The long-awaited final season of the CW The Flash premiered on Wednesday with a very familiar Groundhog Day plot and certain actions from the superhero (played by Grant Gustin) that suggested the relatable superhero hasn’t grown much.
The first episode of the season titled Wednesday Ever After sees Barry create a map book to guide him and Iris throughout their future in order to keep her safe. The results, however is not what he expected, and instead they relive the same day over and over again. Joe has a heart-to-heart with Cecile. A new villain is introduced to Team Flash and friends and foes, old and new, begin to descend upon Central City.
According to IGN news site, the episode picks up a week after season 8 final conflict with Reverse Flash with Barry and Iris ready to return to the swing of daily life. This return to a more low-key and humour driven tone, it said is much better than the Season 8, which “went completely off the rails in terms of plot and the focus on the many Speed Forces and other Forces of the Arrowverse.
The main issue with the episode’s conflict, Jesse Schedeen of IGN writes is that it forces Barry to fall back on an old character arc – his obsession with keeping those he loves safe, which he can only overcome with love and running fast. “It all reinforces the fact that Barry hasn’t actually grown that much as a character in recent years. he still makes the same mistakes and relearns the same lessons. In some ways, he is trapped in a time loop for a long time.
Schedeen further noted that villain of the week, the new and improved Captain Boomerang (played by The 100’s Richard Harmon) didn’t do much. “As nice as it is to have any version of Boomerang back in Arrowverse, the character is a plot device and little more here. we are given a hint of the character’s motivations and backstory, but that’s it. the very premise means that Flash and Boomerang’s one encounter is repeated over and over, preventing any tangible development.”
But IGN believes the episode shows just enough of Season 9’s hand to make a case for fans to keep watching. The opening sequence weird and hokey note is apt, and the “multiple dabble in big plot twists and telegraphing the identity of the next great villain to plague Central City” of the episode’s final scenes generates some new momentum for the series. Particularly since it has struggled in the villain department these past few years.
“Despite its predictability and underused villain, there is fun to be had in the Season 9 premiere thanks to its lighter, more humorous tone and some good moments with the supporting cast. More importantly this episode reveals enough about the future direction of the (13) series that even lapsed fans may want to stop by and follow along on Barry Allen’s last race,” said Schedeen.
