This season of The Flash hasn’t been overwhelmingly adored by fans, but the overall story arc has had some resonant emotional moments and solidified Team Flash as a unit of people that would do anything for each other. Even Barry, who continues to travel through time even though every single time he choose to do so someone else dies, loses a family member, or simply has something world changing things happen to them that can’t be reversed. But that’s fine Barry, you keep doing whatever you want even though it has not worked out for you even one single time.
The finale found Team Flash trying one last time to save the life of Iris West, the love of Barry’s life who was ruthlessly murdered by Savitar (AKA future Barry) during the penultimate episode of the season. Seemingly every single option had been exhausted to avoid such a fate for Iris, but she died anyway. That is, until the finale when the show managed to save Iris West but at the expense of other people: Barry Allen and HR. In a shocking moment for many fans, it was revealed that the Iris killed by Savitar was actually HR in disguise and Iris was safe and sound. Then, Barry sacrificed himself to the Speed Force in order to save his fiancé and passed the torch to the new (and hopefully not so time travel-obsessed) Flash, Wally West.
The show’s decision mimics the rebirth arc in the Flash comics so it’s all but assured Barry Allen will return (the show isn’t just writing off Grant Gustin) but that doesn’t mean fans are taking this lightly. There were a lot of emotions flying at the episode’s end.
The LAST five minutes of the Flash season finale #TheFlash pic.twitter.com/WYDoobjeED
— 🇵🇷🇬🇹PiratePrincessHopeSwanJones☠️+😇=👶 (@DisneyCSJunkie) May 24, 2017
This is how I feel about #TheFlash season finale ending! pic.twitter.com/d1SVv2vm77
— McKinley Strausbaugh (@macqumc) May 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/Kyle_james6/status/867185444068487168
https://twitter.com/simona_ka/status/867182962525315072
Current mood #TheFlash #theflashfinale pic.twitter.com/kXPx19k6ek
— Rhetorical 🥐 (@RhetoricalGamer) May 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/starsandgoggles/status/867182672627589120
https://twitter.com/itskarism/status/867183938825072640
WESTALLEN is Gonna get separated AGAIN after FINALLY getting engaged and preparing for a wedding #TheFlash pic.twitter.com/yhPpYWv6E0
— 🇵🇷🇬🇹PiratePrincessHopeSwanJones☠️+😇=👶 (@DisneyCSJunkie) May 24, 2017
My reaction to #TheFlash season finales are always the same bc BARRY KEEPS FUCKING UP & LOVES BEING UNHAPPY & IRIS DOESN'T DESERVE THIS CRAP pic.twitter.com/CL3yCyCG2w
— C-3PO (@Ceeepm) May 24, 2017
the ending had me like #theflash pic.twitter.com/YBlFWSgaK0
— ale ✨ (@laheysjackson) May 24, 2017
HR wasn’t forgotten by upset fans either…
When Iris lives but HR dies…. #theflashfinale #TheFlash pic.twitter.com/yeP2eZGKcu
— Rhetorical 🥐 (@RhetoricalGamer) May 24, 2017
TELL ME WHY HR MORE HEROIC THAN BARRY FIGHT ME ON THAT #theflash #DatFlash pic.twitter.com/eal5C3JlJj
— oliver no smoke queen ⚡️ (@wonderviewer) May 24, 2017
I mean thank god Iris is okay but DANG they didn't have to take HR out they WRONG #theflash #datflash pic.twitter.com/slREyQm3IR
— oliver no smoke queen ⚡️ (@wonderviewer) May 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/brittanxym/status/867169198824468480
Yall HR is gets the MVP AWARD for the whole season #TheFlash pic.twitter.com/FlNOzTKsS1
— Welcome to the SHADOVERSE (@ShadowCreatives) May 24, 2017
So we lost HR and Barry?? #TheFlash pic.twitter.com/U1f2SxIOwV
— Jose Ramos (@Ant_Ramos245) May 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/brittanxym/status/867181311370424324
HR was my dude tho…. #DatFlash #TheFlash #NerdNation pic.twitter.com/AJBQgNdSOb
— Static (@StaticEnt21) May 24, 2017
OMG. OMG. OMG. HR. You, heroic awesome, selfless gooftball. DAMMIT. 😢 #TheFlash #TheFlashPodcast #datflash pic.twitter.com/sWJsObnlHE
— Keyanna 🌸📺 (@keyannabutler) May 24, 2017
There are a hundred different ways the show could take things from here, but stunned fans will just have to wait until the fall to find out what the show decides.