When Barry Allen saved his mother from death at the conclusion of The Flash's second season, many fans took issue with the decision - after all, Barry seemingly learned his lesson about not meddling with time at the end of the first season, when his future self cautioned him against it.
In an interview with Kevin Smith and IMDB last weekend at Comic-Con, Grant Gustin gave his thoughts on the matter. "People were like, 'Why did he do that?' And I think that he wasn't going to do that, but I think that sitting on that porch, having just defeated Zoom, Iris says to Barry what he's always wanted to hear, and he feels empty inside," explained Gustin. "That was the moment... As selfish as it was that Barry wanted his parents, I think it's more about 'these two speedsters took away their life because of me and they deserve to have a chance at life. I can't do this, I need to give them that chance.'"
This decision will lead to the show's adaptation of the 'Flashpoint' storyline, in which Barry's actions create an alternate timeline of drastically different proportions. Though it's been confirmed that this new reality will play into the third season, Gustin confirmed that it won't be a season-long storyline. "I think we can state Flashpoint does not last all season long," Gustin said. "But there are permanent ramifications."
We've already seen what happens to Speedsters who meddle with time, and given Barry's emotionally fuelled decision, there will probably be some serious ramifications when time corrects itself. Are you glad Flashpoint won't be lasting all season? Sound off below!
About The Author:
Matt is a graduate of the Ryerson University School of Journalism, and has been a fan of superheroes since he picked up his first comic book issue as a child. While he works as a professional musician, Matt has a massive passion for comic books, films and heroes, along with participating in discussion and debate with the CBM community.