The Flash has been the tentpole show for the Arrowverse, even before Arrow ended. It has consistently maintained its high viewership and seasons five/six felt like a step back in the right direction narratively. Despite COVID-19 forcing season six to end early, it did leave us with a cliffhanger and stakes with Iris still trapped in the mirror verse and the Big Bad on the prowl.
What do we know about the seventh season of The Flash?
Firstly, it will wrap up the Mirror Master villain story. Last season, Iris West-Allen investigated the missing co-founder of McCulloch Technologies, only to discover that Eva McCulloch slowly descended into a quest for revenge after being trapped in the “Mirrorverse” when the particle accelerator exploded. McCulloch kidnapped Iris, Kamilla, and Chief Singh, creating mirror duplicates of them to help her escape.
Iris, was unfortunately left trapped in the mirror with the threat of serious damage being done to her mind from being in this new reality for so long.
Showrunner Eric Wallace claimed that this abrupt ending made the season stronger. “It’s forcing us to look at these two separate things — which is the end of Eva’s story and the beginning of the next villain’s story and how he relates to Barry and Iris — [and realize] they kind of have to be connected even more because there isn’t some summer break anymore. The audience will experience it now a week later.”
Wallace told Entertainment Weekly that in these closing three episodes there will be a “twist, and it’s a big Iris story with a lots of surprises.” He also hinted at a “big guest star from seasons early on in The Flash.”
Hartley Sawyer was fired from the show due to racist and sexist tweets that were unearthed so that leaves it up in the air as how the show will handle it. Since we have established that the character can change their face, it is possible to recast the role and come up with a reason he’d have to do it permanently.
Then there is also the issue of Joe West, police captain. With all of the Black Lives Matter issues concerning Black people and the police, issues the Black female cast of The CW have been outspoken about, there is a question as to how the show will handle Joe in light of that. Wallace is an African-American showrunner so there certainly even more pressure to do it right.
“Joe’s story line this season is inspired by the societal changes happening in today’s world,” Wallace told EW. “Because with everything we’re all waking up to each day in 2020, I felt there was a great opportunity here — even within our fantastical, family-oriented show — to comment indirectly on truths folks could easily recognize. And do so in an entertaining way.”
The Flash is carrying a heavy weight on its shoulders, but it has a strong fanbase that continues to support the show and I’ll be with it until the bitter end (or until Candice quits). On February 3rd, The Flash was renewed for an eighth season. Time will tell how the series will extend into that—but one thing is for sure, Barry Allen is going to run hella fast.
The seventh season is scheduled to premiere on March 2, 2021.
(image: The CW)
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