After such a long and harrowing second season, we have finally reached the long awaited conclusion to The Flash‘s Zoom saga. As always this review will cover many key plot points so SPOILERS AHEAD.
Though the episode builds up quite quickly towards its epic conclusion, there are some instances that felt completely rushed. One of these is of course the existence of the Man in the Iron Mask, who had remained unmentioned following the death of the supposed ‘Jay Garrick’. Here we learn that the identity of both The Flash and his alter-ego truly existed, only that Hunter Zolomon had taken it upon himself to steal his identity and trap him as a trophy. All seems to be well and good in this regard, but as I said the build up seemed too rushed and by the end, a little too convenient.
On to the fight scene which is by far the most important part of the entire episode. As Zoom challenges Barry to a race that would determine the survival of the multiverse, the two battle against one another in a combination of speed and physical strength. Personally, the actual fight appeared quite similar to the one Barry had against reverse-flash, only this time he doesn’t seem as helpless.
Emulating Zoom’s act of creating a time remnant, he creates a clone mid way through the fight so that he could both save the universe and beat Zoom at the same time. Sadly, this lead to his remnants’ sacrifice, which to some understanding means that a part of Barry is dead. Unlike the previous season, the conclusion is both fulfilling and surprising. Barry manages to continue holding himself as a hero by refusing to kill Zoom, and instead leaving him to the fate he had always been running from.
But the true surprise bomb doesn’t drop until the removal of the iron mask, which reveals that the true Jay Garrick was none other than his own fathers’ doppelgänger. This is quite a surprise to both fans and to Barry, who is unable to deal with the idea that his father is alive in another universe. This is also an homage to the original Flash series of 90’s, who was originally played by the same actor (John Wesley Shipp).
The episode’s conclusion leaves much of the third season in a blank slate, as Barry returns to the night of his mother’s death and saves her. He effectively removes his other-half from this timeline, which could also mean that the Flash would have never existed. Though this may seem confusing to some, this is actually also the beginning to the Flashpoint story arc. So perhaps we’ll be able to see some difference there? We’ll never know for sure until the next season!
#Peace.Love.TheFlash
