As the sophomore season of The Flash comes to a close with a spectacular bang, and we digest everything that has happened to Barry and the team over the last eight months, it’s time to look ahead at what we’re hoping to see when the show returns next season.
Be warned, there are some spoilers for this past season in here, so if you’re not caught up, you may want to come back once you’ve had a chance to watch all of the episodes. If you’re all caught up, then let the speculation begin.
Here are 12 Things We’d Like To See In Season 3 Of The Flash:
12. More Interaction With Supergirl
One of the best episodes of last season’s Supergirl was the crossover with The Flash, where Barry Allen accidentally made his way over to an alternate Earth and National City. This is what most fans were hoping to see when the Supergirl series was first announced, but quickly lost hope when it was picked up by CBS and not The CW.
Fast forward a season, and the Girl of Steel is set to make the monumental shift to the correct network and open the door to so many intriguing possibilities. Now, it’s just a matter of how to actually make it work, without being too convoluted that audiences get so confused they give up. While it makes sense for this version of National City to be in the multi-verse, it might make it difficult for the characters to interact as much as the audience wants them to. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Kara and her crew somehow get transported to a closer Earth.
11. The Introduction Of More Universes
Although the citizens of Central City might not see it that way, one of the best things to come out of the breech at the end of the first season was the introduction of Earth-2 into the canon of the DC television universe. Aside from its big bad villain, it looked like a pretty cool place to be.
While Barry, Cisco and Harry made the trip there to save Jesse, we only got but a glimpse of the world. It would be awesome to get a chance to explore the world, and the different versions of the characters we’ve come to know and love in this universe a little more in depth, especially now that Harry and Jesse have returned home. Although, a stop off on Earth-3 might also be in order, just to check in with what that world’s version of the Flash, Jay Garrick, has been up to since his return.
10. Getting To Know The Real Jay Garrick
When Teddy Sears was cast as the original speedster, Jay Garrick, comic book readers rejoiced because we were finally going to get to see two Flash’s work side by side, just like the iconic story, Flash Of Two Worlds. The character was introduced as an escapee from Earth-2, he fit in with the group, and all was right with the world. That is, until the showrunners pulled a bait and switch on the audience. Turns out that Teddy Sears wasn’t playing Jay Garrick at all, but an Earth-2 murderer named Hunter Zolomon, whose alter ego is none other than big baddie, Zoom.
Now that it’s been revealed that the man in the mask that Zoom was keeping in his dungeon was actually Jay Garrick, from what’s been dubbed Earth-3, and that he’s Henry Allen’s doppelganger, it makes things that much more interesting. With Henry Allen now dead, having John Wesley Shipp play another character was a great idea. That is, of course, until he decided to make his way back to his home world. Checking in on him every now and then probably wouldn’t go amiss, especially given that Shipp and Grant Gustin have amazing chemistry and have produced some of the show’s most poignant moments in the past.
9. Wally West Becoming Kid Flash
When it was first revealed that Joe had a son that he knew nothing about, fans held their collective breath as they patiently awaited the arrival of Wally West. It seemed as if the show was really going to do it. With the addition of Wally and Jay Garrick this season, they were setting the stage for all three primary incarnations of The Flash to be on the screen at the same time. Except that Wally wasn’t super-powered or even in Central City during the accelerator explosion to gain metahuman abilities. Instead, we got an angry young man with a penchant for fast cars and engineering. And one of the few people who was kept in the dark about Barry’s extra-curricular activities.
That is, until Harry got the bright idea to recreate the explosion in order to help Barry regain the speed force that he gave up to Zoom in order to save Wally’s life. While that plan temporarily backfired for Barry, Wally was zapped by the energy. In the comics, this was also how Wally gained his powers, adopting the moniker of Kid Flash. When Barry Allen died, he took up the mantle of The Flash. While it’s doubtful that Barry is going to die anytime soon, it is time for Wally to come into his own and become the hero that he wants to be. And you just know that Cisco is going to refer to him as Kid Flash, like, all the time.
8. Jesse Realizing Her Powers
And speaking of speedsters gaining their powers, Jesse was also struck with the energy from the experiment, although unlike Wally, the blast rendered her comatose. It was only once Barry zapped her with a bit of his regained speed force that she woke up. It’s awfully telling that the speed-force is now a part of her.
This one might be a little difficult, given that Jesse and her dad decided to head home once the Zoom threat was taken care of. It would be nice to peek in on them every now and again, though, not only to see Jesse become a speedster, (yay, another female hero!) but because Tom Cavanagh’s Earth-2 version of Harrison Wells is so incredibly fun, it would be a shame for it be the last we see of him.
7. What Happened To The Pied Piper?
We all know that time travel screws everything up. No matter how carefully you plan, the future is going to be affected. And this is exactly what happened this season when Barry went back in time to exploit Eobard Thawne Wells’ knowledge of the speed force. He managed to knock his other self out while fighting the Pied Piper, but in doing so, completely changed the future.
When he arrived back in his own time, Hartley Rathaway was not only not a villain, but he was actually on Team Flash, helping Cisco and Caitlin to defeat the Time Wraith that Barry inadvertently let loose. It was such an interesting and unexpected twist, that it really needs to be explored a little more in depth. What is Hartley doing now and why aren’t they using him and his tech on the team, especially given how valuable it is in regards to the whole frequency thing?
6. Barry And Iris Finally Together
So, it seems that the will-they-or-won’t-they little dance that Barry and Iris have been doing for the past two seasons is about to come to an end. Before all hell broke loose, the two star-crossed lovers decided to go for it and try out a relationship.
The two have been pushed towards each other since the beginning – given their relationship status in the comics (they were married) – although Iris’ relationship with Eddie put a damper on that. The characters are married to one another on Earth-2 and seem to be destined for one another, as they were eventually married in Eobard Thawne’s future, as well. Although Barry doesn’t seem ready to commit just yet, it still seems as if the relationship is destined to be a thing (even if there are some fans who are completely opposed to the idea).
5. More Tina McGee
It’s always great when old faces pop up, especially when they were part of the previous Flash series that aired on CBS in 1990. A great deal was made when John Wesley Shipp was hired to play Henry Allen in this new incarnation, but there is another face that has returned as well. Actress Amanda Pays, who currently plays scientist Tina McGee on The Flash, also played an alternate version of the same character in the character’s past incarnation. It’s kind of like a multi-verse thing, but in real life.
It looked like a romance was possibly budding between Tina and Henry, which would have been fun, because the two played love interests on the old show as well. Unfortunately, Zoom ruined all of that by ripping Henry’s heart out of his chest. But that doesn’t mean we need to say goodbye to the good doctor. With the destruction of Mercury Labs by the evil Black Siren, she’s going to need somewhere to work. And what better place than the rival STAR labs? She already knows their biggest secret, so it’s not like she wouldn’t fit right in with everyone else.
4. Hints At Who Could Be In The Next Spin-Off
You have to think that behind the scenes, there is serious thought going on as to what could be next for this universe. Arrow, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow are hits for the network, and the shuffle of Supergirl makes things very interesting over at The CW. A new series is probably not the top priority right now, but that doesn’t mean they can’t lay the groundwork for future characters or projects.
While it appears that Green Lantern is off the table, that doesn’t mean that everything about the character is off limits. The universe has made it abundantly clear that Coast City and Ferris Air exist, even going so far as to picture the Ferris name on a number of occasions. The perfectly logical next step would be to introduce Carol Ferris and then have her gain her powers and become Star Sapphire. It would make for a logical progression, as the character started off as a villain, but has recently been turned to the side of good and become a hero. Of course, there are plenty of other characters that could be introduced, and the inclusion of Martian Manhunter into this world opens up all kinds of cosmic possibilities.
3. Cisco Mastering His Powers… And Maybe Getting A Little Love
One of the cool things that happened this season was Cisco development of his powers. His ability to vibe is awfully handy – when it works. It would be great to see him gain better control of his powers and develop them to the same extent as his Earth-2 doppelganger, Reverb. The addition of the ability to project energy is very cool, and it will be fun to see him try and perfect that little bit of awesomeness. Although he already seems to have a real handle on opening those breaches, which may come in handy in the future.
And while we’re at it, can the guy get some love? Or at least a love interest that isn’t destined to reunite with her reincarnated lover every generation? Everyone else has gotten a little something in the relationship department, so it would be great if the powers that be threw a little something Cisco’s way. Even the scrappy sidekick needs a significant other, and given that Cisco may be the series’ most universally beloved character, The CW would be wise to give show him some love.
2. The Formation Of The Justice Society Of America
While it’s probably a certainty that DC will not be forming a Justice League in its television universe (too much confusion for general audiences, given that such a project has already entered production in the big screen world), the idea of a Justice Society of America is not out of the realm of possibility. The number of heroes in this universe is growing by leaps and bounds, and given how often they interact with one another, getting them together and at least talking about the possibility of forming a team of some sort just makes sense.
Logistically, it might not actually work (unlike Marvel’s Defenders on Netflix, a mini-series probably isn’t in the cards) but something like the massive crossover event that the network is hinting at could lay the groundwork. It’ only a matter of time before someone brings up the idea. Whether the network actually goes for it is another matter.
1. What This All Means To The Timeline
It seems like Barry is going to get everything that he’s ever wanted, now that he’s stopped Eobard Thawne from killing his mother. That means that his father will not go to jail for her murder, and the real Harrison Wells won’t be killed. It also means that Barry will not have been taken in by Joe and that he and Iris wouldn’t have grown up together, and formed that special bond. All of the relationships on the show will have been altered, and not necessarily in a good way.
Given the ending of the season finale, anything is now virtually possible. While it looks like they are about to adapt the Flashpoint comic book storyline, expect the showrunners to put their own spin on the whole thing and alter it to fit their characters. With the exception of Barry, all of the characters that we’ve met over the last two seasons will be very different people. Unfortunately, playing with the timeline never ends well, and the Scarlet Speedster is probably going to learn that little lesson the hard way. What this all means, and how long it’s going to last, and how it’s going to affect the other shows in this universe, remains to be seen.
Of course, most of this list is based on the idea that Barry didn’t significantly alter the timeline, and that the world that we have come to know and love is the one that we will get when the new season begins (for the most part). With all the possibilities the finale opened up, though, the sky really is the limit.
It has been an interesting and eventful second season of The Flash on The CW. We’ve highlighted some of what we’d like to see come next year, but now it’s your turn. Let us know in the comments what you’re hoping to see when the new season of The Flash debuts in the fall.
