The Flash's Escape from Earth-2 Gave Us More Questions Than Answers

Not everyone may have survived the trip back to Earth-1

Honey, they're home!

While last week's episode of The Flash was all about introducing us to Earth-2, tonight's main goal was getting the hell out of this weirdo alternate universe, after rescuing Barry (Grant Gustin) and Jesse (Violett Beane) from Zoom's evil clutches. There were a few harrowing moments, but things went mostly as planned, with a little bit of doppelganger help.

After Cisco let Wells know that Barry had been taken by Zoom, they got a little help from Mr. and Mrs. West-Allen, as soon as those two recovered from their confusing encounters with Earth-1 Barry ("I'm sorry, he got frisky with you?!" ). Earth-2 Barry tracked down Killer Frost, and the gang convinced her to help them find Zoom's evil lair.

Meanwhile, Earth-1 Barry and Jesse were bonding with their fellow prisoner, a.k.a. the Man in the Iron Mask, and eventually they figured out that he was tapping on the glass using a POW tap code (which obviously Barry knew all about), and that he was spelling out J-A-Y.

Barry tried to elaborate on this, but the tapping just turned to banging as the guy got more and more upset. Then, Zoom showed up to ruin the party and throw Barry around a few times, as he does. 

With some assistance from a Killer Frost-made ice wall, the rescue team eventually made it to the lair and used science, smarts, ice powers, and one impassioned Barry Allen-to-Barry Allen speech to get Barry and Jesse out safely.

Back at Wells' lab, they all prepared to head back to Earth-1, while Earth-2 Barry and Iris made plans to visit relatives in Atlantis. Iris asked Earth-1 Barry to hug her dad for her, and as Zoom closed in on them, they made their way back to Earth-1.

What they didn't realize is that back on Earth-1, Jay, Caitlin, and Iris were facing their own slew of problems, partly thanks to the Geomancer's continued obsession with the Flash, and partly thanks to the unpredictability of the Velocity serum. Caitlin tweaked the formula until Jay could actually use it for any length of time, which was necessary for getting the speed cannon to work in order to create the portal between Earth-1 and Earth-2.

He managed to keep it going just long enough for the gang to make it back with Zoom on their heels, but stayed in the way of the portal for just a few seconds too long, which allowed Zoom to ram his arm right through Jay's chest, sucking him back into Earth-2.

He managed to keep it going just long enough for the gang to make it back with Zoom on their heels, but stayed in the way of the portal for just a few seconds too long, which allowed Zoom to ram his arm right through Jay's chest, sucking him back into Earth-2. Whether he's still alive has yet to be seen, but whether we want him to still be alive also has yet to be seen.

What did it mean that the man in the Iron Mask spelled out Jay's name? Was he concerned for Jay? Is he secretly Jay? Was he trying to tell Barry that Jay was a bad guy who is not to be trusted? We just don't know anymore, and now that Jay's got an arm in his chest in an alternate universe, it's probably going to take us a pretty long time to find out.

Finally, can we keep Earth-2 Barry forever?

Sure, we love Earth-1 Barry Allen, and of course we love the Flash, but the nerdy, bespectacled Milo Thatch-ian CSI tech was just so much fun. Maybe someday when The Flash ends, we could get a spin-off of Earth-2 Barry and Iris living it up in Atlantis! And if not, we will be writing that fanfiction tonight.