The Flash Returns with “Flashpoint,” An Episode So Pointless, They Should Have Just Called it “Flash”

For the life of me, I don’t understand why the creators of this show would tease an event like Flashpoint and then just allow it to disappear with a giggle and a tiny fart marking its passing. Sure, you can argue that The Flash was more interested in telling a story about Barry’s emotional journey in the episode, but even that falls flat.

After the events of last season, losing his father and having his life torn apart by Zoom, Barry decides to stick his toe in the timeline yet again and changes the past so that his mother and father lives. He hangs out in this alternate reality for months. He doesn’t even have to be the Flash as Wally has taken up the mantle instead. So, lounging around, creeping on Iris, and keeping The Reverse Flash prisoner… Barry has essentially become a selfish jerk, but when a new villain calling himself The Rival appears, Barry suits up again and joins forces with some familiar and yet not familiar faces.

I was not expecting a faithful retelling of Flashpoint and anyone actually was is a fool for thinking that was going to happen, my major problem with this episode is the complete non-event that it turned out to be. Every opportunity was squandered, every target was missed. The “funny alternate versions of familiar characters” gag is played out by this point and, if Rival was supposed to be intimidating, he most certainly wasn’t.

The biggest complaint I have about this episode was Barry’s decision to return to his own reality… and, in every literally sense, allow Reverse Flash to murder his mother. I didn’t buy it… he basically got spooked because his memories were fading and Wally was injured. Nope, sorry… not buying it. This is his mother we’re talking about and I found the very idea that just being scared would cause Barry to kill his mom to be laughable at best, insulting at worst. Perhaps if Wally had died or more people would have died or Wonder Woman and Aquaman were about to destroy the world, I would get it.

This?

I don’t get it.

I’m shocked at how this “event” was dealt with and kicked out of the way so quickly. Yes, I get that Barry’s messed up the timeline and there’s going to be lasting repercussions, but this was done so badly that it doesn’t even feel like there was any actual effort behind it.

I really hope this isn’t a precursor to the rest of the season.