#THE FLASH SEASON 5 EPISODE 1 SERIES#
The series has really struggled to push Caitlin forward following her fall from grace in Season 3, which thus far has involved pulling a complete 180 and transforming Killer Frost into Caitlin's disembodied BFF. For one thing, it's clear that the Killer Frost storyline will be soldiering on in the same direction this year, which is most definitely not a good thing. Unfortunately, there are plenty of other reminders that the series has chronic difficulties in juggling its ensemble cast. So in a lot of ways, things do seem to be looking up for The Flash. It's hard to say right now whether this season is building to that Crisis or if that's more a long-term goal for the series, but it's an intriguing plot development regardless. And it's also nice to see the "Flash Missing: Vanishes in Crisis" headline coming back into play. Barry borrowing Eobard Thawne's own words to help coach Nora through her first phasing attempt made for a great moment in the final climax. More than anything, it's great to see the callbacks to Season 1. But I am feeling somewhat more optimistic about Nora's role in the series thanks to this episode. I have a lot of concerns about the writers adding another speedster to the mix, especially with certain existing characters continuing to be so poorly served (more on that in a bit). Honestly, if a speedster mucking with time is going to be one of the show's big plot catalysts again, at least someone other than Barry is the culprit for a change. This is both her chance to make up for lost time and to possibly rewrite the future so she never has to grow up missing a parent. She's spent her whole life trying to live up to the example of a father she never really knew. We see early on that Nora idolizes her father, but it's only late in the game that we come to understand why. Less so when it comes to the pained, uncomfortable dynamic between Nora and Iris, but that's clearly intentional. But this episode shows that she has the right energy and personality to hold her own alongside the core Team Flash cast - displaying an engaging blend of awkwardness and charm in her performance.īetter still, the premiere is successful in establishing a bond between father and daughter. It was hard to get a strong sense of what Kennedy could bring to the mix in Season 4, given how sporadically and briefly her character appeared. The good news is that Nora's debut is one element that does seem to be working in the show's favor at this early stage. It's sort of a Catch-22 situation in that there's no perfect way to move forward from the Season 4 finale. This episode is very much about the immediate fallout of that reveal and the awkwardness that comes from Barry and Iris meeting an adult version of a daughter they haven't even conceived yet. To be fair, it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense to introduce Jessica Parker Kennedy's Nora West-Allen in the finale and then immediately jump forward in time three months. So far, Season 5 doesn't look to be a huge departure for the series, and that's cause for concern. So it's unfortunate that Season 5 breaks The Flash's usual trend by picking up exactly where Season 4 left off. If ever the show needed a fresh start, it's right now. The Flash had its most uneven year to date last season, with a promising new pair of villains undone by an overall muddled storyline and some extremely frustrating character changes.