The Flash Season 6 Review: 6 Ups & 2 Downs From 'Marathon'
2. The New Tone
The Flash has experimented a lot over the past couple of years as it attempted to move away from evil speedster territory. Some of what it's tried has worked rather well while some of it was just too far removed from the light-hearted tone the show established in the beginning.
The midseason premiere, however, tried something completely different. There was certainly an overarching sense of dread, yes, but not enough to quash the enjoyability of the episode. In fact, between the Iris-centric reporter's narrative and the eerie tech-like feeling of Black Hole, the episode employed something of a procedural format that gave it an almost antique presentation.
It was an unusual mix that worked surprisingly well, and provided the show with elements of the second and third season of the '70s Wonder Woman series. And that vintage aesthetic might just be what carries The Flash into its new Post-Crisis era.