He sort of glides off like some giant flying squirrel. Also, when he first lifts up the panel he makes this sort of narmy fake gasp. I rather liked how it came off as more playfully mischievous than downright menacing.

But it is a difference, and, therefor, an alternative to some degree. We're agreed insofar as my original remark, then.

The point was variety of structure within the serialized medium. I merely proposed a single example. The "big bad for a year" isn't something innate to it and can become a bit repetitive without variation.

We also have the younger Eobard to look forward to. He has to meet Barry for the first time at some point. I would expect that to happen around season 2.

Being less mechanical about it would be an alternative. For instance, a single season containing two smaller arcs might prove interesting.

I'd like to add that he's upset enough to commit to suicide, so any previous validation was already overpowered by the immediate problem that drove him there. It's not rational, but it's a pretty common occurrence.

"What measure is a non-human" indeed…

The text-book sex pressuring Linda did rubbed me the wrong way. If the writers had capitalized on that, it'd have provided a pretty good reason for Barry's 360. No one likes having their arm twisted.