The Flash Season 5: 6 Problems It Must Fix

When The Flash debuted back in 2014, it made an unforgettable impact. Not only did it receive critical acclaim, but it also broke ratings records, with the pilot episode receiving a startling 4.83 million viewers. It would maintain an incredibly high standard throughout its first season and, as a result, was continually showered with praise from both fans and critics. It may not have been the first Arrowverse show but, thanks to its impressive run, it was quickly becoming the real fan-favourite.

Unfortunately, that standard would eventually begin to slip, with the show's third and fourth seasons failing to even match the quality of the second. Though it has never stooped to unwatchable levels, it has become increasingly problematic in recent years, hindered by a few frustrating plot devices and multiple unnecessary episodes.

But with Season 5 on the horizon, the show has the chance to make things right. After all, if Arrow can make a comeback after its terrible fourth season, The Flash can definitely bounce back from a few less-than-stellar outings. It just needs to make a few adjustments first.

One major problem that plagues almost all of the Arrowverse shows is that the repetitive format does not benefit each respective show's growing cast - and that was never more obvious than it was last season on The Flash.

The introduction of the corny and rather annoying Elongated Man meant that important characters like Wally West/Kid Flash had to be written out on multiple occasions before the writers eventually just moved him to Legends of Tomorrow. This was particularly insulting because it never really felt like Wally was given the room to grow on The Flash, and it was positively ridiculous that such an iconic Flash character had to be relegated to make room for a different superhero.

However, this was only the latest example of this issue as important characters are often sidelined on the show. Caitlin and Cisco often struggle to get substantial screen-time. Sure, they fill their weekly roles on Team Flash to perfection, but we often forget that they're deep, well-developed characters too - and no, one or two episodes focused solely on them does not make up for the lack of focus all season.

With Nora West-Allen and Cecile Horton joining the show full-time now, it's integral that The Flash works out a way to make all of its regular characters feel like an important part of the show. Yes, some will require more attention at certain points and that's fine, but that doesn't mean that other important characters should be reduced to mindless Team Flash members.