The Flash 4x18 "Lose Yourself" Review
Tonight's episode was emotional, funny, another lesson in heroism for Ralph, and the best one out of the season so far... which isn't saying much, but there it is. Team Flash suffered a predictable lost when they finally confronted The Thinker. In more ways than one. Spoilers ahead for my review:
Barry and Ralph team up again to find the last bus meta. They scan the bus all of them were on for dark matter and manage to get a lead. Ralph also brings up killing DeVoe if Team Flash failed to capture him, which forces Barry to give him the talk about killing enemies. Unlike the Green Arrow, Barry refuses to kill and believes there's always another way no matter what. Ralph is not convinced about this hero lesson because he thinks DeVoe is too dangerous to keep alive.
The duo take their findings back to STAR Labs and use that to track down his location. Barry, Cisco, and Killer Frost go confront the Folded Man, who they learn has the power to create pocket dimensions... similar to what DeVoe's chair can do. He runs into a pocket dimension when he spots them.
Harry, using his thinking cap, figures out some science stuff to create a sonic scepter and a method on tracking down Folded Man again. Joe notices Harry's addiction and his frequent trips to the time vault. Turns out Harry is Harry and he is only using Gideon to upgrade the thinking cap. He is not Eobard Thawne or another evil doppelganger. So that was a bummer.
Barry, Ralph, and Caitlin go to a hippie camp where the meta is worshiped for his powers. I enjoyed this scene more than I should've: their interactions with the hippies were the only funny moments of the episode.
When the trio splits up to search, Cailtin easily finds Folded Man but she gets stabbed by a Samuroid in the process. Barry saves her, takes out the robot, and then takes her to STAR labs, telling Ralph and Folded Man to meet there.
Cailtin healed quickly thanks to Killer Frost and reveals to Iris she struck up a weird friendship with her alter ego: they leave each other notes to communicate. I'm still unsure why she has a split personality for her meta powers because no other meta exhibited this problem except Magneta from season three. The show never explains this strangeness, and I really wish they did because it's confusing.
The team put the Folded Man in the pipeline for his protection. When Ralph goes down there and talks to him though, he discovers Folded Man can travel to DeVoe's pocket dimension. This gives him the idea to sneak inside the lair and kill DeVoe so no one else on the team has to carry the burden.
Obviously, Barry finds out and stops him easily with a super fast punch. When Ralph wakes up, they talk about why he wants to kill DeVoe. Ralph doesn't care about his own safety, he cares about Team Flash. He doesn't want to lose them to DeVoe like how he lost his mother. Wow the feels! Ralph had his moment... what a shame this didn't come sooner.
Team Flash decides to go with Ralph's plan anyway. The first part about going into the pocket dimension. Barry, Cisco, and Killer Frost jump through but get stuck there when they discover DeVoe left them a hologram in his stead.
DeVoe and his wife Marlize show up in STAR Labs to collect the remaining bus metas: Folded Man and Melting Point. Joe deals with the Samuroid, Harry goes to the time vault to upgrade the thinking cap but gets knocked out overusing the dark matter--against Gideon's advice, and Iris engages in an epic battle with Marlize.
Marlize wielded a samurai sword and showed great skill in using it. I was impressed considering I didn't realize she knew how to fight. Iris, armed with a laser gun, starts firing at her and she deflects effortlessly. This fight scene was the best one in the episode.
Marlize stabbed Iris in the shoulder, but this gave Iris the opportunity to knock her head into the Thinking Chair and to press some buttons. The chair and Marlize got sent back to the lair, giving Barry and the gang the chance to return to STAR Labs.
Ralph confronts DeVoe personally... after he defeats an animated T-Rex for the second time this season. DeVoe collects Melting Point and Folded Man's powers in addition to possessing the latter's body. Before he can take out Ralph though, Ralph reveals the sonic scepter hidden inside his chest and blasts The Thinker back.
Barry arrives, believing Ralph killed DeVoe, but he didn't do such a thing. Ralph learned the final lesson in heroism and came full circle, putting DeVoe in those anti-power handcuffs. However, this turns out to be a ruse because DeVoe disabled them and uses this chance to take Ralph over. Barry is helpless to do anything to save his friend.
"I'll save you!" Barry cries out.
"You already did Barry," Ralph tells him.
Ralph is killed off and is now possessed by DeVoe. Wow! I saw it coming, but I hoped I was wrong about it. Team Flash needs new members and Ralph was a good candidate. I'm going to miss that guy.
Cisco and Killer Frost come charging into the battle, ready to enact revenge for their fallen comrade. DeVoe blasts Cisco away and then he zaps Killer Frost back into Caitlin. Instead of killing them off though, he decides to take his leave, thanking Barry for helping Ralph reach his full potential. Harsh!
In the aftermath, Barry goes to Ralph's office and starts packing his things. Iris tries to comfort him, but he isn't ready for her support yet. He wants to wallow and mourn for Ralph.
Caitlin gets tested and learns she got Melting Point. DeVoe removed her powers and the Killer Frost alter ego. She looks at her other self's notes and the sad music begins. She lost a friend... I thought that was interesting... in a way they lost two characters in the latest fight: Ralph and Killer Frost.
DeVoe, using Ralph's powers, shape-shifts back into his original form, and tells his wife that they can finally move forward with The Enlightenment. CAN THEY ENLIGHTEN US ON THIS VAGUE PLAN?!
I'm sad to see Ralph go. It hurt losing him because I thought he was going to be Wally's replacement, but I also knew in the back of my head he would die. DeVoe needed him for his unknown plan for the bus metas and getting his shape-shifting powers was the only way to get Neil Sandilands back playing The Thinker too.
Comment and let me know how you're processing the losses Team Flash suffered tonight. I'm hurting but can't wait for next week! Wentworth Miller returning as Citizen Cold YAY!