Unfortunately, the show squandered a good half its remaining by focusing on Barry’s unexpected bout of compassion for Savitar. This might have been an interesting route to explore had Savitar been shown to have literally any redeeming or even sympathetic qualities throughout the season, but as it is, he was pretty much a mustache twirling bad guy, making Barry’s plea seem both naive and pointless. Not only did it not change Savitar’s mind, but it didn’t factor at all into his ultimate defeat. The only positive I can draw out of this is that it seems the writers have regained their interest in a positive, more upbeat Barry, who works much better as the protagonist than the brooding one we’ve seen for most the season.
The actual final battle with Savitar wasn’t anything write home about. Sadly, the show never quite found a way to make the way Savitar’s speed works look less cartoonish, but it was pretty neat to see almost all of the show’s speedsters working in tandem. Even during previous team-ups, each speedster more or less took on their own target; here they finally got a chance to play off of one another and truly join forces. I was glad it was Iris who got the killing blow though. Not only was it a nice bit of poetic justice, it also helped to give her back some agency in a storyline that has mostly treated her like a plot device.
While it was disappointing that we never really got a definitive answer on why Killer Frost was so loyal to Savitar (other than plot convenience, of course), I was also satisfied with the way they ended things with Caitlin this season, leaving her neither a hero nor a villain, but rather a sort of in-betweener. The team has gotten rather over- crowded this season and having a member who’s been there since the series pilot part ways with them is a good way to shake things up. It also felt like there needed to be some kind of consequence for all the things Caitlin did as Killer Frost, even if she does now regret her actions. I’m curious to see whether Danielle Panabaker will remain a series regular next season or whether she’ll move to a supporting role given Caitlin’s shifting alignment; it’s certainly easy enough to imagine Jesse or Cindy filling her spot on the team.
Of course the most exciting set up for next season came in the last few heart- wrenching minutes of the finale when Barry trapped in the speed force, just as he and Iris were about to get their happy ending. It’s unclear how long Barry will be stuck in there, but all signs point to Wally taking up the mantle of the Flash in Barry’s absence, as per comics canon and Cisco possibly becoming the new team leader. In other words, when Barry does get out, he could be dealing with a very different Team Flash and a lost sense of identity.
But even with all these exciting plot threads, if there’s one thing this season proved it’s best thing the series has going for it is its powerhouse cast. The show is at its best when it allows its actors to having fun with their characters rather than bog them down in repetitive drawn out storylines. Hopefully that’s something we’ll see more of come next fall.
Written by Kaitlin Roberts, THE FLASH Beat Writer -- Click to read Kaitlin's posts
Related Posts:
THE FLASH Season 3 Episode 22 Review: One Last HeistTHE FLASH Season 3 Episode 21 Review: Here’s Your Required Dose of Filler
Superhero TV Series That Were Renewed, Canceled and What New Shows Are Coming Soon