Set’em Up
These last few episodes, the finale especially, set up all kinds of dominos that we could potentially knock down next season and the season after.
Barry’s shift into the Speed Force knocked out both Wally and Jesse, Wells’ daughter. In the comic, Wally and Jesse are both speedsters, with Wally taking over the mantle of The Flash and Jesse becoming Jesse Quick. The two now presumably have a connection to the Speed Force, especially with Barry pulling Jesse out of her coma with a single touch, framing him almost like a religious figure.
Setting these two up to join the Flash family but not giving them powers right away seems like a good idea.
The reveal of the man in the iron mask, held prisoner by Zoom for much of the season, as being the real Jay Garrick, was well-executed, too. Actor John Wesley Shipp’s appearance on The Flash has always been somewhat of an Easter egg. He was the original incarnation of the speedster in the 1990s Flash television show. Scientist Christina McGee, played by Amanda Pays, was his own STAR Labs back then. Having the two characters meet was a great treat for us old kids. His presence on the series has always been a warm one as Barry’s father, Henry.
While Barry was without his powers, Henry said something about Garrick being his mom’s maiden name, so when they took the mask off, Shipp’s face was less of a surprise than a confirmation. Seeing him step into the shoes of Jay Garrick, the very first Flash, was easily one of my favorite parts of the episode. It opens up a door for Shipp’s Garrick to act as a mentor to Barry Allen that doesn’t turn end up betraying him 5 or 10 episodes later.
But that wasn’t all.
When Flash defeated Zoom, the black-clad villain was taken away by Time Wraiths, Dementor-like creatures that try to police speedster time manipulation, he began to transform, with streaks of red twisting him into a zombified creature still clad in his black costume. We’ll likely see him return, though not portrayed by Teddy Sears, as Black Flash, a sort of Grim Reaper-like being that speedsters see when they die.
And then finally, there’s the decision Barry made in the show’s final moments – going back in time to save his mom. I’m a little worried, but I’m excited, too, as this looks to kick off the Flashpoint Paradox storyline from the comic books, which showed Barry landing in an an alternate timeline where he’d never been a speedster. The change rippled out, affecting heroes like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman in interesting ways.
While we can’t see those characters, The CW has built up a stable of DC characters to work with, and we could see alternate timeline versions of Arrow, Atom, and, now that she’s joined the CW, Supergirl as well. This arc is what will likely integrate her show, migrated from CBS and a different in-show universe, into the main universe of Flash, Arrow, and their friends.
In other words, we’ve got a full plate of food just waiting for the chefs to cook it up.
The Flash season 2, despite some flaws, was worth the time I spent with it, and it has me looking forward to the next season.
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