The Man in the Yellow Suit

"Not fast enough Flash"

- The Reverse-Flash taunting Barry

"The Man in the Yellow Suit" is the ninth episode of the first season of The Flash and the ninth episode overall. It aired on December 9, 2014.

Synopsis
Barry finds himself face-to-face with his nemesis, the man in the yellow suit, a.k.a. Reverse-Flash, who killed his mother. Barry is frustrated when the Reverse-Flash escapes, but Dr. Wells and Cisco come up with a plan to trap him. All they need is bait, so they turn to Dr. Tina McGee from Mercury Labs to help. Meanwhile, it’s Christmas at the West household and Iris is in full holiday cheer. Eddie gives her a surprising gift but also leaves her with a question that could change her life. Joe joins the search for the man in yellow and ends up in the crossfire. Caitlin finds Ronnie.

Plot
Barry races through the city chasing his mother's killer; the man in the yellow suit.

One Day Earlier.

Barry is decorating a Christmas tree with Joe when Iris come in with eggnog. While Joe takes a call from the DA in the next room, Iris convinces Barry to exchange gifts early. Barry gives her a replica of her mother's wedding ring; she lost the original in the fifth grade. Iris is touched. Eddie arrives and notices the exchange but says nothing.

Later Barry goes to Star Labs to give his new friends their gifts. Wells leaves abruptly during the festivities and Cisco reminds Barry its now the anniversary of the explosion. Christmas was Well's favorite holiday, but since the accident its now a bitter reminder of all he has lost.

At Jitters, Eddie asks Iris if she believes Barry is in love with her. Iris denies it, despite the gift and allays his concerns. Eddie gives Iris a key to his apartment which she happily accepts.

At the mall parking lot, Caitlin notices she is being watched from the shadows by a homeless man. Following the man when he tries to flee, she corners him and he sprouts flames from his hands and head. The metahuman turns and reveals himself to be Ronnie. Shocked to see him she runs off allowing him to escape.

At Mercury Labs, an unnamed physicist had succesfully created the first tachyonic prototype. Suddenly a man in the yellow comes and kills several guards. Luckily the physicist who created this invention was safe.

Later Barry, Eddie and Joe investigate the scene. Eddie speaks with a surviving scientist who mentions a man in a yellow suit. In private Barry notes to Joe only something moving at impossible speeds could have killed the guards. After hearing Eddie's description Barry realizes its his mother's killer. Joe is forced to admit the other metahuman has been in town for a few weeks; he didn't tell Barry since the man threatened Iris' life.

The next day Joe and Barry discuss the break in with Wells at S.T.A.R. Labs. Wells explains Mercury Labs and S.T.A.R. Labs were rivals until the accident crippled S.T.A.R. Labs. Mercury Labs has been working on a project involing Tachyon particles and the three deduce this is the Man in the Yellow suit's target. Barry suggest they use this fact to create a trap for him.

Caitlin goes to Jitters to speak with Iris about her blog on the various metahuman sightings. She asks about the "burning man" story; a metahuman Iris has not really kept much track of. Iris promises to send her all the information she has and asks if Barry has been keeping secrets; noticing his strange behavior in the past weeks. Caitlin responds that she should talk to him if she is concerned.

Wells and Barry talk with the head scientist of Mercury Labs at the police station; trying to obtain the tachyon experiment as bait. The scientist refuses; believing Wells is looking for an advantage in the market again.

At S.T.A.R. Labs Caitlin and Cisco work on the trap. Caitlin finally tells Cisco about Ronnie and she needs help to find him again. Cisco believed she imagined it since Ronnie was vaporized in the explosion.

Barry reviews his mother's case at his lab.

He remembers the night of his mother's death;

''Nora tucks a young Barry in while checking his bruises. She assures him that he is not afraid of the dark; just afraid of being alone in it. However, once he realizes he is never alone the fear will have no power over him. Later Barry awakens to the sound of a commotion downstairs and runs to find his mother being attacked''.

Iris breaks him out of his memory and the talk about her relationship with Eddie. Barry defends his bizarre behavior as shock at the speed of their relationship. He assures her he is happy that she is happy.

After Iris leaves Barry spots the Man in the Yellow suit watching him on the roof opposite to him. He chases the other speedster who finally stops in an alley. Barry demands answers for his mother's murder but the metahuman taunts him, that he will have to catch him first and speeds off again.

The two end up in the stadium and start fighting. The man in the yellow suit taunts Barry; behaving as if they have met and battled before while outmatching him with speed and superior fighting. Before leaving he tells Barry it is his destiny to lose to him, just as it was also destiny for Barry's mother to die that night.

The next day Barry relates what happened to Joe and Wells. Joe dismisses the Man in the Yellow Suit's claims to Barry as scare tactics in the heat of battle. Wells assures Barry the trap will hold but both voice their concern that Barry should stay out of the next stage of the plan; he is too close to this foe. Barry dismisses their concerns and heads off with Joe to get the Tachyon device. Thanks to a bluff they are able to get it with little trouble. Overhearing some of their conversation Eddie manages to get himself and his task force involved; believing it to be a chance to catch the Flash once and for all.

Elsewhere Cisco and Caitlin use a device to track Ronnie from where he was last seen. Cisco believes they should have told Wells and Barry but Caitlin says they must try this alone first. Cisco is warned that Ronnie is not like they remembered him when the device reacts to him being close to them.

Hiding further down the hallway they find Ronnie. Caitlin tries to coax him to come with them but he reacts with confusion and anger; claiming he isn't Ronnie and warns them to stay away from him. He grabs Caitlin when she touches his burnt hands and whispers "Firestorm", before erupting into flame and running off from the pair.

Back at S.T.A.R. Labs the Tachyon prototype is set in the heart of the trap. Barry is told by Wells and Joe again that he needs to back off and he reluctantly agrees.

Down in the pipeline Cisco finds a sobbing Caitlin and assures that they now know for certain Ronnie is alive, and they can find him again. Caitlin is not certain she wants to find him; certain that unlike Bette and Barry he has turned into a monster like the metahumans they have locked up. She laments it might have been better that he died in the explosion over being a metahuman. Cisco tries to console her as best he can.

Barry goes to visit his father. Barry confesses to his father that he finally found the man who murdered Nora but he got away. Distraught he tells his father it is now his fault that he is stuck behind bars. Henry tells him not to blame himself; that the murder has dominated Barry's life for fourteen years and he hasn't been able to truly lead his own life. Henry has also worked out Barry is in love with Iris but never told her. He tells his son not to let the killer take anymore of his life from him.

Barry returns home and talks to Iris. He confesses his feelings to her; admitting he never acted on them because he feared losing her like he did his parents. Iris remains silent; crying silently. Barry apologises for upsetting her and leaves.

At S.T.A.R. Labs, the group along with the task force wait for the Man in the Yellow suit. Cisco has been releasing pulses from the Tachyon device to draw his attention. Sure enough the speedster arrives and Cisco activates the trap; encasing him in a force field. Wells, Joe and the taskforce head down to inspect their captive while Caitlin and Cisco remain in the control room to keep the trap running.

In the chamber Joe attempts to interrogate the villain over Nora Allan's murder. The villain ignores him, but speaks to Wells; acting pleased they can meet face to face. The two trade barbs over knowledge of the other. When Wells point out they created the trap based on the villain's similar nature to the Flash he laughs; claiming he is quite the reverse of the hero.

Cisco notes a fluctuation in the barrier and tries to warn Wells; just as the barrier drops for a second. The villain quickly grabs Wells; pulling him into the force field and proceeds to violently beat him. Joe has no option but to break the field generator to save Wells from the attack. Caitlin calls Barry for help and he speeds over.

The Man in the Yellow suit takes out the Task force; but hesitates when facing Eddie and strangely spares him.

The villain then speeds over to Joe and chokes him, reminding him that he was warned not to hunt him. Barry then comes in and takes The Man in the Yellow suit outside flying out of the building in a tornado of red and yellow electricity, Caitlin and Cisco run outside to watch the fight.

The fight is not going well for Barry as the man in yellow continually beats on him. Before he can kill Barry however, he is taken down by a stream of fire, it is Ronnie who used his powers to stop the man in yellow.

With this turn of events, the man in yellow tells Barry that "their race is not yet done" and that he will see him soon, he then speeds away.

As Cisco runs over to help Barry up Caitlin runs over to Ronnie who tells her to not look for him again, he then sprouts his flames, takes flight, soaring off into the sky while the 3 look up in awe, Barry is once again upset that the man in yellow escaped.

Back at the station a shocked Eddie wonders why he wasn't killed but Joe can offer no answer. Joe is forced to admit the existence of Metahumans to Eddie. He swears Eddie to secrecy; that public knowledge of Metahumans would lead to a panic. Eddie agrees but asks if Joe knows who the Flash is; Joe simply responds he is the man who saved their lives tonight; secretly casting a glance at Barry.

At S.T.A.R. Labs Caitlin tends to Wells while Cisco wonders how the trap failed; apologizing for the danger they put their friend in. Wells assures them he is not upset about it; but he is annoyed they kept the fact Ronnie was alive from him. Caitlin covers for Cisco; she wanted a chance to bring him in herself; especially after seeing the state he was in. This defuses Wells anger and he promises Caitlin he will help in whatever he can to bring Ronnie home.

Joe goes to see Barry in the police lab; Barry admits that the murder of his mother has kept him in the city for fourteen years. Joe admits that when he first brought Barry home he didn't know if he could handle him; but in a week Barry had brought light and life into his and Iris' lives. Joe does not want Barry to lose that light to fear.

The two return home to find all of Barry's friends there, except for Wells. Joe admits he called everyone since Barry needed cheering up. Caitlin apologises for Wells absence; that he needed to recover from the beating. Barry congratulates Eddie and Iris moving in together but Iris does not meet his gaze.

Cisco talks privately with Joe; during the brawl he noticed something that reminded him of Barry's account of Nora's murder. Red and yellow lightning merging; both realize there were two speedsters there that night; explaining how Barry ended up across the street. Iris calls them over and Joe puts the angel on the tree.

At S.T.A.R. Labs, Harrison enters his hidden chamber, unlocking it with a ring with the Flash insignia on it. Inside is the Blur's yellow suit, and Harrison attaches the stolen prototype to its chest. Smiling, he speaks in Reverse Flash's distorted voice, saying "Merry Christmas".

Trivia

 * When he's being interrogated the man in yellow says, "I'm not like the Flash at all. Some would say I'm the reverse". This is a reference to his DC comic book name, the Reverse-Flash.
 * Cisco mentions to Joe the possibility of two speedsters the night Nora Allen was murdered. This could be a possible reference to the existence of other Flashes in the DC multiverse.
 * The reference to two speedsters is likely also a reference to the comic book series Flashpoint, where Barry went back in time using the Speed Force and stopped Reverse Flash from murdering his mother, which shattered history and changed the DC universe (leading to The New 52).