The Thinker didn't hold back against the Scarlet Speedster as the fastest mind went up against the fastest man alive.

But that isn't the only trouble that Team Flash went up against with Amunet Black back in town on The Flash Season 4 Episode 9.

Given that we have 23 episodes per season, I didn't expect The Flash Season 4 to have a showdown like this so soon. That is one of the primary reasons "Don't Run" ended up being as strong as it was.

I will admit though, there was a lot going down on this winter finale! But the best surprise was how it all tied in together so smoothly.

Since her introduction on The Flash Season 4 Episode 5 I have been wanting more Amunet Black. Katee Sackhoff is killing it in this role, and it's genuinely fun to see Caitlin have her own personal baddie.

I hope that down the line they'll explore the Rogue side of her character. I'm sorry, not sorry, but this critic is a comic book nerd, and we need some Rogues action on The Flash!

I have so far loved Iris as the team leader of Team Flash, and this episode continued that trend. I loved the challenge she was put in and the decisions she made.

It also helps acknowledge that Iris and Caitlin are being portrayed more and more as friends. Had Iris not thought about Caitlin's complex situation with Killer Frost, it would have felt out of character.

Ralph also has some character development in "Don't Run" which was needed. As much as I have loved the character since his debut, I agreed with Cisco that his big mouth was beginning to be a bit much.

While I don't accept his reason for being the way he is -- "I haven't had friends in a while" -- at least they addressed it. I feel that reason has been used too many times with bad-boy characters on various TV shows.

But regardless, the important point is that the man is progressing and becoming a better dude! If Season 4B can start with Ralph making no inappropriate comments, then that's a great way to kick off 2018.

However, I don't want Ralph's rough edges to go away completely. I still dig the differences between him and Barry as heroes which I think the show still needs to have.

We also got introduced to another DC metahuman in the form of Brainstorm. While I thought he would be another bus-meta, boy, was I wrong!

It was hinted pretty early during "Don't Run" that somehow Barry would end up where he was. But the way they brought it all together was the most significant surprise in the whole finale.

While I will miss Neil Sandilands's version of DeVoe, this twist was welcome in my book. Although what does this mean for poor Dominic? Is his mind completely gone, or is he still there inside with Clifford?

In addition to that, is Marlize going to have an easy time with this transition? Is it enough for her that her husband's mind is alive, or will his new physical appearance be a challenge for her?

The one thing I fear with this twist is that they might repeat it too many times. I don't want to see Clifford's mind jump from one body to another over and over again.

It would make it too easy for our baddie, and it would take away any stakes for The Thinker. Besides, I want to see what Kendrick Sampson will do as this Thinker!

I'm glad that The Flash outsmarted people who thought DeVoe would take over Barry's body. Because if they had done it that way, we would never have gotten that ending.

Do you remember that brief glimpse of Barry in prison back during The Flash Season 1? You know when Barry went back in time and saw that?

Well, guess what, it's all coming together! This is clearly The Flash adapting the famous Trial of the Flash comic arc, and I look forward to seeing how they adapt it.

As long as it's more than one episode -- cough, Flashpoint, cough -- then we're five by five! Hopefully, this will allow Wally to have a bigger role while Barry is dealing with this trial.

Speaking of Wally, why couldn't he make it for Christmas?! Minor nitpick, but still.

Overall, "Don't Run" was one of the best winter finales for The Flash in a long time. Our new big bad pulled a major stunt that is going to make the back-half of The Flash Season 4 quite compelling.