With The Thinker’s plan revealed, Team Flash finds an unlikely ally in a subpar episode.
Clifford DeVoe’s master plan is out there and our heroes have worked it out. He aims to use five satellites to inject dark matter into everyone’s brains, resetting them to a more primitive state. Sounds ominous. However, the way Barry and the rest of the crew acted today makes me wonder if DeVoe already turned on a satellite just above S.T.A.R. Labs.
I’ve gotten used to some questionable decision making on The Flash, but this hour of filler really takes the cake for dumb ideas. The team correctly surmises that DeVoe’s gravity and tech powers could allow him to launch the satellites from anywhere on Earth. Plus, he could fry any digital equipment that could target them. They need a non-tech weapon, like a grenade or some other projectile. But rather than stealing from the army, Caitlin suggest they turn to Amunet Black and her flying shards.
Sure, Barry and the crew have teamed up with criminals before, like Leonard Snart. But generally, those baddies were on the lighter side of felony. Amunet though? She works in human trafficking and torture. I’d think that would be a step too far for Flash, but desperate times I guess. Since DeVoe’s scheme would impact everyone, the villainess agrees to the team-up, but her shards stash has been stolen.
As the team looks for them, Caitlin asks Amunet to give her the splicing tech that separated out Killer Frost between seasons 3 and 4. She’s so desperate to get her other half back that she agrees to do Amunet one favor if they succeed.
Of course, she keeps this as a secret from the team. And of course, they find out and there’s a big drama moment and blah blah blah… To get even cheesier and enfeebled, Amunet reveals to a depressed Caitlin that the splicer didn’t actually do anything. She had the power of Killer Frost inside her the whole time. I’m sure it’ll turn into a last-minute save in the season finale.
No time for soul-searching though as Team Flash discovers that Amunet’s old lackey, Narvok, stole her shards. They confront him to take it back and there’s a below-average action scene where Barry stands around like a dunce so Narvok can spit poison gas into his face. Then, despite the fact that’s he phased out poisons several times in this show already, he lies on the ground gasping until Iris reminds him of this power. These types of dramatic stakes ring so false, they may as well be used for pyramid schemes.
Once they defeat Narvok and….let him run off for some reason, Amunet rewards our heroes with a ball of her shards strong enough to destroy a satellite. Now, this is a one-shot meant to take out five satellites, so not sure how much it helps. But they won, so go team?
Speaking of ridiculous plots that wouldn’t really help, Iris has an idea to write an article on her blog about DeVoe, exposing all his villainy to the world to try and stop him. I don’t know why anyone would believe anything she said as the wife of a man recently arrested for DeVoe’s “murder.” Barry is understandably cautious but Iris says that if they publish this, the people of Central City will do the right thing. Uhh, okay, what does that mean? Well, once she publishes the story, the people of Central City help by tweeting DeVoe’s location. Barry even says that he can’t hide from them now. Did…did everyone just forget The Thinker can shape-shift? This doesn’t help them in the slightest, even if everyone on Twitter was telling the truth (fat chance of that). The writers really need to figure out what to do with Iris, cause stuff like this doesn’t help.
Hell, I don’t know what the writers are doing with this storyline at all. We’re two episodes from the finale and we spent it on a poorly-assembled filler episode. I feel like no villain has had as much wasted potential as The Thinker. He was so intimidating at the start, but his rule the world plan is so large and absurd that it actually lowers the personal investment. Maybe there can still be a satisfying conclusion, but at this point, I highly doubt it.
Show Notes:
- Meanwhile, Harry’s intelligence is rapidly dwindling. He’s even kicked out of the Council of Wells. So Cisco convenes the Council of Harrisons! These are the rejects of the Council of Wells, including the playboy H. Lothario Wells, a tracksuit wearing Sonny Wells and the poetic H.P. Wells. Again, it’s just great when the writers let Tom Cavanagh play in this sandbox of other versions of the same character. They ultimately help Harry get in touch with his emotional side, which leads him to realize that DeVoe hasn’t launched the satellites yet due to his wife. Time to find Marlize.
- P. Wells reads a beautiful, romantic poem….about bread.
- Joe’s reaction to Amunet’s illegal casino? “Damn, somebody saw Molly’s Game.”
- “Eye snakes…why’d it have to be eye snakes?”