The Flash season 8, episode 12 review: Death Rises

“How the hell did you used to deal with this?” Spoilers for The Flash season 8, episode 12 follow.

With the Black Flame revealing what it’s true form actually is, Team Flash scrambles to figure out a way to defeat the newly powered Deathstorm.

While they try to do so though, Deathstorm goes on an unprecedented murder spree.

Here’s everything that went down in The Flash season 8, episode 12 “Death Rises”.

Deathstorm rises in The Flash season 8

Well, now we fully know what the Black Flame has been the entire time. The Arrowverse’s version of Deathstorm.

It’s a very different version of the character as it is basically a multiversal entity hellbent on destroying life, but it at least looks like the Blackest Night version of Deathstorm. I guess that’s better than just completely changing the adaptation. But yeah, really, this character is Deathstorm in name only and it feels like the writers decided to only make him Deathstorm in order to bring Robbie Amell back and to try to do something with Caitlin. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it also is a bit disappointing that it’s not actually a corrupted version of Ronnie Raymond.

But hey, at least Deathstorm’s prevalence makes for some light horror scenes in this episode. As a horror fan, this is always a good thing, but the episode doesn’t make enough use of its new horror elements. The best example of its use is the first scene itself where Deathstorm almost kills Caitlin. This scene, while not even close to the scariest thing in the world, is unsettling with how it uses Deathstorm and the genuine shock when you think that Caitlin is about to die.

Disappointingly, this is the best scene of the episode. It started out so strong and the rest of the episode doesn’t live up to it. For example, the murder spree that Deathstorm begins to go on basically feels like an afterthought after Flash meets up with Kramer and the CCPD. Yes, it’s a catalyst for the episode, and it’s disappointing that Team Flash is looking so inward at themselves that it almost doesn’t feel like they care for the other victims beyond a basic sense of heroism. This has honestly been a problem that the show has had for a while, but it’s very noticeable here.

The episode also doesn’t feel it knows what tone it’s going for. For most of the episode, it’s incredibly dark and messed up. But then, suddenly a hair metal song begins to play and Barry starts to run across the air by tossing lightning circles and somehow running on those. It’s beyond even comic book logic.

End the Time Sickness

I swear, if this Time Sickness plotline doesn’t end soon, I will throw my laptop in my television. It’s just beyond infuriating at this point. It’s absolutely worthless. There’s absolutely nothing interesting happening with it and it’s just conveniently being used to create artificial drama for Iris at this point. At least at the end of the episode, Deathstorm begins to haunt Iris.

Everything about Time Sickness in this episode is dumb. First, it’s used as an excuse to magically save Iris from Tinya and then transport her back to Central City with no explanation whatsoever. Then, it somehow has infected Deon, a.k.a. the freaking Still Force, and makes him disappear just like Tinya’s mom. Seriously, how is it still going? This storyline desperately needs to end. It’s season 4 level bad at this point.

At least Sue is good in this part of the episode and has a nice Joe-like inspirational moment. That’s about the only positive part of this storyline.

The Flash season 8 mostly squanders Deathstorm’s first full appearance. And the less said about Time Sickness, the better.

The Flash season 8 airs new episodes on The CW on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET.

What did you think of The Flash season 8, episode 12? Let us know in the comments below!