.

I was trying to save her.

I didn't kill my wife.

Joe, tell them.

You know me. Our kids are friends.

You tell them, Joe.

Do I even want to know
what you were looking at?

It's just work.

Some old cases weren't filed properly.

Detective. What are you doing here?

Joe, I thought you were at the morgue.

I decided to bring some work home.

Why are you here?

Yes, well, I've been looking for you.

I thought maybe we could
go back to the crime scene,

re-canvass, see if we missed anything.

Always work the case, right?

That's what you taught me.

Wow, you've been listening.

Okay, let's hit it.

You mind if I use your bathroom?

It's the first door on the right.

I'll be in the car.

Bye, baby.

Bye, dad.

Okay, this has got to stop.

I came here to surprise my girlfriend,

and now I'm going
to a crime scene with her dad...

not exactly the afternoon
I was planning on.

I know, I know, it's just...

it's not the right time to tell him.

When is, Iris?

I know my dad. He'll kill us.

Right now, you're killing us.

The copper in the tube
is arranged to form cavities,

and we can use those cavities
as containment cells.

Of course, we'll have to
design them to counteract

meta-human abilities, but...

might just work.

First, we have to decouple
the main injection system

on the gantry level.

I'll be right back.

Why don't I do that?

I need the exercise.

There's an anomaly in the core chamber.

The ring's structural integrity is holding.

It's started a chain reaction.

The system is collapsing.
We need to shut it down.

We can't ramp down
the accelerator from here.

- We need to do it manually.
- Go.

- I'll come with.
- Ronnie, no.

I'm the lead engineer.

I know how to operate the shutdown valve.

- It's not safe.
- Cait, I have to go.

Okay, you stay here.

We've only got a few minutes
before this thing blows,

and if I'm not back in time,
you need to initiate lockdown.

No way. I am not closing this door.

I won't be able to open it again.

Cisco, if you don't seal off the blast,

everyone in this building will die,

including Caitlin.

Okay, now promise me.

Set your watch.

Two minutes.

You're coming back.

Cisco.

Cisco, we're ready to go.

Must be hard, coming back down here.

A lot happened that night.

If you feel the need to talk...

I was just thinking,

we need to nail those voltage calculations.

One fault, and the helium blowback

could damage the mountings.

Smart.

Can I ask you something

that you don't have to answer?

My least favorite kind of question.

Shoot.

Ronnie. What was he like?

You just never talk about him that much.

We met when we were working
on the particle accelerator.

He was the structural engineer.

He liked to joke that he was basically

a very high-priced plumber.

We were very different.

You might have noticed I can be a bit...

Guarded.

Ronnie knew how to make me laugh.

He used to say we were like fire and ice.

He wasn't supposed to be there that night.

He was just there for me.

If he hadn't...

This says that there was
no residue of gas in the tissue,

poisonous or otherwise.

It must have evaporated.

We'll need to get a fresh sample.

Wait, this can't be right.

This says that there are
two distinct strands of DNA

inside the tissue.

How did someone else's DNA
get inside the victim's lungs?

Well, my docket was clear,
so I stopped by the mall

to pick up your homecoming dress.

I am a great mom.

I'll see you for dinner, sweetie.

There's no DNA match in the database.

I don't understand.

Why would a chemical attack

leave behind another person's
DNA inside the victim?

What if the meta-human we're looking for

doesn't control gas?

What if he becomes it?

Judge Howard.

It's nice to see you again.

You died.

You say that like it was an accident.

You remember the last thing you said to me

in the courtroom?

May God have mercy on your soul.

All available units, we have a report

of a toxic gas attack

in the central city shopping mall.

Barry, don't.

We don't know enough
about what we're facing yet.

It's not safe.

Caitlin, I have to go.

I patched into the mall's security system.

According to witnesses, the gas attack

was in the main elevator in the north wing.

Which one is the north wing?

The one with The Big Belly Burger.

I eat.

Back up. Please, keep back.

Why did you kill that woman?

She deserved to die.

Now go run away.

I still have one more name on my list.

Don't make me add you to it.

Barry.

Barry, can you hear me?

His vitals are weak,
but he's alive, Dr. Wells.

I'm sure he's fine.

I can't breathe.

He needs oxygen. Get the crash cart!

Barry!

- Barry.
- Cut me open.

The poison's still in me.
He brought us a sample.

Caitlin, we need to do a pulmonary biopsy,

extract an active portion of that gas.

I can't give you any anesthetic.

Your metabolism will burn right through it.

I heal quick, remember?

Do it.

Cisco, give me the syringe.

This is gonna hurt a lot.

It's a small needle.
You probably won't even feel it.

You're definitely going to feel it.

The Streak lives.

You'd be dead if your lung cells

didn't regenerate so quickly.

My chest feels like that one time

I had a cigarette.

Yeah, teen me lived for danger.

This isn't funny. You could've...

I didn't.

Now that we have a sample,
we'll get to work analyzing it,

figure out the makeup of the poison,

maybe get a clue as to his human identity.

Or at least a way to stop him
from turning into a mist.

The Mist. Okay, that's his name.

End of discussion.

I have to get to the station.

You should be resting.

I have to talk to Joe.

Joe. I had him.

The meta-human. We were wrong.

He's not controlling airborne toxins.

He can literally transform
himself into poison gas.

That's new.

The victim was a judge.

We're going through some of her old cases

to see if there's a connection.

It's too late.

I should have been faster.

Focus on the job.

Don't think about that right now.

You don't want to know
what I'm thinking about.

My dad has spent 14 years

in a 6x8-foot cell
for a crime he didn't commit.

I couldn't save my mom, but I can save him.

Didn't I promise you

that we would get your father
out of prison together?

I don't need your help, Joe.

I could be in and out of there with him

before anyone even sees me.

Okay.

You break him out of there.

Then what?

He's on the run for the rest of his life.

And something tell me
he's not as fast as you are.

You don't know what it's like there.

You think I don't understand

what you're feeling?

I have been a cop for almost as long

as you've been alive.

So you should know, putting on that suit

does not make everybody safe.

For every person you save,

there's gonna be somebody you can't.

And the hardest thing
you're gonna have to face

is not some monster out there with powers.

It's gonna be that feeling of uselessness

when you can't do anything.

Or the guilt that weighs on you
when you make a mistake.

Some things, Barry, you can't fight.

Some things you just have to live with.

Yes, I'm writing this down.

Red streak at the mall

during the gas attack.

Thank you for calling.

Never fails.

Tip lines bring out
the potheads and the crazies.

Did they get a good look
at the Streak's face?

Not you too.

What are you doing here anyway?

We need to talk.

I thought about what you said, and...

I know what you're gonna say.

I understand.

I'm your dad's partner.

No, no, no, you don't understand.

I have never really had
a serious boyfriend.

Between dad and Barry and work,

my life has been full.

And I really like you,

but I thought that if I told
my dad about us,

then it would make this real,

and suddenly, it's something
that I could lose

or screw up.

I wanted it to be real.

Eddie.

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to scare you,
leaving like that.

It's okay. I get it.

You had to go.

It's just...

that's the last thing that
Ronnie said to me that night.

My mother died 14 years ago.

I used to think that
the further away I got from it,

the less it would hurt.

But some days, the pain,

it's worse than the day that it happened.

Some things you can't fight.

For so long,

I've been terrified
of going into that hole.

What if I went with you?

Where's Ronnie? Cisco, where is he?

- He's still inside.
- What? Open the door.

I can't. We're in lockdown mode.

Cisco, we have to get him
out of there or he'll die.

- Cisco, can you hear me?
- Ronnie, it's me.

Caitlin.

Is Cisco there?

Yeah, Ronnie, I'm here. I'm listening.

I adjusted the magnets to redirect the beam

to try and vent the system

so the blast goes up and not out.

I'll need to reset the particle parameters

to compensate.

Cisco's doing it.

There has to be another way out of there.

You have to find it.

Cait, the chain reaction,

I can't reverse it.

The doors need to stay shut to protect you.

You still there?

I'm here.

Caitlin, whatever happens...

Ronnie.

Ronnie!

He saved so many lives that day,

and no one will ever know what he did.

I do.

He was a hero.

I didn't want him to be a hero.

I wanted him to be my husband.

Barry, Caitlin, you down there?

You got to come look at this.

Hey, check this out.

It's a 3D molecular model of the gas

we retrieved from your lungs.

We have identified the toxin.

Hydrogen cyanide?

What's interesting is what's mixed in

with the cyanide... A sedative.

Of course.

The night of the explosion,
find out if anyone was executed.

Why?

That sedative is given
to criminals on death row

before they go to the gas chamber

and breathe in hydrogen cyanide.

That's right.

There was someone executed.

- Kyle Nimbus.
- That's him.

He was a hit man for
the Darbinyan crime family.

They turned on him and testified.

Judge Theresa Howard
was the judge at his trial.

She sentenced him to death.

He must have been affected

by the explosion while he was being gassed.

Records indicate
the execution was completed.

That's why there wasn't a match.

The DNA database only has
records of the living.

Right.

He said there was
one more person on his list.

Check the arrest record. Who caught him?

That could be his next attack.

Barry, the lead detective...

Here to see Henry Allen.

Sign here.

Personal effects here.

- Eddie.
- Barry, what's up?

Hey, do you know where Joe went?

He's not picking up his cell.

Uh, not sure.

Eddie, it's really important
I speak to him.

I need to know where he went.

He went to Iron Heights to see your dad.

Barry.

I reverse-engineered
an antidote to the toxin.

I hope you won't need it.

What are you doing here?
Is Barry all right?

He's fine.

Then to what do I owe this visit?

I know I should have
come to see you sooner.

You just weren't up for a little chitchat

with a man who murdered his wife
in front of his own son?

Except now I know
you didn't kill your wife.

Barry, I pulled up the specs
on Iron Heights Prison.

It's maximum security,

but I think I can talk you
through breaking in there.

Don't bother.

I've been figuring out

how to break into that place

since I was 11.

Some new evidence has come to light.

I can't go into detail.

It's just...

Look, the important thing is,

I'm reopening the case.

I'm gonna find out who really killed Nora,

and I promise you, Henry,

I'm going to get you out of here.

I am so sorry.

It doesn't matter that
you didn't believe in me...

Because you always believed in my son.

Nimbus.

- You're supposed to be dead.
- Same to you.

Joe?

Joe!

Help!

Guards!

Somebody help!

Go get him.

So you've come to finish
what the gas chamber couldn't?

You're going somewhere you
can't hurt anyone ever again.

Wrong.

He used the antidote on Joe.

You need to stay away from him, Barry.

Do not breathe him in.

I'm not sure how that helps me, guys.

You can't fight him, Barry.

Just keep him coming at you.

That should sap his strength.

Gas is the least stable form of matter.

This meta-human will not be able

to stay in his mist form for long.

His particles will need to reform.

Barry.

Barry.

We win.

It's been a while
since I watched you sleep.

Rescuing you is exhausting.

I really miss the ability

to be able to ground you.

Sorry I went and grew up.

I could have got my dad
out of Iron Heights tonight.

I know.

But you were right.

That's not the way.

- Daddy.
- Oh.

Baby, I'm fine. Don't worry.

I'll let you guys talk.

Partner.

You two arrive at the same time?

Dad, we have something
that we need to tell you.

Dad, the thing is...

you two are dating.

- I know.
- You do?

I'm a detective, remember?

And both of you are lousy liars.

So you're not mad?

Oh, I'm mad.

And if the doctor
hadn't confiscated my gun,

we'd be having an entirely
different conversation.

Well, I should let you two talk,

and I'll just be outside

looking into the witness
protection program.

I'm sorry.

Iris, this is going to be complicated.

You know I don't like complicated.

Do you like him?

Yeah, I do.

Then I will do my damnedest
not to shoot him.

That is all I ask.

Will it hold?

The barrier is powered by

an 8.3 Tesla superconducting electromagnet,

which is about 100,000 times the strength

of earth's magnetic field.

In other words, yes.

Hmm. He's mad.

Well, good night.

So we're just supposed to get used to

working above a makeshift prison

housing evil people with superpowers.

You'd be surprised what
you can get used to, Caitlin.

Caitlin.

Could I talk to you for a second?

Sure. What's up?

It's about the night that Ronnie died.

I...

look, Cisco, I'm okay.

I thought coming down here would undo me,

but thinking about
what Ronnie did to protect us...

It just made me love him more.

Come on.

I need ice cream or a drink.

Let's see which one we hit first.

Joe's gonna be okay.

You know, lately I've been
thinking about mom.

A lot.

I miss her.

Did I ever tell you about
the time you learned to walk?

A couple times.

Everyone was walking before you.

All the little babies
running around the neighborhood,

not you.

But your mom was never worried.

She just said, "he'll walk

when he has someplace to go."

and sure enough, the first time
you took a few steps,

you moved so quick, you didn't just walk,

you started...

To run.

And you ran to your mom, Barry.

Right into her arms.

You had someplace to go.

I thought being the fastest man alive

would make my life easier...

that I could outrun anything.

Turns out, no one can outrun pain.

Somebody help! Please, somebody!

Life is tragic.

But it's also precious...

And sweet...

And extraordinary.

And the only way I know
to honor my mom's life

is to keep running.

Dr. Wells.

Dr. Wells, Ronnie did it.

He vented the system.

S.T.A.R. Labs should hold.

Good man.

I'm on my way down.

See you soon, Barry.