The only thing that’s really working well for The Flash in season 7 is the romance between Barry (Grant Gustin) and Iris (Candace Patton). The Arrowverse series has been littered with problems this season, but what it’s doing with the two leads isn’t one of them.
The ending of the Mirror Master arc at the beginning of the season promised a new trajectory for Barry and Iris, who have been married since season 4. Iris, who has long been called Barry’s “lightning rod”, helped him reignite the Speed Force, but at the same time brought into existence three other cosmic forces, which have led to the introduction of Fuerza (Sara Garcia), Psych (Ennis Esmer), and Deon (Christian Magby). Since the couple were directly responsible for the rebirth of the Speed Force and the powers of the three new characters, they’ve come to regard themselves as a family. This connection has been a central element of the show’s Speed Force story in season 7.
The Arrowverse’s handling of this story in of how it’s impacted Barry and Iris’ relationship is one of the best parts of the season. Finding ways to keep long-running relationships like theirs from becoming stale can be challenging for TV shows, but The Flash is successfully pulling this off. The series did something a bit unusual for them in episode 9 when Barry and Iris split over whether or not they should undo the creation of the four Forces. But though they haven’t always been on the same page this season, the two have managed to persevere together without their bond being damaged. The two overcoming their disagreements has proven the strength of their relationship.
Also, the two treating themselves as the “parents” of the Forces was an interesting direction for the show to take. In the latest episode, this plotline culminated in them looking to start an actual family, which felt like the right ending for this chapter in their lives, especially since it’s been revealed that what comes next for the show is the debut of their future son, Impulse (Jordan Fisher) and the return of XS (Jessica Parker Kennedy).
Unfortunately, there are fewer good things to say about the rest of the season. The story offered for Killer Frost and Caitlin Snow felt deep and meaningful at the time, but was made pointless by Frost’s rushed re-entry into the show. The characters associated with Team Citizen have been underutilized, and perhaps worst of all, Barry’s status as the Fastest Man Alive seems more unimportant now than ever. Time and time again this season Barry has found his speed to be inadequate when it comes to defeating their villains. Too often Team Flash has had to resort to the same tired tactics - talking their enemies down - to resolve conflicts. All things considered, The Flash has a number of problems that will hopefully be fixed in the season’s remaining episodes.