The Flash season 6, episode 1 review: Into the Void

“I think knowing that we have a second chance makes all the difference.” Spoilers for The Flash season 6, episode 1 follow.

Nora no longer exists thanks to Thawne, but Barry and Iris seem to be moving on. But the seeming normalcy is all that Team Flash has right now.

The crisis is looming, and nothing will slow its inevitability, no matter what anyone knowingly or unknowingly does.

The Light and the Dark

Pretty much every season of The Flash to this point has started out a certain way. The previous season ends on a dour note, but the fun picks back up at the beginning of the next season. That exact same thing happens with this season, with the humor being the strongest its been in a while, but it’s not just that. There’s a darkness underneath due to the ending of season 5. The characters, especially Iris, haven’t moved on from what happened but, instead, it’s key to their motivations. Iris misses Nora, and it feels like this is leading to a breakdown for her.

Much of this is shown not told though, as it’s just a couple looks here or there, as well as finding one of Nora’s old suits. So Candice Patton needs to have a great performance throughout this episode. Thankfully, she’s fantastic. Her expressions, while not subtle, are very quiet and understated as compared to much of the acting on the show, thus creating some excellent emotion throughout the episode.

This really feels like the first season where there will be lasting fallout from the previous season. While season 5’s villain, Cicada, was directly linked to the ending of season 4, there hasn’t been much emotional connection to the previous season. This seems to be changing with season though, which is a good thing. The lack of emotional connections to certain characters have been the downfall of the past two seasons of The Flash, so it’s pleasing to see this season attempt to have lasting consequences for these characters.

Are All Ramsey’s Bad?

It seems like anytime there’s a character named Ramsey who shows up in anything, they will automatically be evil. Is that simply because of Game of Thrones’ Ramsay Bolton? Probably, but it doesn’t make the conclusion incorrect here. While not as evil (at least yet) as Ramsay Bolton, Ramsey Russo is already not a good person in this episode, that much is clear. He uses his connection to Caitlin as a means to an end for himself. This episode does a solid job of establishing him as a future thorn in Team Flash’s side, even if he’s not Bloodwork yet.

This helps lead to Caitlin’s struggles, though. She and Killer Frost are on the outs with each other, not for something either of them did but rather because of things that have happened to them. Barry and Iris are the main characters, so it’s obvious to see them as emotionally broken in this episode. However, it was a surprise to see Caitlin that way, as well. It was a welcome surprise, though, as it gave more depth to her character, as well as making Ralph a better character, and useful, in the process.

Black Holes Everywhere

How does one fight a black hole? No one really ever thinks about needing an answer to that question. However, Team Flash does in this episode. It really felt like the premiere of season 6 wasn’t going to go back to the villain-of-the-week well, but alas, it does. However, it does so with a twist.

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The “villain” of this episode isn’t a villain. His powers were an accident and he’s not purposefully doing anything. In fact, he’s in a coma. This creates such a different dynamic for the team, as they are attempting not to kill the man who’s accidentally creating these black holes. This creates a more exciting episode that makes use of its characters in smart ways, as well as adding emotion to Barry’s journey. He doesn’t want anyone else to die, like Nora died, forcing the team to take the more heroic, and more difficult, path to saving the day. So despite the “villain-of-the-week” trope being utilized in this episode, it’s done so in a way that’s different and more effective than how it’s been done in the past. Plus, the new suits for The Flash and Killer Frost introduced in this episode are fantastic.

The Flash starts off its sixth season on an extremely high note, balancing emotion and its tropes in a highly effective way.