The Flash (season 8)

The eighth season of the American superhero television series The Flash, which is based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash, premiered on The CW on November 16, 2021.[1] It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe, and is a spin-off of Arrow. The season is produced by Berlanti Productions, Warner Bros. Television, and DC Entertainment, with Eric Wallace serving as showrunner.

The Flash
Season 8
Promotional poster for the season's special event "Armageddon"
Starring
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes5
Release
Original networkThe CW
Original releaseNovember 16, 2021 (2021-11-16) –
present (present)
Season chronology

The season was ordered on February 3, 2021. Filming began that August and is set to conclude the following April. Grant Gustin stars as Barry, with principal cast members Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Danielle Nicolet, Kayla Compton, Brandon McKnight, and Jesse L. Martin also returning from previous seasons.

Episodes
Main article: List of The Flash episodes
The Flash season 8 episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [2]Prod.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
Graphic Novel #5: Armageddon [3][4]
1521"Armageddon, Part 1"Eric Dean SeatonEric WallaceNovember 16, 2021 (2021-11-16)T27.148010.75[5]
In 2031 Central City, psychic alien Despero witnesses the end of the world. Six months after the Godspeed war, Barry Allen's skills have gradually improved. After stopping a train collision in record time, he apprehends the Royal Flush Gang during a cryptocurrency heist. Iris West-Allen now heads the larger and stronger Central City Citizen Media. She interviews Kristen Kramer, who recently disbanded the meta-task force. Iris also promotes Allegra Garcia, who initially struggles to control her new staff, but is eventually able to shift their focuses to the voice of the people. Meanwhile, Ray Palmer arrives in Central City for a tech convention, and Chester P. Runk surprises him with a group of tech start-ups, but Ray turns them down, much to his embarrassment. Suddenly, Despero arrives and attacks the tech convention. He attempts to kill Barry, stating that he is responsible for the end of the world. Ray suits up as The Atom and sends him away. Cecile Horton confirms that Despero was telling the truth. Later, Ray decides to create an organization in Chester's father's name that will help new start-ups and leaves. Barry gives his identity to Despero, who gives him one week to prove his innocence.
1532"Armageddon, Part 2"Menhaj HudaJonathan Butler & Gabriel GarzaNovember 23, 2021 (2021-11-23)T27.148020.67[6]
Despero informs Barry that he will lose himself to madness. The following day, Barry investigates an insane security guard, but Kramer forces him to turn in his badge over a federal investigation suggesting that he was a mole for Joseph Carver. Later, S.T.A.R. Labs is raided and shut down after a radiation spike, so Barry has Gideon erase everything (including herself) while Chester and Allegra move their tech. Alex Danvers assists Team Flash in researching Despero and learn about his home planet of Kalanor and his power source, the Flame of Py'tar. Despero tells Barry that Kalanor was destroyed by an evil despot, which Despero could not prevent. Allegra learns that Frost asked Chester to build a weapon to harm Despero despite his pacifism. With a hint from the insane security guard, Barry goes after psychic meta-criminal Xotar. She causes him to go insane and attack his team, but later depowers her during a jewelry heist. Barry suggests they celebrate with Joe West, but is informed that he died six months prior. News footage shows Barry attacking residents of Central City after Xotar had been depowered, but he doesn't remember this or Joe's death. Despero arrives to kill Barry, but the team allows him to escape to the Hall of Justice, where he meets with Jefferson Pierce.
1543"Armageddon, Part 3"Chris PeppeSam ChalsenNovember 30, 2021 (2021-11-30)T27.148030.73[7]
In compliance with the Injustice Protocols, Barry asks Jefferson to permanently remove his powers. He begins to, but stops when Barry mentions Despero. Barry angrily lashes out at Jefferson, but is eventually convinced to stand down. Meanwhile, Iris suspects that Barry was framed and that Joe's supposed death was a set-up. She investigates his death with Allegra, discovering a unique set of coincidences that suggest foul play. She begins to see temporal particles and meets with Deon Owens, who discovers that someone tapped into the Negative Still Force to change the timeline and kill Joe. Concurrently, Cecile coerces Rosalind Dillon into helping her find Barry. In order to improve Chester's process, Dillon tells Cecile to suppress her grief, but Caitlin Snow convinces her to embrace her love instead. Despero turns on the particle accelerator, absorbs its power, and attacks Cecile's group. He learns Barry's location and travels there, but is held off by Jefferson, Iris, and Deon. Deon informs Barry of his findings and sends him to 2031, where he witnesses a future Iris celebrating her engagement to Eobard Thawne alongside Team Flash, Alex, Ryan Choi, and Ryan Wilder, who are unhappy to see him.
1554"Armageddon, Part 4"Chad LoweLauren BarnettDecember 7, 2021 (2021-12-07)T27.148040.73[8]
Barry finds that the timeline changed and he is now the Reverse-Flash. Thawne reveals that he killed Joe and framed Barry for the attacks in Central City, then traveled back in time to kill Barry as a child and later became The Flash. At midnight, the Reverse-Flashpoint timeline will solidify and Barry will disappear. Barry partners with this timeline's Damien Darhk and plots revenge against Thawne, but Darhk ultimately learns Barry's true nature and helps Barry restore the original timeline upon learning that his daughter Nora Darhk is alive in it. Meanwhile, Iris is visited by Wilder while she struggles to write her vows to Thawne. Alex helps Chester and Allegra admit their love for one another, and convinces Choi to love again. The speed required for Barry to return to 2021 will cause Armageddon through extinction-level natural disasters, so Barry visits Iris to say goodbye. He is intercepted by Thawne, but Iris lets him escape. Thawne chases him while Darhk holds off Frost, Chillblaine, Choi (as The Atom), and Sentinel. As Barry returns to 2021, Thawne's changes are undone and Barry tells Despero to check 2031 for himself. Thawne arrives in 2021 in the Time Vault as the Reverse-Flash and activates Gideon.
1565"Armageddon, Part 5"Menhaj HudaKristen KimDecember 14, 2021 (2021-12-14)T27.148050.72[9]
Barry reunites with a restored Joe, but the two are interrupted by Darhk whose erasure is being delayed due to his Time Stone. Thawne attacks CCPD, but is stopped by Barry and Mia Queen, who has come searching for her brother William Clayton. Thawne asks Barry to save him from his own erasure and is taken to S.T.A.R. Labs. Despero returns and urges Barry to let Thawne die, but Joe convinces Barry and Iris to let him live. In response, Despero takes control of Mia and has her hold off Team Flash while he threatens to destroy Central City in order to take out Thawne. Iris and Cecile help Mia regain control while Barry learns of Despero's tyrannical actions on Kalanor when his original history turned out to be false. With technology from Chester, Barry depowers Despero and sends him away. Barry then drains Thawne's speed to prevent his erasure and has him remanded to A.R.G.U.S. custody During a celebration, Iris informs Mia of an organization who may be responsible for William's capture. Due to a suggestion that was made to her earlier, Mia also decides to visit Felicity Smoak to see if she can help identify William's abductors. Darhk gives his Time Stone to Joe and bids farewell to his daughter Nora who appears in his place and is consoled by Joe who has a lot to explain to her. Afterwards in CCPD, the timeline changes to show Bart Allen and Nora West-Allen in a photograph from 2014 that they photo-bombed.

Cast and characters
Main article: List of The Flash characters

Main

Recurring

Guest

Production

Development

The season was announced on February 3, 2021, along with 11 other CW series, including Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow.[23]

Writing

Speaking to the events of the season, showrunner Eric Wallace said that Barry Allen / The Flash would become "the most confident, incredibly powerful, secure team leader". Wallace then commented that the series would return to Barry and Iris West-Allen's relationship. Wallace went on to hint that multiple relationships, including Joe West and Cecile Horton's, would be further explored and deepened in the season, as well as that Kristen Kramer and August Heart may return in this season.[12]

The graphic novel format for the series will continue in the eighth season. Wallace noted that one of the graphic novels would feature a new villain who is "a very scary fellow, and when he shows up, we might dip our toes into the world of horror and the supernatural."[12] In September 2021, Wallace revealed that Joe West is "going to get an incredibly different perspective on life, and it will lead him to a very big choice."[24]

Wallace also revealed that Iris' time sickness will be dealt with after "Armageddon", and that solving it is "a huge, huge part of the entire season, and it will take all season to solve that. And that will have big ramifications for Barry and Iris' relationship and marriage."[25]

Casting

Series star Grant Gustin returns in the title role of Barry Allen / The Flash. By May 2021, it was unclear if Candice Patton and Danielle Panabaker would return since they were still "negotiating new deals to return".[26] A month later, both actresses, along with Jesse L. Martin, closed their deals.[27] Danielle Nicolet returns as Cecile Horton.[12] In August 2021, it was announced that the guest appearances for the "Armageddon" event would include Tom Cavanagh as Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash, Javicia Leslie as Batwoman, Brandon Routh as The Atom, Cress Williams as Jefferson Pierce / Black Lightning, Chyler Leigh as Sentinel, Katherine McNamara as Mia Queen, Osric Chau as Ryan Choi, and Neal McDonough as Damien Darhk,[16] with Tony Curran joining the cast as Despero shortly after in an undisclosed capacity.[28] Courtney Ford cameos as Nora Darhk in the fifth episode while Katie Cassidy, Juliana Harkavy, and Ben Lewis appear through archive footage as Laurel Lance, Dinah Drake, and William Clayton.

In October 2021, it was announced that Rick Cosnett would reprise his role as Eddie Thawne in a singular flashback episode after the "Armageddon" event.[29]

Filming

Filming began on August 16, 2021, and is scheduled to conclude on April 25, 2022.[30]

Arrowverse tie-ins

The first five episodes of the season will be crossover event episodes, featuring other actors and heroes from the Arrowverse. The CW President Mark Pedowitz said the episodes would "not quite be a crossover, but it will have a crossover-type feel". One of these potential appearances was Cress Williams, reprising his role from the Arrowverse series Black Lightning as Jefferson Pierce / Black Lightning, who indicated in May 2021 that he had been approached to make a guest appearance in the season and was in talks to appear. Williams said he was "down" to appear since he enjoyed being a part of the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover and felt he and Gustin got along well during their scenes together. Pedowitz also indicated at that time that other actors had also been approached.[31] Re-elaborating in July 2021, Wallace said that the five-episode event would not be like a typical Arrowverse crossover, noting that "I think it’ll give people that sense of scope that you sometimes feel—both emotionally and in the action sequences—with a crossover, without actually having 20 characters in one scene." However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions were put in place that restricted some of the crew's options.[12] In August 2021, it was announced that the crossover event would be known as "Armageddon" with multiple Arrowverse heroes and villains returning. Wallace described the event as "the most emotional Flash episodes ever" with "some truly epic moments and huge surprises".[16]

Marketing

At the virtual 2021 DC FanDome event on October 16, 2021, stars Grant Gustin and Candice Patton revealed the new golden boots as part of the costume in the new season.[32] The first trailer for “Armageddon” was released on October 19, 2021, three days after DC FanDome.[17] The official poster was released on November 3, 2021.[33]

Release

The season premiered on The CW on November 16, 2021.[1]

Two weeks before the premiere, on November 5, 2021, the CW announced their midseason schedule for their shows, announcing that after "Armageddon", The Flash will return in March but with a new date, announcing that The Flash will air on Wednesdays after "Armageddon", starting March 9, 2022.[34]

Prior to the season premiere, Eric Wallace confirmed that the season would only have 18 episodes.[35]

Ratings
Viewership and ratings per episode of The Flash
No. Title Air dateRating
(18–49)		Viewers
(millions)		DVR
(18–49)		DVR viewers
(millions)		Total
(18–49)		Total viewers
(millions)
1 "Armageddon, Part 1" November 16, 20210.20.75[5]TBDTBDTBDTBD
2 "Armageddon, Part 2" November 23, 20210.10.67[6]TBDTBDTBDTBD
3 "Armageddon, Part 3" November 30, 20210.20.73[7]TBDTBDTBDTBD
4 "Armageddon, Part 4" December 7, 20210.20.73[8]TBDTBDTBDTBD
5 "Armageddon, Part 5" December 14, 20210.20.72[9]TBDTBDTBDTBD

References
  1. Mitovich, Matt Webb (June 15, 2021). "The CW Sets Fall Premiere Dates for The Flash, Walker, 4400 and 11 Others". TVLine. Archived from the original on June 15, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  2. "FLASH, THE (CW)". The Futon Critic. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  3. Agard, Chancellor (August 25, 2021). "The Flash recruits Batwoman, Atom, Mia Queen, and more for 5-part event". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  4. "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: The Flash Boss Eric Wallace Previews ARMAGEDDON". The Flash Podcast. November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021. But to be honest with you, we approached it just like ‘Okay, this is the next graphic novel and graphic novel number five, right?’
  5. Metcalf, Mitch (November 17, 2021). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.16.2021 Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  6. Metcalf, Mitch (November 24, 2021). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.23.2021 Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  7. Metcalf, Mitch (December 1, 2021). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.30.2021 Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  8. Metcalf, Mitch (December 8, 2021). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.7.2021 Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  9. Metcalf, Mitch (December 15, 2021). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.14.2021 Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  10. Sahu, Dharmesh (October 3, 2021). "'The Flash Season 8: Grant Gustin Suits Up as "Surprise Villain" in BTS Pictures". TV Fandom Lounge. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  11. Mitovich, Matt Webb (December 3, 2021). "The Flash Is Seeing Red, Iris/Batwoman Bond in New 'Armageddon' Photos". TVLine. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  12. Grobar, Matt (July 21, 2021). "'The Flash' Season Finale: EP Eric Wallace Talks New Romances, "Very Unexpected" Guest Stars, A New Arrowverse Villain & More To Come In Season 8". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  13. Cordero, Rosy. "The Flash: Tony Curran Joins The CW Series as Despero in Season 8". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 26, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  14. Agard, Chancellor (July 20, 2021). "'The Flash' boss discusses [SPOILER]'s return and teases season 8's five-part special event". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  15. Damore, Meagan. "The Flash: Jay Garrick Will Return in Season 8 With a New Mission". CBR. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  16. Del Rosario, Alexandra (August 25, 2021). "'The Flash': Lineup of Superheroes & Villains Revealed For 5-Part Season 8 Launch Event". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  17. The CW Network. "The Flash | Season 8 Trailer | The CW". YouTube. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  18. Mitovich, Matt Webb (December 14, 2021). "The Flash: Grade the 'Armageddon' Finale — Plus, Did Katherine McNamara Get Some Arrow Spinoff Closure?". TVLine. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  19. Mitovich, Matt Webb (October 14, 2021). "'The Flash': Rick Cosnett Returning as Eddie for Season 8 Flashback". TVLine. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  20. Doyle, Jack (November 12, 2021). "'The Flash' Season 8 Stages a 'Glee' Reunion With Max Adler Returning as The Hotness". Collider. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  21. Agard, Chancellor (November 30, 2021). "Robbie Amell returning to The Flash in season 8". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  22. King, Aidan (December 10, 2021). "'The Flash' TV Show Casts Mika Abdalla as Phantom Girl". Collider. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  23. White, Peter (February 3, 2021). "The CW Renews 12 Series Including 'The Flash', 'Riverdale' & Freshman 'Walker'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  24. Gelman, Vlada (September 15, 2021). "Fall TV Preview 2021: Exclusive Scoop and Photos on 20+ Returning Favourites". TVLine. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
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  26. Hood, Cooper (May 4, 2021). "The Flash Original Stars Tom Cavanagh & Carlos Valdes Exit After Season 7". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  27. Andreeva, Nellie (June 30, 2021). "'The Flash': Jesse L. Martin, Danielle Panabaker & Candice Patton Ink Deals To Return For Season 8". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  28. Cordero, Rosy (August 26, 2021). "'The Flash': Tony Curran Joins CW Series As Despero For Season 8". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 26, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
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Notes
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