The Flash Season 3, Episode 1 Recap: “Flashpoint”
By Tim Adams
The Flash races into Season 3 with a trip to the Flashpoint universe.
You would think Barry Allen would know better than to meddle with the timestream—especially for personal gain. However, that’s not the case. Let’s take a look at The Flash‘s Season 3 debut and see how much Barry’s screwed with history!
Speed Force-Induced Summary
The Flash travels back in time to rescue his mother from being murdered by the Reverse Flash. Flash then takes his prisoner back to the present and locks him in a speed-dampening cage.
This begins our brand new “Flashpoint” reality. Life is great for Barry—his parents are alive, and he’s no longer burdened with being The Flash. So what if the Reverse Flash keeps bringing up how Barry’s actions will destroy them all? Evil threats are what villains are known for.
Image Courtesy of The CW
Only one thing is on Barry’s mind, and that’s getting a date with CCPN reporter Iris West. After a mild case of stalking (warning: don’t try this at home kids), Iris accepts Barry’s invitation for lunch. Not every West is on good terms with Barry, however.
More from TV
- Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episodes 1 and 2 review: Aftermath
- The 9 best (and 8 worst) Arrowverse characters
- 10 things nobody wants to admit about The Walking Dead
- Harley Quinn renewed for a fifth season on Max (and it’s well-deserved)
- The Walking Dead: Every TWD spinoff show coming in 2024 and beyond
It seems in the Flashpoint universe, Detective Joe West is constantly late for work and is hungover, as Barry discovers when he goes home to check on Joe. After a “quick” shower and change of clothes, Barry gets Joe over to the CCPD. Joe’s not sure why Barry is being so friendly, but he reminds Barry that they are not friends.
As Iris starts to question why she feels such a strong connection to Barry, he’s hit with his first flashback to his original timeline. Scenes from the first two seasons of The Flash literally “flash” before Barry’s eyes.
A news bulletin comes out regarding a new speedster villain called The Rival terrorizing Central City. Barry races to the scene just in time to catch The Rival facing off against Kid Flash. After saving Kid Flash’s life, Barry unmasks him to discover that Wally West is now The Flash of Central City.
Image Courtesy of The CW
In our Flashpoint reality, Wally and Iris work together to fight crime. I have to say, I’m glad to see Iris being proactive and not standing on the sidelines in the fight against crime. Anyway, Wally hasn’t been able to defeat The Rival by himself. This prompts Iris to proclaim only one person can help them—millionaire Cisco Ramon!
That’s right folks, Cisco is a very rich man in Flashpoint. S.T.A.R. Labs is now the home base for his app business. Even though Cisco created Kid Flash’s suit, he wants no part of doing good deeds. Barry tries reasoning with Cisco by recalling a memory between Cisco and his brother, Dante. Just when Cisco looks to be reconsidering, Barry suffers another flashback.
Reverse Flash tells Barry that Flashpoint is overwriting his memories. The more Barry uses his powers, the quicker his old memories will fade away. Barry, ever the optimist, decides to assemble #TeamFlash by bringing Wally, Iris, Cisco, and Caitlin Snow to S.T.A.R. Labs.
Barry and Iris share a quiet moment together before Barry races off with Kid Flash to take on The Rival. During the fight, Kid Flash suffers a life-threatening injury at the hands of The Rival. After some words of encouragement from Iris, Barry is able to knock out The Rival. Joe West even makes an appearance, shooting The Rival before he can strike down Barry.
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry makes the hardest decision of his life. He decides to let Reverse Flash go back in time to kill his mother. Thus, all is now right with the world! Except, Barry discovers that in the present, there is a rift between Joe and Iris. Can Barry repair this broken relationship? Or will he end up breaking time even further?
Image Courtesy of The CW
Highlight
Getting to see the DC Comics event Flashpoint recreated for the small screen was a treat. Especially since the ramifications will continue to play out as the season progresses. Coincidentally, next week’s episode is titled, “Paradox,” taken from the DC animated film, Flashpoint Paradox.
Closing Thoughts
“Flashpoint” gave us our first look at Kid Flash, along with alternate takes on Cisco, Joe West, and Caitlin Snow. Barry Allen recognized his error and tried to fix it. Unfortunately, whenever you try to fix the time stream, it causes a butterfly effect that’s impossible to predict.