While there is no way Barry could have ever predicted Thawne would come for him from the future like that, it was something that the character would have never been involved with if it weren’t for Barry. It was surprising to see the episode open right with Eddie, but he is the clearest example of someone dying because of events Barry was caught up in. It’s great to see the familiar faces of Eddie, Ronnie and Snart show back up on The Flash, but the characters represent a whole lot more. This episode has a lot of fun with that idea and sends Barry on A Christmas Carol type journey to confront people from his past who have sacrificed their lives for the greater good, but as a result of Barry’s mistakes. The Speed Force adds a really unique layer to The Flash because unlike other heroes, there is a supernatural force involved with speedsters. It’s something that the show has briefly explored for an episode before, but is a great setting to address any topic and really allow Barry to try and learn more about his powers and the forces behind them. “Into the Speed Force” presents a really fun concept by having Barry re-enter the mysterious landscape where pretty much everything can happen. The threat of Savitar has been looming for awhile now, and Barry is doing everything in his power to stop it, but the character just continues to display a lack of growth that begins to get frustrating.
Yet, just when the show feels like it’s getting somewhere or presents interesting concepts, it can completely destroy things in one swift move. Season 3, while a little shaky to start, has actually shown some nice development and really rounded out the Flashpoint story in a unique way.
The Flash has always been a show that falls back and forth on what it wants to accomplish and quite often feels like it’s retreading on a lot of former plots.