11 things nobody wants to admit about The Flash

2. It never managed to reclaim the glory of its first three seasons

Remember when fans were critical of The Flash season 3 for the way that it handled many of its storylines? Well, I think maybe they were being a bit too hard on the show in hindsight. Yes, the truth is that season 3 has aged remarkably well, with fans often looking back on it and appreciating it for putting together a well-crafted storyline (even if it fell apart a little the longer it went on).

It was after that that things really went downhill for the show. The fourth season had far too many episodes with an overpowered villain that had to spend too much time off-screen, while season 5 suffered the same fate, except its villain wasn’t overpowered and yet managed to evade capture every single time his plan to kill the heroes failed. Season 6 managed to turn things around for the show, but the back half couldn’t follow up its incredible first half, and season 7 is widely regarded as the worst season of the series. The final two seasons fared a little better, but they had far too many of the same issues that plagued the show for years.

The Flash ended its run as full of potential as it was when it started it, the unfortunate thing is that it had stopped fulfilling that potential for years. The show spent most of its run trying to remind us of what it was capable of, and only occasionally doing so. It all had to do with the post-season 5’s creative team’s reliance on the same crutches, bland new characters, and a repetitive storytelling format that harmed the show more than it helped.

If The Flash returned for one final season, it would still be capable of greatness, and that’s why it’s so frustrating that lessons weren’t learned from the many mistakes it made between seasons 4 and 9. Its run could have been much smoother if that had been the case.