The Flash just wrapped up its epic run, and they tried something different for its final season. Instead of the usual full season, they split it into these smaller story arcs, like comic book issues. Sounds like a cool experiment, but did it really work?
Synopsis
The central theme was all about Barry and Iris wanting to settle down and start a family. But you know Central City, always throwing some villainous curveballs. The problem? The storytelling structure didn’t quite hit the mark.
They kicked off with a fun time-loop episode, giving us that classic Flash feel. Then, suddenly, we were dealing with the Red Death storyline, and it was over in a flash (pun intended). Next came these standalone episodes that felt a bit disconnected. Normally, these would be great, but in a shortened final season, they needed to tie into the bigger story.
All the Speedsters back for one last Quick Battle
The Flash has been a wild ride for almost a decade now. It’s grown a bit convoluted over time, introducing more speedster villains and diving deep into the mysteries of the Speed Force. But the ninth and final season took things to a whole new level. Not only did it delve into the concept of the Negative Speed Force and introduce new speedsters, but it also brought back all the big bad speedsters from previous seasons. The climactic four-part storyline, “A New World,” saw the return of Reverse-Flash, Savitar, Zoom, and Godspeed, all forming an alliance with the newly minted Cobalt Blue. So Eddie Thawne’s back, and things could have gotten deep with his transformation into Cobalt Blue. But they had to rush it, and with this I can’t help but feel the fans of the show were robbed of a long awaited character arc. This showdown between speedsters was epic and added a thrilling layer to the series’ grand finale.
Team Flash
What about team Flash I hear you ask; they got the short end of the stick this season. Allegra’s powers were on standby, Cecile had her moments but got side lined, and Cisco didn’t even make a comeback (maybe it was a tad hopeful to think he would). Oh, and Iris? They didn’t do her justice. She gave birth alone in a hospital, no friends or family in sight. And get this, she wins a Pulitzer Prize, but we don’t even get to see it happen. Feels like the storytelling took a time-travel detour.
Then there’s Khione, the goddess of snow. Fans must be asking where she came from. Frost’s character development had been so great and her arc had been a highlight of the show, but in the beginning of the season when they make the decision to either bring her or Caitlyn back, it served as a disservice to her. Instead we got Khione and we welcomed a new character of unknown powers and honestly unknow origin.
The Flashes Final Season Could have used a Slower Pace
All in all, the season’s structure messed with the storytelling flow. Threads started and wrapped up in the blink of an eye. Characters, even the main duo Barry and Iris, felt rushed. Fans put a decade into this show, and a more thought-out farewell was definitely expected. “The Flash” might be the Arrowverse’s grand finale, but it felt like it cut its own story short, and that’s a bummer.
