Team Flash finally catch a break, maybe, with the help of Leo Snart. Barry faces his grief. Harry faces his addiction.

Fallout, the radioactive meta introduced earlier in the season was not well handled. A meaningless fight, the sudden loss of all personality and a botched origin got him shuffled off stage double time.

This week, he’s back! And interesting!

The use of Fallout is just one of the elements that work. Harry’s addiction to the Thinking Cap is both gently and forcefully handled and it’s great to see Tom Cavanagh get a chance to flex his muscles a bit. Plus the show’s seasons-long interrogation of how the alternate Earths change people, as shown through the multiple Harrys, remains one of its strongest elements.

Elsewhere, the episode impresses too. Barry running from his grief makes perfect sense. Barry facing it, and breaking down on Joe, shows just how much he’s grown. It’s a brave moment for a show like this and they absolutely land it with honesty and compassion.

Plus Leo Snart really does make everything better. The multiverse’s snarliest weather based criminal/grief counsellor is on top form this week and helps the team out immensely. Unfortunately with no puppets but we can’t have everything.

The only element that seems rushed is Leo’s backstory. Turns out we beat the Earth X Nazis! Aside from the Earth X Black Siren who follows Leo to our Earth and then doesn’t do very much, It’s especially galling given how much Katie Cassidy has to do on Arrow right now and how good she is at it.

Verdict: That being said, this is still a very good episode. We’re three off the season’s end now and have no idea how it’s going to end. And, for a show four years in, that’s really impressive work. 8/10

Alasdair Stuart