The last episode left off just as Zoom killed Henry Allen and that’s exactly where The Flash Season 2 finale, “A Race For His Life,” picks back up. As Barry shares an emotional moment with Iris on the steps of the West household, Zoom flashes by and proposes a race. An angry Barry can't resist chasing after him immediately.
The Flash goes HAM on Zoom right off the bat. Just as Barry has him pinned, another Zoom appears. We find out it was actually one of Zoom’s time remnants that killed Henry. “There could be two of you too, you just have to be willing to kill yourself,” the real Zoom says. Barry doesn’t forget this advice.
Team Flash discusses Zoom’s suspicious race request back at Star Labs. Thank god for Joe and Harrison Wells, who assure Barry and Cisco that Zoom’s motive isn’t simply to see who is the fastest man alive. Wells discovers Mercury Labs is developing a magnetar, a power amplifier with highly magnetized dense rotating core. Essentially, everything that happened in Cisco’s Earth-splitting vibe is because of that machine. If it has the right power source (aka Barry’s speed), it can decimate more than just a single planet. According to Wells, there are infinite planets in the multiverse and it can erase all of them with just one pulse. When Barry and Zoom race together, the amplifier will siphon their energy to create a huge magnetic pulse.
When Barry tells Joe he intends to kill Zoom at whatever cost, Team Flash shoots him with a tranquilizer dart and locks him in STAR Labs containment. They come up with their own plan to get rid of Zoom. A hologram of Caitlin meets with ‘Jay’ and lures him close enough so Wells can take his shot. Vibe then opens an Earth-2 breach, but Joe’s gun jams. He decides it’d be a really smart idea to go up to Zoom and fight him himself. Wells then blasts Zoom into the Earth-2 breach, but not before the evil speedster grabs Joe.
With Joe chained up to the wall back at the lair, Zoom reveals the the man behind the iron mask is indeed another Flash. Zoom explains he got his powers the same way as Barry. Wanting to travel faster, he created the Velocity serum. After spending his days breaking interdimensional barriers and traveling to alternate timelines, Zoom discovered another Flash in the real Jay Garrick (aka the man behind the iron mask). Zoom tried to steal his speed, but his methods didn't work on Jay. Still searching for a way to become stronger, he locked Jay up as a trophy and went after Barry on Earth-1. Zoom reveals every time he tries to manipulate the speed force, the time wraiths fight back.
Wally finds out what happened, and he’s pissed. He lets Barry out of his cell. Cisco brings Barry into his Vibe and projects himself in front of Zoom. That’s when Barry officially challenges Zoom to the race of his life.
Team Flash is under the impression his plan is to decimate the entire world, but Zoom explains he can't destroy Earth-1 because it's the access point to the entire multiverse. Zoom lays down the rules for the race. If Barry can stop him before he charges the amplifier all the way, the multiverse is saved. But, if Barry quits at any points, Joe dies.
What Zoom doesn’t know is that Barry has a trick up his sleeve. He takes Zoom’s advice and creates a remnant of himself by going back in time before the race. The time remnant saves Joe, while Barry takes down Zoom. But it’s too late. The pulse is already in motion. Then all of the sudden the time remnant sacrifices his own life by creating its own pulse to counteract the magnetar’s. The multiverse is saved! Right before Barry works up the courage to kill Zoom, the time wraiths come and transform Hunter Zolomon into someone that looks all too familiar: The Black Flash. But he's not the only new speedster.
Cisco and Wells help the mystery man remove the iron mask, and sure enough, Henry Allen’s doppelganger is Earth-3 Jay Garrick, aka THE FLASH. Wow, what a costume! Vibe brings Harrison Wells, Jesse, and the new Flash back to their respective Earths.
Happy ever after! NOT. Barry and Iris finally share a kiss while sitting on the porch steps. They confess their love for one another, but decide now isn't the best time to start a life together. When Iris goes back inside, Barry says “I’m sorry,” and travels back in time to the night The Reverse Flash killed his mother, Nora. He saves her, then watches himself disappear from the timeline. Cue...The Flashpoint Paradox.
What does all this mean? The Flashpoint Paradox? The Black Flash? How does this all affect Legends of Tomorrow? Check back for more Flash finale coverage.
