The FlashBack: ‘The Flash’ – Episode 17 ‘Null and Annoyed’

The CW

Welcome back! The Flash returned from its brief hiatus last night with a meta that truly took things to new heights in this episode directed by Kevin Smith. Did you miss “Null and Annoyed”? If so, keep reading for your recap, but be aware that there are spoilers beyond this point.

We start with Ralph and Barry training to defeat The Thinker with a very realisitc simulation. However, Ralph keeps going off script so Barry shuts it down. Cisco suggests that Ralph turn into a copy of Barry to confuse DeVoe, but Ralph disagrees. Barry is concerned that Ralph isn’t taking things seriously.

Harry is still trying to find the last two bus metas using his Thinking Cap. He explains that Edwin Guass has literally disappeared entirely since the day Barry returned from the Speed Force while the other, Janet Petty, has always been hard to track well before she was a meta. If the team didn’t have enough on their plate, Breacher (guest star Danny Trejo) returns and aggressively asks Cisco for help. He’s been trying to fight an army of vampires, but wasn’t able to use his powers. He thinks Cisco can fix him.

In The Thinker lair, DeVoe and Marlize talk with DeVoe worried that his current body will wear out soon. Marlize suggests they modify the Thinking Chair to help extend his life and when DeVoe notes that there are still two bus metas left, she reminds him that there are three because Weeper is still missing.

That night, two security guards (humorous cameos by Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes) are trying to move a heavy crate at the museum. They leave to find something to assit and that’s when we meet Janet, aka Null. She uses her powers to lift the crate, then smash it on the ground and steal a fancy tiara. Ralph and Barry show up the next day as Joe investigates. However, Ralph goes off plan again and his attempt to help by grabbing fingerprints results in him tripping the guards and destroying a vase. No more crime scenes for Barry and Ralph.

Back at the lab, Caitlin tells Cisco that Breacher’s powers have failed due to age, but Cisco is reluctant to tell him that. At The Thinker’s lair, Marlize drops her mug and finds a weird chemical in it that she runs tests on.

With the fingerprints Ralph got the team discovers that Null has used a lot of aliases in her life of crime and track her location to a shifty Irish private investigator Ralph knows. However, Ralph morphs into Joe and gets aggressive in his interrogation. They then discover that the PI has the jewels and that Null is hiding on the ceiling. She jumps down, touches Barry, and sends him into the air.

At STAR the team tries to figure out how to fix Barry, but Harry discovers that the powers simply wear off and when they do, Barry comes crashing to the ground. Barry is upset with Ralph for impersonating Joe and not taking things seriously so he benches Ralph. Meanwhile, Marlize realizes that she’s being drugged by DeVoe with the Weeper’s tears.

Trying to find a way to help Breacher without having to tell him about the real reason his powers fail, Cisco gets desperate. He ends up telling him that allergy pills fix things so Breacher takes some. His vibe color ends up different. Cisco says its the pills.

Null is robbing a jewelry store. Iris suggests that if Barry vibrates, Null can’t see him and her powers won’t have effect. The plan works. He’s able to handcuff Null, but she planned for this by levitating a car with a person in it that will crash down and kill him. Barry races off to save the passenger. Null escapes. Things are just not going well for the team. Harry isn’t happy that the Thinking Cap didn’t help with Null or DeVoe. Iris tells Barry they can’t predict DeVoe and chastises him for lashing out at Ralph.

Breacher disappears and Cisco figures out where he’s gone. Turns out that Breacher went back to fight the vampire Crucifer. This is bad so Cisco rescues Breacher and then explains the real reason why Breacher’s powers have gone. Breacher tells Cisco that he hates him and leaves.

Marlize, concerned about her situation, records a video of herself explaining to herself the drugging and urging her to not forget and find a way to escape. However, when she tries to save it she discovers that she’s already used the fake file name. Turns out this is not the first time she has recorded this message. DeVoe shows up and says its happened several times before and that each time he wipes her memory with a combination of Weeper and Brainstorm’s powers. DeVoe then lobotomizes Marlize.

Barry apologizes to Ralph and Ralph explains that he uses humor to handle things. Then Iris pages. Null is at a museum party. At the party, Null levitates guests to steal their jewelry. Ralph and Barry show up with Barry raching to save the party guests from Null’s powers. However, he ends up being sent into the atmosphere. It’s up to Ralph to save the day by improvising. Ralph cuffs Null, but that then sends Barry crashing towards the ground. Ralph saves the day by turning himself into a giant whoopie cushion that Barry lands on.

Null is secured in the pipeline. The team tries to figure out their next move with Joe going to research Edwin Gauss after he asks Ralph about Earl the PI. Iris and the others leave so Barry can thank Ralph. Breacher then shows up to visit Cisco wearing vacation attire and explains that he’s retiring to a dragon farm. He wants Cisco to take his job.

Marlize wakes up and we get a repeat of the same scene we saw earlier, with DeVoe’s body failing and Marlize explaining they might be able to work the chair. It’s chilling. And then, at STAR, Harry opens up Thawne’s lair, puts the Thinking Cap down, and activates Gideon, telling her that a lot has changed since they last spoke.

What is Harry up to? Let us know your theories in the comments!