After preventing armageddon, THE FLASH family finds itself fighting the future and traveling back to a time before it all began in order to fix the damage to the timeline! It’s XS and Impulse to the rescue!
It’s back to the future on The Flash. After repelling the alien antagonist Despero (Tony Curran) and preventing an “Armageddon” that was brought upon by the interference of his arch-nemesis, Eobard Thawne, the Reverse-Flash (Tom Cavanagh), when we rejoin our favorite speedsters in the sixth episode of Season 8, we pick things up right where we left off. Defeating the Godspeed, at the end of Season 7, inspired Barry (Grant Gustin) and Iris (Candice Patton) to renew their vows in the presence of their friends and family, including their future-kids Nora (Jessica Parker Kennedy) and Bart (Jordan Fisher) Allen.
Inevitably the Flash Kids must return to their future’s Central City of Earth-Prime’s 2049. Everything looks intact, especially as Bart takes the minute to warmly absorb the familiar helmet positioned in remembrance of their fallen “Uncle Jay” Garrick, the Golden Age Flash. In that instant, they are bathed in a tachyon wave and the helmet disappears, and a moment later Garrick (John Wesley Shipp) appears at their door carrying several bags of Belly Burgers. Overwhelmed to see him, Bart leaps into his favorite uncle’s arms and can’t hold back the emotion. Jay Garrick is alive!
Inevitably when XS and Impulse returned to 2021 and engaged Godspeed along with the rest of Team Flash, they altered the timeline. They saved Uncle Jay from his fate, but in so doing changed history wiping out the existence of Garrick’s wife, Joan (Michelle Harrison), and replacing her with an Aunt Rose(?). Now the pair have to determine how many other events were affected by their time-traveling and do whatever is in their power to correct their mistake. Nora is able to isolate an event that involves Joe West (Jesse L. Martin); the duo travels back to December 2013 — before there even is a “Flash”.
Travels Through Time
The DC TV primetime “multiverse” appears itself to be in a state of flux (to say the least)! After a particular long-winded hiatus seeing fresh episodes of Season 8 returning to the air in March after the series return last Fall, The Flash concluded the much-vaunted “Armageddon” 5-part event, that was meant to offer up to fans who had felt deprived of the anticipated annual crossover epics. The pandemic put that type of shoot scheduled on a pause in an effort to keep the casts and crews safe and healthy as productions ramped up.
Although “Armageddon” featured some truly brave and bold team-ups, the overall arc of the story felt like a contraption, that ultimately filled the time while audiences awaited the return of Season 8’s evolving narrative (which we have been made aware will revolve around this season’s “Big Bad” which may, or may not, be the Reverse-Flash). The Flash series show-runner Eric Wallace has suggested that the season will be broken up into 3 “graphic novels” leaving a trail of bread crumbs that will ultimately lead to a satisfying final arc and a potentially earth-shattering climax!
In Episode 806: “Impulsive Excessive Disorder” the spotlight shifted to XS (Kennedy and Impulse (Fisher) who mostly represent the future of the franchise. In the episode, the pair explain to the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick (Shipp) the steps which they’ve taken to protect the timeline traveling back to Central City in 2013 after the particle exhilaration explosion, but before Barry Allen has awakened from his coma and begun his super career. Bart expresses some disappointment in his efforts, having just embarked on his own heroic journey, understanding how every step has consequences.
Garrick’s response is to support the youngest speedster and reminds him that they’ve all made mistakes along the way. Interestingly, he reveals that he himself traveled back in time and spent a considerable amount in the 1940s during WWII. This would align with the character’s recent crossover appearances in DC’s Stargirl in which Jay Garrick is revealed to have been a founding member of the original Justice Society of America (although it hasn’t been confirmed if that version of Garrick, although played by Shipp as well, is indeed the same hero from Earth-Prime).
With the future of The Flash and the network of which it is a part of still hotly being considered (The CW has been put up for sale by its parent companies ViacomCBS, now Paramount. and Warner Bros.), a Season 9 of the show has been reported as confirmed (although that’s still debatable); its star Grant Gustin has been said to only be signing on for 15 episodes of a new season, so would XS and Impulse be taking the reigns in a future iteration of the series? Could Jay Garrick be brought in to offer up the mentor role that would round out the cast of such a story arc? It remains to be seen.
Moving Forward
In the meantime, the hero has himself experienced a “level up” in his superpowers and now sporting all-new yellow-gold boots that are constructed to keep up with him, returns to face familiar foes, battling Goldface (guest star Damion Poitier) who has invaded CCPD and imperiled the entire precinct. Barry teams up with police captain Kristen Kramer (guest star Carmen Moore) who hasn’t mastered the full extent of her own meta powers. Iris meanwhile is dealing with issues of “missing time” which could be a side effect of her recent “time illness” and could emerge as a serious problem for Team Flash!
Here’s your #FANSEYEVIEW of the new trailer for DC’s The Flash on The CW:
The Flash continues with new episodes of its Season 8 on Wednesdays at 8 pm, from its previously held spot of Tuesdays at 8 pm where it has dominated as one of The CW’s hits in primetime.
DC’s THE FLASH | starring Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker with Jesse L. Martin airs on The CW, Wednesdays @ 8 pm EST.
