Having recently rewatched The Flash on The CW, I believe I’ve pinpointed the reason the show, and the wider Arrowverse, declined in quality. The Flash, which ran from 2014 to 2023 and starred Grant Gustin as Barry Allen, featured crossovers with popular DC heroes like Green Arrow and Supergirl. While many fans consider the first three seasons to be the show’s best – a golden age marked by strong stories and memorable villains like Reverse Flash, Zoom, and Savitar – the quality noticeably dropped starting with Season 4, due to a misstep by the creative team.
After three seasons of villains who were essentially evil versions of Barry Allen – all possessing super speed – The Flash Season 4 took a different approach. It introduced Clifford DeVoe, also known as the Thinker, as a villain who didn’t have super speed, marking a significant change in the show’s formula.
While The Flash tried something different by moving away from typical speedster villains, hoping to refresh the show for viewers, it didn’t quite work. Focusing on a villain like the Thinker actually highlighted a weakness in the show’s overall concept.
Season 4 of The Flash tried some interesting things with its villains and the Thinker’s power-stealing ability, but it ultimately felt predictable. This didn’t help the disappointing final fight, which stalled the season’s progress. A bigger problem was the lack of personal connection – there wasn’t a strong rivalry or emotional investment in Barry or Team Flash’s struggles.
Despite some issues, there were definite highlights, including Barry Allen’s time in prison and the Crisis on Earth-X storyline, which is often praised as the best Arrowverse crossover event.
Following a disappointing Season 4, Season 5 of The Flash continued to struggle. The new villain, Cicada, proved to be yet another powerful enemy who didn’t have super speed. Even bringing back Reverse Flash, introducing Nora West-Allen, and adding time travel weren’t enough to improve the season.
Cicada wasn’t as compelling a villain as earlier speedsters like Reverse Flash and Zoom. Plus, the mid-season reveal of a second Cicada just added to the confusion, especially for viewers who weren’t closely following the show.
Season 5 attempted to improve upon the issues of Season 4 by increasing the tension with connections to the Flash’s history and the villain Eobard Thawne’s scheming, but it still struggled with the same recurring problems.
Seasons 4 and 5 both struggled with repetitive, standalone villains, and it felt unnatural when the show focused on Team Flash members other than Barry Allen.
Many viewers felt that The Flash started to decline in quality around seasons six and seven. For instance, Grant Gustin didn’t like a particular scene in season seven – where the speedsters used a lightsaber made of lightning – but the network, The CW, wouldn’t cut it from the show.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic played a role, the show really started to decline in quality with Season 4 due to inconsistent storylines and weak villains. This ultimately led to less engaging seasons afterward.
The Flash Wasted Its Final Season (& It Should’ve Saved the Show)
Season 9 of The Flash had the chance to revitalize the series, especially as it was intended to be the last. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to the early seasons, relying too much on familiar moments from the past instead of giving Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen a satisfying conclusion.
Season 9 featured a main villain alongside several other dangers, including Red Death, Bloodwork, and Cobalt Blue, as well as other recurring enemies. However, the season felt hurried and didn’t quite deliver on its potential, likely due to juggling too many storylines.
The finale also suffered from bringing back the main speedster villains from The Flash, only to have Team Flash defeat them too easily. This made the resolution feel rushed and unsatisfying for viewers.
Despite some standout moments – like Barry traveling back in time to prevent his mother’s death and Oliver Queen’s brief return – these weren’t enough to redeem the season overall.
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2026-02-08 03:35