Every superhero team needs a tech nerd. On Team Flash, that responsibility falls on Chester, played by Brandon McKnight. Introduced in Season 6, he helped the good guys defeat Eva McCulloch and the Forces. Then, after Cisco departed for a new position at A.R.G.U.S., Chester stepped up to become Team Flash's resident tech guru. But it hasn't been all gadgets and gizmos.

One of his devices, a gravitational wave emitter, malfunctioned and trapped half of his consciousness in a black hole while his body went into a catatonic state. Later, Deathstorm psychologically tortured Chester by evoking the specter of his deceased father. These days, Chester is one of the group's most devoted members, although he has recently been struggling with his strong feelings for his colleague, Allegra. That, combined with the threat of the Red Death, gives Chester a lot on his plate. McKnight recently spoke to CBR about fleshing out Chester, what makes him an asset to Team Flash, his romance with Allegra, and the Series finale.

CBR: The Flash has been your longest gig to date. What's it been like staying with a character for such an extended period of time?

Brandon McKnight: It's funny. I was having a conversation with one of my friends about this. It's sort of like theater. It's almost like doing a tour of a Broadway show, where you get to sit with a character for a while and learn about their insecurities, really learn about all these nice little corners of who they are, that you wouldn't get to do otherwise. On top of that, I love the character so much. It's been a joy to get to sit with him. I will get a script sometimes and read through it, and there's an obvious way to play it.

With what Chester has been through, what he's seen, and what he has experienced from Season 6 to Season 9 -- I feel like his reactions to certain things would be different. Based on what he's done last season, I feel like he would be more stout in this situation or a lot more nervous about this. To continuously dig and excavate these little corners of this character that I haven't seen and that the world hasn't seen yet, has been a joy. I love it. I'm thinking about when I do a small part in a movie, [and] it's not the same.

Chester has been through a lot throughout the series. On the flip side, what do you consider some of his highs?

A lot of his highs have to do with his achievements on the team. Although he was dealing with the coma, or going back into the past and meeting his father and then having the specter of his father being used to torture him, outside of all of those things, they also turned out to be triumphs. Especially this situation with his father, and then it coming back and having Chester double down on that trauma -- those were all personal achievements for him. But every time he has built something for the team that has worked has been a triumph. Then, having a seat at the table as the tech guy for the team, the person building all of their gizmos and tools that they use on a constant basis… When I got the role, me and Eric Wallace spoke a lot about who this guy was.

One of the things I always lean [into] is he is always the smartest guy in the room, but he doesn't know it. He's always the most empathetic guy in the room and doesn't know it. I think him learning these things about himself and learning, "Oh no. I can do this. I am smart enough to do this, and I can benefit the team." Feeling confident in the seat that he holds is the biggest triumph, and we see that episode to episode with him. Even with the little romance he has going on with Allegra, we have seen Chester attempt romance in Season 6, where he tries to ask Natalie out. We see how that all works out for him. To now have the potential of something bubbling, to have the potential of something serious happening between him and Allegra and him trying to navigate that [is] difficult and confusing and challenging for him. It's also a triumph to see that he has moved forward in his life.

As you mentioned, Chester may be the most intelligent guy in the room, but how do those smarts spill over into his dating life?

Not at all. He has zero game, but he will flip through equations and math. I don't think they translate at all. Here's the thing, Chester has more game than he thinks he has. At the end of the day, Chester is just who he is. No matter what situation he's in, no matter who is around, it's to the point where it's almost embarrassing, where it doesn't matter who is around or what's around. He is going to feel his excitement fully. Now he's in a situation where he feels what he feels for this person fully and is questioning whether that is right, if he should go through with that, and if he should feel it as ultimately as he does. He feels everything so openly, as we have seen. This is a new challenge for him. If you try to add an equation to this, if you try to quantify it, understand it, and break it down, that's where you get lost. Love isn't an equation.

In tonight's episode, "The Mask of the Red Death Part I," Chester is confiding in an unknown friend online. What's been fun about playing up that mystery? Did Eric Wallace let you in on the identity of his confidant?

We had a little bit of a story with that. Chester is confiding in somebody he probably shouldn't be. Again, he is who he is. He doesn't know how to be any different. His unshakable optimism and his belief that people are naturally good, and that all people mean well until they absolutely don't. He's naïve in that way. He is so loving in that way. Potentially, it might get him into a little bit of trouble.

Flash recruited the Rogues in his war against Red Death. In what ways is Chester pitching in and doing what he does best?

He is doing exactly what he does best. I think of Chester as the quarterback of the team. He is the guy mapping everything out. He sees where everybody is. He sees what is going on. I don't want to say he is overseeing because it sounds like he is leading the operation, and he's not. But Chester is playing quarterback.

The team turns to him quite frequently for his expertise.

Exactly. They are always asking things on the fly, and he is always figuring them out at blinding speed, might I add.

Viewers have been wondering about Chester's dormant powers. How much have you been waiting for them to manifest again, especially with the crisis at hand?

Man, I am waiting just like everybody else. That would be a great, incredible thing to see or to hint at. I'm waiting with you guys.

It would be a welcome change to see Chester out in the field.

That would be amazing. I was talking to another cast member, and I was like, "Everybody is outside, and I am always at the desk…" Not that I am complaining.

What else can we expect from Chester in the next block of episodes?

A lot more growth. We will see Chester grow in his confidence as a member of the team and his position as quarterback. Chester has always been insecure about where he fits in and whether he is doing things right. So, we will see a lot more confidence in his seat at the table, as well as a lot of personal growth. We will see Chester make some decisions and say some things, where it's like, "Where did this wise-old man come from?" It's all based on his experiences and the things that he has gone through. As the newest member of the team, with so much responsibility on his shoulders, he has grown up quite a bit.

A lot of the characters seem to be looking ahead to the future and life outside of Team Flash. What does that look like for Chester?

He will probably do a lot more streaming. There's not a lot I can say without giving the season away. There is just growth for him. Chester has become such a monumental part of the team. He came into the show so smart, and he's only been getting smarter. This guy loves his job. I see Chester [as] part of Team Flash and continuing to build his gizmos, tools, weapons, and shields, and only coming up with greater technology. In the grand scheme of this universe, you can almost consider him one of the smartest people on the planet. He's only going to continue to invent and create while dabbling into real-life things by allowing relationships and friendships to grow. A lot more streaming, though, for sure.

Last time CBR spoke with Eric Wallace, he was hammering out the details for the series finale. What has been your reaction to the final few scripts and where Chester was heading?

I don't know if I am allowed to cuss, but I remember reading the last few and being like, "The shit is hitting the fan!" It's a wild, wild last few episodes. I am nervous to touch on any of the last few episodes. Whatever people think is going to happen probably isn't going to happen. There is no way to predict this stuff. I am big on surfing the net and seeing people's predictions. So far, I haven't seen anybody coming even close to the twists and turns that are awaiting everyone at the end of the season. It's going to be nothing but surprises.

The Flash airs Wednesdays at 8 pm ET/PT on The CW, with new episodes available to stream the following day on The CW App.