The Flash season 3 premiere episode, "Flashpoint" is a reminder of what the show is capable of.
Don't worry, this article contains NO SPOILERS for The Flash season 3 premiere episode, "Flashpoint."
The Flash Season 3 Episode 1
If you're a regular reader of my Flash-centric ramblings, you'll know that I wasn't particularly in love with The Flash season two. I found it uneven, and a number of the twists felt contrived, particularly how Earth 2 simply became an excuse to get everyone to essentially be the goatee-wearing mirror universe eeeevil versions of themselves. It got old, and it didn't leave enough room for the kind of smart sci-fi that this show is often capable of.
While everything (mostly) worked out by the season finale, you might also remember that I was ambivalent about Barry's decision to alter the past and save his mother. In particular, I questioned the wisdom of going to the "Flashpoint" well relatively early in the series' history, and I worried that they were quickly going to dig another hole, with more gimmick-y alternate universe/timeline versions of familiar characters and situations.
Well, after watching The Flash season 3 premiere episode, "Flashpoint," I am pleased to report that my fears weren't just unfounded, they were really frakkin' unfounded. "Flashpoint" is a wonderful return to form for the series, the best episode since the first half of season two, and right up there with some of the best in the show's history.
Here's a quick Flash Fact (well, it's a Mike Fact, but whatever) for you: I never particularly cared for the comic story that this is loosely based on. The comic book version of "Flashpoint" was needlessly dark, and was so interested in showing off a DC Universe gone wild that a lot of the impact of Barry's actual emotional story was lost.
Well, that doesn't happen here. While in the comics, Barry's actions rewrote the whole world with some bizarre and disastrous consequences, here, things are far more subtle, and the focus stays on the people who bring us back week after week. As we've seen in the trailers, Barry's relationships with Iris, Joe, and Cisco have changed dramatically (and yes, Cisco is in a very different place than he is in "our" timeline), none of it is an excuse to go off the rails. Is it possible that I just missed these characters and this world, and that's coloring my perception? Maybe. But it says so much about this cast and the solid foundations the show has built that they settle so comfortably into these new dynamics and it all feels completely believable and natural.
Watch The Flash on Amazon Prime
Last year, I took the controversial position that Matt Letscher's Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash had the potential to become the definitive version of the character. I wasn't taking anything away from the brilliant Tom Cavanagh (I'm still not), but Cavanagh was Thawne-in-disguise, while Letscher is playing a purer version of the character, one who has a history with Barry that we have yet to even see or understand. I am certain that any doubters will be converted by his performance in "Flashpoint" and the implications of his presence going forward (he's going to be a regular presence on Legends of Tomorrow this year, too).
And yes, even though this is very much a character-first installment, there's still superhero action to be had. There are some speedster slugfests that might be the very best the show has ever produced, and Keiynan Lonsdale settles so naturally into the role of Kid Flash (and that costume looks terrific in action) that you absolutely believe he's already got a couple of years of crimefighting experience under his belt. But superhero action isn't what's gonna solve any problems this time around, and "Flashpoint" ends up having more in common with an episode of The Twilight Zone than it does with an issue of Justice League before the hour is up.
Flash Facts!
Cool your jets, speedsters. I'm sworn to secrecy on this front until after the closing credits roll on Tuesday night. Come back here at 9 pm eastern time on Tuesday, and I'll update this article with the usual bits of DC Comics trivia hidden in the margins, as well as a few more spoiler-filled explorations about this episode and the potential future of the show.
Seriously, it's good to be back in Central City. Looking forward to talking CW superhero stuff with you all again!
