‘The Flash’ Season 3 Episode 1 ‘Flashpoint’ Review: Why Barry Chooses to Let It All Go? [SPOILERS]

"The Flash Season 3" premier episode "Flashpoint" was finally aired and it showed viewers how changing the timeline affected Barry Allen's life and the people around him.

Why Changed The Timeline?

 It has always been about Barry's mother. From season 1, Barry has always felt that there's something missing in his life and he always felt that if he could only save his mother, his life would be perfect. "The Flash Season 3" started quite innocently - nostalgic even. Barry got what he always wanted - his family.

Forbes reported that world of Barry Allen has changed a lot. Wally West is the Flash or as Barry endearingly calls him "Kid Flash." Joe West is still a detective but a drunken one at that. Cisco is apparently the richest man in Central City - at least in this timeline. Caitlyn is a pediatric eye doctor.

In the timeline for "The Flash Season 3" episode 1, no one remembers Barry. Ironically, Barry remembers all of them. He didn't lose his memories of the previous timeline.

In "The Flash Season 3" episode 1, Eobard Thawne is alive. Barry Allen has managed to capture him and is keeping him in a "speedster" resistant cage. Thawne kept on warning him that "time" is going to catch on in Barry's perfect universe, but Barry ignored him until he's had some sort of a flashback of the previous universe only he remembers.

Why did Barry chooses to let it all go?

Some thinks that the only reason Barry deliberately asked Reverse Flash to kill his mother is because he doesn't want to lose his powers. But using Barry's character as a reference point, it is highly unlikely. It is apparent in the "The Flash Season 3" episode 1 that the only reason why he chooses to sacrifice the life of his mother is to make sure that the people closest to him remains safe.

Barry did go back. But as we all know, changing the timeline never does anything good. As it turns out, Joe and Iris are not speaking to each other. Judging by the way Joe reacted when Barry asked about Iris' whereabouts, their conflict is something serious.

"The Flash Season 3" premiere episode also introduced a new villain in town - Alchemy.