Grodd Lives

"Maybe the accelerator explosion created a meta-gorilla."

—Cisco Ramon surprised at Grodd's existence

"Grodd Lives"
Information
Season 1 » Episode 21
Episode number	21 of 184
Original airdate	May 5, 2015
Written by	Grainne Godfree Kai Yu Wu
Directed by	Dermott Downs
Chronology
Preceded by	"The Trap"
Followed by	"Rogue Air"

"Grodd Lives" is the twenty-first episode of the first season of The Flash, and the twenty-first episode overall. It aired on May 5, 2015.

Synopsis

Barry must deal with the Reverse-Flash's latest threat to a member of the group. To make matters worse, Dr. Wells unleashes Grodd on the city in order to distract Barry and the team. Joe, Barry and Cisco head down into the sewers to catch Grodd, but the gorilla quickly gets the upper hand after he kidnaps Joe. Iris and Barry have a heart-to-heart talk.[src]

Plot

Grodd Lives begins with Captain Singh looking for Eddie Thawne, who’s being held captive by Reverse Flash. Iris enters the station and tells Barry what happened, and says that the Flash should help put. Barry says that Flash is on it, and not to worry about it. Iris, who is fairly confident that Barry and Flash are the same, has a hard time trusting him.

Across town, the Central City gold reserve faces heavy fire from armored thieves. Cisco informs Barry, who rushes to the scene. But when Flash tries to stop the men, he experiences strange mental hallucinations of syringes and falls to his knees. The armored men take the opportunity to escape.

Flash goes back to STAR Labs, where Barry says that he felt overwhelming fear. But Barry then feels something else, as Iris enters the lab. Seeing Barry unmasked in his Flash costume, she announces that she knows Barry’s secret. She reveals how she felt a jolt of electricity only when touching Barry and the Flash, and figured it out from there. She asks Barry if Eddie knows, and Barry says yes. Barry then tells her that Harrison Wells is the Reverse Flash and killer of his mother, along with the fact that Joe knows everything too. Disgusted by the breach in trust, Iris storms out.

Deep in Reverse Flash’s underground base, Wells visits the captive Eddie Thawne. Eddie says that he doesn’t believe Wells’ claim that they’re related, but Wells orders him to shut up.

Joe finds Iris at her office and talks to her about her new discoveries. Iris rejects his apologies however, and gets even angrier at her father for not telling her about Barry’s true feelings for her. Making zero progress, Joe leaves. Captain Singh then calls and says that the gold snatchers could snatch the next shipment of gold. Joe informs Barry and Caitlin.

Joe and the gold reserve guards try moving the gold across town in a disguised ice cream truck, but the thieves find it and blow it up. But before they can harm Joe, Flash shows up and knocks the thieves out. Joe unmasks one of the thieves and discovers that its General Eiling, who was last seen being carried away by Gorilla Grodd.

Flash takes Eiling to STAR Labs, who’s conscious, but has the mental capacity of a vegetable. The team tries questioning Eiling, but he seems unresponsive. Then, Grodd takes full control of Eiling and uses him as a mouthpiece. He explains that he “hurt” Eiling and is Grodd. He tells the gang to fear him.

The team looks back at STAR Labs’ camera records, where they see Wells and Eiling experimenting on Grodd when he was just a gorilla. They surmise that the experiments, coupled with the particle accelerator’s explosion, turned Grodd into a psychic, highly intelligent being. Caitlin thinks that Grodd is capable of telepathy and mind control. Joe thinks that Grodd is a distraction unleashed by Reverse Flash, and that if they find Grodd, they can find Wells and Eddie.

With Iris’ help, the team scouts through old newspaper records. Based on old stories, they think that Grodd is hiding in the sewers. Joe, Cisco, and Flash head into the sewers and start looking for Grodd. Caitlin and Iris stay at Star Labs, where they talk about Ronnie’s transformation to Firestorm.

In the sewers, Cisco sees crude writings on the wall. Based on Grodd’s drawings, they figure out that Grodd is evolving and getting smarter. They begin to hear grunts through the tunnels. Suddenly, Barry experiences another mental attack. With Barry down, Grodd grabs Joe and takes him away. When Joe comes to, Grodd uses his mind control powers to make Joe point his gun at his head. He doesn’t make Joe pull the trigger though, saying that his father, Wells, hates guns. Grodd also says he doesn’t know where Wells is.

Back at STAR Labs, Barry and the team try building a psychic shield for Flash’s next encounter against Grodd. Frustrated, Iris storms out of the room. When Barry chases after her, he tells her not to harbor anger at Joe for keeping Barry’s secret. Iris then turns her anger to Barry, and asks how he could hold so many secrets for so long. But Barry then tells her that she might really have romantic feelings for him, not being so upfront herself. Iris doesn’t respond to the accusation, and Barry leaves.

In Wells’ lair, Harrison tells Eddie how the Thawne bloodline is filled with many successful figures—except Eddie. Wells tells Eddie that he is the only Thawne to be forgotten by history, and that he “doesn’t get the girl.” He tells Eddie that Barry will eventually marry Iris, and shows him the newspaper by-line from the future.

With the psychic shield assembled at STAR Labs, Barry is ready for a rematch with Grodd. Once Barry’s tracker on Grodd reveals Grodd’s location, Barry sets out after him. Using remote controls of the sewer’s hot steam valves, Cisco tries smoking Grodd out of his layer. Using the steam, Cisco leads Grodd on a path towards the Flash. Flash tries knocking Grodd out with a supersonic punch, but it’s ineffective. Flash tries unloading more speedy punches, but Grodd grabs him and throws him through a wall onto train tracks. With his mind shield broken, Barry is psychically attacked by Grodd. Flash struggles to fight back, but Iris gives him a pep talk through his radio. Re-energized, Barry gets back up to fight. But as the two leap to clash, Grodd is hit by a train and taken off the field. With Grodd neutralized for now, Barry finds Joe and takes him back to STAR Labs.

With Grodd out, Eiling regains his mental independence. Barry frees Eiling from the metahuman prison, but says that he’ll get what’s coming to him. Eiling tells Barry that he knows he’s the Flash, but won’t do anything about it. He excuses himself to go hunt Grodd. Upstairs, Joe and Iris talk. Joe gives a more heartfelt apology, which Iris accepts.

Meanwhile, Barry, Caitlin, and Cisco plan their next move. They realize that they don’t need Wells to stop metahumans, and can prevent disasters themselves—but a little help from Iris. Barry then finds Iris and talks to her. Barry says that her earlier pep talk gave him the strength to overcome Grodd. He says that the thought of Iris always keeps him moving. Iris admits that maybe she really does have romantic feelings for Barry, but can’t do anything about them until they find Eddie.

Across town, Grodd emerges from the sewers, stronger than ever.

Down in Well’s lair, Wells pulls out a vial and says he has “the key.’ He goes to another underground corridor above, and uses the vial to activate something. With bright lights illuminating what looks like a runway, Wells says it’s time for him to go home.

Cast

Starring

• Grant Gustin as Barry Allen/The Flash
• Candice Patton as Iris West
• Danielle Panabaker as Dr. Caitlin Snow
• Rick Cosnett as Detective Eddie Thawne
• Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon
• Tom Cavanagh as Professor Eobard Thawne
• Jesse L. Martin as Detective Joe West

Special guest star

• Clancy Brown as General Wade Eiling/Goldfinger

Guest starring

• Patrick Sabongui as Captain David Singh

Co-starring

• Jane Hancock as Mother
• Jason McKinnen as Driver
• David Sobolov as Grodd (voice)

Production

Preparation began February 25, 2015 and ran until March 5, 2015. Shooting began March 6 and ran until March 18, 2015.

Gallery

Videos

The Flash 1x21 Promo "Grodd Lives" (HD)

The Flash 1x21 Extended Promo "Grodd Lives" (HD)

The Flash 1x21 Trailer "Grodd Lives" (HD)

Trivia

• This episode is the payoff for the brief glimpse of Grodd's destroyed cage back in "Pilot"​.
• Grodd's hatred for bananas is a carry-over from the Justice League animated series.
• Wade Eiling's golden helmet is likely a reference to the one worn by Grodd in the comics.
• While questioning Joe, Cisco asks if Grodd likes King Kong and if he's similar to the apes from Planet of the Apes, referencing two ape-related media.
• This episode shows the first instance of Joe nicknaming a villain.
• This episode was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Special Effect.
• During the episode, Cisco references C.H.U.D. and R.O.U.S. in relation to going down into the sewers. When Team Flash doesn't understand, he muses if any of them actually watch films. The acronyms refer to Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers and Rodents Of Unusual Size, respectively.
• Grodd is seen climbing a building, which happens to be the same building used as the Watchtower in Smallville.