THE FLASH Review: “Think Fast”

The Flash — “Think Fast” — Pictured (L-R): Grant Gustin as Barry Allen, David Ramsey as John Diggle and Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon — Photo: Jack Rowand/The CW

THE FLASH REVIEW: “THINK FAST”

BY JUSTIN CARTER

The Flash has spent so long building Devoe up as a credible threat with his body-snatching hunt that there’s an actual feeling of regret when he finally gets to be physically intimidating in the episode’s opening moments. Watching him tear through an ARGUS facility using all the powers he’s stolen while “Hallelujah” plays is one of the most inventive things the show has ever done, and it’s almost enough to make you forget how the show has mishandled him.

The reason for his murder spree is that he’s finally making a play for Fallout and using his nuclear energy to power the Enlightenment satellites that will sap away everyone’s intelligence. After a quick cameo from Diggle to get caught up on the situation, Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin decide to break into the facility and rescue its hostages by way of Flash Time. With a clock literally ticking down, Barry has no choice but to train them on how to not burn out in Flash Time like they did a couple weeks back. It doesn’t work, and Barry’s upset because he doesn’t want any more of his friends to die like Ralph did. Never mind the part where, as Cisco points out, all of Team Flash had a hand in making the Bus Metas, Barry’s willing to put a dozen deaths on his shoulders because he’s Barry.

Harry and Iris, meanwhile, go on a hunt for Marlize because Harry’s newfound emotional intelligence has convinced him that they can convert her to their side now that she’s left Devoe. Iris isn’t so hot to the idea since their last encounter involved being stabbed by a katana, but Harry is high on emotions and certain it can be done. It’s quite nice the way the two of them play off of one each other during this manhunt, and the show does a good job of making both of them seem valid in their views during this dire situation.

Getting knocked out during Flash Time training prompts Caitlin to pull back some memories of her dad that’s been repressed since she was child, leading to the revelation that Killer Frost has always been a part of her even before the particle accelerator. An effectively creepy moment comes when Cisco vibes the two of them to her childhood and we watch through young Caitlin’s bike mirror that she’s become Frost, and it raises a whole lot of questions that will probably not be answered until next season.

A hidden bright spot under all of this is Joe and Cecile’s story. With her pregnancy incoming, her telepathic powers have now allowed her to just take on the personalities of nearby people. As much fun as it was to watch Danielle Nicolet take on a surfer voice and talk about smoking weed and eating ‘za, the best moment of this is when she takes on Joe’s personality. In this case, this means not just thinking that’s she’s Joe, but also walking around with the katana he stole from the Samuroid he killed and then making a reach for it later before Joe calms her down to her regular self. The sight of a pregnant woman with a katana should be more dangerous than it is funny, but it’s such a great visual that I can’t help but like it.

Though the team is able to find Marlize and rescue the hostages, Devoe still manages to win by using one of the STAR Labs satellites to complete the Enlightenment. In doing so, he reveals that he also just wants to wipe away all emotion among humanity, he’s certainly going to eat those words when it’s emotion that does him in next week in the finale.

“Think Fast” is quite solid, it moves at a good enough pace and rightly allows for the team to have their own various wins. I still think Devoe is a mess, but his opening massacre and following Nietzsche-quoting highlight the potential that he could’ve had were he injected with a touch more fun into his personality.

Additional Notes

• Caitlin goes in for a therapy session with Dr. Finkel, who deserves to be paid more than she charges for dealing with their nonsense.
• “I watched my fiance die…twice. Then my last boyfriend turned evil.” God, Caitlin has been through some stuff on this show.
• What is it with Harry and shoes?
• Highlights of Devoe’s ARGUS massacre: shrinking a guard to stomp on him, using Ralph’s stretch powers to absorb a punch of bullets and rebound them into the faces of the guards directly in front of him, and Folding a pocket dimension at a rocket so it hits the guy who fired it.
• Next week: the finale!