The Flash season 4: Why Big Bad DeVoe should be known right away

If there is one prevailing criticism for The Flash season 3 when looking back at it, it is the feeling of sameness. Look at things this way — all three seasons so far feature speedster villains who were shrouded in mystery for at least the first seven or eight episodes of the season. With each passing year, the show took longer getting to the big reveal. With Savitar, there were only a small handful of episodes at the end where it was clear that the team was facing off against a super-charged Barry Allen time remnant crazy by being neglected and abandoned by the rest of the world.

Now that The Flash season 4 is on the horizon, it’s time to start thinking about something different. At this point, it is fair to said that the Big Bad for the season is DeVoe, otherwise known as The Thinker in the comics. He will be the first non-speedster in this role, and he’s been referenced now so many times on the show that it feels pretty clear that he will be a significant threat. He’s smart, cerebral, and can manipulate the world in ways that Gorilla Grodd can only dream of at the moment.

Is it absolutely possible that the show takes significant departures from the comic book iteration? Certainly. Just remember for a moment that there were significant departures when looking at Savitar on the show versus the comics.

The one thing that needs to be different with the show version of the role is pretty clear: This character needs to be someone introduced to the audience almost right away. Cast the character over the summer, and then don’t hide their identity. There is something interesting about Barry knowing his enemy almost right away, and then not knowing how to stop them. (Of course, it’s also fair to wonder whether or not it will be primarily Barry taking him on, given that he’s currently trapped in the Speed Force. Nonetheless, it’s hard to imagine that he will remain there forever.)

It’s easy to understand why the DC Universe on The CW likes to keep their villains a secret for a stretch, since it does build so much momentum from start to finish. The fact that Arrow bottomed out with Damien Darhk in season 4 is further evidence that introducing a villain right away doesn’t always work. Still, have confidence in your team to pull off the arc, and not rely on the same stunts that got you to this point.

Do you think DeVoe should be introduced right away, and what do you want to see from the character when he turns up? Share now in the comments below!

Meanwhile, head over to this link to secure some further news and information now when it comes to The Flash. (Photo: The CW.)