Tell-Tale TV Panel: The Flash Season 3

The Flash Season 3 dazzled us with a musical cross-over episode and kept us on our toes with Savitar, Killer Frost, and a prophecy.

See what our panel of writers thought about this season, and be sure to join the discussion by responding in the comments below!

Our panelists are:

• Candice Horde, staff writer for Tell-Tale TV
• Shadia Omer, staff  writer for Tell-Tale TV
• Allie Perkins, staff writer for Tell-Tale TV
• Drew Koenig, staff writer for Tell-Tale TV

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the season overall?

Shadia: I’d give it 7.5. Just because halfway through the season I lost interest.

Allie: 7. There were some good points, but overall it started to get boring at some points.

Candice: I would also rate this season at a solid 7. The story was constructed well and so many amazing things happened, but they couldn’t find a tempo to keep everyone interested for every episode in the season.

Drew: I’d go with 7, but it’s not a season I’m all that fond of.

What was this season’s biggest problem?

Shadia: I’m personally not a fan of prophecy storylines anymore. I believe it’s been overused a lot, and the shock value of it is not as great.

I was disappointed that we spent a whole season believing that Iris would actually die, making each episode tougher to watch, but then she ends up surviving in the end. I love Iris and Candice Patton but having them bait us to believe that her end was near and watching all those flashbacks of her death scene felt repetitive, which made you realize later on that all of it wasn’t going to happen.

I expected so much more from the Savitar reveal. I was not satisfied to find out it was a future Barry Allen. I wanted it to be someone we least expected, ya know?

Allie: The overuse of the Iris dying story. They showed it too many times especially to not actually kill her. I didn’t want anything to happen to Iris, but all the buildup with no results kind of makes it all for nothing. Also, the fighting a speedster every year with the multiple episodes about getting faster gets old.

The details of the time travel and parallel timelines are always something I struggle with. I think it adds confusion, and there was a lot of it this year. I’d like them to try harder to work out how some of that works or explain it better. But I guess I just need to go with it.

Candice: Too formulaic. They’ve had a consistent formula for three seasons, and it leads to repetitiveness and predictability. The main arc of saving Iris itself was great, the fight scenes were epic, the characters were amazing, and the CGI (as always) was perfect.

However, there needs to be more angst and grit to keep people interested in every episode of the season. Since they were too dependent on their formula, the episodes lost their angst and edge. You could miss an episode and be okay with simply catching up later.

I love seeing the same characters interact, and I also love the Flash lair, the West home, and the CCPD — but there needs to be a big shift character interactions, setting, and pace of each episode.

Drew: It never settled into a comfortable groove. Either it was obsessing over Flashpoint or Iris dying, and the two didn’t mesh well together. The idea of Barry being the big bad throughout the season in a variety just never really worked for me.

Also, the decision to swerve hard into Caitlin becoming Killer Frost felt unnecessary. If she was a character independent of the comics, I don’t believe we’d get that turn. She has always been the weakest performer on the series, and I understand them trying to find some use for her character, but I wish it didn’t have to be this.

What worked really well this season?

Shadia: I 100% enjoyed H.R’s presence and his scenes this season. Hilarious. Some really dumb but also very hilarious. I loved how he provided some random comedic relief in tough situations.

What can I say, he grew on me all season. An applause goes to Tom Cavanagh for portraying another one of the main characters on this show so well.

Also, loved the musical episode! Barry singing to Iris was precious, absolutely precious.

Allie: I have to agree with Shadia, I loved H.R. He was really annoying in the beginning, but by the end he was someone who could provide some comic relief in episodes. He was enjoyable and his sacrifice by the end of the season really proved his worth to the team.

Also, Julian started out as someone I thought I would hate, and I ended up liking him! The characters added this season didn’t seem forced and were able to naturally become a part of the team.

Candice: I also agree with Shadia and Allie. H.R. was the comic relief needed in such a heavy and dark season. He added a different element that broke the usual formula of The Flash, and it worked out really well.

Another aspect I loved was Wally West being Wally West. His commentary was priceless, and I enjoyed watching him become a speedster.

However, the best part of this season were Iris, Caitlin, and Gypsy. Candice Patton truly added so much complexity and nuance to Iris’s character this season. Caitlin killed it as Killer Frost, and I have to say, I hope she comes back to the team with her powers. It was exciting to watch her character evolve.

Last and definitely not least, Gypsy was such an amazing addition to the cast this season! Every episode she was in became my favorite. Her sass and personality were a perfect break from the Flash’s usual character interactions.

Drew: Co-sign with everyone else on HR. He was a welcome addition to the cast, and I enjoyed the idea that the show needs a Harrison Wells at all times.

I also completely agree with Shadia on the musical episode. It hit some of the season’s highest highs and “Running Home to You” is purely sublime.

What was the biggest surprise of the season?

Shadia: Definitely H.R sacrificing himself for Iris in the end. I mean, it felt kind of obvious towards the last two episodes that he would do it by the guilt that he was feeling for accidentally revealing where they took Iris to hide from Savitar, but it was still surprising.

I didn’t think I’d enjoy Tom Felton’s character as Julian as much, but as the episodes went he too grew on me as well.

Allie: The biggest surprise was that the musical episode was my favorite. I thought it was so well done and fun! The Flash seemed to have trouble having fun this season and that was something that previously they have been good at.

Another surprise was Barry as Savitar. I know a lot of people guessed that, but it did surprise me.

Candice: Barry being Savitar was the biggest surprise to me. I didn’t understand how it could be possible honestly. I couldn’t picture a version of Barry that would want to kill the love of his life, but The Flash writers’ pulled it off and made the twist earned.

Drew: I was surprised at how much I came to like HR or that he wasn’t hiding something sinister from the team. It was a relief, honestly.

What are your hopes for next season?

Shadia: Well, now that we know that next season’s big bad won’t be a speedster, I’m excited. It’s going to be something new, and we’ve already gotten a hint on who it’s going to be.

But aside from that, now that Iris is for sure alive I want her arc to be more meaningful. Let her be the awesome reporter that she is, give her more screen time and not just Barry’s love interest.

And now that Barry is in the speedforce for creating Flashpoint and messed up the timelines one too many times, I’m hoping he learns his lesson for next season.

Allie: I hope that they show consequences for Barry being in the speedforce. That Barry will grow and learn from his time travel mistakes and understand the sacrifice H.R. made for Iris to be alive.

I want to see Iris do more than root for Barry to succeed. I am excited for a villain that isn’t a speedster and where that could take the season!

I want to see Caitlin learn to control her meta powers! Everyone else can be themselves with powers so why can’t Caitlin. I hope they really let her accept it as her new normal, and we get to see her becoming an even more important part of the the team.

Candice: As I said earlier, I want them to break the formula beyond a new villain that isn’t a speedster.

I hope we can see new things other than friendship and love interests explored in Team Flash. Not that I don’t love those tropes, but I think it’s been firmly established what a great team they are and what they’d do for love.

I also agree with Allie in that I want to see Caitlin come back to the team with her powers, and fighting villains with Team Flash again. It also wouldn’t hurt if we get to see more WestPark, and both women fulfilling their calling in investigative journalism.

Writing, especially journalism that shapes the news, has a lot of impact on the people. I’d love to see that explored more in the upcoming season.

Drew: I’d like the show to reflect on what worked so well in the first season (essentially a perfect season), and what about the last two that hasn’t worked as well and attempt a course correct.

Part of this, I think, is the show has to move away from the dread from recent seasons and back towards the more colorful, fun aspects of the first season. Not having a speedster villain will help with that, but the overall tone of the series needs to be overhauled for the next season.

What did you think of The Flash Season 3? Share your thoughts in a comment below! You can also check out all of our other season review panels right here. There are more to come!

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The Flash returns this fall to The CW.

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