The Flash Season Finale Review: The Race of His Life (Season 2 Episode 23)
The Flash’s Season 2 finale, “The Race of His Life” is an unsatisfying end to a unsatisfying season. At least they were consistent.
It’s Zoom versus The Flash and the season has built to… a big race. Sorry, didn’t we do one of those last season? Ya know, with the other speed villain?
I’m willing to work with The Flash. Let’s agree Zoom trying to destroy the multiverse via a race in a big, circular contraption is completely different from Eobard Thawne trying to go back to the future via a race in a big, circular contraption.
I started the episode hopeful. Barry is dealing with significant rage and with good reason. Zoom stuck an arm through his father’s chest. Rage on Barry.
All this discussion around Barry’s desire to kill Zoom is really interesting, too. The Flash will finally force Barry to deal with his “No Kill” vow in a real way. No easy outs this time.
I secretly hoped Barry would kill Zoom. Before we have gasps of “Jen is advocating murder” (I mean… just a little), watching Barry claw his way back from that choice would be fascinating. It would also be a nice flip on the Arrow Season 2 storyline The Flash is trying to emulate.
I realize Barry is supposed to be pure as the driven snow, but he’s been nearly stagnate this whole season. Let’s move the character growth dial and dive deep into the darker side of Barry Allen. It would be something new.
Instead, Team Flash freaks out because The Rainbow isn’t sparkling anymore. They lock Barry up. It’s a ridiculously bad idea, but I’ll give them points because at least “betrayal” is something different.
Yes, it came from a good place. Team Flash loves Barry and they are only trying to protect him. Their plan wasn’t even half bad until Joe fell through the breach.
But is Team Flash right? NO. You can’t stop Barry from dealing with his darker side by locking him up. Let the man be a man and face his demons head on. No matter the consequences. Heroes don’t hide in jail to avoid the tough calls.
I know Joe wants Barry to retain his light (spoiler alert, Joe: he will), but the journey to that decision is how a hero is made. Joe can’t lock Barry up every time he experiences anger. It’s a real and legitimate feeling, Joe.
I find this constant babying of Barry Allen maddening. And you know what? So does Barry. Take a seat father figures.
“The Race of His Life” could change all of that, but no such luck. Barry is about to kill Zoom and instead he’s killed by a Zoom time remnant. Easy out #1.
When Barry has his second chance, the Harry Potter Reject Ghosts show up and handle Zoom for him. Easy out #2.
Barry is forced to choose… nothing.
The Flash has been promising the big “Man in the Iron Mask” reveal. That’s going to fix everything because it will be shocking and so sad.
How many of you said he’s Henry Allen’s doppelgänger? How many? Oh that’s right. EVERYBODY.
If you are going to build an entire season around a “big shocking reveal” it’d be nice if the reveal was big and shocking.
Henry Allen has a doppelgänger. Isn’t the entire premise of multi earths that everybody has a Doppelganger? How is any of this shocking? How is any of this interesting? It’s not.
It must also impact the plot to be big. John Wesley Shipp gets a nice little send off. He wears The Flash costume one last time, but then he’s gone. So, nice The Flash focuses on a build up that has absolutely zero impact to the narrative.
Iris rightly decides to tell a grieving Barry she loves him. Yes, Barry’s lost much, but Iris offers him something infinitely precious to gain. Okay… NOW we’re getting somewhere.
But Barry decides he’s hollow after the death of his father. He can’t love Iris because he has nothing to give. I’m sorry, but didn’t the death of his mother emotionally torture him for 16 years? Ya know, the 16 years he spent FALLING IN LOVE WITH IRIS!
Lord, give me strength.
Speaking of Nora, Barry decides a world in which both his parents are dead is untenable. So, he TIME TRAVELS and saves Nora Allen.
I suppose The Flash thinks erasing Barry’s catalytic event is okay because they gave him another one with Henry Allen. Sorry folks, you aren’t going to wiggle out of this one on a technicality.
The entire point of Barry being one with the Speed Force is so the Speed Force could tell him, “Hey buddy. You are a superhero. The Universe is with you, but that won’t stop bad things from happening. ACCEPT IT.”
Instead of dealing with his God complex, Barry decides to run head long into it and CHANGE ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING.
Season 2 is basically a repeat of Season 1, but they decide to end it by erasing the Season 1 finale. Letting Nora die was the one time Barry understood what sacrifice required. They simply erase Barry’s strongest moment of growth.
Here’s the point of a season arc: The hero has to learn something. The season started with Eddie and Ronnie’s death. It ended with Henry’s. Barry has to learn real heroism means sacrifice and loss. It’s not all about keys to the city.
When faced with that reality, Barry can’t deal. Not even when GOD HIMSELF tells him that. I understand characters can be obstinate in their growth, but this is a new level.
Perhaps this decision is meant to be shocking, but Barry refusing to accept the limits of his powers isn’t a new theme. It’s the same one they’ve been hitting on all season long. Worse, we come away with zero resolution and growth.
Barry accepted Nora’s death, but he applies none of those lessons to Henry’s. He starts all over again. It’s why the character is stagnant. Same storyline and same mistakes.
Some may argue Henry’s death sent Barry over the edge and his choice is understandable. But Barry made the same choice last season. He manipulated time to try to save his mother. Worm hole, Eddie, singularity, Ronnie, breaches, Zoom… any of this ringing a bell Barry? How does the hero not learn from the experiences of two seasons?
Let’s not forget The Flash is constantly telling us how dangerous altering the timeline is. Barry knows this and yet repeatedly does so whenever he deems necessary. He shows complete disregard for all the lives he holds dear.
Why? Because his parent is dead. I am sorry for his loss, but this tragic event is no different from how Barry began his journey. It’s not enough of a reason for Barry to act this selfishly. Especially, when GOD AND IRIS tell Barry how much he’s been given in spite of those losses.
At least, if Barry made a choice whether or not to kill Zoom he would have faced his darkness head on. This time travel decision is avoidance again. It is intended to erase the darkness all together. That’s not facing anything, Barry. That’s just running from your problems.
“All Barry does is run. “
My husband said this to me when we watched the pilot, to explain The Flash’s powers. I had no idea how deeply true those words would prove to be.
Maybe there will be consequences, but I have a feeling The Flash will fix them next season with time travel. That’s what they do. Time travel has become a narrative crutch for The Flash.
The Flash is either repeating comic book issues verbatim (I know the fans love it but it doesn’t make for a very interesting TV show). Or they are repeating previous storylines nearly verbatim. Or they are erasing said storylines with time travel, so they can do them all over again next season.
How is this a progressive narrative? It’s not and that’s a very big problem.
While we may have lost Tom Cavanaugh again to Earth 2, The Flash immediately opens the door for Eobnard Thawne to return. Barry doesn’t kill him while saving Nora.
Could it mean a third season of a SPEED VILLAIN? Probably.
It looks like rewatching Season 1 will be a better use of my time in Season 3. No different than Season 2. I am very disappointed, Flash.
Stray Thoughts
- Cisco is the only saving grace. He’s my light in the dark.
- Wally is making sense. You know the end is nigh.
- If Zoom can open the breaches anytime how does sending him back to Earth 2 solve anything?
- Caitlin’s end to her Season 2 storyline and finale contribution is pretending to like Jay? Do better with your female characters show. IMMEDIATELY.
- While the potential “Flashpoint” setup excites many fans, logically it requires a ripple effect across the DC TV universe. Will Arrow and Legends be significantly impacted? Highly doubtful. Thereby rendering Flash time travel even more illogical.
What did you think of this episode of The Flash ? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Flash airs Tuesday at 8/7c on The CW.
Jennifer Knutson
Wife, mother and TV enthusiast. She has a degree in Communications, a minor in English, a background in marketing, and a deep love for all story telling mediums. The TV obsession probably started from birth, but hit saturation level with Buffy The Vampire Slayer and hasn't dissipated since. She has a weakness for dark & twisty heroes and selfless love stories. When she's not working, raising her little human, or spending time with her spouse, she's writing, analyzing, tweeting, and obsessing about all things Arrow. You can check out her blog here: http://jbuffyangel.tumblr.com/ You can also follow Jennifer on Twitter: @jbuffyangel
7 comments
Amen. This is everything that I ranted about to my family and friends last night and this morning. To me – and maybe it’s just because I’m a big Oliver Queen/Arrow fan – the only way that Barry will truly become a hero in the light – a real hero – is if he embraces his dark side. Shado told Oliver in season 2 that everyone has a dark side, and that they need to embrace it. (Paraphrasing it a little here.) And the Flash team refuses to let him do that. The reason why Oliver Queen is a true hero is because he has dabbled in the darkness. He’s killed before, and when he didn’t kill Slade, it was character development for him, because season 1 Oliver would have killed him. I wanted Barry to kill Zoom. SO BADLY. I wanted him to go on a rampage extending into season 3. I also wanted Oliver to be the one who helps bring him back to the light.
But instead they took the easy way out, just like you said. With all the buildup this season for the “big showdown”, it just fell flat on its face. I was telling my friend that, even though this is a sci-fi show, it would be nice if at least the finale made sense, because it really didn’t. I was Wally the entire episode. Time remnant sacrificing himself? Huh?
I think it would have made more sense to kill Henry in 20 like they did Moira, and then let that anger build up. It worked in Arrow because Oliver had time to deal with his anger and grief, and then channel it to defeat Slade. Barry just…I don’t really know what Barry did. This is the maddest I’ve ever been at a character. He constantly abuses his power so that HE can be happy. He never thinks about anyone else. That’s not what a hero does.
Anyways, end of rant. That got a little longer than I expected. Like I said, right on the money! 🙂
Excellent review. I will say I was loving this episode until Barry decided to go back in time to save his mom, thus rendering Season 1 moot. I would prefer Barry save his dad than his mom. At least that would show he learned that he isn’t immune to pain, even if he is a hero.
“Team Flash freaks out because The Rainbow isn’t sparkling anymore. They lock Barry up. It’s a ridiculously bad idea, but I’ll give them points because at least “betrayal” is something different.”
I found the decision to lock Barry up off-putting myself. Why not just let him face Zoom?
“I find this constant babying of Barry Allen maddening.”
You bring up a very important point. It seems like the point of the supporting cast is to service Barry and nothing else. If it doesn’t directly service his story, it doesn’t matter. It explains why Barry can act self-centeredly and can time travel (as he does this episode) and get away with it. It’s really maddening.
“And you know what? So does Barry. Take a seat father figures.”
Good point. His father figures should let him confront his inner demons instead of trying to shelter him.
I’ve been struggling with my feelings on this finale since it finished last night. I think I’ve had the same angered discussion with my TV buddy three times in less than 24 hours. I’ll be the first to admit I dropped the ball on The Flash Season 2. By midseason I was bored (BORED!) out of my mind by the repetitive storylines. I’m not just referring to Flash Season 1 either. This entire season is basically a bunch of Arrow storylines recast in Flash speed. It’s kind of amazing how closely linked. Examples? Sure.
1. Death of a parent towards the end of the season.
2. Hero decides to confront Big Bad due to death and the Team locks them up/drugs them.
3. New romance because…something. (Sara/Oliver vs. Barry/Patty)
4. Mentor goes crazy (Slade/Zoom)
5. “Sibling” discovers secret and is totally cool with it (Wally/Thea)
6. Big bad from season one returns briefly for season two (Eobard Thawne flashback episode/Malcolm Merlyn)
7. “I love you” from either hero/love interest which is then thrown away because of manpain (Olicity/WestAllen)
8. Character has very little to do an instead is given a storyline that seems like an odd decision but in the end will maybe be useful later (Caitlin’s time with Jay/Laurel is an addict)
9. Reveal of an unexpected familial relationship (Thea being the daughter of MM/Wally existing)
I can go on but you get the picture. Even the WestAllen kiss was a retread shot of Olicity kissing in 3×01. It was utterly ridiculous (plus we had The Runaway Dinosaur which could be compared to “Three Ghosts”).
The entire season ended with Barry Allen throwing a temper tantrum. It was insane and ridiculous and just annoying right before the hiatus. I figure they’ll commit to the crazy Flashpoint storyline which will then allow all the actors to return playing their Flashpoint counterparts (TC can play the original E-1 Harrison Wells because I’m guessing Reverse Flash will not be able to kill him to create the particle accelerator early). Life will suck and maybe some cameos from other shows (Oliver? Felicity? Captain Cold?).
The problem I have with this entire storyline is how it will effect the other DCTU shows. Will it be addressed at all? Does it need to be? Could Arrow, LOT and Supergirl play out in our/their universes while the Flash goes down the rabbit hole, for Barry to right the ship around December and “catch up” with the other shows? Are we going to see those shows being effected heavily? Logically characters would be dead or alive in opposition. Barry saved Oliver’s life in Season 2. Barry connected Felicity to Caitlin and Cisco because COMA. Barry rescued Team Arrow from Nanda Parbat in Season 3. Barry took Kendra to Team Arrow in Season 4. Without him, various characters would probably be dead. Kendra definitely which would derail LOT. Vandal Savage would probably have won. Central City might have been destroyed by VS because Barry wouldn’t have been there to help stop in in the Flarrow 2.0 crossover. On and on and on. There is a level of insanity that I hope has been considered by all shows.
I think to make a compelling story work in S3, they need to introduce a non-speedster villain. Much like Arrow brought out mysticism (regardless of how we all feel about that one), the Flash needs to change up the game. When speed isn’t enough, how does the team deal with it?
Great review.
When Barry went back in time and saved Nora, my head exploded. I watch both Arrow and The Flash with my mom. And I started shouting, “What did they do?! What did they just do?!” And then I went on this big rant about how they just erased the first 2 seasons. My mom: “Calm down sweetheart” Me: “Mom you don’t understand. Nora never died and Thawne is incapacitated. So Thawne never kills Wells, so Wells is presumably still alive, So unless real wells made the decision to build a particle accelerator and hired Caitlin and Cisco and Ronnie, Those three never met and Ronnie is still alive. Nora Allen never died, so Barry never became a forensic expert and never went looking for unexplainable crimes, so he never went to Starling City and met Felicity. So does that mean when oliver is injected with that medicine in season 2, he dies? And Henry never went to prison, Barry never lived with Joe and Iris. If cisco never helped Barry become the flash, he never builds a cold gun, so Snart never becomes Captain Cold, so he never joined Rip on the Waverider and never became a hero and never died. ” I went on like this for about 45 minutes and completely unraveled, not only the flash but this entire season of legends and the last couple seasons of Arrow. I completely understand that they are doing next season as the comic, Flashpoint Paradox, where Barry saves his mom and erases the justice league and wonder woman and aqua man are now at war. And superman doesn’t have his powers and Batman is not bruce wayne but Thomas wayne. Basically Barry effs everything up and has to go back to the day he decided to save nora and stop his past self from goin back and saving her. But the ramifications of this choice doesn’t only affect flash, it should affect arrow and legends. and if it doesn’t, that is a huge plot hole. Sorry for the long post, the finale made me very ranty. haha
First thing I asked myself was…..Who wrote this episode? Was it Andrew Kreisberg?….because it totally felt like it. I went and looked at it and it was the Helbing brothers…. who wrote the Grodd episode (I know how much you love that big Gorilla, Jen). They also wrote the episode when Barry goes back in time to get info from Eobard Thawne (Harrison Wells, Season 1). I didn’t like that episode either. Antonio Negret directed the Season Finale. I love Antonio…he has done great things at “Arrow”, but he didn’t have much to work with last night. The Flash needs to make a decision and either sit or get off the pot. Comic books are great when you are a teenage boy….lots of cool pictures and not much substance. I think the Superhero comic cartoons I watched as a kid were written a whole lot better than this season of “The Flash”. At least I cared about the characters.
I think Grant Gust feels the same way we all do, I don’t see a whole lot of the joy he had in Season 1 when he would promote the show. Very uneven season. I hope they don’t waste a whole lot of time wrapping up this failure of a storyline and get on with it….let Barry be Barry…the good, the bad, and the ugly. I want to like him and I want to care about his relationships. Right now…..I do not.
I felt the same way watching the show. I’d add that while comic fans may be salivating at the thought of the Flashpoint Paradox, there are several problems with the decision to make this move on the part of the writers. For one, Barry’s decision to undo his mother’s death was not only a regression but did not make logical sense narratively. He just finished dealing with all the problems caused by his Season 1 time travel and watched Zoom get his face partially eaten off by time zombies. He’s devastated about his FATHER’S death and can’t stop talking about him, thinking about him now that Jay is revealed to be his father’s doppelganger. And so without pausing a month, a week, a day to get his head together or check in with the speed force, Barry runs off to undo his MOTHER’S death? The one he had come to peace with somewhat? The second problem is the Flashpoint Paradox is a sprawling epic that ran 61 issues and included as primary characters—Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Cyborg—none of whom exist in the DCTV universe. Can the story be adapted? Sure, Green Arrow could be a substitute for Batman and there’s Supergirl coming and the Legends cast. But with four different writing teams, that could be a challenge. Also, Stephen Amel indicated Arrow would be getting back to its roots not focusing on supporting other shows. Perhaps in the place of some of Flashpoint’s main cast we will see the return of Killer Frost and Reverb. But we just did the alternate take on characters in Season 2. The reverse flash was a more compelling villain than Zoom but again the show is in danger of repeating itself. The writers must have some idea in mind but how easy it would have been to avoid the cliffhanger ending altogether. Just let the team have a minute rather than being so anxious about launching Season 3 with something bigger and better.
I found the ending awesome! Loved the element of surprise and not knowing at all what to expect for the first time. It really got me. Not disappointed, they did a great job. And by that… I mean a really, really great job, it was a genius move. I just want to call Barry to his senses, but the Flashpoint Paradox is HUGE news! As a fan of comics, couldn’t be more grateful. What an amazing episode, what a genius thing to do, creating Black Flash instead of losing a character (Hunter Zolomon). How amazing was having those spectacular freaking arcs of comics in just 43 minutes of an Episode. Infinite Earths Crisis, Flashpoint Paradox! Oh man…The twist of saving two worlds that way – It didn’t even cross my mind, like, ever. how will they pull this off next season. Can’t wait!! I just hope Cisco doesn’t disappear! Well, at least, this one! I want Earth-1 to be my companion now and forever on The Flash. I can’t adopt him, so, at least i expect they don’t cause any kind of damage on Cisco!
The only thing that was really frustating was not Barry going back to save his mother, he had the chance to do it in the first season and he didn’t, now he loses his dad too and he could come back in time, just to undo the dead of his father. Instead of doing it, he saves everyone by saying to Jay Garrick he won’t hurt anyone, the time remnant sacrifices himself to stop the magnatar, then… After all the efforts, he just can’t deal with the giref and go save both, mother and father, why not only his father?
At least, saving his mother made the timeline go on his favor, you know why? Eobard Thawne made his timeline. He created him, and Barry was always feeling he was a creation of Evil. He didn’t deserve nothing. That everyone dies. Even after the Speedforce, the Speedforce give him the courage to make changes. He didn’t understand at first, but the Speedforce was saying to Flash that, doesn’t matter what he does, he will always be the Flash. His mother is what appears as a ultimate awaken for Barry, so Barry can see he can change the timeline. He didn’t got it at first, he got optimistic but didn’t understand the whole situation. Speedforce was saying to Barry that he needs to get his own timeline to serve him, since the Speedforce itself was created by Barry Allen when he was struck by lightning and energized chemicals. Speedforce will always be faithful with Barry and Barry will always be trustworthy for Speedforce..
May the Speedforce be with Barry and hope for the Flashpoint Paradox to be a hell of a season!!
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