The Flash finally takes care of a long-time Arrowverse issue that has been floating over Team Flash - Barry Allen's intelligence. One of the recurring elements of almost all of The CW's DC TV shows is that the leading hero has always a team behind them on their crusade. While all different characters, there are always a few key roles like an engineer creating advanced technology, an IT-expert that can hack anything the superhero has to get through, and someone who works for the military or, at least, an agency like the D.E.O. and The Crows. Almost all of the Arrowverse teams also have someone that handles the costumes and upgrades.
Superman & Lois, the latest DC TV spinoff, is actually the first Arrowverse show to break that tradition; Superman doesn't have someone working with him in his exploits. In The Flash's case, the team has evolved and changed its line-up over the last seven seasons, excluding all the different Harrison Wells. The purpose of a team like that is to have different kinds of character dynamics which add to the show. However, the series has had a tendency, especially in earlier seasons, to have Barry Allen's intelligence somewhat neglected. But The Flash season 7, episode 2, despite its method, remembers that the Scarlet Speedster is actually very gifted outside of his speed.
The Flash recently introduced the Artificial Speed Force and the team was finally able to get it to work, but at a deep cost. Barry's new power source not only allowed him to run again, but it gave him a neat ability: speed-thinking. It allowed Barry to make calculations, simulations, and coming to conclusions at super-human speed. Even though the speed-thinking came at the expense of Barry's emotions being turned off, The Flash highlighted something that has been overlooked for years. When Barry first appears in the Arrowverse during Arrow season 2, it was established early on that he was very intelligent. Before even getting his speed, Barry had worked as a CCPD CSI whose analytical skills have impressed a lot of people in his daily life.
But because of having Team Flash, the show has had to sometimes dial Barry's intelligence back in order for the story to let other characters come through. Barry is a scientist who also studied chemistry and physics, which made him the gifted man he is today. Even though the Artificial Speed Force caused Barry's emotional ability to get numbed, the speed-thinking showed that in reality, he's very intellectual. The speed-thinking didn't make him smarter, it only allowed him to, essentially, fast-forward through the time he'd have to dedicate to make those conclusions at a normal pace. Since The Flash season 6 got new leadership with Eric Wallace taking over as showrunner, the Arrowverse drama has begun to let Barry not only grow but also remind everyone that his speed isn't the only thing that defines him.
While the speed-thinking ability won't be a part of Barry's arc for long, it did allow The Flash to recognize the leading hero's gifted mind. That's not to say that the show should phase the team out of the story. But with these characters, Barry particularly, being seven seasons in now, the show has a responsibility to acknowledge that he's very capable. Not only that, but The Flash also needs to remember Barry's history and what he has studied, learned, and gone through to be where he's today. Because even when he doesn't have his speed, Barry is able to do so much on his own as both a scientist, CSI forensic, chemist, physicist, amongst a lot of his other gifts. As The Flash goes forward, Barry Allen will hopefully get to demonstrate this more often in the Arrowverse, with or without speed-thinking.