If you missed Tuesday night’s premiere but can’t resist checking out all “The Flash” spoilers, don’t worry, because we’ve got you covered.
The Scarlet Speedster and his pals have finally raced their way back onto our TV screens, and they didn’t disappoint with the first episode of season 4. Grant Gustin wasn’t lying when he told Metro that “The Flash” would become a fun show again.
“There will be a lot of Barry and Iris this season, there’s a lot more to Barry and Joe this season, ” Gustin said. “We’re going back to basics and having fun with the show.”
Here are five of the most shocking moments from “The Flash” season premiere.
1. Iris is in charge
Barry Allen made the ultimate sacrifice at the end of season 3, imprisoning himself in the Speed Force in order to save Central City and the world. Unfortunately, that meant leaving his beloved Iris West (Candice Patton) behind.
Don’t expect the love of the Flash’s life to wallow in her sorrows, though, as she’s now in charge of keeping Team Flash organized during their crime-fighting duties. Iris isn’t playing around either, as she makes sure to keep Keiynan Lonsdale’s Wally (aka Kid Flash) and Carlos Valdes’ Vibe in line when they start to goof off.
Considering that Iris has mostly been relegated to the role of damsel in distress during the first three seasons, it’s a nice surprise to see her take on more of a leadership position to kick off season 4.
2. Kid Flash grows up
Speaking of Kid Flash, Iris’ brother is now Central City’s go-to speedster while Barry remains trapped in the Speed Force. He may not be as fast as his mentor, but Kid Flash has certainly picked up a few tricks and seems to be working well with Vibe as they take on evil metahumans.
Although it’s a brief moment, fans finally get to see Wally ditch the yellow digs for the Flash’s iconic red costume during a battle with the robotic Samuroid. While he only dons to Scarlet Speedster’s outfit to try and trick the android into believing the Flash is still around, it’s a nice homage to Wally’s comic book storyline of taking over the hero’s role when Barry dies in the pages of “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”
3. Barry’s back (with a new costume)
You didn’t think he was really gone, did you? As you probably already saw in the promos for season 4, yes, Barry does make his triumphant return, however, we didn’t think it’d be this soon.
Vibe, along with some help from Danielle Panabaker’s Killer Frost, are able to bring the Flash back from the Speed Force using a healthy dose of CW-style science. Unfortunately, Barry seems to be channeling the Joker instead of the Flash, as he’s clearly lost his marbles, rambling about nonsense and scribbling symbols all over the walls.
Barry eventually gets his head on right thanks to another damsel in distress moment with Iris, and the comeback is definitely worth the wait. Not only is he faster than ever, but the Flash also gets to sport a fancy new costume courtesy of his pal Cisco. After defeating Samuroid, things seem to be back to normal for the Scarlet Speedster.
4. Will Killer Frost break bad?
Barry’s not the only character back in town, as Caitlin Snow (aka Killer Frost) also makes her return to Team Flash. While she struggled with the dark side after her icy powers started to take over last season, she seems to be under control when Cisco finds her working at a grungy bar in the season premiere.
Although she appears calm and cool during her chats with Barry and company, it’s clear that she’s still trying not to let her Killer Frost persona take over. When she quits working at the bar towards the end of the first episode, a mysterious man tries to stop her, only to receive a cold beat down from the Caitlin. Does that mean she’ll break bad again? Only time will tell.
5. Meet the Thinker
For once, Barry’s biggest foe won’t be a fellow speedster. Fans finally got a glimpse of this year’s main villain, the Thinker, in the final moments of the season premiere.
Not only did this super-smart villain unleash the Samuroid on Central City, but he also seems to have bigger things in mind for Team Flash. The Thinker reveals to his minion that it was his plan all along to use the android to lure the Flash back to Earth. But why?
It will be interesting to see how the Thinker’s motivations unravel as the season goes on.
