***This review contains some spoilers***
Watch the SPOILER review on YouTube
“The Flash” returns for its eighth season with yet another mixed bag of storytelling, once again underwhelming more than wowing and sputtering to the finish line.
The season starts off with the much-hyped “Armageddon” crossover. With a villain that’s more corny than intimidating, and guest appearances that just barely qualify as crossovers, the story arc falls flat. Thankfully, the Flashpoint-inspired episodes salvage things, but is all too short lived. An extended hiatus on the show and a few standalone episodes help to reset the things for the second story arc. While inconsistent, the black flame stuff is intriguing, and the Deathstorm payoff is pretty sweet, but it all wraps up too quickly. (And the Iris storyline involving a new meta really goes nowhere.) After a couple so-so interlude episodes, the season wraps up with yet another Thawne-centric arc. It’s fine, but it clumsily weaves together threads from the entire season and too quickly reaches the climax.
As far as characters go, there’s really not much too memorable. Barry as usual alternates between a great leader and making boneheaded decisions. Iris’ time-sickness is mostly a plot device, and her journalistic endeavors don’t lead to much. Frost gets some nice character growth, while Caitlin’s arc makes her seem fairly irrational. Chester doesn’t get much to do himself besides the slowly blossoming love story with Allegra. (Who has a few nice moments this season.) Cecilia is given some decent stuff, and has opportunities for some meaty acting, while Joe only gets a handful of story beats.
Overall, season 8 of “The Flash” has a weak premier to start things off, a decent middle arc, and a final arc that sputters out while dipping once again into the Reverse-Flash well. There are not many standout character moments, and the show has a tendency to just undo anything major anyways.
**1/2 out of *****