What I’m Watching: The Flash (Season Premiere)

The Flash: Season 6, Episode 1 “Into the Void” (B+)

This show feels considerably edgier and different than it has in the past, namely because it’s diving into all-new territory with its characters and plotlines, and both Barry and Iris are deeply in mourning for a daughter that is now never going to exist, something they’re both having trouble admitting. Starting out with Godspeed clones who can’t communicate and a barbecue which found Team Flash all hanging out casually felt like they had gotten back into a sort of rhythm, waiting for the next big bad and just going through the motions until that point. That all changed with the introduction of Dr. Rosso, played by Sendhil Ramamurthy from “Heroes” and “Covert Affairs,” as yet another brilliant mind so driven by his ambition to change the world that he doesn’t care who gets hurt in the process. It didn’t take long for him to reveal his true nature as he got angry at Caitlin for not seeing eye-to-eye with him, and he’s definitely going to be back to create problems just as big as those giant black holes for all of Team Flash. Caitlin making a deal to put Killer Frost in the driver’s seat should prove interesting, and it’s helpful with Cisco officially out as a powered member of the team. The Monitor showing up to tell Barry that the Flash has to die in order for the world not to end is indeed a weighty message, one that is likely to drive Barry and Iris to do whatever they can to prevent that inevitability.