Another dreadful hiatus is finally over! After three weeks of waiting, The Flash is finally back on The CW. There are no other hiatuses to stop the show from running now. This article will focus on season four episode seventeen “Null and Annoyed.” As per usual, here’s a little recap of what happened last.

Recap

Iris took the spotlight when Barry’s connection to the speed force was transferred to her. The metahuman Team Flash was hunting, Melting Point, joined in after defeating Central City’s latest threat. Barry got his powers back and what do you know this episode should have just been considered filler. Meanwhile, Harrison Wells discovered the final two bus-metas that are part of DeVoe’s plan.

Review 4X17 “Null and Annoyed”

Null, the metahuman who can change density… The amount of density this character had was just as much as a balloon: next to nothing. It was clear from the start of the episode that she was not going to be a major player this time, but she could have at least received some more screen time or something significant and memorable. The only thing Null provided was a backdoor segment to allow more character development between Barry and Ralph; something that has been desperately needed this season, but always seems to barge in at the wrong moments. The good-cop bad-cop scenes between Barry and Ralph was definitely worth this character’s appearance. This was definitely one of my least favorite bus-metas so far. Hopefully, the last two metahumans can redeem some of the more lesser esteemed ones that appeared this season.

Danny Trejo, why can you not be a series regular? Trejo’s story continued as Breacher sought Cisco’s help after he could no longer harness the power that he and Vibe share. Trejo once again delivered a great performance in what might have been his final bow in the series, as Breacher offered Cisco his job; being the head of the multiverse’s Breacher Police after losing his powers due to old age. He could not have gone out on a higher note. Even if this episode had been terrible, Trejo still would have delivered a long-lasting scar on the viewer through his high testosterone and Mick Rory like understanding of Earth One. Cisco’s reaction to Breacher’s age will look similar to yours once you find out how old Trejo actually is.

Harrison Wells entered the time vault at the ending of the episode and activated Gideon. While Gideon may be the driving power source of the Waverider, she did first appear on The Flash as Eobard’s time guide. My theory is that Wells is attempting to find a rather beneficial outcome to DeVoe’s defeat. The one thing DeVoe can not outsmart is the future. It would be interesting to see how Wells would persuade the entire team into taking a route that involves messing with the timeline. Flashpoint did cause alterations to the present and we are yet to discover if these alterations had a major impact in the distant future. Previously Savitar was created through Flashpoint so we’ll just have to wait and see what the future holds!  Speaking of DeVoe, we learned that he is abusing his wife, Mechanic, by constantly erasing her memory whenever she breaks free from his tyranny. There’s not much I can say here besides the fact that I’m guessing that she will eventually betray DeVoe if she learns the truth.

Saying Kevin Smith is one of my all-time favorite comic-book writers would be an understatement. Smith finally got his hands on the camera for another episode of The Flash and a cameo appearance as a security guard. Out of all the recurring directors who have worked on The Flash, I personally think Smith’s is the most “comic-book.” The only way you can really explain this is by reading comics and then watching the shows he has directed. It’s a very odd yet refreshing style at times.

Overall, “Null and Annoyed” was a major step up from “Run, Iris, Run.” The back half of season four has been plagued with various issues, but this episode definitely will give audiences a small  confidence that the show can recover from an unpleasant batch of episodes, but this one still falls victim to poor choreography and a boring villain. The highlight was certainly Kevin Smith’s short appearance and DeVoe’s continual development.

Next Week’s Teaser

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