Hot on the heels of a pulse-pounding penultimate episode, The Flash season 1 finale outdoes itself again with a near-perfect cap to what's been an impressively confident and consistent first season. 'Fast Enough' is more than just good enough - it's superb.
Barry's mission in life was to find who killed his mother - now he's put that man behind bars, paving the way for a tense tête-à-tête between our hero and his mentor/nemesis Dr Wells.
Now exposed as Eobard Thawne, 'Wells' is a surprisingly loose-lipped captive. He articulates at length his motives for killing Nora Allen - hoping that her death would prove devastating enough to destroy his foe. Instead, Wells ended up creating The Flash - first by installing in Barry a thirst for justice, and later by creating the particle accelerator which imbued this ordinary forensic scientist with his incredible gifts. Wells even goes so far as offering Barry a way to save his mother - but why is he being so forthcoming? It's not just because he's (apparently) developed genuine affection for Barry - he wants something out of the bargain. In return for being sent back to the future, Wells will help Barry to travel to the past - but surely he can't accept this Faustian bargain? Wells is not to be trusted - but more than that, changing history erases everyone and everything that Barry knows.
With the relationships in his life forfeit, it's fitting that Barry again finds himself torn between father figures - a recurring theme of this season.
Joe is an unlikely advocate for making the trip - insisting that Barry deserves to be happy - while Henry Allen doesn't want his son to risk everything (and it goes without saying at this point that Grant Gustin and John Wesley Shipp are spectacularly good together).
Barry's being bombarded by other people's opinions, and it's up to Iris to serve as a sympathetic and encouraging ear. The pair also speculate on the nature of their relationship given recent developments - and there's a real sense they might have a future together, if their relationship survives Barry's tinkering with the past.
It's a huge gamble for Barry to take - even, one could argue, irresponsible or selfish - to risk not just his life but those of everyone in Central City, but by now he's obsessed with the possibility of saving Nora.
When it comes to the crunch though, Barry opts not to change the past - encouraged not to do so by his own future self - and, in an uncharacteristically dark twist for The Flash, has to listen to the sounds of his mother's murder.
He does, at least, get a chance to say goodbye - a particularly tear-jerking moment in a season finale that's replete with them.
Much of 'Fast Enough' is about Barry and his journey - the show is called The Flash, after all - but that doesn't mean the rest of the cast don't get to make a significant contribution. Joe remains invaluable as Barry's most present 'father' - and Jesse L Martin's performance is every bit as stirring as we've come to expect - while Cisco is dealt the stunning revelation that he too may be a metahuman. He's got that vibe!
Then there's Caitlin - Ronnie is apparently back for good and he and Caitlin even marry in a rushed-but-romantic ceremony...
But something has to go wrong, right? Not just because it's dramatically inevitable, but because there has to be a reason that Dr Stein features in new spinoff Legends of Tomorrow while Ronnie doesn't - a reason beyond Robbie Amell's burgeoning movie career.
One character who fears he doesn't have a "contribution to make" is poor old Eddie Thawne. "As far as history's concerned, I don't save the day or get the girl," he laments.
But if there's one thing that 'Fast Enough' teaches us, it's that history can be changed - Eddie does save the day, taking his own life to put an end to his wicked descendant Eobard.
Yes, Eddie becomes the one-season-and-out sacrificial lamb - he's the Tommy Merlyn of The Flash.
It's a real shame to see the show lose Rick Cosnett - it would've been easy to fall into the trap of making a love rival to Barry an unloveable jerk, but smart writing and Cosnett's natural charm means we cared about Eddie.
That said, the character wasn't always well-utilised - though he thrived in recent weeks after learning Barry's secret and joining up with the STAR Labs team, which makes his demise all the more galling.
That said, there's a neat symmetry in having Eobard Thawne's scheme - to quash Barry by murdering his mother - end by way of his own ancestor's demise, and Cosnett signs off with what is easily a series best performance.
Moving forward, what does Eddie's death mean? Even if Barry prevents the destruction of… well… everything, surely the removal of Eobard/Wells means that Nora is alive after all? That Henry Allen is a free man?
Did any of the events of this season happen? Did Barry even meet Cisco and Caitlin? What are the ramifications for the wider DC universe - Arrow and the forthcoming Legends of Tomorrow?
As Dr Stein remarks earlier in the episode, "There's no real way of knowing". One thing I do know? My head hurts. So, in a maelstrom of madness, ends an excellent first season - The Flash took a few stumbles in the early-going but righted itself with (no pun intended) impressive speed.
Now striking a near-perfect balance between procedural elements, mythology and character development, it's become a bold, colourful and charming show - and wraps with a finale that's visually spectacular with real emotional heft.
Barry's mission in life was to find who killed his mother - now he's put that man behind bars, paving the way for a tense tête-à-tête between our hero and his mentor/nemesis Dr Wells.
Now exposed as Eobard Thawne, 'Wells' is a surprisingly loose-lipped captive. He articulates at length his motives for killing Nora Allen - hoping that her death would prove devastating enough to destroy his foe. Instead, Wells ended up creating The Flash - first by installing in Barry a thirst for justice, and later by creating the particle accelerator which imbued this ordinary forensic scientist with his incredible gifts. Wells even goes so far as offering Barry a way to save his mother - but why is he being so forthcoming? It's not just because he's (apparently) developed genuine affection for Barry - he wants something out of the bargain. In return for being sent back to the future, Wells will help Barry to travel to the past - but surely he can't accept this Faustian bargain? Wells is not to be trusted - but more than that, changing history erases everyone and everything that Barry knows.
With the relationships in his life forfeit, it's fitting that Barry again finds himself torn between father figures - a recurring theme of this season.
Joe is an unlikely advocate for making the trip - insisting that Barry deserves to be happy - while Henry Allen doesn't want his son to risk everything (and it goes without saying at this point that Grant Gustin and John Wesley Shipp are spectacularly good together).
Barry's being bombarded by other people's opinions, and it's up to Iris to serve as a sympathetic and encouraging ear. The pair also speculate on the nature of their relationship given recent developments - and there's a real sense they might have a future together, if their relationship survives Barry's tinkering with the past.
It's a huge gamble for Barry to take - even, one could argue, irresponsible or selfish - to risk not just his life but those of everyone in Central City, but by now he's obsessed with the possibility of saving Nora.
When it comes to the crunch though, Barry opts not to change the past - encouraged not to do so by his own future self - and, in an uncharacteristically dark twist for The Flash, has to listen to the sounds of his mother's murder.
He does, at least, get a chance to say goodbye - a particularly tear-jerking moment in a season finale that's replete with them.
Much of 'Fast Enough' is about Barry and his journey - the show is called The Flash, after all - but that doesn't mean the rest of the cast don't get to make a significant contribution. Joe remains invaluable as Barry's most present 'father' - and Jesse L Martin's performance is every bit as stirring as we've come to expect - while Cisco is dealt the stunning revelation that he too may be a metahuman. He's got that vibe!
Then there's Caitlin - Ronnie is apparently back for good and he and Caitlin even marry in a rushed-but-romantic ceremony...
But something has to go wrong, right? Not just because it's dramatically inevitable, but because there has to be a reason that Dr Stein features in new spinoff Legends of Tomorrow while Ronnie doesn't - a reason beyond Robbie Amell's burgeoning movie career.
One character who fears he doesn't have a "contribution to make" is poor old Eddie Thawne. "As far as history's concerned, I don't save the day or get the girl," he laments.
But if there's one thing that 'Fast Enough' teaches us, it's that history can be changed - Eddie does save the day, taking his own life to put an end to his wicked descendant Eobard.
Yes, Eddie becomes the one-season-and-out sacrificial lamb - he's the Tommy Merlyn of The Flash.
It's a real shame to see the show lose Rick Cosnett - it would've been easy to fall into the trap of making a love rival to Barry an unloveable jerk, but smart writing and Cosnett's natural charm means we cared about Eddie.
That said, the character wasn't always well-utilised - though he thrived in recent weeks after learning Barry's secret and joining up with the STAR Labs team, which makes his demise all the more galling.
That said, there's a neat symmetry in having Eobard Thawne's scheme - to quash Barry by murdering his mother - end by way of his own ancestor's demise, and Cosnett signs off with what is easily a series best performance.
Moving forward, what does Eddie's death mean? Even if Barry prevents the destruction of… well… everything, surely the removal of Eobard/Wells means that Nora is alive after all? That Henry Allen is a free man?
Did any of the events of this season happen? Did Barry even meet Cisco and Caitlin? What are the ramifications for the wider DC universe - Arrow and the forthcoming Legends of Tomorrow?
As Dr Stein remarks earlier in the episode, "There's no real way of knowing". One thing I do know? My head hurts. So, in a maelstrom of madness, ends an excellent first season - The Flash took a few stumbles in the early-going but righted itself with (no pun intended) impressive speed.
Now striking a near-perfect balance between procedural elements, mythology and character development, it's become a bold, colourful and charming show - and wraps with a finale that's visually spectacular with real emotional heft.
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