Bring On The Multiverses: The Flash Season 2 Preview
You know what they say about statistics.
According to Weebly Show Reviews, only 0.93% of viewers are looking forward to The Flash season 2 premiere, ranked below “Other.” (Small consolation that Arrow season 4 premiere was ranked #1 at 62.88%.)
The Flash was also a distant 7th on Spoiler TVs most popular shows. (Arrow was #1.)
News flash, says The Flash: we couldn’t care less. Season 2 will speak for itself, after what critics agree was a red-hot debut.
Rarely does a new show get so much right when things could’ve gone so terribly wrong. A well-known story of a well-loved hero, played by a low-profile actor in a crowded superhero show schedule. Re-invented comic book characters under the same scrutiny by purists as Arrow has always been.
The season 1 finale was a breathless sprint to the finish, but here are the highlights (and lowlights): Eddie made the ultimate sacrifice for Iris and his friends so the Reverse Flash was erased from existence, although you never know with time travel. Eobard Thawne while in Dr. Harrison Wells’ body dies, or at least we think so.
Given the opportunity, Barry chooses not save his mother, but told her he was OK and that he loved her, which for mothers is enough. Both of his dads – the one in jail and the one who raised him – were willing for the consequences of whatever Barry decided.
There were love scenes in the season 1 finale: these defining father-son conversations.
Visible doom, the ‘singularity’ that resulted from the Reverse Flash’s demise, hovers over Central City, and in trying to stop it, Barry is caught up…fade to black.
I hate it when that happens.
It seems like a lifetime ago – whatever that is – since we first met The Flash as a guest star in Arrow season 2. Grant Gustin nailed that brilliant, earnest, most-likely-to-be-friend-zoned Barry Allen whose mutual scientific/romantic attraction to MIT class of ‘09 cutie pie Felicity Smoak gave Oliver Queen the worst case of slam-the-door jealousy we'd ever seen on the show, that is until Ray Palmer/ATOM, future star of Legends of Tomorrow, arrived in Arrow season 3.
Then the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator went off the rails and, while minding his own business in his forensics lab in Central City, Barry transformed into The Flash and thus began his journey from regular guy to superhero and his quest to reunite his biological family.
The Flash season 1 was a study in Barry’s learning curve. With his virtually unlimited talent, energy, and enthusiasm, over and over again he pushed his skills beyond the limits anybody at S.T.A.R. Labs thought was possible – and succeeded, which captured fans’ imaginations right from the pilot.
We want to see more, and more, and more of this in season 2.
Despite all the discipline and tactical advantages little brother Barry learned from big brother Oliver/the Arrow in the brilliant mid-season crossover, The Flash is still junior varsity. He made some miscalculations in season 1, and people got hurt.
The Flash can still be the born-on-a-sunny-day Barry Allen we love, and work on his superhero maturity in season 2.
The Flash will also need to repurpose himself. For all of season 1, Barry’s powers had in reality only one use to him: to save his mother and free his father. Everything else was gravy.
Season 2 greatly expands the potential threats to Central City and beyond. Grant says he will be playing The Flash on all 3 shows: his own, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow this winter.
Good thing he also spoiled that the Flash is getting a new superpower in season 2: something about lightening!
Let’s talk about Iris West, Barry’s foster sister/unrequited love, which somehow never came off as creepy.
Iris on The Flash has a lot in common with Felicity on Arrow. Both found out the superhero's identity at the end of season 1, despite him not wanting her to, lying to her, and pushing her away for as long as possible.
Because she didn’t know Barry’s secret identity, Iris was stuck having hurt feelings and meeting The Flash on dark rooftops. New insight and new friends – and channeling her grief for Eddie – could give Iris her own purpose in season 2.
Could. Candice, you’re up.
Steering Iris into a love triangle with Barry and Patty Spivot, Shantel VanSanten’s character, is just too easy. Writers: please don’t let Iris’ fate be as a foil for Barry’s crush of the moment. Let’s see Iris on the journalistic beat, annoyingly showing up at crime scenes. Helping Caitlin, Felicity, and dare we hope Lyla go all Girl Power on criminals.
Notice I’m talking a lot about Arrow in a post labeled The Flash. It’s because without Arrow there would be no Flash. At times last season, it really sucked to be Arrow, the wing man to the hot new guy in town, especially if you're the one who invited him in the first place. But nobody doubts it did wonders for The Flash, and the crossovers were ratings dynamite.
Wally West, played by ‘Insurgent’ standout Keiynan Lonsdale, might be just the guy to take The Flash to the next level of superhero awesomeness. Since we still have no idea what happened to Mrs. West (except that Joe still wears his wedding ring), maybe Wally is Iris’ long-lost brother, or in an alternate timeline, her nephew? son?
Dr. Harrison Wells. Sigh. I wish I wished he was dead. But every show needs an amoral, narcissistic genius who somehow viewers still give credit for flashes of humanity and genuine affection for characters he treats as surrogate children…right up until the moment he tries to kill them.
Since Tom Cavanagh is still on the show, we can expect a resurrected Wells to show up when we least expect him, causing trouble in season 2. He died twice in season 1; I doubt third time’s the charm.
Caitlin Snow’s future as Killer Frost: unclear. Season 1 ended with her marrying the love of her life Ronnie Raymond aka Firestorm aka Stephen Amell's cousin Robbie. But Ronnie might have moved over to Legends of Tomorrow with his better half Victor Garber, who would say only that this will be fully explained in The Flash season 2 premiere.
Slurpee-drinking Black Canary fanboy Cisco is hands-down the funniest character on The Flash. There would be street protests if he left the show. Turns out, he got superpowers from the particle accelerator, too, and early in season 2 we see them in action!
(We also hope Cisco gets some action in season 2. Readers: write that boy a hilarious personal ad and send it to The Flash marketing.)
And OMG it's really happening: the original Flash Jay Garrick/Teddy Sears in season 2!
On the down side, Central City's dream team will also deal with Zoom, the first Big Bad on deck. Michael Ironside stars as Lewis Snart, Captain Cold’s father from hell, the actual hell, although every time I see him all I can think of is ‘Top Gun.’
Atom Smasher, played by Adam 'Edge' Copeland, a former professional wrestler with WWE, is coming to town and can’t wait for an Arrow crossover smackdown with Stephen Amell.
Oh, and Atom Smasher also wants to kill The Flash. Get in line.
We all know what multiverses are, but we’re curious how they’ll actually be portrayed on a show with a story line that has so far been mostly linear.
Oh, except for the flashbacks. And the flash forwards. And the season 1 finale.
Not to mention The Flash will be part of the Legends of Tomorrow team fighting immortal super-villain Vandal Savage, with help from time traveler Rip Hunter.
Bloody hell. Is Dr. Stephen Hawking available to consult?
