TV REVIEWS: FTN Reviews The Flash Season 9 Premiere!

Let’s rewind a bit, shall we? I maintain to this day that The Flash Season 1 is the best and most consistent season of superhero television ever. It had epic highs and very few missteps. Even the pilot, which is supposed to look “cringe” as you gaze back at it, still holds up to this day and set at tone we were all hoping would last throughout the series. Sadly, that didn’t happen, and as we made it to the Season 9 premiere, “Wednesday Ever After,” it feels like The Flash would have to truly achieve the impossible to right this ship.

One of the biggest issues with the last few seasons, under showrunner Eric Wallace, is that show feels like its retreading ground even when it brings in new characters and villains. What’s more, despite “Team Flash” being together for years, they keep making the SAME MISTAKES over and over again. And the Season 9 premiere proved that once again in the worst way. The concept is simply that Barry is so afraid of losing Iris that he decides to map out their future. Not through time travel shenanigans (thank goodness) but by using the knowledge that is available to him to map out things and “ensure the best future possible.”

Yet he’s surprised when Iris isn’t happy about his plan, and even gets mad at her because “she doesn’t want their future,” as he’s seen it. Allow me to be blunt, WHY DID HE THINK THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA?!?!? There is no reason to think that Iris, a very strong and independent woman, would want to have her life spelled out for her. She has fought for everything she’s gotten from Season 1 to now, and Barry thinks…she’ll be fine with her choices taken away?

Furthermore, there have been not one, not two, but SEVERAL seasons of The Flash where “the future was set,” and yet it was rewritten by Barry, by Thawne, by Cicada, and so on. They change the timeline all the dang time! They accelerated Crisis on Infinite Earth YEARS ahead of what it was supposed to be if you recall the first episode. And yet…Barry thinks this timeline will hold…why? It makes no sense.

As a friend of mine (who also has been vocal about the quality of the show) has noted, Barry’s basically going through PTSD after losing Iris MULTIPLE TIMES throughout the last few seasons. But instead of acknowledging that and using that potentially strong angle, they just…make Barry look like an idiot. A repetitive, foolish, idiot. He’s been doing this for nine years, and he still doesn’t learn his lessons.

The time loop “hook” if you will didn’t really help much. Sure, it had fun moments, including Iris saying, “screw it all! It’s a me day!” but in the end…it didn’t mean much. What’s more, they never really explained why Iris was exposed to those particles outside of just being next to Barry, or how the time loop ended just by them “being together.” Oh, and “phasing a nuclear bomb”? Do I really need to describe the ways that don’t work? That’s what I thought.

Fans have been BEGGING for Iris and Barry to have a true relationship again without the pain and hardship that has been thrown at them (thanks to a certain showrunner…) and…I don’t know if this will satisfy their itch. Yes, there were some adorable moments, and the “bounce back” for Barry in which he said, “I’m sure about you” was touching. But they didn’t even need the whole episode for Barry to realize how dumb he was, and that just enforces my point about why it shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Or at least, should have happened in a better way to reflect Barry’s fears.

Notice how I’m barely mentioning Team Flash? Because they didn’t do much. Cecil…well, let’s not talk about her. Nor the “moment” between Chester and Allegra and skip right to Joe. There is no way that man would abandon his family and ask to “leave Central City.” Not after all this. Go on a vacation? Sure. Do a “job” outside the city to “find his new passion”? Sure, why not? But not this. If you don’t know, Jesse L. Martin is leaving the show to do another series. Totally fine. But at least right him off with dignity!

Finally, the “Red Death” teaser didn’t impress me and the “new Caitlin”? Yeah…no.

In the end, “Wednesday Ever After” really didn’t set a good tone for what is the final episodes. If things don’t correct themselves in a hurry…they should’ve just ended with Season 8.

2/5