THE FLASH SEASON SIX (SO FAR) REVIEW ... SPOILERS

Season 6 Episodes 2-8:

Hey everyone, since I could not keep up with the Flash season six this past fall, and the crisis is upon us, I have decided to review the past season past the premiere up until the cliffhanger where Crisis starts. Spoilers ahead for this season of the Flash.

Plot

After learning that he will die in the coming crisis from the Monitor, Barry Allen tries to prepare the team in individual ways to prepare for life post-Crisis, after Barry Allen dies. THroughout Barry individually preparing Ralph, Cisco, and Caitlin in various ways, a new villain, Dr. Ramsey Rosso attempts to cure death which evolves into something more sinister. Meanwhile, a new Harisson Wells named “Nash” appears on Earth 1 attempts to kill the Monitor and expose him as a fraud.

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The concept that Barry Allen wants to prepare the team for a world where he dies was interesting to see as it developed the team dynamic in a meaningful way. The team was learning that although Barry may vanish, the team can still honor his legacy and his principles of heroism in the future.

One thing I really appreciated about this season of the Flash is the more interpersonal notes that have been hit on in the season. On Arrow, the concepts explored this season leading into the crossover have been grander. And it is ironic in the sense that on the series where super-powered individuals are the norm, a more human side to the coming crisis is explored.

The Cisco and Barry storyline wish Barry appointing Cisco leader of team Flash was a great example of this. Cisco at that point was not concerned about him not being in the field or having powers, he is more concerned about losing a friend. This helps insinuate the idea that before getting his powers, Barry was a loner in life. However, Cisco and Caitlin at STAR Labs have presented him friendships which Barry would have never thought he would have.

The amount of ‘one-off’ storylines has been kept to a minimum so far this season, and I really appreciate that. We have been introduced to only a handful of meta-humans this season, who have all returned in some capacity. This recycling of characters does not show that the series is running out of new ideas for characters, however, they are able to develop these side characters in meaningful ways. 

The best example of this I can think of is with Allegra Garcia. Allegra was not just a one-off character for a murder mystery, she was bought back to help develop Iris’ storyline for the crossover (that being confronting her fear of losing Barry) as well as being part of the cause of the crisis taking place in the first place by helping Nash uncover the Monitor’s hideout on Earth One.

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Characters

   Bloodwork

The ‘main’ villain of the season so far has been Bloodwork, A.K.A Ramsey Rosso. The character is really interesting in the sense that his intentions are holistically good. He wants to cure the biggest plague to all life- death. Rosso wants to bring eternal life to all, which seems like a heroic thing to do, especially coming up before a time where death for various individuals will be inevitable. However, I feel like the series has made more of a cartoonish villain out of Ramsey. The consequences of the Bloodwork symbiote to cure death seems a little too on the nose. There are obvious physical and mental restrictions to an individual in this state, and it would have been neat to see the effects of the cure slowly build up to a mindless being, which would have allowed for the team to realize and present to Ramsey that his cure has only lead to husks of former selves walking the planet

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Nash Wells

The new Harrison Wells this season, I have to say is one of my favorites. I feel he seconds Harry from Earth-2. This version of Wells is distinctly different in that he presents a fresh take on what was becoming a tired joke in the series. Nash’s scene brings a distinct adventure tone from the musical score, and the costuming, he contrasts the more sci-fi based feel of the series and therefore feels like he diversifies the genre of the series in a way where it does not feel too unnatural.

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On a side note, one of the things that really annoyed me this season was the death of Gypsy. It felt really off seeing a character who has played somewhat of a significant role on the series leave in such a manner. Although there is a Multiverse full of Gypsy’s out there, the original was killed off in such an undeserving way. I know that Danny Trejo was bought back, which was awesome, and that Cisco got some character development about coming to terms with who he is not, and moving forward from the ties of the past, however, I can not help to shake off the idea that this could have all been achieved in a way where Gypsy did not have to die.

The dream-like state that Barry was in episode six was really well done. It bought out all of the deepest hopes and fears from Barry and helped develop the character to a note where he could be relatable. Barry saw a perfect life with Iris and Nora and was swayed by selfishness. This mirrors Ramsey, who although a privatized doctor, at his heart, he wants to do something that is selfless- curing death for all.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this season of the Flash so far has been great to watch. The recurring side characters in the season has been something that has been great to watch and really has helped develop a more meaningful world to the series. In addition, the focus on the personal character relationships before Crisis has been great to see, as the cast has done a wonderful job.

I do hope that the fundamentals of the argument that Ramsey is proposing is not pushed aside, as he does have some valid points to his argument, which the series has disregarded in a cartoonish sense. Anyway, other than that, I am excited to see what fate awaits Barry and the multiverse in the coming Crisis.

What are your thoughts on pre-crisis Flash? Comment below to let me know. As always, thanks for reading, take care.