What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 4, Episode 9 “Don’t Run” (B+)

Well, this was quite the fall finale. I’m impressed with how the CW shows are handling their holiday episodes, and this one got off to an entertaining start with Cisco and Harry clashing over tinsel ratios and Amunet commenting on how delicious the Killer Frost holiday mocha from Jitters was. I’m glad to see that Katee Sackhoff’s appearance wasn’t a one-off deal, and she seemed to be enjoying chewing as much scenery as possible when she showed up in a Santa hat to kidnap Caitlin and forced her to operate on Dominic. Devoe grabbing Barry was not a positive development, mainly because he’s no longer trying to hide anything and Cisco’s technology – and his vibe abilities – couldn’t do anything to locate him. I’m happy to see that Cisco’s inventions, like Ralph’s tiny suit and Barry’s flotation mode, are being put to use, and they’re going to need cleverer things like that to take on what they’re facing. Iris had to make the tough choice to prioritize finding Caitlin over Barry, and no one was listening to Ralph who kept saying that it was coincidental that they were both kidnapped at the same time. Devoe implanting his mind into Dominic’s body was a smart move, and he had exactly the right revenge plotted to incapacitate Barry by planting his old body in Barry’s apartment for the police to find. Barry starting to run only to realize that he needed to stay was an intense moment, and I’m eager to see how the team is going to help save him from what’s coming next once the show returns in a month.