The Flash season 8, episode 3 review: Armageddon, Part 3

“It’s happening, Jefferson. You have to take away my powers.” Spoilers for The Flash season 8, episode 3 follow.

Fearing that Despero might be right about his future as a destroyer, The Flash turns to Black Lightning to help him do something that the League all agreed to do if they went rogue: Get rid of his powers.

Meanwhile, the rest of Team Flash tries to find ways to help Barry – something that leads to conflict between Iris and Cecile.

Here’s everything that happened in The Flash season 8, episode 3 “Armageddon, Part 3”.

Lightning strikes in The Flash season 8

It really shouldn’t be surprising that the best part of this episode comes in the form of the interactions between Barry Allen and Jefferson Pierce. The little time they spent together in Crisis on Infinite Earths was one of the highlights of the crossover and yet again, in one scene, it immediately becomes clear that it wasn’t a fluke. The first scene of “Armageddon, Part 3” is absolutely incredible and it sets the tone for every scene that they share for the rest of the episode. And really, this first scene was one of the best singular scenes of the past several seasons. It was that good.

This episode could’ve have been entirely the two of them talking and philosophizing with each other, figuring out what to do about Barry’s issues and it would’ve stayed interesting throughout because Grant Gustin and Cress Williams have amazing chemistry together. Gustin in particular delivers one of his best performances in recent memory, especially in the final act of the episode.

However, after not being a real problem in the first two episodes, the sins of the previous season begin to return in this episode. It opens fantastically, but then barely uses Barry and Jefferson throughout. They book end the episode, yes, but there’s only one other scene with them within the middle of it. They should have been the focus of the entire episode.

Hero in crisis

As for the rest of Team Flash, they really don’t have much to do, despite much of the episode, for some reason, being focused around them. Basically, they’re just searching for Barry. It’s not like he’s even hiding though. He’s at the League base, which Team Flash, even outside of STAR Labs, should have access to. So basically, the entire plot for them finding Barry is pointless and it makes no sense why it takes up so much screen time.

Despite this though, there are some great scenes with Cecile throughout the episode and even though they don’t entirely make up for the worthless plot (yes, Despero uses them to find Barry, but that makes their search even dumber in hindsight), it gives Danielle Nicolet several opportunities to deliver a great performance – which she definitely does.

Search for Joe

As for Iris though, her search for Joe (who she thinks might be alive) also feels pretty worthless beyond the fact that it’s an excuse for Barry to travel to the future at the end of the episode (which will get Mia Queen back in our lives *squee*). Just like the search for Barry, nothing interesting happens in this plot and it takes up way too much screen time.

It also feels like another sin from season 7. Taking an idea from the comics and changing it for absolutely no reason. Here, it’s giving the Still Force a negative version of itself instead of just using the Negative Speed Force (like, y’know, the comics). It’s a pointless change/addition and adds absolutely nothing to the episode.

After two stellar opening episodes of the season, the third episode of The Flash season 8 stumbles and not even the awesome scenes between Flash and Black Lightning can save it.

The Flash season 8 airs on The CW on Tuesday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET.

What did you think of The Flash season 8, episode 3? Is the Armageddon event living up to expectations? Let us know in the comments below!