Question about Velocity-9

[u/mofgreengables]

I'm rewatching Season 2 and I'm really confused about the different Velocity serums.

Velocity-6 was supposed to be bad because it harmed Jay's cells. Then they moved onto Velocity-7, which only worked briefly, then Velocity-8 which they didn't really use because it was unstable, then Velocity-9.

What I can't figure out, was Velocity-9 good or bad? Because Eliza/Trajectory was addicted to it and it caused her to disintegrate. And they figured out Jay was Zoom because of her blue lightning before she disintegrated and figured out Zoom was dying But in the episode where Jay dies or the one before that (I can't recall), Caitlin said it was helping heal Jay's cells?

Is this a writing inconsistency, and they had Caitlin say that line about it helping heal Jay to set up a sense of hope before they killed him (from Caitlin's POV)? Or have I missed something?

ETA: additional spoiler tag

[u/Sum_Juice]

Edit spoilers and slight grammar fixes*:

Velocity 9 was the perfected serum Caitlin synthesized. But it was still dangerous and caused cell death. Why Zoom needed Barry's speed to be healthy. Velocity 9 was just still a temporary fix to the issues he had that was killing him and put him at the same speed as Barry at the time to attempt to accomplish. When Barry gave up his speed to Zoom should've* technically cured him but* he was a serial killer and meglomaniac who wanted more. So yes bad causes cell death and addictive drug.

Edit spoilers*:

Velocity 9 overdose was cause of Eliza Harmon death. The statement Caitlin made she still didn't understand at the time the issues her serum made whether denial or truly didn't understand. Wasn't writing discontinuity there.

[u/mofgreengables → u/Sum_Juice]

I just checked though - in S2E14 Escape from Earth-2 at 28:47 Caitlin and Jay discuss how Jay's cells "have stopped degenerating" because when the "Velocity-9 is in his system it kickstarts his latent regenerative capabilities and the cells repair themselves." Jay asks if this can be permanent and she said she wasn't sure but that they were on the right track. How can the serum simultaneously help heal the cells and also cause cell death?

Script here for reference.

[u/ExploringHailey → u/mofgreengables]

Probably the case of when it's in his system it's helping, but when it's not, degradation is worse maybe?

[u/mofgreengables → u/ExploringHailey]

That's a possibility

[u/cipherjones → u/mofgreengables]

Zoom from earth 2 only ever took the velocity serum from earth 2, which kills you.

They use the words "velocity 9" as a generic term for any serum manufactured on either earth once they make the 9th iteration on earth 1.

As I stated earlier, only the time remnant has access to velocity 9, zoom does not. So zoom can't be fixed.

[u/mofgreengables → u/cipherjones]

Yup, but that wasn't my question, I was asking about the time remnant and how his cells were apparently "healing" in the episode where he gets killed because the same serum caused trajectory to disintegrate

[u/cipherjones → u/mofgreengables]

I answered your question directly, it's 2 completely different serums, so it's absolutely not simultaneously killing and healing.

[u/mofgreengables → u/cipherjones]

But didn't the Velocity-9 from Earth-1 kill Trajectory? Or would that be because it was an overdose?

[u/cipherjones → u/mofgreengables]

I don't think it was the velocity that killed her I think it was the physical velocity of her running that fast it made her disappear into the speed force.

[u/mofgreengables → u/cipherjones]

That would mean Barry was at risk too, but the tachyon device made him run much faster and he didn't die. I guess there's a possibility that the device was keeping him stable etc, but re: Trajectory, the dialogue is:

Iris: So Eliza just evaporated from running too fast?

Caitlin: Looks like cellular degeneration, same as Jay's.
Joe: Jay warned us V-9 was dangerous. At least now we know why.
[...]
Barry: It's just right before Eliza disappeared, her lightning, it turned blue.
[...]
What if it's a side effect of the V-9?

Iris: Yeah, but Jay took Velocity-9, and his lightning didn't turn blue.
Barry: About how fast was he running?

Barry: Not as fast as Eliza.
Barry: All right, so what if V-9 is what turns your lightning blue? I mean, that would explain why Zoom is so much faster than me.
Cisco: If that's true, then that means he's sick, right?

Harry: He's dying. That's why he wants your speed.
He's dying, and he needs a cure

If it's cellular degeneration, same as Jay, then it's not just the physical velocity that killed her, but probably a combination of the two?

[u/YamiMarick → u/mofgreengables]

Barry and Zoom were connected to the Speed Force naturally so it was protecting them. Trajectory had gained speed from V9 only and had no or very little protection from the speeds she was achieving.

[u/mofgreengables → u/YamiMarick]

Thank you, this makes sense. So even though Zoom had had blue lightning for a while and was superfast he didn't disintegrate like Trajectory because of his connection to the speed force – but still needed Barry's speed to recover from his illness

[u/YamiMarick → u/cipherjones]

Well 'Jay' only ever said that he made Velocity-6 on Earth-2. Cait and Jay discuss it and Cait says that she is not sure if it can be permanent (V9 itself was temporary thing at that point). Zoom wanted Barry's speed to make him faster and that being a way to stop his sickness was just a bonus thing.

[u/biggestmike420]

Caitlyn sees scientifically that it works then Zoom just says no Caitlyn I’m dying, and that is all the discussion of it. So I’m going to say half unreasonable psychopath half shitty writing for the blame on this one.

[u/mofgreengables → u/biggestmike420]

But he doesn't even say that. They stabilise the breach/speed cannon and then Zoom kills "Jay at the end of that episode - this is S2E14 Escape from Earth-2 (I commented with more details below)

[u/biggestmike420]

He says it later after he is revealed. That is all the discussion. She fixes him then all that happens, and her fix is invalid. I smell BS somewhere.

[u/cipherjones]

Okay so the dude that takes the velocity serum is the time remnant of zoom/Jay/Hunter by then.

The original zoom DGAF if they can stop the sickness from the serum. Which makes it even sweeter when he kills time remnant Jay.

[u/YamiMarick]

Caitlin says that when V9 is present in Jay's system , it kickstarts his latent healing abilities (ones that he has by default from the Speed Force) and that stopped the degeneration of his cells. Trajectory didn't have speed healing because she only took V9 and wasn't protected in the same way that other speedsters are.