The Flash (TV Series) Flashpoint (2016) User Reviews

Some Things Happen Because We Make it Happen

[ThomasDrufke · 9/10 · 4 October 2016]

Boy does it feel good to be back reviewing The Flash. I haven't watched much TV since the CW shows and Game of Thrones ended, but I couldn't be more thrilled about getting back into the swing of things. Sure, all the CW shows have at least one new thing going for it this year, but The Flash is the show everyone has been talking about since the all-time great cliffhanger at the end of season 2.

It's pretty surreal that Flash is already on season 3, but the surreal doesn't end there. Barry has found himself stuck between enjoying his rebirth into a life with both his parents and a life without the friends who made him who he really was at the end of last year. It's a difficult dilemma, and one that none of us can say we can relate to in any way, but it made for some dang good television.

As we saw with the trailers, he is living a happy life with his parents and taking a bit of time off from being The Flash we know and love. This comes to head when he begins to lose some of his memories of his previous life in the other timeline, something the Reverse Flash warned him about. I really enjoyed Matt Letscher's presence here, even if it was mostly kept to a secret cell where Barry was keeping him. I understand Letscher has signed on to be one of the members of the Legion of Doom on Legends of Tomorrow, but I would love to see another lengthy arc between him and Barry. Here's hoping we at least get sporadic appearances the rest of the season.

Flashpoint also gave us some twisted looks at Joe, Caitlin, Cisco, Iris, and Wally. All of which have a different life, but we still got the same old charm with their performances. Wally is the Flash, Iris works with the Flash and doesn't know Barry, Caitlin isn't a scientist, and Joe is a bum. Cisco will likely be the one most talked about, considering he had his own "Ramon Industries", which took the place of S.T.A.R. Labs. Which reminds me how intrigued I am to learn of Tom Cavanagh's role this season. I think we all suspect it will be playing the real Harrison Wells, but who knows.

It's worth mentioning a few other tidbits. I thought Blake Neely's score was particularly effective as was the subplot with the villain, Rival. No, we don't have any idea of his motivations or what the heck he was doing against Wally's Kid-Flash, but the slight tease at the end with Alchemy written on a MIRROR was enough to get the hairs on my arm rise.

As much as Barry enjoyed flirting (but really stalking) with Iris for the first time, seeing Cisco run a company, Wally have powers, and living with his parents, I am glad that the Flashpoint timeline is over. The idea is very intriguing as a premise, but I'm far more interested in the repercussions from Flashpoint than I am of spending too much of the season stuck in the timeline. This was a great one- off episode with plenty of ramifications down the line. This season has me really excited.

+Flashpoint ramifications

+Fun changes with characters

+Reverse Flash presence

+Alchemy/Mirror Master/Rival tease

9.3/10

A good start for this season with some cheesy moments

[patrickgamer6902 · 8/10 · 5 October 2016]

****SPOILERS****SPOILERS**** The episode started off good and fast paced from the beginning and Lonsdale as Kid Flash really nailed it off. Yes, the story is very different from the flashpoint comics but it is good I.M.O.

The supporting cast was outstanding in this episode, from Caitlin to Joe the actors were really good in their roles. One character was missing though. That brings me to Matt-Reverse Flash, his acting was perfect in this episode, every moment between Grant and Matt made me feel very excited and tense. *That creepy laugh* I am having mixed feelings about The Rival as of now. He seems kinda funny and not that much dangerous like Zoom from last year or Reverse Flash but let's wait and see.

Now there's that pep talk moment! Yes, that was really cheesy and it's feeling really repetitive. I hope they don't do that in the next couple of episodes. And also how and why did Joe even came in between the battle scene and helped the Flashes in a flash (pun intended)?

Overall it was an OK first episode with some very cheesy moments which starts this season.

And that last dialogue made me laugh *Oh God, what did I do?*

7.6/10

It's FLASH POINT and everything in Barry Allen's life has changed, but not all for the better.

[jedly · 7/10 · 7 October 2016]

THE FLASH (2014-Present) returns for a third season, and it's not really with a bang. It tries too, but the premiere episode, FLASHPOINT, doesn't make much of a splash. With the death of Barry Allen's/The Flash (Grant Gustin) father, Dr. Henry Allen (John Wesley Shipp, who also played Barry Allen/ The Flash in the 1990 series.), at the end of season two, Barry uses the speed force to travel back in time to prevent his mother, Nora Allen's (Michelle Harrison) death at the hands of Eobard Thawne/ The Reverse Flash (Matt Lescher).

He succeeds. Both parents are alive, well, and in love. However, there's a cost for his personal happiness. Detective Joe West (Jesse L Martin) is a drunk and not speaking to his daughter. Iris West (Candice Patton) is a reporter, as before is a reporter, but she barely knows Barry. Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes) is a tech billionaire, Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker) is an opthamologist, and Wally West (Keiynan Lonsdale) is now Kid Flash.

FLASHPOINT essential circles back to old themes and stories. It separates Barry and Iris, again. It forces Barry to choose duty over love, again.

The show feels very formulaic. There's the usual will they/ won't they get together, and the villain of the week/ story arc, but there's very little guess work. The show works, somewhat, because it's it's not as dark as ARROW or LEGENDS OF TOMORROW. The cast has great chemistry. I really do love the cast. All of the performances are strong, and never really just dialed in, but this show sort of needs some pizazz. The writers are getting a bit lazy.

All said and done, it's the actor who carry the show, and since I'm invested I'll keep watching

Startpoint Flashpoint

[cobi-80620 · 5 October 2016]

Two years ago I watched The Flash "Pilot" episode and it was good, not amazing like Arrow's two existing seasons but I liked the characters and it showed a lot of potential. Two years later and here we are, The Flash is starting its third season and I'm happily awaiting it, even counting the hours remaining since two weeks back. Flashpoint did not disappoint me albeit it did play it rather safe.

I had some foreknowledge after having seen the Flashpoint Paradox movie but I was not expecting the whole global chaos and other Justice League members to be on the show. The show's version of Flashpoint is quite opposite of the movie/comic book version and I liked it all the same. It was funny, had some good character moments, especially Eobard Thawne's scenes. Matt Letscher is going to do great on Legends if he continues like that.

Barry discovering all of these changes after three months is strange. Did he never go outside before now? That's the first thing I would do if I woke up in a whole other reality. Anyway, he discovers everything pretty fast, in fact most scenes started and were over really quick. Thankfully they focused a lot on the plot of the episode.

The plot of Barry losing his memories reminds me of what Henry Allen said to Barry in the season one finale "[...] and if your mom had any say in this, if you going back meant losing what makes you so special, she would not want that" which is essentially what's happening here. Barry has to let go of his parents (again) and that's sad of course.

The Rival looked cool, bit odd but he was different than Zoom and Reverse-Flash. We got to know his identity almost right away, Edward Clariss like in the comic books. His powers were new and I wonder if Barry will ever create a tornado, don't know for what but it would be interesting to see. Perhaps to combat Weather Wizard? The last two scenes were interesting, Iris and Joe not talking to each other and Alchemy being teased.

All in all I'm very happy Flash is back in my weekly routine, and also the episode was great!

Flashpoint

[adrijaz92 · 10/10 · 5 October 2016]

So, Barry Allen, the rash decision maker scarlet speedster made his way back to the past to stop Eobard Thawn from killing his mom. I was really excited to see Grant Gustin again speeding as THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE, I'm just thrilled. I so wanted Iris to find him or him to find her, they did. I was also scared about what would happen to Barry in this new timeline, but something happened & happened big to turn around time, I'm okay now, even if Iris's matter is complicated somehow, but at least not with Barry. That's a momentary relief, don't know what will happen in episode 2! I'm super excited & anxious too. The Flash is my new obsession, its working like magic & has captured my heart with electrifying speed is THE FLASH....

Facing Consequences

[SpoodermanDerp · 9/10 · 5 October 2016]

"Flashpoint" is probably the best season premiere episode the show has given us after 3 seasons of creatively introducing new things and reinventing themselves. This time we get an iconic story line played out in a rather minimal and small scale manner that certainly will pull lots of strings this season, appropriately titled "Flashpoint ;) ;)".

To start off, this episode really is such a nostalgic episode considering the long break we've had in between seasons and the emotional drive that was the last few episodes of season 2 Flash. Honestly, it seems perfectly fitting we only got the whole "Flashpoint" thing for one episode and it being the pilot in such a smaller scale compared to the comics. The next episode, appropriately titled "Paradox" sheds new light on what this season might actually focus on, which is not the whole "Flashpoint" itself, but how every event and consequences that will eventually happen in this season came from one point in time where Barry screwed up. At the start of the episode, it may seem too much to take in especially if you are a non comic book reader or aren't that too familiar with the concept of Flashpoint, it also doesn't quite help how the explanation comes in at around the 30 minute mark for those audiences scratching their heads. Nonetheless, it is an experience that most of us were waiting for ever since that reveal was made last season finale and it was reasonable considering how the whole "Flashpoint" event in the comics itself won't be able to extend to at least 22 episodes say even 7 episodes at best. For a show that knows its limitations and works with it, it was quite an impressive feat and has all the thrilling and exciting Flash elements you know and love. Moreover, this episode did contain a few flaws that may irritate some and SURELY then some. Number one being it isn't really what most people expected as it isn't as much as a faithful adaptation of the well known story line. Second, it's quite fast paced and doesn't hold on it own accord to stop as much and throws lots of things in for good measure, i.e. Caitlyn thrown in there, Key dramatic moments out of nowhere between certain characters, etc. Third, Kid Flash and the Rival being so short-lived and generic banter, lots of generic lines return and even though the scene plays out as it should be, it's quite irritating to predict whats coming up next and you ending up being right for the next few minutes. However, last point (pun intended), the ending is quite deliberate in trying to set up the season and boy does it look exciting, Alchemy and Savitar, Speedforce and Magic? Iris..????

In the end, it's a pretty good episode considering the limitations this show had with its characters and contrived story line. As long as the show will constantly and creatively bring in new things then this show is certainly worthwhile this season.

Verdict: 8.6/10

Flashpoint is off to a good start.

[fredschaefer-406-623204 · 8/10 · 4 October 2016]

If the second season finale of THE FLASH, ended on a great cliffhanger (unlike TWD with that who did Negan kill stunt); the then third season opener perfectly upped the ante, with a riff on the great Flashpoint plot line from the comic, where Barry prevents the murder of his mother by the Reverse Flash, thus creating a new alternate timeline where things are very different.

Now the alternate timeline has been a tried and true trope of comic story telling for almost as long as there have been comic books, but with the right spin, it can still work just fine. As Flashpoint opens, all is right with Barry Allen with both of his parents alive, happy and healthy, with Barry still living at home while holding down his job in the forensic department of CCPD. Best of all, he still has his speedster powers, but doesn't have to use them, because there is another Flash on the job. He arranges to run into Iris West, who in this time has never met Barry, and romance is in the air.

Yet as we all know, just when things are at their best, the rug gets pulled out and the price for unearned happiness has to be paid. Turns out Barry is slowly forgetting, but surely forgetting his old life, while events conspire to bring him together with the new(er) Flash, along with the old compatriots-Cisco and Catlain, when a new villain called The Rival starts causing trouble. As things play out, Barry is ultimately forced to go back and allow the Reverse Flash to kill his mother, but as we learn in the final scene with Wally and Joe, all is far from right and the past has not been restored. Looks like Barry is going to be very busy this season.

It might be disappointing that Barry didn't stay in the original Flashpoint universe longer, but I like this fast pace; and was a cliché to see how everyone is the opposite of their former selves in the Flashpoint world, where Joe is a drunken cop, Cisco is a confident billionaire and Catlain is meek eye doctor. There was no sign of Harrison Wells.

All in all, a good start to the third season that opens up a lot of possibilities and the main super villain appears to be Dr. Alchemy, who will be voiced by Tobin Bell, whose most famous role has to be Jigsaw from the SAW movies. I can't wait.

Flash - S03E01 Flashpoint

[j_forbesy · 10/10 · 4 October 2016]

Thank god that Flash is back. The Flash is by far one of my favourite shows of all time and I have never been more excited for a season like this one. The idea of exploring Flashpoint really excited me and I was great to jump into.

I loved this episode. I thought it was fantastic. I had a few small problems throughout the episode but they were completely eliminated by the end. I honestly thought that the Flashpoint scenario was going to be a few episodes like the Earth 2 arc in season 2. So when what I assumed the end of our time in Flashpoint ended, I was really disappointed. I was a bit angry really that everything was going to go back to normal. But then it flipped. The flip was amazing. What I took out of this was that the timeline we started in during this episode isn't our 'Flashpoint' timeline, this one is. I'm really going to love seeing this different dynamic between certain members. I'm really hoping this is now the timeline we are set in from now on, and this is where we get see a slightly different reality from the end of season 2. Rewinding a bit, I loved how we jumped in straight away with Barry in this alternate timeline. I thought that Kid Flash looked amazing and I really loved how well they fit Wally's personality into the Flash persona. I really hope we get to see more of him later this season. I also loved the Flashpoint version of Cisco. There was something really cool about seeing a more snarky version of Cisco that we got a taste of on Earth 2.

The Rival looks like he is going to be a really great villain for this season. I liked how they revealed his identity straight away to show that we aren't going to be left guessing like the past two seasons. We know he is going to be one of many villains this season so it's going to be good to still have a speedster villain but not have him as the main big bad.

I really loved the scenes with Barry and the Reverse Flash. I know we have had very little with this version of the Reverse Flash but I really love when we see Matt Letscher play the role. The was he plays it is very different to the Well's version but I really like the contrast we get between them. I thought the moment where he makes Barry tell him that he needs him to kill his mom was really powerful and really hit the nail on the head of why Flashpoint can't happen. I know Letcher is coming back for Legends of Tomorrow so I'm really excited to see him play a part in that.

I really loved this episode and I am extremely excited for this season. I think that next episode is when we are going to see the flow on effect from the Reverse Flash editing the timeline and dive in deeper to the Iris/Joe relationship and what else has been changed from the end of season 2. I have to note that I thought it was interesting that we are picking up season 3 right where season 2 finished. This is the first time in either Arrow or Flash that we haven't had some form of time jump between the seasons and I'm interested to see if that changes the way the season plays out.

10/10

FLASHPOINT ( who is the villain now FLASH )

[mdrameez28-249-935218 · 10/10 · 4 October 2016]

i say it is a good start to the 3rd season so far, i am impressed at the direction they took the flash-point concept and spoilers they ended flash-point in the very first episode the alternate universe was kinda fun for Barry he has his parents alive but i love the way reverse-flash was so cool that his hate for Barry was so strong and after Barry ask reverse flash to undo his mistake thawne says i am the hero today and he takes Barry back in time kills his mom takes him back to Barry original time line at the end of this episode he says see ya sometime soon this review is just about flash-point but i am not giving away any other cool stuff you are gonna have to watch it and wally AKA kid flash,Cisco was cool.

Ranking/Reviewing every Flash episode: Flashpoint

[lbramson · 10/10 · 11 June 2023]

Season 3 starts with the long awaited comic story where Barry creates a new timeline where everything is different. Wally is the Flash, Barry's parents are alive, Cisco is rich, Caitlin is a pediatrician, and Team Flash doesn't exist. Many people where disappointed by this adaptation, but I was satisfied by my Flashpoint fix. The Season 3 preimere is my favorite one and one of the best of this Season. I absolutely love Flashpoint and this is no exception! Seeing the different versions of the characters if time worked differently is fascinating to see! An absolutely amazing start to a pretty good season!

9.8/10-THE PEAK!!!

A major plot line turned to just another "villain of the week".

[nikhil_kamra · 7/10 · 8 October 2016]

"Flashpoint"

I've heard and read so SO much about this huge and immensely popular The Flash story-line. Now, I'm not an expert, but after the season two finale, I was really excited to know how the show will move on. After all, everyone I know was half expecting Barry to not have any powers, at all, as suggested by the comic book story.

But to our surprise, (a huge let down, may I add) the episode literally began with Barry running around. Yes, there were some really big consequences of him altering the time-line, but him losing his speed wasn't one of them. Now that is a really cowardly move taken by the writers.

Nevertheless, I was fine with it because, the comedy was really good. Especially the scene where Barry explains all of them about the situation.

Overall, the episode was just another typical "The Flash" episode. There was yet another villain, "The Rival", and although this "villain of the week" thing took place in an alternate time-line, it was like any other, "The Flash" story lines.

Now, I don't have any problem with that.

But here's where it gets bad. By the end of the episode, the writers made it back to the original plot line. Barry is back home, that is, back to his original time-line. And yes, there are consequences for the same, as the cliffhanger at the end, shows us, but those will be dealt with in the next episode.

And there's the problem.

Season premieres are supposed to deal with the cliffhangers of the last season. They're supposed to resolve those, and then move forward, with the new story lines.

The Flash, is a really fast paced show. Too much happens in an episode. Still, they, in a way "wasted" (for the lack of a better word), the entire episode by showing so many things in a totally different time-line. We could've done without all this knowledge, to be honest.

Why? Well, they aren't going to show us this time-line again, I guess. Rather, they are going to focus on the changes in Barry's original time-line now. They should've either took a few episodes in this new time-line, before returning Barry back to the original one, or they shouldn't have shown so many things in this one and focused more on the main time-line. Either way would've been better.

Anyway, even though I'm a bit disappointed with the premiere, I'm really excited for this "Alchemy" story-line. I have my fingers crossed for it.

My recommendation to this show is the same as it's always been. "The Flash" is too fast paced for it's own good. Either it should take its time to explain the things it does, or it shouldn't do these things at all.

Rating: 7/10

Just another typical The Flash episode that doesn't offer much conclusion to the last season's cliffhanger. But it does tease some really great new episodes to come in the future.

Pretty great, but sadly over-hyped!

[jojojamojo · 7/10 · 4 October 2016]

In my opinion, this Episode tried to be to far away from the Flashpoint comics. Yes, I know that the producers wanted to make it different to the comics, but they went too far off course. One thing I really would've enjoyed was Barry having no speed at the start. This was very iconic in the comics and I missed that. I also wanted the Episode to start like the comics, Barry waking up in his Lab and going out to Lunch with his Mother. He would then go on to tell her that he's the Flash and she would respond with something like (not to be racist): But he's black isn't he? Barry would then realize he's lost his powers and try to win them back, by going to Cisco, like in the episode. He would realize then, that Cisco is a billionaire and that he has no idea who Barry is, making him throw Barry out of Cisco Industries. That's enough of how I think it should be, now to the proper review: I really did enjoy this episode, very much at times, but as Barry started losing his powers in his fight against the Rival, it was extremely, and I can not emphasize that enough, cheesy. All he needed, was a pep talk from Iris? I just could not enjoy that scene. He can't suddenly remember who he is in another time line, when he has already erased those memories. The characters were the highlight of this episode. Wally West as Kid Flash was perfect. Edward Clariss, AKA The Rival, was intriguing, especially the ending, with Doctor Alchemy, but I would have preferred to have seen him being a villain from Earth 3, fighting Jay Garrick's Flash, like in the comics, but his redesigned costume is awesome. Iris is awesome in this episode, my favourite character in this episode. Joe West, sadly got a bit ruined, especially in the post-Flashpoint universe, now that he and Iris don't talk anymore. Cisco Ramon was a great character, but was just plain arrogant. Caitlin, even though only appearing briefly, was as good as ever and was Eobard Thawne. So all in all, a solid episode but over-hyped.

This Show NEEDS To Stop Trying To Be "Trendy"...

[grimdugald · 1/10 · 6 October 2016]

***SPOILERS***

I've just watched this, and thought it was okay. I much preferred the Season 2 opening episode. Then, my heart sank almost the instant "Billionaire Cisco" appeared! Complete with (we're led to presume) high-class Hooker on his arm...

That could be viewed as "harmless enough". But then, the soundtrack accompanying him and this scene - we're given Porno music. No, not seductive saxophone playing. We're talking VERY sexual female moans and such - repeating, with funky type musical accompaniment. W.T.H.!!!!!!!?????!?

Now, maybe I'm not as understanding of the U.S. idea of "PG" TV as I'd thought. But seriously folks, that accompanying music was over the line for me. What made it even worse was the music volume (and obvious distracting sounds) also overshadowed the dialogue being spoken by characters. And it was a struggle to hear what they were saying - requiring concentration. I get it - the "Writers" were trying to be funny - swing...and a miss! What's the point in that? I'll tell you what (and all) it amounts to - Bad Production Values, and Bad Unprofessional Produce.

But let's get back to how this "soundtrack" moment is all about TRYING TO APPEAR TO BE COOL!... Because that's precisely, and solely, what this moment highlights - and it's something that is wrong about this show in general. I've been watching from day one. And the constant attempts made by the writers to make the show "up to date" really annoys me. It annoyed me in the Pilot, and after this episode, it's annoying me even more. I'm not a avid reader of the original comic books, for the record. I've read one or two (one of which I LOVED as a kid). I just utterly detest how modern TV and movie "writers" have to "make things contemporary". WHY? And these so called Professional Writers would do well to consider the times in which we currently are living - quite possibly the most shallow, low-down, dumbed-down, insecure, and desperate times in modern history... Keep it *PG* (NOT meaning: PornoGraphic :P ), folks. And the characters don't need to play with a bleeding iphone etc every two seconds, while I'm at it. :P It all just stinks of either Teenage Writers, or Adult Writers Who Have No Idea How To Portray "Coolness" And Are Trying Far Too Hard. And, to this viewer at least, it adds up to creating a frickin' painful viewing experience when they do that stuff.

As for the rest of this episode in general, it was pretty darn predictable. And didn't hold much in the way of surprises at all for me. If they were going to "modernize" or change anything, perhaps they should have started with The Rival, whose cowl looked pretty goofy, imho. It may seem I was overly harsh with my score for this episode, perhaps. But seeing it in the 9.+ scoring range really annoyed me, and I felt the episode deserved the proverbial "knocking down a peg or two". I was expecting a lot more from this episode. But it kinda smacked of playing it safe, on the writers part, for my money. I hope for improvements, but I'm really starting to tire of all this Wannabecool nonsense now. I understand they're trying to appeal to kids, but it's an aspect of the show which just plain SUCKS...BADLY. They need to fix this, or I can see myself getting bored with this show and leaving it as a viewer.

Showrunners:- On the outside chance you see this. Teen/Adult TV or "Family Friendly" - PICK ONE! I'm done with the constant lowering of what's "acceptable" in any given Rating. Make your rules. Stick by them. Stop trying to turn R-Rated/15-Rated into NC17-Rated/18-Rated. Stop trying to turn PG-13/12A into R-Rated/15-Rated. Stop trying to turn PG into PG-13/12A-Rated ...all simply because you're a bunch of greedy bar-stools with no discernible upstanding backbone. And no talk about Bambi's mother's sex life in your upcoming Bambi "Reimagining/Reboot/Reinterpretation/Remake". Capisce? Good.

More stupid Barry, Barris, pep talks. Oh brother.

[imakk2001 · 7/10 · 4 October 2016]

Pep talk in the 3rd season, 1st ep = bull crap. If Barry still needs a freaking pep talk at this late date, he shouldn't be the Flash. It is not improved just because it's Iris handling the delivery. Much like Barry's stupidity, the pep talks have to go or this is the most laughable "hero" ever.

Barris = still boring. Even with all that screen time. Barry is still a creepy stalker. Yet another "sudden realization" of her love for Barry. I could almost see the writers throwing everything at a dart board to see what sticks and going with that as the plan to convince viewers of Barris. Also, both actors are creeping up on their big 3-0, too old for this teeny meet-cute crap.

Got a bad feeling this problem between Joe and Iris will be pinned on Joe. Who asked for this?

I'm siding with the internet: Cisco was definitely watching VR porn.

Good: all Barry/Allens scenes, superbly diabolical LetscherRF never veering off into mustache-twirling, tycoon Cisco, Wally/Barry scenes, Barry getting Joe to work, Captain Mendez, Barry stopping the 2 twisters. (Armen Kervorkian has never failed to deliver and is the one who's really getting shafted by the Emmy for never winning one.)

Score: 7.2