'The Flash' Recap: 'Fast Enough' Season 1 'Finale' Episode 23, Barry Races Back In Time

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Last week Barry got some big help from the Arrow and Firestorm in "The Flash." In "Fast Enough" the season one finale and episode 23 of "The Flash," Barry must race back in time all on his own in order to save his mother.

The season one finale ends as Wells, who is being held captive by the team, gives Barry a brief history of a future where he and The Flash are enemies. They are complete opposites of each other and arch rivals, however, neither was strong enough to defeat the other. Now Wells/Thawne gives Barry the opportunity to right a wrong despite his hatred for The Flash. Dr.

Martin Stein and Ronnie Raymond a.k.a. Firestorm return to S.T.A.R. Labs to help Caitlin and Cisco during final showdown. Barry must save Central City from another particle accelerator disaster, battler the Reverse Flash and try to save his mother. He also receives some fatherly advice from both of the father figures in his life while Iris deals with the decision.

The speedy finale kicks off with Barry coming face to face with Wells who mocks Barry and gets right into the questions. Thawne was born 136 years into the future that's one of the facts Barry finds out as well as the fact that Thawne is his rival.

Thawne doesn't give a clear answer as to why but he says that once he found out Barry's identity he wanted to kill Barry in his child form. The future Flash came in and was able to stop him.

Thawne wanted revenge so he killed Barry's mother to get back at him and prevent him from becoming the Flash. Thawne got lost on the way home and needed to create The Flash to help him get back home.

He tells Barry that if he gives him what he wants, he can go back in time to save his mother and reunite his family.

Barry doesn't believe him at first and says that he wants to kill him, however, Thawne says he is giving Barry a chance to undo all the evil he's done.

Dr. Stein and Caitlin tell Barry that this is a gift but it could come with some drastic consequences. Barry could change the course of history making everything completely different without him even knowing. The entire time including Joe and Cisco have to think twice about the decision and despite Joe's attachment he tells Barry he has to go through with the plan.

Joe is clearly hurt because it means that Barry would never be in his life. The fact that Barry will have his complete family is enough for Joe and he tells Barry that he became the Flash to put things back in order.

It's time for him to stop saving everyone else and save himself.

Barry goes over the plan with his father who is having a ton of reserves with Barry going back in time to save his mother. He asks what Joe thinks and while Barry tells him that Joe is in support, his real father tells him he can't.

He says that there is a natural order to things and the cost could be greater.

It could change Barry and his father doesn't want the man he sees before him to change. Barry has grown into an incredible hero and his father says that that's not something his mother would want to change.

Caitlin checks on Ronnie's body temperature and he breaks the news to her that he's back for good. It's the best news that she's gotten in a long time as he declares his love for her once again. The two decide to put their marital plans back on and get married. Iris finds Barry on the rooftop deep in thought. After some cute exchanges between the two, she asks him if he's going to go through with it.

Iris tells him that if he does go back in time he might have a future he always wanted. Barry admits that the two of them growing up together made it hard to tell her how he felt.

He says living with Iris and Joe, he's had a great life. He asks her what she thinks he should do and she tells him to do what's in his heart.

Barry takes the advice and pays Wells a visit. He asks him how the grand plan works but the reply directly involves the particle accelerator. Barry has to travel so fast he punches a hole into reality and create a wormhole to travel into the future.

If he doesn't run fast enough, Barry could die. Stein goes over the plan with the team in order for Barry to have the perfect climate for time travel.

Cisco is not happy with Barry's choice to time hop. Barry has to reach Mach 2 but he also needs Cisco to build a time machine so that Thawne can travel to the future.

Cisco has to seek assistance from Thawne when they realize that Barry's time travel could bring catastrophe. Thawne tells Cisco that he wishes he had him when he was building the machine in the past. Thawne expects Cisco to understand his need to travel through time but Cisco reminds him that he tried to kill him in an alternate timeline.

Thawne is actually remorseful and tells Cisco that the night the accelerator exploded, Cisco was affected as well. Cisco denies it however, Thawne says a great and honorable destiny awaits him.

Thawne is insinuating that he gave Cisco a gift out of love.

Eddie seems to be in the way a bit but Dr. Stein says that everyone has a part to play in the plan. Stein tells Eddie that he shouldn't believe a thing that Thawne/Wells has told him.

He tells Eddie that there is no science to coincidence and he's the only person who gets to choose his future. Just then a problem turns up and Stein tells Barry that colliding with the hydrogen particle, he could destroy the entire world.

The build up is awesome so far but at this point fans would be itching for the action to begin.

This new problem requires the team to find a proper solution, let's hope they find it fast so Barry can get to running.

The team meets with Thawne to go over the imminent danger that they face. He tells them that he's been planning it all for almost two decades and it will work. Barry has a limited amount of time to return once he saves his mother. Thawne says he believes in Barry but questions whether or not his friends and family do.

Barry is completely perplexed by the situation and it looks like he's going for a lose-lose situation here. He looks to Joe for advice but even he is confused.

Joe admits that he is scared however, he didn't want to show Barry that he was. When Barry asks Joe if he thinks he's fast enough Joe replies quickly without a second to doubt it.

Barry says he's always been focused on what he's lost that he failed to realize what he gained. Joe assures him he never has to worry about losing him, ever. Iris meets up with Eddie and who tells her he needed to remind himself of a coincidence.

He tells her a story of a failed date where he had dinner by himself.

That coincidence led to Eddie running into Iris and after his speech about destiny, he declares Iris as his destiny. Iris goes along with it all and it looks like she and Eddie are back together again.

Before the mayhem, Caitlin and Ronnie make sure that no more catastrophe's happen before they are officially married. The speedy wedding brings everyone together and it serves as the calm before the storm.

Caitlin and Cisco say their final goodbyes alone with Joe who Barry calls dad.

Iris gives Barry a kiss on the forehead and tells him she hopes he gets whatever life he wants. With a single nod in Eddie's direction, Barry suits up and gets ready to run.

Thawne tells Barry that he holds both their futures in his hands but he knows he can do it. "Run, Barry, run," says Thawne and Barry takes off reaching Mach 2 insanely fast. Thawne tells him to focus where he wants to go. Barry must revisit the night and it looks like it's working.

Barry vanishes into the future and the team commences the countdown clock. He watches on as mother is in danger.

The future Flash looks over and stops him from coming out to save his mother. He closes the door as she's killed but opens it after Thawne has killed his mother.

When he finally gets the chance to speak to his mother he tells her he's the Flash. She doesn't understand so Barry takes his mask off.

She recognizes Barry because he resembles her father and he tells her that he's her son.

Barry says that he came back to tell his mother that he and his father are okay and that he loves her. He collapses in emotion sobbing over his mother's lifeless body.

Time counts down as the team prepares to say goodbye to Thawne. A helmet comes flying out of nowhere and Thawne takes that as a queue to leave, he thanks Cisco who tells him never to come back again.

He thinks he's going to make his way back home but Barry comes back out of nowhere and clocks Thawne right in the face.

Thawne asks Barry why he didn't save his mother and Barry says he has everything he's ever wanted already.

The Flash and The Reverse Flash face off in a deadly battle before the Reverse Flash kills Barry, Eddie kills himself causing the Reverse Flash to disintegrate. Eddie committed suicide so that the Reverse Flash could never be born. He always wanted to be a hero and once he dies the Reverse Flash is erased from existence.

While the wormhole was closed, it seems to be reopening at this point and the team is forces to watch as the wormhole sucks up Central City. The future Hawk Girl watches on with her surprise cameo.

Barry has to try to reverse the wormhole by reaching the peak of his speed. He races up a skyscraper and around the wormhole as the season finale ends.

"Fast Enough" was full of surprises tonight many of which include hints to the 2016 release of CW TV's "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" Barry faced the toughest decision he had to make all season and the toughest task he's had to face all season. This time he did not have Oliver or the Atom there to help him.

Barry's team and family continues to play a crucial role and this first season of "The Flash" shows an incredible amount of promise for seasons to come.

It will be interesting to see the result of Barry's heroics in season two of "The Flash." Fans who want more "The Flash" extras can head over to The CW to find out more about their favorite super hero and his team.

Photos that sum up tonights episode.



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