While Caitlin tries a shot at dating, Barry and Kramer have to deal with an invasion to their precinct by Goldface.
Tropes:
- All Your Base Are Belong to Us: Goldface's gang takes control of the precinct.
- Arms Dealer: What Goldface plans on becoming after getting the meta-bullets.
- The Bus Came Back: Several.
- Kristen Kramer returns for the first time since Armageddon.
- Goldface returns, his last appearance being two years back.
- Frost and Mark also return from a vacation.
- Butt-Monkey: Poor Korber once more, being strangled by Goldface with his chain and her name being made fun off.
- Can't Kill You, Still Need You: Kramer exploits this, with Goldface being unable to blow her up due to her knowing the location of the meta-bullets.
- Continuity Nod:
- Goldface recognizes Barry from when they first met.
- Goldface mentions that he and Amunet also visited Dr. Finkel. It's also revealed that they have since joined forces (apparently for good) after Barry and Mirror Iris set them up.
- Just as before, Pat Benatar's "Love Is A Battlefield" is used as the Love Theme between Goldface and Amunet.
- A Day in the Limelight: For Kristen Kramer.
- Distracted by the Sexy: Chester's livestream gets derailed by the chat focusing their attention on Caitlin when she arrives to talk to Allegra. One of the chatters notes that her "sister" seems a lot cooler.
- Double Date: Happens when Caitlin and Marcus accidentally stumble upon Frost and Mark. It doesn't go very well, with Caitlin eventually lashing out at Mark. After apologizing, they later plan on going on a real, better one.
- Easily Forgiven: While it's clear Kramer has undergone a significant Heel–Face Turn since last season when she was on a despicable anti-metahuman crusade, Barry and Joe only seem to have unfettered praise for and don't bring up what she was like not that long ago.
- Explosive Leash: The bracelets, in addition to being Meta Dampeners, also function as this.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: A lot of the comments on Chuck's livestream are about how hot Allegra is.
- The Ghost: While Goldface talks to her over the phone, and she was the one who came up with the plan in the first place, Amunet doesn't appear.
- The Heist: Goldface wants to rob the CCPD of their meta-bullets. At the end, Kramer reveals that she gave them to A.R.G.U.S. months ago.
- Hurricane of Puns:
- Frost and Mark, under the name "the Ice Pack", are karaoake-singing "Cold as Ice" by M.O.P.
- Marcus, a botanist, says that Mark turned over a new leaf.
- Mark outright says that while they sit down they should try to come up with more ice and plant puns.
- I Will Punish Your Friend for Your Failure: Goldface's MO during the whole episode.
- The Immune: Kristen Kramer's powers are outright immune to meta dampeners.
- Internal Reveal: It's teased throughout the episode that Barry will reveal his identity as The Flash to Kristen Kramer, and this ultimately comes to pass at the end (though while Barry tries to tell her in the Dénouement, she had already figured it out herself slightly earlier as a result of the events of the episode's climax).
- Jerkass Ball: Caitlin grabs it hard, with her aggressive attitude towards Mark and Frost. Thankfully, she herself realizes it and apologizes to both of them later.
- Knockout Gas: How Goldface disables everyone at the precinct.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Allegra mentions that "today's Wednesday," which is when this season of the show aired.
- The Men First: Kristen is willing to give her life for her officers.
- Mythology Gag:
- Chester has a bag with the Superman logo on it.
- When Barry finally asks Kramer where the anti-metahuman bullets actually are, she responds by saying they were transferred to A.R.G.U.S. 35 weeks ago; this is very likely a reference to this famous line from Watchmen:"'Do it'? Dan, I'm not a republic serial villain. Do you seriously think I'd explain my masterstroke if there remained the slightest chance of you affecting its outcome? I did it thirty-five minutes ago."
- Frost and Mark call themselves the Ice Pack in karaoke. This is also the name of a villain team in DC Superfriends, comprising Frost, Captain Cold, Mr Freeze, Icicle, Minister Blizzard, and the Blue Snowman.
- Nice Guy: Marcus, Caitlin's new date. Frost and Mark take an instant liking towards him. This is also Caitlin ends up ignoring him in favor of insulting Mark. It's so that she won't be committing to him.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Mark brings up to Caitlin how they are not so different in that they both care deeply for Frost.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted; Caitlin's date is named Marcus, while Frost is dating Mark. Surprisingly, this almost never gets brought up, aside from during a brief conversation at the end between Caitlin and Frost where the latter says "my Mark".
- Out of Focus: The only scene Iris appears in is The Stinger. Also, both Bart and Nora don't appear at all.
- Outrun the Fireball: Barry gets to do this, slipping free the meta-cuff and then racing away before the explosion can reach him.
- Popcultural Osmosis Failure: Goldface is extremely disappointed when his right-hand man Carver fails to catch references to Moby-Dick and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Ironically, Barry himself (given that he's a known Trekkie) almost certainly caught the latter.
- Power Incontinence: Kramer is extremely afraid to use her powers due to not having full control over them. Barry agrees to train her at the end.
- Power Nullifier: The bracelets Goldface puts on everyone at the CCPD.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Caitlin gives this to Mark and Frost about their relationship, in front of her own date no less.
- Reformed, but Rejected: Despite Mark (supposedly) turning over a new leaf, Caitlin can barely hide her contempt for him. She comes around again at the end of the episode.
- Sarcastic Devotee: Carver, Goldface's right-hand man, is quite snarky with his boss, for example when he threatens to kill Korber after a countdown.
- Saying Too Much: When Allegra brings Chester something to eat, the latter asks if that makes him lunch-date-worthy, to which Allegra replies that he is date-worthy in all categories, causing a small awkward moment.
- Sickeningly Sweethearts:
- Caitlin's reaction to Frost and Mark, having to resort to alcohol to be able to take it during the unwilling double date.
- Also Barry's reaction to Goldface's phone talk with Amunet, though he is more amused than disgusted.
- The Stinger: While Iris and Joe are having dinner, the timeline suddenly changes and Iris's eyes start glowing with a green light.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome:
- For the first time, Flash's problematic relationship with Law Enforcement is talked about, with Kramer mentioning how difficult it is for her to press charges against criminals Flash just drops at her precinct, when she doesn't know what crimes were committed, how they were done, and where. Joe acknowledges that she has a point, which causes Barry to give her a way to contact him when needed.
- Mark may say that he has changed, but due to his past actions, Caitlin has no real reason to believe him.
- Given that her fiance died, twice, and then the next man she fell in love with turned out to be an evil mass-murderer playing all of Team Flash for kicks, Caitlin is having a little trouble committing to a new relationship.
- Villains Out Shopping: Goldface and Amunet have been to Dr. Finkel's couple's counseling as well.
- We Need a Distraction: After a pep talk from Barry, Kramer is able to use her powers well enough to distract Goldface, while Barry removes his bracelet.
- Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: Carver asks why Goldface doesn't just kill Korber instead of counting down to it.
- Wicked Cultured: Goldface is extremely well-spoken, has a lot of popculture knowledge and even had a BA in literature.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Barry encourages Kramer that she is strong enough to control her powers and face Goldface.
