You may have guessed who the villain is by the title of the episode but you might not know who played him. Sam Scudder/Mirror Master was portrayed by singer, song writer and actor David Cassidy who is also the father of arrowverse royalty Katie Cassidy. It is always really cool to see connections between the 90s show and the content we have today.
Sam Scudder and his partner Stasia Masters have broken into the west cost branch of S.T.A.R Labs. They steal a battery that could easily power a house for 10 years. He places a disk in the battery’s place and it projects a perfect hologram of the battery. He plans on selling it for a fortune. As they are about to leave Stasia tries to hit Scudder from behind but her hand goes right through him. It was another hologram. Stasia turns around to find the real Scudder behind her. He knew she would try to betray him but before he can grab her she sprays knockout gas in his face. Stasia grabs the battery, sets off the alarm and leaves the unconscious Scudder to take the fall.
A very nervous Tina has brought Barry to pick up her mother from the train station. Tina has a strained relationship with her mother (Jocelyn) as she stayed with her father when Jocelyn left him. The only reason Jocelyn is in Central City is due to an art show she is hosting in the area. As Tina is introducing Barry to Jocelyn Stasia (who is trying to avoid on of Scudders lackeys) appears and gives Barry a kiss on the lips. Roll Titles.
Kissing Barry has worked as the lackey has gone. Barry remembers Stasia from high school, Tina who is slightly annoyed tries to get Barry’s attention but she only gets it after Stasia has left. As Barry helps Jocelyn with her luggage he notices that his wallet is gone. Meanwhile Stasia looks at Barry’s wallet and discovers that he is a cop.
Tina shows Jocelyn a very rare crystal that can focus a laser beam more accurately than any other crystal in the world. It is on loan from the government, if anything happens to it Tina would probably get fired (I wonder what will happen to it in this episode?).
As amazing as the crystal is Jocelyn seems bored of it instantly. She is more interested in the lack of colour in Tina’s lab. She doesn’t know how Tina can work in such dull conditions.
The next day at a cafe Stasia is on the phone to a business associate (Fletcher). She is unhappy as Fletcher is two days away from Central City, she knows the longer she is there the more chance one of Scudders lackeys will catch her. As she finishes her call two lackeys happen to appear and sit next to her. One of them tries to grab her bag but Stasia trips up a waiter and in the confusion she makes a break for it. As Barry, Bellows and Murphy are enjoying corndogs Stasia and the lackeys run past them. They notices that the lackeys are packing heat and they start chasing them. Stasia uses one of Scudder’s disks to project a cowboy in the middle of the street and as one lackey is distracted by this and the other has been arrested by Murphy Stasia gets away in a cab.
Stasia decides that the only way she can stay out of trouble for two days is to find a boy scout who can give her a place to stay. As Barry and Julio arrive at work Stasia is already there waiting for Barry. She gives him back his wallet claiming it must of fell into her bag at the train station. Julio leaves Stasia and Barry to catch up. She tells Barry she is stuck in the city for a few days but has no place to stay. Barry offers her the opportunity to stay to his apartment and obviously Stasia jumps at the chance.
Scudder meets Tallent, his head lackey. He shows off a special device on his wrist, it projects a moving image of him anywhere he wants. Tallent informs him that Stasia got away and The Flash could be a thorn in their side. Scudder tells Tallent to find Stasia and the battery, while he goes on a little errand himself. Scudder is going to S.T.A.R Labs. At the lab Tina is disappointed that her mother is going out as Tina had planned to make her dinner. As Tina leaves the lab in a huff Scudder sneaks in. Tina has forgotten her keys so she returns to the lab to get them. The only problem is the lab is engulfed in flames. Tina uses a fire extinguisher to put it out but it has no effect. Scudder who is hiding in the lab projects a mime by mistake and then a team of fire men. Now even though Tina must have seen the fire men appear out of thin air she still starts to talk to one. Scudder takes his leave with the super rare crystal that Tina was bragging to her mother about earlier. Back in the lab the fire men, the mime and fire all disappear. Tina thinks she is losing her mind.
Barry and Stasia return to his apartment after dinner, Stasia thanks Barry again for letting her stay. Barry thinks they are about to kiss but Stasia asks if The Flash was built by some mad scientist, Barry says like “Professor Zoom”. (Wow Professor Zoom what a crazy name.) Stasia goes to kiss Barry but this time the phone rings and Stasia picks it up. It’s Tina and she needs Barry to come over to her lab right away. Barry leaves Stasia in his apartment; she hides the battery under a lamp.
Tina explains to Barry about the fire that wasn’t a fire. She thinks her mother is pushing her over the edge. Barry finds a disk on the floor and as he picks it up the mime appears again. Tina is surprised at the sophistication of the projection disk. Barry thinks the fire and everything else was a distraction for a theft. Tina hasn’t noticed anything missing, Barry looks at the crystal and tries to touch it; his hand passes though the projection of the crystal. He finds a disk nearby. Tina mentions that S.T.A.R Lab has had a bad time lately with this theft and the one at the west coast site. She realises that if they don’t find the crystal she will lose her job. They deduce that to sell the crystal the thief will have to cut it. Tina believes it would take a lot of power to cut that particular crystal. They search for any power surges in the city and they find one at the hotel Infantino (Hey I know a guy with that name).
Scudder and Tallent are having no luck cutting the crystal. Scudder tries to think of another way to cut it but Tallent pulls a gun on him and wants to sell that whole crystal for one big score. Scudder opens a door and discretely drops a disk; all of a sudden three large police officers walk into the room and go for Tallent. He backs up too far and falls through a window. The officers disappear and Scudder looks out of the window at his deceased former associate. The Flash runs into the room and asks for the crystal. Scudder tries to bribe The Flash but that isn’t going to work. The Flash goes to grab Scudder but that isn’t going to work either as he has been talking to a projection. The real Scudder turns the light off and vanishes. The Flash looks for him but Scudder is no longer in the room he is actually getting the crystal from Tallent’s body.
Stasia gets a call at a pay phone from Fletcher, she says the longer she has to wait in the city the higher the price of the battery. As she hangs up Scudder whistles at her and grabs her. He wants the battery but Stasia claims that she has sold it, he doesn’t believe her but then Stasia says she can get him The Flash, now Scudder starts to listen. Stasia tells Scudder that she sold the battery to a scientist called Professor Zoom, he created The Flash and he can make more. So he gives her 24 hours to set up a meeting with Zoom.
Barry turns up to work tired and mad. He tells Julio that he got no sleep and Stasia disappeared. He thinks she is playing games with him and she is up to something. Julio suggests they look her up on the crime lab computer. They discover she hooked up with a guy named Scudder who used high tech holograms to steal a lot of things. I think Barry is starting to figure things out.
At Garrick Gallery (they so many good references in this episode) Barry fills Tina in on the Scudder Stasia connection. He promises he will get the crystal back. Jocelyn who is helping sell some of the art at the exhibition has an argument with Tina. Tina bemoans the fact that Jocelyn never knew her dead husband David or came to his funeral. Jocelyn said she was in the middle of something and Tina says Jocelyn was always in the middle of something and never had time for her. Barry tells Jocelyn to go after her but she refuses as she is busy. Barry tells her about the stress Tina is currently going thought and she could use her mothers support, Jocelyn almost takes his advise but she sees another piece of art is being sold and walks away from Barry. Stasia walks up to Barry and asks for his help. Barry knows helping Stasia will get him close to Scudder and the crystal.
Barry and Stasia arrive at a seedy bar. Barry is dressed quite differently to his normal attire. He is wearing a pair of dark shades, a long overcoat, a horrible shirt oh and he has spiked his hair. Barry is not thrilled by Stasia’s plan or choice of location. Stasia tells him he has to pretend to be Professor Zoom and convince Scudder that he can make him his own version of the Flash. Stasia leaves Barry at the bar while she finds Scudder. But before she finds him she calls Fletcher telling him she may have something that sparkles to sell him. Nearby Scudder hears Stasia’s conversation. As Barry chokes on a drink Julio and Sabrina see him and ask him if he is leading a double life or is he undercover. He tells them to scram so they won’t blow his cover.
Stasia grabs Barry and takes him to a private table. Scudder shows up and Barry er… Professor Zoom starts to talk with a bad German accent. He zooms off and brings some drinks from the bar at super speed. Both Scudder and Stasia are shocked by this. This was Zoom’s way of showing Scudder that he was legit. Zoom lays out the deal, the crystal for the secrets of the Flash. Zoom wants to see the crystal but Scudder wants to see the battery he thinks Stasia has sold to Zoom. Breaking his accent a confused Barry looks at Stasia and says “Battery?” She runs off and before Scudder can go after her Barry drops the act and tells Scudder that he is under arrest. Scudder projects a hologram of snakes on to Barry’s chest and feet. Barry freaks out and Scudder makes his escape. After the hologram fades Barry thinks he has caught up to Scudder but you’ve guessed it another hologram. As Barry rushes off to find Scudder he drops his invite to the art exhibition which Scudder finds.
Barry returns to the gallery looking for Tina as he can’t find her anywhere. Jocelyn informs him that Tina isn’t there and she starts talking about how well the exhibition went. Jocelyn then regrets how she acted around Tina so Barry suggests she talks to her. Before she can respond they see a priest who is admiring a painting. Barry walks over to him but he disappears and Scudder knocks Barry out from behind. Scudder takes Barry and Jocelyn to the hotel and ties them up. Scudder thinks Jocelyn is in on the deal with Stasia; Barry tries to explain that she is not but Scudder isn’t buying it. As usual the bad guy divulges his plan to a good guy. Scudder will catch Stasia at the train station so he will end up the battery and the crystal. He leaves Barry and Jocelyn a present, a laser cutter which is wired up to a timer and when the timer reaches zero the laser which cut right through Barry and Jocelyn.
Stasia grabs the battery in Barry’s apartment and is about to skip town until Tina walks in on her and demands to know where Barry and her mother are. Stasia pulls a gun on Tina but Barry’s dog Earl (who is a very good boy) jumps at Stasia and knocks her over. Tina grabs the gun. Stasia convinces Tina not to call the cops because if she does she will never find Barry or her mother. They go off to the train station as Stasia thinks Scudder will be there.
At the hotel Barry bites a button off his shirt and spits it at a lamp. The room goes dark and under that cover of darkness Barry frees himself and Jocelyn using his speed. She asks if this sort of thing happens to him a lot, he explains that Tina is usually about to help him. Barry asks her to call the police while he heads for the train station.
Stasia meets Fletcher at the station and Tina pulls the gun on them both. Scudder interjects and holds them all up. Tina is about to give him the battery but the Flash shows up and grabs the battery first. Scudder projects multiple copies of himself to confuse the Flash. Flash gives the battery to Tina who plugs it in to a small lighting rig. The light shines bright and all the Scudders apart from the real one fade away. The Flash quickly knocks him out and takes back the crystal. In all the action Stasia and Fletcher run outside and catch a cab. They talk about all the places they could run off to but the only place they are going is prison. The cab driver is Barry and it is surrounded by the police.
Tina and Jocelyn reconcile and decide to make an effort to see each other more often. Barry rushes in and tells them to stop being so cold to one another, Tina explains that they have sorted out their issues, they all smile and live happy ever after, well until the next episode at least.
This was yet another top episode. It had a strong B plot with Tina and her mother and we saw a different take on one of the Flash’s most well known rogues.
