The Flash Season 5: 3 Ups & 3 Downs From ‘Cause And XS’

2. Flash Vanishes Again

One of the reasons why the fourth season of The Flash didn't work so well was down to the fact that the villain had no personal relationship with Barry Allen or any of his companions - something that ended up making the Scarlet Speedster feel like a supporting character in his own show. Unfortunately, it seems like the writers haven't learned from their mistakes because Barry once again played an incredibly minor role in 'Cause and XS'.

After Cisco realised that his newly-synthesised metahuman cure needed 29 days to "cook", Sherloque suggested that the Speed Force could have it ready in a mere 60 minutes. As a result, Barry took the cure into the Speed Force in the episode's opening moments and didn't return until its conclusion.

His absence wasn't particularly felt in the episode as it was ultimately a vehicle to showcase Nora's neat tricks, and it would have been fine if this were an isolated incident, but this is now the second time since the show returned from its holiday hiatus in which the titular character has been inexplicably sidelined. Not only does this make the main character seem less important, it hinders our enjoyment of the respective episodes.

Barry Allen is the heart of the show and, quite frankly, it just doesn't work without him. So, why are the writers continuing to relegate him?