The Flash - Finish Line

Immediately following Savitar killing Iris (Candice Patton), the Third Season finale opens with a big twist, and it won't be the episode's last. The good news for Team Flash is that Iris is alive and Savitar's plan has failed. The good news for the show is a tremendous weight has been lifted off of Barry's (Grant Gustin) shoulders and we see a more hopeful and less brooding version of the character throughout the episode, even in the face of an emotional sacrifice to close out the episode. There's a calm to Barry we haven't seen in quite some time which serves both the character and the season finale well. Let's hope this continues in to next season.

The bad news for Team Flash is that a member of the team does die and Savitar (in his limited time before he's wiped out of existence just like the Reverse-Flash was) has a back-up plan to make himself a god. While the most expendable member of the team, the loss of H.R. (Tom Cavanagh) does have impact particularly given his burgeoning relationship with Tracy (Anne Dudek). I wasn't the biggest fan of the goofy Wells when he first stepped onto the show from Earth-19, but the season has slowly sold me on the character week after week. He will be missed.

The end to the Savitar storyline works out fairly well. The villain's last-ditch effort to avoid his fate is stopped by Cisco (Carlos Valdes) leading directly into a three-on-one speedster finale that turns out to be pretty fun. Rather than remain stuck to the two choices the show has presented all year long, Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) choices a third path which is neither cured scientist nor super-powered super-villain. As for Barry, the show can't quite help itself in setting up a cliffhanger for next season. Next season's premiere will have plenty to work through to put Team Flash back together again.