New year, new old season to review, let’s do this. Welcome back to our recaps of the CW’s The Flash.

Spoilers under the cut.

Going into this season, I knew that my distaste for this episode was going to come from the Original story by Geoff Johns, which turned into an unnecessary reboot for the DC Universe. Setting that aside (as much as I can), is Flashpoint any better outside the comics? It’s Debatable, but the things I disliked outweighed the good.

Down to it, then, this episode gives us Kid Flash and he looks amazing. I grew up with Wally as the Flash, so I missed his Kid Flash days, but he and Iris being Team Flash makes me happy.

Also, we get to see a living Allen family, something that after last season was definitely a needed thing. Don’t get me wrong, I love having John Wesley Shipp as Jay Garrick (and it’ll give me a real happy Moment later on in the season), but last season’s shock ending just left a bad taste in my mouth.

I really love Eobard Thawne in this episode as well. As twisted as he is, even as a prisoner, Nothing Barry does can keep Thawne from cackling because he knows what’s going to happen. In the end, Thawne gets exactly what he wants.

In between the likes and dislikes are Joe and Cisco. I understand Joe’s Flashpoint story arc and Jesse L. Martin plays it well, but I don’t agree that’s a direction Joe’s character could go in. On the other hand, I Totally believe Cisco could end up that way in those circumstances, but I don’t think Carlos Valdes pulled it off. He’s just a little too honest to play withdrawn and aloof.

But the bad, oh boy. The Rival is a character I’m not that familiar with, but he’s just not a good villain here. Actually, he’s not even really a villain; just a plot device with a costume and superspeed, And given that this is the zillionth speedster we’ve encountered, I think burnout is setting in.

I thought the memory erasure was unnecessary, considering that Barry would have gone back to save Wally anyway. The writers using the Rival to seriously injure Wally only for Barry to find out he doesn’t heal quickly in this reality makes no goddamned sense. Ultimately, this whole thing felt like Geoff Johns shoving this story back into our faces one more time. It’s Revealing how much he loves to push this story, even with the fan backlash it generates. So, yeah, Season Three starts with not so much a bang as a whimper. As always, though, Your mileage may vary.

George Hatch is not fond of sending secret messages through his writing, and will especially not do it in this review or on Twitter at @Raeseti.

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