The Flash season 2 premiere was filled with heart-wrenching moments. We’ve narrowed down to our top five.
Picking up six months after the season 1 finale, The Flash season 2 premiere looked at the aftermath of the singularity opening up over Central City, both long- and short-term. Even with all the superheroing, though, there was still plenty of time for the feels, and this episode delivered in spades.
We look at our top five heart-breaking moments from “The Man Who Saved Central City”:
Barry’s daydream
The episode opened with The Flash confronting Captain Cold and Heat Wave, defeating them with the help of Firestorm. After the win, he returned to S.T.A.R. Labs where the entire team congregated, including a living Eddie Thawne — who declared him a hero — and a proud Harrison Wells.
This turned out to be a figment of Barry’s imagination, as we return to Barry standing alone in a dark, empty S.T.A.R. Labs. This manifestation of Barry’s guilt was a surprisingly painful opening to the season 2 premiere.
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Ronnie’s death
We learned via flashback that while Barry was able to stabilize the wormhole that opened up over Central City six months earlier, he wasn’t able to close it himself. Instead, it would take the energy from Firestorm separating in the middle of the singularity to collapse it. Only Professor Stein ended up surviving the separation, since Barry caught him as he fell. Ronnie’s body, it seems, was never found.
While it was a bit jarring to find out about an important character dying in flashback, the ramifications of Ronnie’s death were clear, from Barry wallowing in his guilt and Professor Stein being alone to Caitlin isolating herself in her guilt over not leaving Central City with him. This also marks the second time Caitlin has had to grieve Ronnie; talk about heart-breaking.
Joe convinces Barry to reconcile
Joe sat at his Barry’s bedside after The Flash’s confrontation with Atom Smasher left him unconscious. Joe, in his Father of the Year way, talked Barry into letting his loved ones back into his life and reconciling with everyone he pushed away over the last six months. A tearful Barry agreed, and we were reminded of just how powerful the Joe/Barry scenes can be — and just how much Barry needs that influence in his life.
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Joe comforts a young Barry
In another flashback, we saw Joe trying to get a young Barry to eat six months after Henry was locked away. Barry wasn’t interested, but Joe — ever-knowing — was able to get through to the angry and hurting kid.
Joe told Barry that his parents would understand if he wasn’t strong all the time; that’s what Joe was there for. Barry launching himself at Joe for a hug perhaps marked the first father/son moment between Barry and Joe after Barry became a surrogate West.
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Henry leaves Central City
After Harrison Wells left behind a confession for the murder of Nora Allen, Henry was released from prison. Barry, thrilled to have his father cleared of charges and out of prison, brought him to the West home for a party. What followed was a touching scene with the family Barry had built up welcoming Henry with open arms.
However, the heartbreak came when Henry realized that if he stayed in Central City, Barry would always be Henry Allen’s son, not Barry Allen, a hero. Henry decided to leave Central City to give Barry the room to spread his wings, and he asked Barry to give him permission to leave. The tearful nod and hug that came after wasn’t just heart-breaking — it was heart-shattering.
On a side note, this scene very much felt like a passing of the torch, as Henry Allen is played by John Wesley Shipp, who played Barry Allen in the original Flash television series. From one Flash to the next, the pride and belief was clear. Sniff.
The Flash airs Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET on The CW.