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All 9 The Flash season finales ranked from worst to best

By Stefani Munro

The Flash -- "The Curious Case of Bartholomew Allen" -- Image Number: FLA816b_0299r.jpg -- Pictured: Grant Gustin as The Flash -- Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW -- © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
The Flash -- "The Curious Case of Bartholomew Allen" -- Image Number: FLA816b_0299r.jpg -- Pictured: Grant Gustin as The Flash -- Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW -- © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved. /
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The Flash season 5 finale
The Flash — “Time Bomb” — Image Number: FLA517b_0148b.jpg — Pictured: Sarah Carter as Cicada II/Grace Gibbons — Photo: Sergei Bachlakov/The CW — © 2019 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved /

7. The Flash Season 5: Legacy

While the season 5 finale of The Flash, titled “Legacy,” which aired on May 14, 2019, did have some redeeming qualities, it ultimately fell short of its potential, earning its place as the third-worst season finale in the history of the show. The episode followed a rather predictable narrative, failing to introduce significant surprises or twists, which left us longing for more excitement in the plot. Here are additional reasons why it landed on our ranking:

1. Ineffective use of Cicada: Overall we felt that Cicada, as the main antagonist of the season, was one of the weaker villains in the show’s history. The motivations and character development of Cicada were not as compelling as some of the other antagonists, and this lackluster portrayal extended into the finale, leaving us pretty underwhelmed. The entire Cicada storyline, which had been a central arc throughout the season, felt poorly resolved. The attempts to reboot or recreate the Cicada character throughout the season created confusion and made the resolution unsatisfying.

2. Lack of emotional impact: In contrast to some of the show’s other season finales, we felt that “Legacy” left us yearning for the typical emotional impact, primarily because of its predictability. The Flash has earned a reputation for its ability to deeply touch viewers’ hearts and craft powerful character-driven moments. However, “Legacy” missed the mark in this department, failing to deliver on the significant emotional payoff that we have come to expect. The episode lacked those climactic moments that usually evoke a strong emotional response from the audience, leaving it feeling somewhat hollow in comparison to other season finales.

3. Pacing issues (again): Like in the season 7 finale, there were several pacing issues that made us feel the resolution of season 5 was unsatisfying. The first half of the episode felt quite messy and rushed, which left the Cicada storyline poorly resolved. Although we had hoped that the finale would ideally tie up loose ends and provide closure for various character arcs and plot threads, it didn’t deliver on this, leaving us disappointed and wanting more.

Being one of the less impressive finales in The Flash’s history, its ranking as the third-worst in the show’s finale history should hardly raise many eyebrows.

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