This weeks episode of the Flash is quite possibly one of my favorite episodes of the show since season 1. This episode reminds me of what made me fall in love with this show, to begin with, the mystery, the interesting villain backstory, and the shocking end of episode reveal were fantastic. Tonight’s episode was really well written and acted.

Tonight’s episode begins by giving us a piece of DeVoe’s backstory. We find out that he’s a college professor who feels unfulfilled in his job due to the lackluster minds of his students. This inspires him to conceive a helmet, which he refers to as his “Thinking Cap” that would expand his mind and change the way he processes information. With the help of his wife whom DeVoe enlists to create his “Thinking Cap the two of them embark on a mission of mental and scientific expansion.

As the episode advances, we learn that after Marlize DeVoe crafts the Thinking Cap the two of them realize that it requires an immense power source in order to operate. It is at this moment that we see none other than Harrison Wells on tv talking about the Particle Accelerator. DeVoe gets the idea to use it as a power source for his Thinking Cap. Its made clear that Clifford and Marlize are completely aware that the Accelerator will explode even if they don’t know exactly why. Fast Foward to the night of the explosion and we see Clifford and Marlize prepping for the explosion and then….it happens. Clifford with his Thinking Cap gets struck by energy from the explosion and knocked unconscious. Later we learn DeVoe just like many others who were caught in the explosion is gifted with Metahuman powers.

The only important thing that happens present days is the fact that after confronting DeVoe and his wife multiple times during the episode, much to the dismay of the entirety Team Flash as well as Captain Singh, Barry seems to be losing it. He has become obsessed with figuring out everything about DeVoe and discovering whether or not he is the DeVoe that Abra Kadabra and Savitar mentioned to him. After harassing DeVoe and Marlize on the job and literally using his powers to break into their home and snoop around, Barry finally shows up to DeVoe’s class one more time. It is in this moment that DeVoe drops the helpless act and we learn that homeboy actually knows exactly who Barry is and let me tell you…..he is unimpressed. DeVoe is fully aware of every villain that Barry has faced during his time as the Flash. It is during this scene that we learn what DeVoe’s powers…limitless thought and intellect. He tells Barry that “While you may be the Fastest Man Alive, I am the Fastest Mind”.

This episode fulfills the promise that the fans were initially given that we would start seeing more season villains that weren’t speedsters and this offers up the perfect opportunity to see what Barry can do aside from run fast. DeVoe is definitely my favorite Flash villain since Eobard in season 1 and Zoom in Season 2. The actor Neil Sandilands is doing an absolutely fantastic job and he is playing the hell out of DeVoe. Despite having seen him in previous episodes this feels like the first time we are actually getting to see DeVoe and really get to know him and I am absolutely loving what they are doing with the character and how they are using him to challenge Barry. I knew DeVoe would be one of my favs when I realized just how petty he was during his and Barry’s last scene together when he ironically tells him “I’ll be thinking of you”.

Oh, and how could I forget, before the episode is over Wally returns. Yeah, he reappears just as randomly as they decided to send him away….I mean I’m not complaining about it. Wally didn’t just return to Central City empty handed though because he drops one helluva easter egg when he alludes to having fought a starfish from space. I need this show to get better about what it does with the West family because they’ve got to advance both of these characters and put some respect on both Iris and Wally’s names. For some reason, it’s like the show makes all of Wally’s cool moments happen offscreen. This man literally spent 6 months as the Flash and fought Starro and we didn’t see a single minute of any of it. This episode we did get a glimpse of Iris leading the team though when she handed out their assignments while they could do some research on DeVoe. All I’m saying is develop these characters that are extremely important and actually let them shine.

Overall tonight’s episode of the Flash was delightfully interesting and it definitely woke me up from my fatigue with the show. Episode 6 of The Flash is 5 thinking caps out of 5.