The Flash: "The Curious Case of Bartholomew Allen" Preview Released

Time may not be on Barry Allen's side in the preview for next week's episode of The Flash, "The Curious Case of Bartholomew Allen". The episode, which is scheduled to air on Wednesday, May 25th, will be directed by DC's Legends of Tomorrow alum Caity Lotz and will see Barry (Grant Gustin) unexpectedly aging rapidly with the team needing to figure out how to help him before he has to retire. The episode's title is a nod to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button — both a 2008 film starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett and a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. You can check out both the synopsis and the preview for yourself below.

"CAITY LOTZ DIRECTS – The Flash (Grant Gustin) gets blasted with a shockwave forcing his body to age prematurely.  The series also stars Jesse L. Martin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Danielle Nicolet, Kayla Compton and Brandon McKnight. Caity Lotz directed the episode written by Thomas Pound & Jess Carson."

The episode is one of three episodes in a row — referred to by showrunner Eric Wallace as "interlude episodes" — directed either himself or Arrowverse stars. Wallace is directing episode 15 "Into the Still Force" while The Flash star Danielle Panabaker is directing episode 17 "Keep it Dark".

"It's very interesting that we have three kind of interlude episodes and it's me directing, Caity, and Danielle, all three in a row," Wallace said previously. "So, we kind of joked about how hilarious that was, all three of us doing our episodes all back-to-back, and it spoils the cast in [a] sense … because we know them so well."

"The Curious Case of Bartholomew Allen" isn't the first time Lotz has directed within the Arrowverse. She previously directed three episodes of DC's Legends of Tomorrow, season 6's "The Satanist's Apprentice," season 5's "Mortal Khanbat", and season 8's "wvrdr_error_100 not found".  DC's Legends of Tomorrow recently concluded its eighth and final season.

As for the episode itself, it comes after some pretty intense ones for Team Flash, including this week's "Into the Still Force". With so much going on, it feels like the team needs to catch a break and according to Wallace, it sounds like the team will get one – just not quite yet. They'll just have to wait to the season finale for that.

"Yes, I am happy to report, and you can quote me, Team Flash will be okay at the end of Season 8. Iris's Time Sickness will be cured by the end of Season 8. Barry and Iris, who have been in separate places, because she's either in Coast City with Sue, trying to do things as a reporter and he's fighting Deathstorm," Wallace told ComicBook.com. "All of these things are there for a reason, they're all coming together in our final graphic novel this season, but everybody will get back together. And because I love happy endings, everybody will live happily ever after. Iris is not dying. Barry is not dying. None of that."

The Flash airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.