Review: The Flash 2×23 – The Race Of His Life

(SPOILER WARNING) This fantastic finale to season two goes in directions none of us saw coming… 

 

Flaming Nora (Allen)! Barry saved his mother!

No, hang on, getting ahead of myself. Let’s zoom back a bit…

Things begin with Barry being pushed over the edge by Henry’s death, causing his friends to lock him up in the pipeline for his own safety. Last week, Barry’s recklessness felt out of character but here it makes total sense that his pain from losing his dad so soon after coming to terms with his mother’s death would drive him to do what he does at the episode’s end. Well done to Grant Gustin for yet another bravura turn.

On the other hand, things with Zoom were never going to wrap up completely satisfactorily, due to the duff turns the villain has taken previously. Having the big climax of the whole season being a race was a goofy, if nicely kinetic, way to bring things to a close (poor time remnant Barry). Getting rid of Zoom with a large chunk of the episode still to go was also a good move. Instead, we got to spend more time with the characters we are invested in. Though, of course, these characters might not be the same next time we see them.

Because Barry changed time! After choosing not to save his mother for the sake of the life he had built in her absence back in season one, Barry has now undone that decision and rescued Nora Allen – thereby giving The Flash a big old reboot.

Right now, I’m really not sure if this is a good thing or not. This would be a great move if the show was getting stale, but the best part about The Flash is its team dynamic and this will surely be irrevocably changed now. Will Joe and Barry be as close? Will Earth-1 Wells be alive? Will Wally get speed powers? Will Barry and Iris be a couple? Does this new timeline mean Supergirl takes place in the Arrowverse (presumably not but you never know)?

The Zoom stuff might have been a little silly and alarm bells are now ringing, but for making sure we really can’t wait until the show returns, this finale is definitely a winner.

 

Speed Thoughts:

• Really don’t have many negatives, but Team Flash’s Flashless plan made no sense. Why would they think Zoom would stay in Earth-2 when they know he can create breaches?
• Despite the timeline change, the big farewell for Harry and Jesse did feel like they were saying goodbye to the show, at least as series regulars. Say it ain’t so!
• The Man in the Iron Mask was the real Jay Garrick, and Henry Allen’s doppelganger! John Wesley Shipp even managed to work that helmet.

 

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