The FLASH TV SERIES

[Captain Craig]

If the flaming skull wasn't a clearer indication, the flame using Ronnie's voice to talk to Caitlin might be the biggest clue that this living flame might actually be Deathstorm.

That was my thought as well once it was revealed to be Ronnie. Deathstorm

After a few appearances I finally IMDB'd Caitlin's mom....she was on dozens of Vampire Dairies episodes. Knew I'd seen her before I only just got curious enough to look.

No Flash at all this episode. I guess when you are at Producer level you can dictate how often you wear that restrictive costume. Makes me feel like season 9 could be truncated like Arrow S8 perhaps? Grant Gustin clearly seems to be low key transitioning away.

I think Chester needs to explore that job offer. You could make a nice life for you and Allegra on money like that then STAR Labs isn't the crutch you need to see her.

That adoption agency with the disappearing furniture.....any clues? Tied to Iris being there? My only hunch is because the Birth Mom also vanished in green pixels and Iris was at both places.

[wleakr]

I don't think it's "Deathstorm". Didn't they already do an evil Firestorm in a crossover event?

Using Ronnie would be similar to how they used Chester's dad. Basically using whatever grief manifestation that works best to allow the flame to consume the host it wants.

[Frontier]

I don't think it's "Deathstorm". Didn't they already do an evil Firestorm in a crossover event?

Using Ronnie would be similar to how they used Chester's dad. Basically using whatever grief manifestation that works best to allow the flame to consume the host it wants.

Deathstorm was originally Earth-2 Ronnie, but if they incorporate the flaming skeleton, it'll be more comic-accurate at any rate.

[Anarchist]

Ooookay, seems like that thing is a Meta after all....but still, nice twist!

[Beantownbrown]

Jesse L. Martin Departs ‘The Flash’ As Series Regular After 8 Seasons

[Captain Craig]

Jesse L. Martin Departs ‘The Flash’ As Series Regular After 8 Seasons

Actors are ready to move on. Can't blame Jesse Martin, they've neutered any real strength of his character by removing him as police chief.
Grant Gustin is going to have less episodes next year per a separate announcement months ago.
Season 9 needs to be the final one.

[Frontier]

Jesse L. Martin Departs ‘The Flash’ As Series Regular After 8 Seasons

Sad to hear, but it's seemed like Joe's had less and less to do each episode.

[tabo61]

Deathstorm looked awsome.

[Nate Grey]

It's never Cobalt Blue. *wipes tear*

But yeah, Deathstorm. Hey, I'll take a different villain wearing a good guy's face for a change over ThawnWells for the 99th time.

[Frontier]

I guess there's no better time than now to throw in more adorable Caitlin and Ronnie flashbacks to get the audience invested in the relationship again and set up all of Caitlin's emotional grief/pain. We got there Meet Cute first meeting, their anniversary, the proposal...where Ronnie tries to out-kneel Caitlin. It was nice to see the real Ronnie again, and Caitlin really happy, if only in a flashback.

Enjoy as much Joe screentime as we're getting because this will be the last season for it.

I guess I'm not surprised a teenager with low impulse control and volatile emotions would try to straight up kill/take out Iris for a perceived notion that Iris killed her mom instead of acting with any kind of rational or common sense...although I don't think she killed Iris, just phased her out of reality I guess? Could Barry just vibrate and find her?

Phantom Girl no-selling Sue's martial arts skills was hilarious by just phasing through her was hilarious.

I mean, Allegra has a pretty valid point about live-streaming high-spec, propietary, STAR Labs technology for everyone to see. Like, we're talking Central City here, there's probably at least one person who would use that design for less than stellar reasonings or build it when it is well out of their wheelhouse.

"The Blackest Night" Ah, referencing the comic event where the most iconic Black Lantern who appeared in this very same episode properly debuts! Although now I'm going to be disappointed if Deathstorm doesn't start reviving more zombies to harvest human emotions.

It feels like everybody throws Iris in Barry's face as a counterpoint whenever he offers a contrary opinion to Team Flash.

Cecile really has mastered the art of clutching her hair when she's getting a psychic attack.

Marcus took the breakup like a champ, and left the way he entered the show, as a plant guy. And this probably saved him from becoming another victim of Caitlin's kiss of death. Now he'll join Julian in terms of being Caitlin's ex who vanished from the show when the getting was good.

Why am I not surprised Frost betrayed the team for Caitlin? Any more than Caitlin basically going "Screw you, I'm his wife" would end up screwing them all over.

The gold boots look spectacular at night.

Just in case you thought Cecile being 100% certain Ronnie didn't want to come back was just a means of padding out the emotional conflict...it turned out to be right and it wasn't really Ronnie, but Deathstorm. So basically Caitlin and Frost screwed up massively and let loose an even more dangerous threat on the city. They should've just let Barry Ghostbust it.

At this point I wouldn't be surprised if Chester has tried to rope in everybody on Team Flash for D&D night. Cisco might even zoom into a session.

I always wanted to see Ronnie in the proper Firestorm suit, but I guess I can settle for a CGI comic-accurate Deathstorm. He even has the shoulder pads!

[Anarchist]

Oh man, Deathstorm looked absolutely sick. This Season has been really engaging so far, after the lame Premiere. Not sure what to think about Tinya so far though.

[Zero Hunter]

Sad to hear, but it's seemed like Joe's had less and less to do each episode.

That is what happens when they keep packing the cast with characters no one cares about. The ones people like get less and less to do. No room for Joe when they have to have those power of love speeches by Iris and barry ever few episodes.

[90'sCartoonMan]

Considering all the setups and mentions of Ronnie throughout the season, it makes perfect sense that we'd see Deathstorm. But...Blackest Night? They're really going to do a Green Lantern story and not involve Green Lantern in any way? And I wonder how Iris is going to play into all this.

I'm wondering if she'll be in Justice U. That show will star Diggle, the Arrowverse's version of John Stewart - which would make the Coast City usage fitting considering John's a Green Lantern in the comics. And The Flash has done this sort of thing before, introducing Hawkgirl in the run up to Legends launching. Barry himself made a similar pre-series appearance in Arrow.

Using the Flash show to set that up is a no-brainer.

Jesse L. Martin Departs ‘The Flash’ As Series Regular After 8 Seasons

Hopefully this won't mean Cecile gets less screentime, but she is valuable to Team Flash outside Joe, so maybe she'll be just fine.

Actors are ready to move on. Can't blame Jesse Martin, they've neutered any real strength of his character by removing him as police chief.
Grant Gustin is going to have less episodes next year per a separate announcement months ago.
Season 9 needs to be the final one.

Less episodes for the show in general or him specifically?

It's never Cobalt Blue. *wipes tear*.

It's really not. At this point, it would be tough to introduce him (the way he is in the comics, anyway).

Phantom Girl no-selling Sue's martial arts skills was hilarious by just phasing through her was hilarious.

That was funny. Reminded me of J'onn just standing there intangible while Catman and Black Siren kicked right through him in that episode of the Justice League cartoon.

Marcus took the breakup like a champ, and left the way he entered the show, as a plant guy. And this probably saved him from becoming another victim of Caitlin's kiss of death. Now he'll join Julian in terms of being Caitlin's ex who vanished from the show when the getting was good.

Think this is the last we'll see of him? Maybe I'm naively hopeful, but I feel like after this arc Caitlin will finally move on and have a permanent love interest.

[Frontier]

Considering all the setups and mentions of Ronnie throughout the season, it makes perfect sense that we'd see Deathstorm. But...Blackest Night? They're really going to do a Green Lantern story and not involve Green Lantern in any way? And I wonder how Iris is going to play into all this.

I wonder if Deathstorm can revive the dead or a zombie army.

Hopefully this won't mean Cecile gets less screentime, but she is valuable to Team Flash outside Joe, so maybe she'll be just fine.

It would feel weird to see Cecile without Joe (and more weird compared to how little their child is mentioned) but it feels like they've been using more than him with her empath powers lately anyways, so that probably wouldn't change.

Less episodes for the show in general or him specifically?

For the show in general. Although it might just be me but for some reason it sometimes feels like Barry has less to do this season than he has in the past.

Think this is the last we'll see of him? Maybe I'm naively hopeful, but I feel like after this arc Caitlin will finally move on and have a permanent love interest.

I wouldn't mind it, but he seemed pretty firm that it was over between them.

[wleakr]

I wonder if Deathstorm can revive the dead or a zombie army.

It would feel weird to see Cecile without Joe (and more weird compared to how little their child is mentioned) but it feels like they've been using more than him with her empath powers lately anyways, so that probably wouldn't change.

For the show in general. Although it might just be me but for some reason it sometimes feels like Barry has less to do this season than he has in the past.

I wouldn't mind it, but he seemed pretty firm that it was over between them.

I could see Deathstorm being able to physically manifest anyone he's consumed. We get one episode (next one) to deal with his "plan" and ramp up the threat then the following to figure out how to thwart that plan and beat him. A relatively quick arc with a big bad that most likely will never to be used again.

Then we move into the Iris time sickness arc to conclude the season.