The Flash Season 3 Premiere Was Both Kinda Fun and Utterly Pointless

The Flash Season 3 Premiere was Both Kinda Fun and Utterly Pointless

What is the point of Flashpoint?

If Flashpoint wanted the audience to have some fun on an alternate version of earth where everyone has different jobs, Flash already did that on Earth-2. If Flashpoint wanted the audience to feel like Barry finally has closure when it comes to not having a family, Flash already did that in the speedforce episode. If Flashpoint wanted to make the Reverse Flash look like a jerk who knew better than Barry, Flash already did that for the entire first season.

Here’s what I hope it didn’t want to do.

I reeeeeeeally hope the Flashpoint episode didn’t exist so that it could be THE Flashpoint episode because it shouldn’t be. Flashpoint is a unique and interesting DC storyline in which Flash goes back in time to save his mother but inadvertently causes the apocalypse. It features a crazy Thomas Wayne Batman, a gigantic war between the Atlanteans and the Amazons, and the heroic Citizen Cold. All of those things would make an amazing movie/tv series/whatever. What we got was not Flashpoint.

The premise of “Barry goes back in time to save his mom and succeeds” was intact but instead of ushering in the apocalypse, Barry’s consequences for messing with the timeline were that he was going to forget about his original life. That’s it. It would be like if they remade Armageddon but this time if Bruce Willis didn’t destroy the asteroid, it would rain. A story like Flashpoint doesn’t work without consequences.

Speaking of the memory angle though, what did Barry expect? He made it very clear that he was fine with staying in this Earth and not being The Flash. That’s why he went back. He wanted a normal life. And maybe that life wasn’t enough for him, but he probably should have said that. Instead he tells Iris he has to “make things right” and apparently that translates into “go back to my own timeline and leave you with a possibly dead Flash.” What things were you making right? What would happen to this Earth if you left? What did you learn?

Because at this point, it seems like Barry learned nothing. He solved the outer problem, that he wasn’t losing his memories anymore, but that wasn’t everything. He didn’t solve the problem of why he needed his memories. Not solving that problem would be fine if he hadn’t gone back yet, but he already did. The only lesson Barry will learn from this is “Don’t do Flashpoint” and that’s a real disservice to a great story.

There were some bright spots. Keiynan Lonsdale was great. He should be the Flash. Barry should have died at the end of Season 2 and we should get a solid half season of Wally trying to take care of Central City before Barry get speed forced back. He was funny. The “unclear” line was easily the funniest of the episode. He also looked the part. He sounded like he was the lead character in his own how. His costume was also amazing but I am concerned that it won’t make it back to Earth-1, even when Wally does inevitably become Kid Flash. (Also why Kid Flash, Iris? Why doesn’t Flash work by itself? There aren’t any other Flashes in this timeline. Just let the man be Flash.)

And I can’t talk about Wally without talking about The Rival. I thought the actor was fine. His costume, on the other hand, was so embarrassingly dumb that I was having a really hard time looking at him. Was the thought process, “Kid Flash doesn’t have a top to his mask. Mine should have a double top.” Rival really looked like he belonged on the 90’s Flash.

I just think the costume department has gotten way too lazy. Sure Zoom looked cool, but the costume didn’t make any sense. Why did his outfit look like Barry’s even though they aren’t from the same Earths? Rival is the same kind of thing. Why does he have those horrible wing ears? Why did he have a lightning bolt? The way these multiple Earths work is if they feel lives in. These just feel like one offs, and while that’s what they are, they shouldn’t feel like that.

So we’ll call it a mulligan. It doesn’t count. We can start next week in pretty much the exact place last season ended. The Earth-2 team is gone. The real Jay Garrick is on Earth-3. The speed demons dragged Zoom to hell. The only departure is that Iris will be mad at her dad, but that’s usually the case so who cares? They’ll make up again right before Joe is inevitably killed two thirds of the way through the season anyway.

And who will kill him? Your guess is as good as mine. The tease at the end worked in that there is not one right answer. We have someone from the other side of the Rival’s mirror writing the word ALCHEMY. Since we know Dr Alchemy will be involved with this season and we know Mirror Master is also happening, maybe they are already working together. That could be fun. Maybe the recruit some of the other villains (Top, Magenta, etc) to form The Rogues. That wouldn’t be too bad.

Damn shame about Flashpoint, though.

Matthew Nando Kelly is an incredibly cool and handsome Senior Staff Writer for Pop-Break who was allowed to write his own bio. Besides weekly Flash recaps, he focuses on film, television, music, and video games. Matthew also has a podcast called Mad Bracket Status where he discusses pop culture related brackets with fellow Pop-Break writer DJ Chapman. He has an unshakable love for U2, cats, and the New Orleans Saints. His twitter handle is @NationofNando. Did we mention how handsome he was?