The Flash: All 9 seasons ranked from worst to best

5. The Flash season 5

The Flash‘s connections to the future grew exponentially in the show’s fifth season and it all had to do with the arrival of Barry and Iris’ daughter Nora West-Allen. Portrayed by Jessica Parker Kennedy, the quirky and lovable speedster had sporadically popped up in season 4 before we actually knew who she was, and now it was up to season 5 to tell us everything.

For the most part it succeeded, successfully integrating Nora into the show and giving the DC fans some neat futuristic Easter Eggs along the way. The struggle came from the season’s tendency to go around in circles, with Nora continually making the same mistakes in spite of the show’s effort to make it clear that she had learned from them. Thankfully, Jessica Parker Kennedy’s joyous performance elevated the story past its issues, and there were some genuinely jaw-dropping twists in Nora’s journey.

Season 5’s biggest issue was its villain, Cicada. A meta-murderer intent on seeking vengeance for what happened to his niece, the potential was there, but it was never realized. The character came off as one-dimensional and allowed the season to give in to its repetitive nature, as Mr. “This Ends Now” would show up, almost kill Team Flash, get outsmarted, and inevitably escape. And our beloved team of superheroes (including Killer Frost, who was immune to his meta-dampening dagger) kept watching it happen on a cycle. No Cicada, it did not “end now”. Not even close.