There’s been a lot of speculation around Season 3 of “The Flash,” and Grant Gustin may have helped allay some fears…or spark some new ones!
***WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR SEASON 2’S FINALE COMING***
After defeating Zoom and freeing the real Jay Garrick at the end of Season 2, Barry seemed set with Wally as a new fixture in Joe West’s life and his relationship with Iris. Despite losing his father to Hunter Zolomon, The Fastest Man Alive finally appeared to be at peace with his place in the world.
He then goes and travels back to the night his mom was killed (again!) and saves her. Now, the last time the Scarlet Speedster tried something like this, he was warned about the paradoxical implications of his actions. If that wasn’t enough, a future Barry was there to stop then-present Barry from saving Nora Allen. Confused yet?
Well, next season should get a WHOLE lot more confusing with a paradox for the ages. According to Gustin, via Twitter, we know what the of the show’s third season opener will be titled:
FLASHPOINT. This is not drill. https://t.co/nzq2NJh9pl
— Grant Gustin (@grantgust) June 20, 2016
This, after Gustin teased a major theme and DCTV head honcho Greg Berlanti gave the go ahead to spill the beans. So what does this mean for the show?
The DC Comics “Flashpoint” storyline where Barry Allen wakes up to a drastically changed timeline, featuring a Thomas Wayne-Batman who began fighting crime after the murder of his son, Bruce, and runs Wayne Casinos.
Superman is a government prisoner, and many other heroes and stories are altered.
While “The Flash” hasn’t introduced many of the major characters from Flashpoint, the name suggests that instead of losing his powers (as many fear), he’ll return to a drastically changed world. Whether his direct involvement in the paradox allows him to keep his powers and memories of the prime timeline, similar to Eobard Thawn’s temporal protection in Season 2 remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Barry’s mom is still alive. That means his father is never imprisoned and continues to be a doctor, Joe never fosters Barry (and thus their relationship is not nearly as close as in the prime timeline). Whether his and Iris’ relationship continues as very close friends or become romantically involved earlier (or later) is another question weighing on peoples’ minds.
Eddie will still be alive, and it’s unclear what Eobard Thawn’s role would be in the new timeline. He would likely be imprisoned, thus never taking Harrison Wells’ place. The reactor explosion (and Barry’s association with S.T.A.R. Labs, Ronnie’s metamorphosis into Firestorm and other metahuman-related events) could still happen, since an accidental explosion occurred on Earth-2.
But it will be a drastically different world The Flash would return to next season. The impact on Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl are also up in the air, though Stephen Amell is doesn’t seem to think there will be a major effect on the show. And that’s good news, since untangling (then presumably retangling) three, potentially four, shows that have characters The Flash has interacted with would be a logistical nightmare. But Berlanti hasn’t let us down yet, so buckle up. Something tells us this season is going to be the best yet for The Flash!
What do you think? Will Flashpoint be a good thing for the show? Or should Barry quit messing with the fabric of space-time and settle for fighting metahumans, wherever they crop up? Sound off!