The Flash Season 2: 8 Ups And 3 Downs From 'Rupture'

6. Barry's Torment

The Flash Rupture
The CW

Poor Barry Allen.

Tasked with a life-changing decision, it all comes down to Barry whether we see him placed in the middle of another particle accelerator accident. Obviously, if this comes off and all goes to plan, Barry regains his superpowers and will once again the Scarlet Speedster that Central City knows and loves. If things do not go to plan, however, then Barry could well end up dead, leaving one less person to fight the good fight against Zoom’s attack on Earth-1 and beyond.

Grant Gustin was fantastic here in how he really showcased the torment that Barry was going through where this decision was concerned. So often Jesse L. Martin’s Joe West or Tom Cavanagh’s Harrison Wells steal the show in The Flash, but this time out it was the show’s titular hero who delivered the goods fantastically.

Pun not intended, Gustin hit the ground running as Barry Allen/The Flash, and the role really has become a second skin for the actor. He just simply “gets” Barry, and this episode was a perfect example of that.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.