The season two premiere of The Flash on The CW arrives tomorrow, which means that we finally get to see what the hell will happen with the singularity that opened above Central City. And yes, if you haven’t seen season one of the hit show, you’re going to run into some spoilers in this editorial. You’ve been warned!
At the end of last season, Barry Allen was about to lose his battle with Harrison Wells, aka Eobard Thawne, aka Reverse-Flash. No matter how fast he was at the moment, he hadn’t become in tune enough with the speed force to defeat the more seasoned rival. Luckily for him and everyone else, Eddie Thawne, Eobard’s ancestor, turned his gun on himself, erasing Reverse-Flash from history. This created a paradox, and since nature has a way of disliking those, a gigantic singularity opened up above the city.
The season ended with The Flash racing up into the singularity, desperate to do anything he could to save the city. It was a hugely satisfying ending to an amazingly well-constructed season. With the season premiere arriving in a flash (Pardon the pun), those of us obsessed with the show will finally have an excuse to once again scream “The Flash is on today!” when they wake up on Tuesday mornings.
After what was by all accounts an incredibly successful first season, expectations will no doubt be high for season two. In order to make sure that fans are not left with the same kind of disappointment that they have felt with other shows there are several things that the cast and crew have to bring to the table. Let’s get started, shall we?
Develop Iris West More
If there was one thing that consistently irked the fans throughout the first season, it was Iris West. Now, it’s not that the character, played by Candice Patton, is a bad character. It’s also not like Candice can’t act. She can. The problem was that up until the end of the show, she didn’t really do much. She was just relegated to being a pretty potted plant for Barry to stare at.
Iris West is supposed to be a crackerjack reporter. By expanding her duties at the newspaper, she could become a much more valued part of the show. Now that she knows Barry’s secret, should could use her influence to curry public favor, or help uncover things for the S.T.A.R. Labs team. I know that there were a lot of balls in the air last season. They don’t have to work miracles, but it would be nice if they did justice to the character.
Keep The Tone Consistent
One of the things that made The Flash so enjoyable was that tone. During each episode, the audience was taken on a fantastic ride with subject matter that ranged from dark and serious to downright silly. One of the reasons that comic books are so beloved is that they can take the reader on a myriad of emotions. The Flash was able to do this, just like the source material it borrowed so heavily from.
Considering that the show was left on a cliffhanger, it’s a safe bet that we’ll be following a decent chunk of the same storyline we were left with. To shift to a lighter or darker tone could inadvertently throw off the momentum that was built up last season. As long as the writing and storyline maintain the same level of fun and excitement, fans won’t have to worry about the show getting stale.
Have the Singularity Mean Something
From the sound of it, the season two premiere will take place after the singularity has been closed off. As cool as it would be to see him racing inside of it to try and seal it closed somehow, I’m okay with it. What I want is for it all to have some deeper meaning. The S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator going critical in the pilot episode could have been used just to give Barry and the other metahumans their abilities. Instead, the writing team ended up using it to help build the mythology of the show.
If the trailers are any indication, it looks as though the singularity will be the early defining event that I hope it will be. Not only will it allow characters like Zoom and Jay Garrick to come through from Earth 2, but it could serve as a springboard for a whole new storyline. My bet is that like the particle accelerator, it will be a central part of the story in season two.
Use Freak of the Week Shows to Develop Mythology
If you put every episode towards the overall story arc, you run the risk of exhausting your audience. Off-topic episodes are a great way to change things up on occasion. Towards the end of the first season, the audience saw a lot of callbacks to the monster of the week shows from first half of the show as many of those rogues came back to fill in the gaps. Weather Wizard helped Barry discover that he can travel in time, while the shapeshifting Hannibal Bates was used by Harrison Wells to spring a trap that was set for him at S.T.A.R. Labs.
It’s pretty clear that Zoom is going to be the primary villain for season two. The writers should be taking great care to ensure that other villains are used to further the plot, rather than distract from it.
Let Zoom be Zoom
It’s going to be pretty freaking difficult to top the Reverse-Flash. Tom Cavanagh played the role perfectly, delivering charm, wit, and evil into every performance. However, if Reverse-Flash is a super villain, Zoom is a true monster. He is faster, stronger, and more powerful.
Like The Flash, Reverse-Flash tapped into the speed force to obtain his abilities. Zoom on the other hand, has the ability to alter time. Instead of being able to simply move fast, he is able to slow time around him, giving him the appearance of moving faster than others. He’s moves normally, while the rest of the world appears slows to a crawl.
It is this ability that also prevents him from suffering any handicaps that traditional speed force speedsters can suffer, such as friction. His unique way of moving fast is also what allowed him to move as speeds faster than even Wally West was able to attain in the comics.
We have no clue how the writers of the show will use Zoom, or how much they will borrow from the comics. All we know for sure is that Tony Todd will be providing the voice (Thank you God!) and that they are intent on making him a true larger than life presence. Here’s to hoping that they allow him to kick ass like the character from the comics.
Jay Garrick, Step Right Up!
One of the things that I’m looking forward to the most is the inclusion of Jay Garrick from Earth 2. He may not be graying at the temples, but it’s still Jay “Crimson Comet” Garrick. When you bring in a character like that, the last thing you want is for him to be one and done. Do us a favor and keep him around for a few episodes.
If the hints from the trailers are to be believed, he has been doing his thing longer than Barry. He could become another father or mentor-type figure, or he could be take on the role of partner. Either way, it’s a gold mine waiting to be tapped, and they’ll have to work really hard to screw it up. Let’s just hope that they don’t.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to zoom (Oops!) off and secure my seat on the couch for tomorrow night. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve been looking forward to this for months. Keep calm and speed force on everyone!