The CW shows have a real knack for being able to up their game when need be, and can take what feels slight and make it far more impactful in a short amount of time. This week’s The Flash dealt with a number of threads being sewn together in a really effective way, and set a clear path for the end of the season.
1. Ralph the vigilante
Ralph’s desire to kill DeVoe to protect those around him is an absolutely understandable one, and one that isn’t all that dissimilar to how, say, Oliver Queen was on the first season of Arrow. There is always a feeling that the only way to really end a problem is to really end the problem. But Barry is steadfast in his position, and tries to teach Ralph that there’s not peace when taking a life, no matter how dangerous.
I’m glad that Ralph took this position, though. It’s only natural for him to have felt this way, and it’s not hard to see that Ralph, in some ways, could be considered correct here. If Ralph had killed DeVoe when he had him cornered, in a way, it would have solved everything. But the lines we choose not to cross matter, and at the end of his life (it seems), Ralph came to realize that.
2. Harry’s addiction
Harry’s thinking cap has been a MacGuffin for a few weeks now, and it is clear that he is losing control of who he is, as he is further enveloped with its power. I am glad the show is dealing with this for a few reasons, but the main one being that it is a logical step for Harry to take. Realistically, what does he have to lose? He already feels removed from his family and world, his role on the team is amorphous at best, and there’s nothing more intoxicating to an intellect like Harry’s than being even smarter.
But I do hope that the show isn’t finding ways to eliminate all of its Team Flash members to do a soft reboot in the fall. More on that in a minute.
3. Ralph the villain
It is always disconcerting to physically see a person you trusted as a villain now, but that’s exactly what Ralph is: he is the host body for DeVoe now. And whether or not he will stay in DeVoe’s physical form full time or not, it is going to make it even harder for them to fight Ralph. I’ve no doubt that Ralph will shift into whatever shape makes the team the least comfortable, and that will make their task even harder.
4. Killer no more
So, with DeVoe seemingly ripping Killer Frost from Caitlin, the show seems to be setting up for a potential soft reboot, as I mentioned earlier. If Cisco takes Breacher’s job, if Harry goes mad, if Wally stays on Legends of Tomorrow, and with a de-powered Caitlin and a still occupied by DeVoe Ralph, we’re looking at a very, very different show for next season.
Now, literally none of that could happen, but it does feel like the ‘Team Flash’ concept is in need of a little reshuffling. It’ll be interesting to see how it all shakes out.
5. Endgame
So, where does this episode leave the goals of the team? Obviously, stopping DeVoe is still the primary task at hand, but there’s more than just that going on here. If Ralph can be saved, that will also be on the table. Is he gone, now that DeVoe is in him, or can DeVoe be extricated? Aside from all the question marks listed above, it seems likely that Cecile (weirdly name dropped by Ralph in this episode) and her pregnancy will come back into play at some point, too. Maybe Amunet Black, too?
I still don’t think that DeVoe has been a Class A villain for the show thus far, but the stakes are now high enough that it feels worthy of the show, even if the motivations are still a little out of whack. How the show will deal with DeVoe for the last 5 or so episodes will determine how successful this season has been.
