The Flash season 1

The Flash
Season 1
Promotional poster
Showrunner	Maya Ellison
Starring	Dylan O'Brien Tati Gabrielle Sadie Sink Victoria Pedretti Xolo Maridueña Kaitlyn Dever Rahul Kohli Caleb McLaughlin Gugu Mbatha-Raw Dan Stevens Sterling K. Brown Jon Hamm
No. of episodes	15
Release
Original network	Max
Original release	October 1, 2027 (2027-10-01) – January 7, 2028 (2028-01-07)
Season chronology

The first season of the American superhero television series The Flash, based primarily on the Barry Allen incarnation of the Flash from DC Comics, was developed for television by Maya Ellison. The season incorporates the Marvel Comics character Jean Grey as its principal antagonist through a fictional crossover arrangement between DC Studios, Warner Bros. Television, and Marvel Studios. It was produced by Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios in association with Mercury Pictures and Ellison House Productions, with Ellison serving as showrunner.

The season stars Dylan O'Brien as Barry Allen, a forensic scientist who develops superhuman speed after being struck by lightning during the catastrophic activation of an experimental particle accelerator. Tati Gabrielle, Sadie Sink, Victoria Pedretti, Xolo Maridueña, Kaitlyn Dever, Rahul Kohli, Caleb McLaughlin, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Dan Stevens, Sterling K. Brown, and Jon Hamm also star. The story follows Barry as he becomes the masked hero known as the Flash while investigating the murder of his mother and the mysterious yellow-clad speedster responsible for it. His transformation coincides with the arrival of Jean Grey, a powerful telepath displaced from a dying parallel reality by the same energy that created Barry. Initially welcomed as an ally, Jean becomes increasingly convinced that uncontrolled emotion, grief, and human free will will inevitably destroy both Barry and Central City. Her connection to the cosmic Phoenix Force gradually intensifies, leading her to impose psychic peace upon the city and attempt to reconstruct her lost universe at the expense of Barry's world.

The season was structured as a serialized story divided into three movements, with its early episodes depicting Barry's transformation and Jean's integration into his circle, its middle episodes chronicling Jean's moral deterioration, and its final episodes focusing on the conflict between the Speed Force and the Phoenix Force. While several members of the Flash's traditional Rogues appear throughout the season, Jean serves as its central villain and emotional counterpoint to Barry. The season premiered on Max on October 1, 2027, and concluded on January 7, 2028, consisting of 15 episodes released weekly. It received positive reviews, with praise directed toward O'Brien and Sink's performances, the gradual development of Jean's antagonistic role, the season's visual effects, and its treatment of grief and personal autonomy, though some critics considered its supporting cast overcrowded. A second season was ordered in December 2027.

Episodes

Season one episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"Pilot"	Alex Brow	Alex Brow	October 1, 2027 (2027-10-01)
Twenty years after witnessing his mother Nora's murder by a mysterious speedster, forensic scientist Barry Allen investigates a series of deaths connected to Mercury Labs. While attending the launch of the facility's particle engine with reporter Iris West, Barry is struck by lightning during an explosion and awakens months later with superhuman speed. With assistance from Mercury scientists Harrison Wells, Tina McGee and Cisco Ramon, Barry begins testing his abilities while continuing his investigation. He discovers that Ted Sears, a former Mercury employee injured in an earlier accident, is responsible for the killings and is targeting those he blames for his condition. Barry attempts to stop Sears but is initially defeated. During their second confrontation, Barry rescues several workers endangered by Sears before ultimately defeating him and preventing further casualties. Afterwards, Barry decides to continue using his powers to protect Central City. Elsewhere, the mysterious speedster from Barry's childhood is revealed as the Reverse-Flash, who has secretly been monitoring Barry for years.
2	2	"A Flash of Red"	Jennifer Phang	Maya Ellison & Christina Hodson	October 8, 2027 (2027-10-08)
Barry continues using his powers to protect Central City, attracting the attention of criminal Leonard Snart, who steals cryogenic technology and develops a weapon capable of slowing him. Snart uses a robbery to test the weapon against Barry and escapes after injuring him. Barry later discovers that Snart and his associates are planning to rob a federal currency transfer aboard the Green Line. He confronts them on the train, but Snart escapes after forcing Barry to choose between pursuing him and saving the passengers when the train is sent toward an unfinished section of track. Barry manages to stop the passenger car before it reaches the gap. Following the rescue, Iris publishes an article referring to the mysterious speedster as "The Flash", a name Barry subsequently adopts. Snart begins modifying his weapon after learning from their encounter, while Reverse-Flash continues monitoring Barry from his hidden archive.
3	3	"Afterimage"	Stephen Williams	Jordan Kaye	October 15, 2027 (2027-10-15)
As Central City becomes accustomed to the Flash, former Mercury Labs scientist Danton Black develops the ability to create duplicates of himself and attacks the facility. Barry learns that Danton had been conducting experimental research intended to save his terminally ill sister before Harrison Wells terminated the project. Danton subsequently targets those he holds responsible for her death, but discovers that Wells was responsible for ending his research and abducts him. During Barry's attempt to rescue Wells, Danton learns that Barry is the Flash. Barry identifies the original Danton among his duplicates and subdues him, but an unstable experiment threatens the facility, forcing them to work together to contain it. Danton is taken into custody and tells police that he will not reveal Barry's identity. Meanwhile, Reverse-Flash continues monitoring Barry and becomes concerned by the number of people who know his secret.
4	4	"Thin Air"	Uta Briesewitz	Kieran Fitzgerald	October 22, 2027 (2027-10-22)
Barry investigates the murder of an inmate at Iron Heights and discovers that Kyle Nimbus, a presumed-dead assassin transformed by the particle engine accident, can turn his body into toxic vapor. Nimbus begins targeting those involved in his conviction, and Barry nearly dies after inhaling his vapor while preventing him from killing former prosecutor Evelyn Ross. Seeking a way to counter Nimbus's abilities, Barry reluctantly asks Danton for assistance and discovers a method of forcing Nimbus back into solid form. When Nimbus attacks an assisted-living facility to reach another former target, Barry evacuates the residents and uses a vortex to subdue him, allowing police to take him into custody. Danton is subsequently transferred to a specialized prison unit after continuing to keep Barry's identity secret. However, Reverse-Flash confronts Danton in his cell and kills him to prevent Barry's identity from being exposed.
5	5	"Faster"	Rachel Talalay	Christina Hodson	October 29, 2027 (2027-10-29)
Following Danton's death, Barry discovers security footage showing the yellow-suited speedster responsible and identifies him as the man who killed his mother. Joe accepts Barry's childhood account, while evidence confirms that Danton was murdered using abilities similar to Barry's. The speedster later confronts Barry after stealing experimental technology from Mercury Labs and easily defeats him. Barry and his allies determine that the stolen devices were designed for temporal displacement, leading Barry to suspect that his enemy is from the future and already knows what he will become. After discovering that the speedster has been deliberately provoking him to become faster, the group sets a trap using the remaining technology. Barry performs better during their subsequent confrontation but is again overpowered. The speedster reveals that Nora was not his intended target and that he had originally come for Barry, but refuses to explain his motive until Barry becomes faster. He escapes, while Barry resolves to improve on his own terms. Reverse-Flash is later shown secretly tracking Barry's development.
6	6	"Storm Warning"	Andrij Parekh	Maya Ellison & Sarah Nolen	November 5, 2027 (2027-11-05)
While Barry continues searching for Reverse-Flash, Central City is threatened by Mark Mardon, a presumed-dead criminal who can manipulate the weather. Mardon targets Joe, blaming him for the death of his brother Clyde during a police pursuit eighteen months earlier. After overpowering Barry and recovering Clyde's belongings, Mardon forces Joe to meet him at the freight yard where Clyde died. Their confrontation escalates when Barry intervenes, prompting Mardon to unleash a massive storm over Central City. Barry evacuates civilians before using his speed to disrupt the storm's circulation and weaken Mardon's powers, allowing him to defeat and arrest him. Afterwards, Joe warns Barry against allowing his search for Reverse-Flash to consume his life. During Mardon's transfer to Iron Heights, Leonard Snart and Mick Rory attempt to intercept him, only to discover that Sam Scudder has already freed him. Scudder subsequently recruits Mardon as part of a larger group of criminals forming in Central City.
7	7	"Rogue Wars, Part 1"	Kari Skogland	Kieran Fitzgerald	November 12, 2027 (2027-11-12)
8	8	"Rogue Wars, Part 2"	Misha Green	Maya Ellison	November 19, 2027 (2027-11-19)
9	9	TBA	Salli Richardson-Whitfield	Jordan Kaye & Sarah Nolen	November 26, 2027 (2027-11-26)
10	10	TBA	Hanelle M. Culpepper	Christina Hodson	December 3, 2027 (2027-12-03)
11	11	TBA	Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead	Kieran Fitzgerald & Maya Ellison	December 10, 2027 (2027-12-10)
12	12	TBA	Deborah Chow	Maya Ellison & Christina Hodson	December 17, 2027 (2027-12-17)
13	13	TBA	Jennifer Phang	Sarah Nolen	December 24, 2027 (2027-12-24)
14	14	TBA	Rachel Talalay	Maya Ellison	December 31, 2027 (2027-12-31)
15	15	TBA	Deborah Chow	Maya Ellison & Christina Hodson	January 7, 2028 (2028-01-07)

Cast and characters

See also: List of The Flash characters

Main

• Dylan O'Brien as Barry Allen / the Flash, a Central City forensic scientist who gains superhuman speed following the destruction of the Mercury particle accelerator. Barry becomes a masked hero while investigating his mother's murder and learning to accept the grief he has spent much of his life attempting to escape.
• Tati Gabrielle as Iris West, a journalist and Barry's childhood friend who investigates Central City's emerging metahumans. Iris names Barry's alter ego the Flash and becomes one of the first people to reject Jean's psychic reality.
• Sadie Sink as Jean Grey / the Phoenix, a telepath and telekinetic displaced from a destroyed parallel universe. Initially an ally to Barry, Jean becomes the season's principal antagonist after concluding that suffering can only be eliminated by removing humanity's capacity for destructive choices.
• Victoria Pedretti as Caitlin Snow, a bioengineer at S.T.A.R. Labs who studies Barry and Jean's powers. Caitlin remains convinced that Jean can be separated from the Phoenix and opposes treating her solely as an enemy.
• Xolo Maridueña as Cisco Ramon, a mechanical engineer who develops Barry's suit, communication equipment, and technology capable of shielding the team from Jean's telepathy.
• Kaitlyn Dever as Patty Spivot, a Central City police detective assigned to investigate crimes involving metahumans. Patty reopens Nora Allen's murder and uncovers evidence of Eobard Thawne's presence in the past.
• Rahul Kohli as David Singh, the captain of the Central City Police Department's forensic division. Singh initially distrusts the Flash but becomes one of his most prominent supporters before being killed during the Phoenix crisis.
• Caleb McLaughlin as Wally West, Iris's younger brother and a university engineering student who assists Cisco during the later stages of Jean's occupation of Central City.
• Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Tina McGee, the director of S.T.A.R. Labs and creator of the Mercury particle accelerator. McGee feels responsible for the metahumans produced by the explosion and provides Jean with refuge following her arrival.
• Dan Stevens as Malcolm Gilmore / Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash, a speedster from the future who assumes the identity of a federal physicist. Thawne engineers Barry's transformation, murders Nora Allen, and brings Jean into Barry's universe as part of his attempt to weaponize the Phoenix Force.
• Sterling K. Brown as Joe West, Iris and Wally's father and Barry's adoptive parent. Joe serves as a Central City police captain and initially refuses to believe Barry's account of Nora's murder.
• Jon Hamm as Henry Allen, Barry's father, who was wrongfully convicted of murdering Nora and is exonerated near the end of the season.

Recurring

• Boyd Holbrook as Leonard Snart / Captain Cold, a calculating thief who develops weapons specifically designed to counter the Flash.
• Winston Duke as Mick Rory / Heat Wave, an arsonist and Snart's volatile criminal partner.
• Samara Weaving as Lisa Snart / Golden Glider, Leonard's younger sister and an expert pilot who joins the Rogues' assault on Jean's psychic amplifier.
• LaKeith Stanfield as Sam Scudder / Mirror Master, an optical engineer capable of traveling through reflective surfaces.
• Jessica Henwick as Linda Park, a reporter working alongside Iris at the Central City Citizen.
• David Harbour as General Wade Eiling, a military official seeking control over the metahumans created by the accelerator explosion.
• Keith David as the voice of Gorilla Grodd, an experimental gorilla whose intelligence and telepathic abilities are enhanced by energy released during Jean's arrival.
• Amy Adams as Nora Allen, Barry's mother, whose murder forms the central mystery of the season. Adams also portrays alternate versions of Nora created through the Speed Force and Jean's psychic illusions.

Guest

• Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Mark Mardon / Weather Wizard, an atmospheric scientist capable of manipulating weather.
• Jesse Plemons as Danton Black / Multiplex, a scientist who can generate physical duplicates of himself.
• Lewis Pullman as Tony Woodward / Girder, a former construction worker whose body is transformed into metal.
• Riz Ahmed as Hector Hammond, a scientist whose telepathic powers amplify Jean's connection to Central City.
• Bill Skarsgård as James Jesse / the Trickster, a terrorist who attempts to destroy the Mercury reactor.
• Ming-Na Wen as Dr. Carla Tannhauser, Caitlin's mother and a specialist in neurological trauma.
• Clancy Brown as Judge Thomas Harkness, the judge who presided over Henry Allen's original trial.
• Shohreh Aghdashloo as Joan Williams, a physicist who helps Tina study the dimensional breach.
• Tony Todd as the voice of the Phoenix Force, the cosmic entity bonded to Jean.

Production

Development

Following the conclusion of an earlier television adaptation centered on Barry Allen, DC Studios began developing a new interpretation of The Flash as a standalone serialized drama unconnected to its other film and television continuities. Maya Ellison was hired to develop the project and serve as its showrunner. The series was conceived as an origin story that would retain the science-fiction, crime procedural, and comic-book elements traditionally associated with the character while placing greater emphasis on Barry's tendency to use speed as a means of avoiding grief and emotional confrontation.

The first season received an order for 15 episodes, a larger episode count than most contemporary streaming dramas. Ellison stated that the extended order was necessary to portray Barry's gradual transformation into an experienced hero and to allow the season's antagonist to begin as a trusted member of the principal cast. Rather than structuring the season around a succession of unrelated villains, the writers planned for nearly every metahuman incident to advance either Barry's investigation into his mother's murder or Jean Grey's changing perspective on humanity.

Jean was selected as the main antagonist during the early development of the season. The producers believed that the contrast between the Flash and the Phoenix could support a story involving two characters who process trauma in opposing ways: Barry continually moves forward despite wanting to revisit the past, while Jean attempts to stop change entirely by imposing order on the people around her. A fictional intercompany agreement allowed the season to use Jean and the Phoenix Force without connecting the series to any pre-existing Marvel or DC screen continuity. Ellison described the season as an adaptation of the Flash rather than a conventional crossover, with Jean occupying the dramatic position normally held by a season-long Flash villain.

Writing

The season was divided into three five-episode movements. The first, internally titled "Becoming", follows Barry's development into the Flash and presents Jean as a frightened but compassionate survivor. The second movement, "Silence", depicts Jean becoming increasingly willing to violate the autonomy of others after discovering that her powers can suppress fear, violence, and grief. The final movement, "Infinite Red", reveals Eobard Thawne's role in bringing Jean to Barry's universe and follows her attempt to reconstruct her destroyed reality.

The writers avoided portraying Jean as being abruptly possessed by an external force. Although the Phoenix intensifies her abilities and destructive impulses, Jean remains responsible for many of her decisions. Her progression toward antagonism begins with apparently defensible actions, including preventing violent crimes and protecting civilians, before escalating into memory alteration, emotional suppression, and the creation of a citywide psychic state. The writing team wanted Jean's objectives to remain understandable even after her methods became indefensible. Her central belief is that allowing people to choose suffering is itself an act of cruelty, while Barry argues that removing the capacity to make harmful choices also removes the possibility of meaningful growth.

Barry and Jean were written as parallel protagonists during the first half of the season. Both characters survive events that leave them isolated from their former lives, acquire powers they initially cannot control, and become fixated upon restoring what they lost. Barry gradually accepts that saving his mother through time travel would erase the relationships and responsibilities created by her death. Jean instead becomes determined to recreate her world regardless of the cost to the universe in which she now lives. Their conflict was therefore designed to be resolved emotionally rather than through Barry simply becoming faster or physically overpowering the Phoenix.

Eobard Thawne serves as the season's secondary antagonist and the architect of its principal events. His manipulation of Jean was intended to connect the cosmic Phoenix storyline to the murder of Nora Allen without replacing Jean as the primary villain. Thawne's plan fails because he underestimates both Jean's power and Barry's refusal to treat her as a weapon or an irredeemable enemy. The finale leaves Thawne active for subsequent seasons while providing a complete resolution to Jean's attempt to control Central City.

The Rogues were introduced individually before being assembled in the eleventh episode. Leonard Snart was written as a strategic opponent who recognizes that Barry's refusal to kill can be exploited, while Mirror Master provides the team with temporary protection from Jean's telepathy. Their cooperation with Barry does not reform them, but establishes a recurring relationship in which Central City's criminals view existential threats to the city as harmful to their own interests.

Casting

Dylan O'Brien was cast as Barry Allen after several months of screen tests. Ellison said that the creative team sought an actor who could portray Barry's intelligence and social awkwardness without making him emotionally passive. O'Brien performed portions of Barry's physical movement during speed sequences, with visual effects used to extend his acceleration and environmental interactions.

Sadie Sink was cast as Jean Grey shortly afterward. The role required Sink to portray Jean as an ally, victim, antagonist, and cosmic figure without treating each stage as a separate personality. Sink described Jean's actions as being motivated by an inability to accept that surviving her universe did not give her the power to restore it. Her chemistry tests with O'Brien focused on the friendship between Barry and Jean, which the producers considered essential to making their eventual conflict tragic rather than purely adversarial.

Tati Gabrielle joined the series as Iris West, whose role was expanded from Barry's romantic interest to an investigative journalist directly involved in exposing S.T.A.R. Labs and Jean's psychic occupation. Sterling K. Brown and Jon Hamm were cast as Joe and Henry Allen respectively, with the two characters representing Barry's adoptive and biological families. Victoria Pedretti, Xolo Maridueña, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw were cast as the principal members of S.T.A.R. Labs.

Dan Stevens was announced as federal physicist Malcolm Gilmore, though his character's identity as Eobard Thawne was concealed during marketing. Stevens performed the role with different speech patterns depending upon whether Thawne was presenting himself as Gilmore or communicating through the Reverse-Flash suit. Boyd Holbrook, Winston Duke, LaKeith Stanfield, and Samara Weaving were cast as members of the Rogues.

Filming

Principal photography began in Vancouver in April 2026 under the working title Mercury. Downtown Vancouver, Burnaby, and New Westminster were used to represent Central City, while additional exterior photography took place in Chicago. The S.T.A.R. Labs interiors, Central City Police Department, Mercury accelerator chamber, and Jean's psychic environment were constructed on soundstages in Burnaby.

The production team designed Central City as a bright and densely populated city rather than the desaturated urban environments used in several previous superhero television series. As Jean's influence expands, the city becomes increasingly symmetrical and visually controlled, with pedestrians, vehicles, and public displays moving in synchronized patterns. During the final episodes, physical sections of the Central City sets were combined with architecture from Jean's lost reality.

O'Brien's running scenes were filmed using treadmills, cable rigs, high-speed cameras, and extended practical sets. The production avoided relying exclusively on shots of a computer-generated figure surrounded by lightning. Cameras were mounted to accelerated tracking vehicles to allow O'Brien to perform within moving environments, while stunt performers portrayed Barry during collisions and rapid changes in direction.

Sink's Phoenix sequences were filmed using interactive red lighting, wind machines, suspended rigs, and controlled flame elements. Her final costume was designed to appear as if it were continuously forming from cosmic energy rather than functioning as conventional clothing. Filming concluded in February 2027 following additional photography for the final two episodes.

Visual effects

The visual effects were produced by Industrial Light & Magic, Wētā FX, Framestore, Rodeo FX, and Scanline VFX. The season contained approximately 2,900 visual effects shots, including Barry's speed, Jean's telepathy and telekinesis, the mirror dimension, the Speed Force, and the transformation of Central City during the final three episodes.

Barry's speed was represented through displaced air, pressure distortion, fragments of red lightning, and brief environmental reactions rather than a continuous trail. Objects close to Barry bend or vibrate as he passes, while scenes from his perspective use extended moments of near-stillness. The visual effects team developed different movement patterns for Thawne, whose speed produces reverse-moving debris and yellow lightning that appears to travel toward rather than away from his body.

Jean's telepathy was depicted through layered images, overlapping dialogue, and physical environments constructed from memories. The Phoenix Force initially appears as subtle fire beneath Jean's skin before developing into a large bird-shaped cosmic structure. The production avoided giving Jean a completely computer-generated appearance, retaining Sink's face and physical performance during most of the transformation.

The final confrontation combines the Speed Force with the Phoenix's psychic realm, referred to in production materials as the White Chamber. The environment was designed as an infinite red and white space containing fragments of Barry and Jean's memories. The sequence required more than eight months of post-production.

Music

Natalie Holt composed the season's score. Barry's theme uses rapidly repeating strings, electronic percussion, and a rising brass progression, while Jean's theme is built around a slower choral melody that becomes increasingly distorted as the Phoenix gains influence. The two themes are combined during the finale, with Barry's rhythm continuing beneath Jean's melody rather than replacing it.

Holt incorporated reversed instruments and altered recordings of human breathing into Thawne's theme. The Rogues were given variations of a shared musical motif, allowing their individual themes to form a single composition when the group assembles in the eleventh episode. The season's soundtrack was released digitally in two volumes, with the second volume including the extended track "Infinite Red" from the finale.

Marketing

The first promotional image depicted Barry standing inside the remains of the Mercury accelerator while a red-haired silhouette appeared within the lightning behind him. The image did not identify Jean Grey and led to speculation that the figure represented an alternate version of the Flash.

The cast and title were formally announced during a presentation at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2027. Sink appeared at the conclusion of the panel, confirming Jean's role in the series. The announcement trailer presented Jean as one of Barry's allies and did not reveal that she would become the season's principal antagonist. Dan Stevens was credited only as Malcolm Gilmore, preserving the reveal of Eobard Thawne.

A full trailer was released in August 2027. It focused on Barry's transformation, the emergence of metahumans, and Jean's warning that Central City would be destroyed by someone moving faster than light. The final shot showed the Phoenix reflected in Barry's eye. A second trailer released after the eighth episode revealed footage of Jean's psychic control over the city and used the tagline "You cannot outrun what is inside your mind."

Individual character posters were released for Barry, Iris, Jean, Joe, Caitlin, Cisco, Patty, Tina, and Gilmore. Jean's poster was later replaced with a Phoenix version following the release of "Fire in Her Blood".

Release

The season premiered on Max on October 1, 2027. Its 15 episodes were released weekly through January 7, 2028. The premiere was also broadcast on HBO as a promotional presentation, while the remaining episodes were exclusive to Max in the United States.

Episodes were released simultaneously in territories where Max was available. In other markets, the season was distributed through Warner Bros. Discovery's regional streaming and broadcast partners. The final three episodes were given limited theatrical screenings in selected cities, with "Dark Phoenix" and "Infinite Red" presented as a continuous feature.

Home media

The season was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on May 14, 2028. The release included deleted scenes, audio commentaries for six episodes, a documentary about the Flash and Phoenix visual effects, screen tests featuring O'Brien and Sink, and an extended version of the finale.

Reception

Critical response

The season received generally positive reviews from critics. Praise focused on its characterization of Barry and Jean, the gradual progression of Jean from ally to antagonist, the performances of O'Brien and Sink, and the visual distinction between the Speed Force and Phoenix Force. Reviewers also highlighted the decision to make the central conflict concern grief, consent, and personal autonomy rather than a conventional attempt to conquer or destroy the world.

O'Brien's performance was praised for balancing Barry's optimism with his obsessive desire to change the past. Sink received particular acclaim for maintaining sympathy for Jean after the character began altering memories and controlling Central City. Several critics considered "Every Thought You Hide", "Fire in Her Blood", "All the Lives We Could Have Lived", and "Infinite Red" to be the strongest episodes.

The season's 15-episode length received a more divided response. Some reviewers believed the extended order allowed Jean's transformation to feel credible and gave the Rogues sufficient development before their formation. Others considered the early metahuman cases repetitive and felt that characters including Wally, Patty, and Tina received less development than the principal storyline required. Thawne's role was generally well received, though some critics argued that revealing him as the architect of Jean's arrival risked diminishing her responsibility for the season's events.

The finale was praised for resolving Barry and Jean's conflict without having Barry physically overpower or kill her. The decision to have Jean defeat the Phoenix by accepting rather than erasing her grief was regarded as an effective conclusion to the season's themes. Her survival in another universe received a mixed response, with some critics considering it an appropriate continuation of her story and others viewing it as a conventional franchise tease.

Audience viewership

The premiere became one of Max's most-watched original drama debuts of 2027. Viewership increased following the release of "Fire in Her Blood", which revealed Jean as the principal antagonist, and again during the final three episodes. "Infinite Red" became the season's most-streamed episode during its first week of availability.

Jean's occupation of Central City and the reveal of Thawne generated significant discussion online. The Rogues episode also received a strong audience response, leading to speculation that the group would return in a larger capacity during the second season.

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result
2028	Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards	Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Season or a Movie	The Flash	Won
		Outstanding Music Composition for a Series	Natalie Holt for "Infinite Red"	Nominated
		Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series	The Flash	Nominated
	Saturn Awards	Best Superhero Television Series	The Flash	Won
		Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series	Sadie Sink	Won
	Critics' Choice Television Awards	Best Actress in a Drama Series	Sadie Sink	Nominated
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series	The Flash	Nominated

External links

• Template:First word/ The Flash season 1 at IMDbTemplate:EditAtWikidata