The Flash's Midseason Finale Trailer Puts Barry Right In The Thinker's Clutches

Mild spoilers below for anyone who isn't completely caught up with The Flash through the four-show crossover episodes.

The Arrow-verse had a wide array of problems involving the "Crisis on Earth-X" crossover, but by the time the Nazi threats were vanquished, happiness once again flourished for Team Flash, particularlythe newlywed Barry and Iris. Unfortunately, the duo are once again facing the wrath of The Thinker when The Flash reverts back to standalone drama for its midseason finale. Check out the new poofy-hair-raising trailer below.

Dammit, Barry! After all that breaking and entering and stalking that the Scarlet Speedster previously did while trying to prove the connections between Clifford DeVoe and The Thinker, the tables have turned, and now the villain breached the hero's personal bubble and stole something, or someone, as it were. Shouldn't have taken that mug, Barry!

"DeVoe! DeVoe! DeVoe!" I must say, as the fun and fancy-free early Flash episodes were a solid set-up for the dramatic thrust that The Thinker's storyline has brought to Season 4. These episodes aren't overly dark and doom-y like Savitar's were, and it's interesting to watch a villain consistently outthinking Team Flash like this, since it means victory will come to those who plan the best, rather than those who run the fastest or blast the hardest. But how does Barry escape from an enemy who knows exactly how he'll try to escape?

I'm interested to see which Team Flash member is being threatened by The Thinker, since Barry is quite upset about the prospect. We do see Cisco's Vibing efforts getting busted up, and Iris is super-worried about him. (What's up with Cisco just being unconscious all the time now?) But then we actually see Joe inside DeVoe's home asking about Barry's disappearance, so he's the likely would-be victim here. Here's hoping someone stops The Thinker before he goes too far.

The trailer ends with The Thinker pushing some button on his chair that likely does something totally nefarious, or it might be the "on" button for his holographic backgammon game. Apparently Barry wasn't quick enough to catch that arm like he was the other one. Does it look to anyone else like DeVoe's pointer-finger is aiming for something a foot away from anything on his chair?

As far as other notable bits go, Barry's wild mask hair is almost as crazy as him being taken captive by The Thinker. And what the hell, why would someone destroy C.C. Jitters like that? What is Caitlin looking at with such shock? Who did all that Christmas decorating in S.T.A.R. Labs, and will Cisco refer to them as The Wreather or something?

The Flash's midseason premiere will air on The CW on Tuesday, December 5, at 8:00 p.m. ET. The fast-footed series will then return from its hiatus on Tuesday, January 16, just before the series premiere of Black Lightning. Check out all the ways the Earth-X crossover has changed up the Arrow-verse, and to see everything else that's coming soon, head to our fall TV premiere schedule and our 2018 midseason premiere schedule.

Nick Venable
Assistant Managing Editor

Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper.  Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.