- Title: The Flash – The Flash Reborn
- wiki: link
After showcasing the heroes of Central City fighting without their friend, “The Flash Reborn” mainly deals with Cisco‘s (Carlos Valdes) plan to pull Barry (Grant Gustin) out of the Speed Force and get the show back to something resembling the status quo by the end of the season premiere. It takes most of the episode, but Barry is back in action just in time to save Iris (Candice Patton) from a Samuriod… even if his return isn’t without it’s issues. While I appreciate the idea that Iris putting herself in danger is the shock necessary to push Barry out of his Speed Force fugue state, the episode races through the important moment later in the running time than necessary in order to get Barry back among his friends just in time for the credits to roll.
Despite my quibbles about how Barry’s return to form is executed, there’s actually quite a lot to enjoy in the season premiere including Caitlin‘s (Danielle Panabaker) return to the team, a new suit for our hero, and the revelation that the Flash has returned from Speed Force faster and in far better spirits than we saw him last season. Season Three saw our hero, and the show, get darker than they should. “The Flash Reborn” promises the audience a more lighthearted and upbeat Barry this season. While I’m sure he and his friends will have their struggles, here’s hoping the show keeps the Arrow-style brooding to a minimum this year (along with the supporting cast body count). As for the introduction of the Thinker (Neil Sandilands), who seems to have a vested interest in the Flash back in Central City and a full power, I’ll be curious to see how this subplot unfolds.
