The fourth season of ‘The Flash’ premiered and it starts with a new threat: A flying Samurai called Samuroid with rather evil intentions. (Photo Courtesy of http://geekleagueofamerica.com/)
We last saw Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) step into the Speed Force in the finale of season three, leaving Team Flash behind with only one Flash, Kid Flash (Keiynan Lonsdale), to protect Central City. Many fans weren’t fond of season three of the “The Flash” and criticized the show for its continuous use of speedster villains, the latest being Savitar (also played by Gustin). But now it seems the show is finally straying away from the norm. Season four is looking to be the best season yet and, best of all, the main villain isn’t a speedster.
The first episode starts with a new threat: A flying Samurai called Samuroid with rather evil intentions. He threatens to desimate Central City if the real Flash doesn’t appear and when Kid Flash dons Barry’s suit, it isn’t long until Samuroid uncovers the deception. As a result Team Flash must come together once more. But, as we saw in season three’s finale, there’s one member of the team that parted ways: Caitlin Snow, also known as Killer Frost.
To save the city and bring Barry back from the Speed Force, Cisco tracks down Caitlin, who’s working as a bartender, and convinces her to return to S.T.A.R. Labs. Together, Cisco and Caitlin use a modified version of last season’s Speed Force Bazooka to finally bring Barry home. But Barry’s return is not a welcoming one because he seems to be suffering from dementia. From that point forward, the season four premiere gets interesting. When Samuroid unleashes an ultimatum, Iris West relinquishes herself to Samuroid, all in hopes that her state of danger is enough to rehabilitate Barry.
While the show did not disappoint, most of the story beats were predictable, so when Barry eventually saves the day with his mind intact, there isn’t much of a payoff. That said, while this episode is definitely not the show’s best, it’s a definite sign that season four is looking to be one thrilling experience — especially since the episode presented us with the main antagonist of the season, the formidable Thinker, who — DC Comics fans will be very happy to see.
The best part of the episode was the return of the dynamic duo Cisco and Caitlin. “The Flash” writers seem to give Cisco his best lines when he is around her. There’s plenty of Star Wars and Marvel references shouted out by Cisco throughout the episode. Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” even manages to find its place in one critical scene in the episode, adding more laughs to the fun.
All in all, we are in for a great season. The new villain, the Thinker, is set to bring nuance to the show and Team Flash is back, though there was no sign of the beloved Harrison Wells. Although “The Flash” was not at its best last season, season four is about to change that.
Carlos Rosario Gonzalez is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at carlos.rosario_gonzales@uconn.edu.