Season 3 of The Flash is another great season of the CW show. While the events of Flashpoint certainly complicate the storyline, they allow new chances for the characters to develop and introduce captivating plotlines.
Season 3 of The Flash arrives on Blu-ray and DVD in time for fans to get caught up before Season 4 premieres on the CW this fall!
“As Season Three opens, forensic scientist Barry Allen, aka The Flash, is living his dream life. His parents are alive. He’s dating beautiful, smart Iris West. And he’s able to stand back and let the new speedster in town, Kid Flash, step in to protect Central City. But the better Barry’s life gets, the more dangerous it becomes. His nemesis, Reverse Flash, warns Barry of serious repercussions if he remains in the alternative Flashpoint universe: in addition to memory loss, his powers will fade. When disaster strikes, Barry must decide whether to continue life as Barry Allen or return to his universe as The Flash. As Barry deals with his identity crisis, he and the S.T.A.R. Labs team fight off lethal threats from the god of speed, Savitar, in all 23 action-filled, Flash-tastic adventures from the creative team behind Arrow.” – Official Description
When we last saw The Flash, he was grieving the murder of his father. It was this loss that drove him to change the past by speeding back to the night of his mother’s murder and preventing it. This change to the timeline set in place an alternate reality known as the Flashpoint timeline, and it is in this timeline that Season 3 begins.
Barry Allen is no longer The Flash. He’s just a normal teenager who lives with his parents and has a crush on Iris West. Due to the events of Flashpoint, Barry got to grow up with his mom and dad his whole life, which means he did not grow up with Joe and Iris West. Though Barry still loves Iris, they don’t have the close relationship that they shared in the original timeline. And speaking of Joe – he’s no longer the caring, encouraging father figure in Barry’s life. He’s still a cop, but he’s now an alcoholic constantly on the verge of losing his job.
Even Team Flash has changed. Barry still has his powers, but he’s no longer the main speedster in Central City. That title belongs to Wally West, who will eventually be known as Kid Flash. Whereas Barry had the support of Cisco, Caitlin, and one version or another of Harrison Wells, Wally only has the support of his sister, Iris. The original Team Flash is no longer together. Caitlin is now a pediatric optometrist. And Cisco? Well, he’s now the richest man in the country thanks to his technological inventions and apps. Cisco may have helped Wally get his suit, but that is the extent of their partnership.
Barry may not be in the superhero game anymore, but he still has his nemesis, Reverse Flash, held captive. These two characters are the only ones aware of their existence in an alternate timeline. Reverse Flash wastes no time in gleefully telling Barry that unless they return to the correct timeline, Barry’s powers and memories of the time before Flashpoint will quickly fade away. Forgetting the murder of his parents and all the other pain and suffering he has seen in exchange for his new timeline sounds like a good deal to Barry, but that quickly changes when a member of the new Team Flash is killed. This death reframes Barry’s options, and he must choose between his own desires for happiness and the well-being of his friends.
The Flashpoint storyline is a huge comic book arc, but the show wraps it up after an episode; however, the lasting effects are felt throughout the rest of the season. After Barry returns to his timeline, he notices that some things did not revert to the way they were pre-Flashpoint. Joe and Iris are no longer speaking; Cisco’s brother died in a car crash; Caitlin is starting to share traits with her Earth 2 counterpart, Killer Frost. (In a nice move by the CW, if you watch other shows in the Arrowverse, you’ll also see slight changes on those shows that are directly related to the Flashpoint timeline.) The new mentor in Barry’s life, Jay Garrick, explains that the timeline is like a cup. If it shatters, you can glue the pieces back together, but you’ll still see the cracks and imperfections.
Another crack in the timeline is the introduction of Julian Albert (yes, folks, that is Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter films). Julian is another forensic scientist who works with Barry, but he didn’t before Flashpoint. Now, it’s as though Julian has always been there.
The season’s other main new character is H.R., the latest version of Harrison Wells. After Harry Wells returned to Earth 2 at the end of Season 2, Team Flash realized they needed the knowledge of another version of Harrison Wells and began searching for Harry’s replacement. Tom Cavanagh does a fantastic job of portraying the different versions of Harrison Wells. No two are the same, but all share certain characteristics. Previous versions of Harrison Wells have often served as mentors to Cisco, but this time around, Cisco gets to be a mentor to H.R. It’s a nice change, and the actors do an excellent job showing the role reversal.
Now, on to the season’s villains. We are introduced to Dr. Alchemy, a mysterious figure who is recruiting and collecting meta-humans. Returning villains this season include Trickster, Gorilla Grodd, Captain Cold, and King Shark among others. In a way, Killer Frost makes a return as well, except this time the team must face one of their own. Caitlin is fighting her new powers as they threaten to turn her into Killer Frost.
While all of these villains do cause havoc for Team Flash, the real big bad of the season is Savitar, the god of speed. He is after Barry and knows far too much about each member of Team Flash. The team must work together to figure out who he is, what he wants, and how to stop him. While Savitar’s presence is felt throughout the season, the real showdown with him happens over the final few episodes. Yet again, the finale ends on a heartbreaking note, but it’s one that sets up the next season well.
Overall, this is another strong season of The Flash. The changes initiated by the Flashpoint timeline guide the season without becoming too complicated or involved. As always, the actors do an excellent job with the emotions of their characters. One of the most powerful storylines of the season is Cisco’s unfaltering protection of Caitlin and attempts to help her control the Killer Frost powers trying to take over her mind. The only weakness of the season is its occasional over-focus on the romantic storylines. Each character seems to be in a relationship this year, and they don’t all feel necessary. Other than that, this really is an excellent season of the show.
Crossovers
Season 3 of The Flash crosses over at several points during the year with other shows in the DC Arrowverse. Most notably, the second part of the four-show crossover is an episode of The Flash. Viewers without access to the third and fourth parts on Arrow and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow respectively may be confused on how the story ends. Another notable example is the musical crossover between The Flash and Supergirl; however, a majority of the action takes place in an episode of The Flash, so viewers of this release only will have the resolution of that plotline.
Episodes and Special Features
Disc 1: Episodes 1-6
• Villain School: The Flash Rogues
• Deleted Scenes
Disc 2: Episodes 7-12
• Allied: The Invasion! Complex (The Flash)
• Deleted Scenes
Disc 3: Episodes 13-18
• Rise Of Gorilla City
• The Flash: Hitting The Fast Note
• The Flash: I’m Your Super Friend
• Harmony In A Flash
• Synchronicity In A Flash
• Deleted Scenes
Disc 4: Episodes 19-23
• 2016 Comic Con Panel
• A Flash In Time: Time Travel In The Flash Universe
• A Conversation With Andrew Kreisberg And Kevin Smith
• Gag Reel
• Deleted Scenes
There are over two hours of special features included with this release, and viewers are given a nice variety of bonus material. One of the best special features is “Rise Of Gorilla City” on Disc 3. This feature looks at the animation and special effects used to create Gorilla City on Earth 2. It also discusses Gorilla Grodd’s existence in the comics. There are also many special features dedicated to the season’s musical episode, “Duet.” Viewers can learn about the choreography, composer, and historical significance of the building in which the orchestra recorded the tracks. All in all, this is a nice set of special features (and of course I’m always happy to laugh at a gag reel!).
Blu-ray Quality
This is an excellent transfer to Blu-ray. Everything looks sharper and crisper, and the special effects hold up well. Blu-ray is definitely the best version of this show.
Takeaway
Season 3 of The Flash is another great season of the CW show. While the events of Flashpoint certainly complicate the storyline, they allow new chances for the characters to develop and introduce captivating plotlines. This release contains a strong set of special features, and the transfer of the season to Blu-ray looks excellent. While many shows often start to feel stale or repetitive after a few seasons, I still find myself looking forward to watching Season 4 this fall and seeing what adventures are next for Team Flash.
