The Flash S01E13 Recap: The Nuclear Man

Barry prepares for a date, like only a superhero can. He uses his superspeed to change his clothes as many times as a girl on a first date. He manages to arrive punctually. He gives Linda a single flower, thinking a whole bouquet would be weird, but she likes it. She takes him to have some super spicy tacos, and Barry is the first to tap out and guzzle water. Linda goes to the restroom, and Cisco calls about a crime against an old lady. Barry doesn't want to leave his date, but he doesn't want to leave the old lady in danger either. Barry races off, and makes it back before Linda comes out of the restroom. On the walk home, Joe calls, he needs Barry's help with a jumper. Linda takes a work call, and Barry rescues the guy and races back before she notices he's missing. And no, Eddie has no plans to let the jumper back onto the roof after his botched jump attempt. Linda kisses Barry, deciding if she wants a second date. A second kiss seals it for her, she does.

Ronnie meets up with a man. The man doesn't recognize him, he thinks that Ronnie may been a student. Ronnie brings up the man's brother, and the way he died. Only one man knows that secret, Martin. It's a good think that he recognizes the man inside of Ronnie, as he bursts into flames. Martin needs his help.

Cisco gives Barry kudos on his crime fighting and lady wooing ways. Barry tells him and Caitlin that they're going on a second date. Caitlin and Cisco worry about what could happen after the second date, how it could be disastrous for both of them. Iris overhears about the second date, and she doesn't sound quite happy, though she puts on a good front. Cisco gets called away, and on the news there's a physicist in critical condition, the man that Caitlin was asking about recently.

Joe meets up with Cisco. They're headed into Barry's old house, where Barry's mother was murdered. Joe has some theories about the culprit. Cisco thinks that they should involved Wells and Caitlin, but Joe doesn't want to involve them yet until he has more. They knock on the door, and a perky divorcee gives Joe some serious sex eyes as she allows him in to look around.

Wells and Caitlin look over news clippings about Ronnie. He's not the same man anymore. It's Martin walking around in Ronnie's body. Barry wonders why its not Ronnie in charge. Wells assumes the stronger mind is in control at the moment. Wells tells him that Martin may know what is going on and is trying to stop it,which may have been why he approached his former colleague. Barry doesn't even know what Martin looks like in his own form, so Wells shows him a picture. Barry recognizes it from his train ride the day the particle accelerator exploded.

On the train Barry made small talk with Martin. Martin noted that Wells built something that no one else would dare. The two share quips, and Martin is surprised that Barry is well versed in physics. Barry admits that its more than a hobby, and reveals his job. Martin is surprised by his youth and his job. Both are planning to watch the particle accelerator, but Barry doesn't see that Martin is carrying a case labeled Firestorm. That evening the accelerator malfunctioned, and Martin was thrown backwards. The case was damaged, and Firestorm was released.

Mrs. Clarissa Stein talks with Barry. She's of course heard of STAR Labs, Martin was adamantly against his competition. Wells and Caitlin accompany him. Martin always loved his work, maybe even more than her, and he's won plenty awards for it. She hasn't seen her husband since his disappearance. Barry asks if she's seen Ronnie, showing her a picture of him. She has. She felt like she was being watched, and spotted Ronnie. After Martin disappeared, Ronnie started appearing.

After the particle accelerator accident Martin woke up in Ronnie's body., he saw a paper that showed that the particle accelerator had misfired. His first instinct was to go to his home and check on his wife. He was confused, worried over where his body had gone. His wife only saw a crazy person and called the police, but Ronnie ran off.

Wells points out that Ronnie and Martin had things in common besides sharing a body. They both feel the need to protect the women they love. Clarissa said that she feels that she's being watched. Wells thinks its a recipe for a stake out. Barry has a date, but Wells is sure they can get him back in a hurry if they need to.

Cisco canvases the room with his super light, but gets nothing. The light tells him nothing that they don't already know. Sexpot divorcee comes to check on the boys offering drinks, and dripping innuendo. Cisco tells Joe he would not judge him if he took her up on the offer. Joe turns his attention back to the case at hand. Cisco thinks that there has been too much time that has passed, but Joe notices a piece of furniture that was there the night Barry's mother died. Cisco looks at it with his super light, and finds silver nitrate. The mirror just may have pictures of the events of that night.

Linda arrives at Barry's looking smashing. Barry is super impressed. She likes his place, and he admits that he still lives at home. She gives him a little teasing, before he lays out the plans for the night. But Linda has something more personal in mind.

Wells and Caitlin stake out the Stein household. Caitlin wonders why he keeps returning. Wells understands why Stein would. It's his home, Clarissa is his home, just as Ronnie is hers. But she points out that Ronnie isn't anymore. Wells promises her that he will fix what happened to Ronnie and Martin, since he was the cause of it. Ronnie/Martin come in like a fireball. Wells thinks its a good time to call Barry.

Barry and Linda are getting close, and cozy. In Barry's excitement, he vibrates, and Linda likes it, but it raises red flags in Barry's mind. He's a little worried about moving too fast, but Linda pushes him back down, she hates moving too slow. Barry's phone keeps going off, and he has to make a run for it with Firestorm on the loose. Barry dresses fast, as he stammers about having to leave Linda.

Barry races out to meet Firestorm. He tries to talk to him, asking him not to flame on, but he's not exactly in the talking mood. He flames brightly and high, taking Barry into the sky and dropping him. Caitlin who was following in the van breaks Barry's fall by hitting him with it. Firestorm isn't done with him though and he looks to BBQ Barry. Caitlin gets out of the car, running to protect Barry. Seeing her, Firestorm stops in his tracks and leaves.

Joe sent the divorcee to the movie as Cisco gets ready to look at the photos that he was able to get from that night. Using his fancy equipment he not only extracts the pictures but is able to make them 3D. Joe looks over the photos twice, before he notices something off. The wallpaper is new. He pulls it back and they find blood splatter. Joe reasons that the blood belongs to one of the speedsters. With the husband holding the murder weapon they never thought to look for another suspect.

Barry surprises Linda at work. She plays it cool, talking about a hockey team that was up by 2 and then blew it. She clearly means them. She's not mad though, but Barry tries to convince her that he's not that kind of guy. She tells him what kind of girl she is. She works in a hard business, with little free time, so she's pretty choosy about the company she keeps. Barry understands, and thinks that he can balance their time together. He gets another call he has to take, which undermines his argument. He tells her that its a police emergency he has to take. Linda isn't going anywhere for now. Barry runs out, and Iris in. She asks Iris if he ever really dated anyone because he's both really good and really bad at it. Iris tells her that he may not be over his last heart break, as it was unrequited love. Iris may just be a little full of herself, she suggests that Linda gives him time. I hope Linda smells the BS.

The tracker Barry stuck on Firestorm worked. Barry, Caitlin and Clarissa find Ronnie under a bridge, bad wig and all. Martin is in control and Clarissa steps forward to talk to her husband. He tells her that the other man inside wants to go home to Caitlin. Clarissa wants proof and Martin knows his wife well. Clarissa assures him that Caitlin and Barry can help him, and Martin wants their helps very much.

Barry is happy that they got Firestorm safely in. Wells tells them that Martin thinks that he can separate himself and Ronnie by nuclear fission. Wells thinks it may be possible, but splitting an atom and splitting a man are two different things. A cleaned up Firestorm walks into the room, and that ridiculous wig is gone. He points out that they're all staring at him, Wells apologizes. Martin feels more clear headed than he has since the accident, thanks to a drug cocktail, the same used to treat disassociative identity disorder. Martin assumes it was Caitlin's idea, and he was right. Caitlin can't deal with him using a familiar name in her fiance's body. She needs to run some tests on him. Linda calls to Barry. He hasn't called since he ran out on her, and he claims to be busy with police work, but she called the station and knows he's taking some personal time. She's not mad, but she thinks they should call it. She knows how hard and weird it is to date someone new when he's not over the previous person. Barry isn't sure what she's talking about. Linda tells him she knows about him and Iris. He wants to know who told her he was hung up on Iris.

Barry heads to confront Iris, wanting to know why she would tell Linda that he had feelings for her. Iris claims to not have said it, unsure she did. Barry really liked Linda. He feels like she doesn't want to be with him, and is making sure that no one is either. She thinks she wants him to meet someone amazing. Barry did, and Iris went out of her way to make that girl think he was unavailable. Iris half-heartedly apologizes, offering to talk to her. Barry doesn't want that, and he tells her that he doesn't have those feelings for her anymore. Iris looks a little remorseful.

Cisco gets results on the blood tests. There are two there one A+ and the other AB-. He moves to run them through the database to see if he can get any matches. Joe asks if he can run it against a specific person. He can if they have a reference. Joe reveals he wants the samples to be run against Wells. Cisco thought that they were looking for the murderer of Barry's mother. They are, and Joe knows that Wells has many secrets that he likes to keep. Cisco doesn't believe it could be Wells. He was nothing before Wells. Joe shares with him how many families feel when he has to tell them that someone they know is a murderer, they never believe it. Cisco is done playing cop for the day.

Caitlin continues her tests. Martin is handling it well, just a little warm, even though he's shirtless. Ronnie always ran warn Caitlin remembers, but not as warm as he's currently running. Caitlin asks to talk to him, but Martin tells her that's not really how it works. He can feel Ronnie, and he has memories, ones that aren't his. He has a very clear memory of some falls he's never been to. Caitlin reveals that it is the location that Ronnie proposed to her. Ronnie loves her very much Martin admits. Wells calls Caitlin away. She's handling things well, they're just awkward. Wells shows that Ronnie's body is rejecting Martin's cells like a parasite. The instability is causing a thermal reaction. If his temperature continues to rise, he could go nuclear.

Cisco sees Ronnie, and he's surprised. Martin introduces himself, and tells him that his colleagues are not so subtly discussing his condition in the other room. The Firestorm matrix is unstable. Any attempt to separate the men could be catastrophic. A nuclear explosion of this magnitude could level the city unless the host body were no longer functional. Wells doesn't want to kill Ronnie, but in this case the host body is Ronnie. Cisco points out that it would end two lives. Two for millions is a gamble he's willing to take. Caitlin lost Ronnie once, she's not willing to do so again. He has a few hours, and she suggests he use them.

Barry heads into see Martin, asking if he wants something. Martin would love a glass of vintage wine, but since its not his body, he reasons that his taste buds would be different, he may find he's a light beer man. Barry jokes that there are worse things to be. Like a living bomb, Martin asks. He knows, unstable nuclear fission was always a possibility, and his friends argue loudly. Barry is sure they will figure something out. Martin remembers meeting Barry on the train. He was headed to STAR Labs with a girl, but not his girlfriend. Martin tells him Einstein was not only brilliant, but he had a great sense of humor. If he learned anything this past year, its that life is too short to not live it.

Barry catches up to Linda. She gave him an out, but he doesn't want it. She doesn't want to get involved with a guy pining over another girl. He's ready to prove himself with a large ghost pepper, the world's hottest pepper. If she doesn't agree to go on another date with him he'll eat it. Linda thinks that he's bluffing, but he's definitely not bluffing. He takes a big bite of the pepper, and the poor guy is roasting from the inside, and the look of pain is definitely on his face. He claims to be okay as he tosses his cookies. Linda agrees to date him, as she grabs him some milk. They kiss, and Iris oversees the whole thing, with a not so pleased look on her face.

Wells gets out his gun, and Gideon notes that it is a crude weapon. She's right, but it'll do its job. He asks if the Tacheon Prototype can be converted, and it can even if it will move his timetable back. There will be no timetable if the city goes up in a mushroom cloud.

Barry comes in to check on the progress. Wells has an idea, and he and Cisco are going to work on it. Caitlin is thankful, but there's a problem. Martin is gone. Wells and Cisco work on their device, which is almost done. Caitlin has located Martin in the badlands, out of blast range of the city. They're down to twelve minutes. Armed with splicer, Caitlin insists on coming along, and there's no time to protest. Barry picks her up and races towards Martin. Cisco gets his results, and hides his side project from Wells as he calls Joe. He's not proud of what he did, but he did it. The blood they found didn't match Wells, it matched Barry. They knew Barry was at the scene, but Cisco has more. It has high levels of P16, which builds up in the blood as you get older. The samples are from Barry as an adult.

Martin gets ready to commit suicide as Caitlin and Barry arrive. He isn't willing to put everyone in the city in danger. Caitlin tells him she has a Quantum Splicer, which will provide enough energy to separate him. Caitlin tells Ronnie that if he's in there, that she loves him. He pulls Caitlin into his arms for a kiss from Ronnie. She looks forward to meeting him when they're separate. Martin places the device on him, and turns it on but it doesn't look to be working as Ronnie's body is engulfed in flames. He urges Caitlin to leave, for Barry to run, but Caitlin doesn't want to leave. Barry scoops her up, and runs as fast as he can as Ronnie detonates. Caitlin is left looking back at her fiance as he explodes in a ball of fire.

General Eiling gets the report of the thermonuclear detonation in the Badlands. He tells the Sergeant to bring him Firestorm.