Major spoilers below for those who haven't watched The Flash's Season 3 finale.
The Season 3 finale for The Flash did a slambang job of bringing the action, the awesomeness, and (perhaps most important of all) the answers. While the chapter on Savitar has officially come to a close, it looks like yet another one is already opened, with some major changes going down, some posing even more questions than before. We saw a lot happen in the finale, especially in those bonkers last few minutes, and here are all the major ways the episode changed things up as The Flash heads on to a very different Season 4.
H.R. Is Dead
Looks like the theories were right. In an act of ultimate heroism, H.R. discovered his true purpose and laid down his life to save Iris West. His death cut the team deep, especially poor Cisco, but Earth-2 Harrison Wells was there to step in and fill the void left by his doppelgänger's sacrifice. It's not the same, which is something I'm sure Tracy Brand will reiterate later on, since she had committed to a future with H.R. shortly before his death. But the team must trudge on in this time of mojrning. I know H.R.'s character was a bit polarizing for The Flash community, but I can't imagine anyone not genuinely missing his coffee-fueled antics and drumstick twirling in Season 4.
Caitlin is Gone
In perhaps the episode's biggest twist, and one that many probably did not see coming, Caitlin Snow officially stepped away from Team Flash a new person, striking off on her own to discover this new identity that isn't Killer Frost, but at the same time isn't Caitlin Snow, either. That's pretty shocking, considering Danielle Panabaker has been one of the cornerstones on The Flash since its beginning. Season 4 will likely bring more answers for Caitlin's change of heart, as far as how she learned to conquer the beast inside of her. Will Caitlin ever rejoin team Flash? I don't think she's out completely, but it's safe to say we shouldn't expect her to be around as much going forward, either as a friend or foe.
Barry Is In "Hell" Now
The Speed Force needs a speedster trapped within it to maintain order, and so to save the planet, Barry Allen stepped in for the now-freed Jay Garrick to go into the "hell" that is the Speed Force. Ironically, this is the same fate Savitar was damned to in the dead Iris timeline, so in a roundabout way, this was potentially a wholly new cycle starting up. Barry's most recent time in the Speed Force was less than pleasant and filled with ghosts of his past. Expect Season 4 to be packed with tons of similar weirdness, as Barry attempts to escape the Speed Force. Considering four speedsters have been unable to do that so far without the help of Cisco's tech, I'm not sure I like his odds.
Team Flash Is Different Now
In case you didn't get a head count of everyone who was around when Barry went into the speed force, here's the breakdown of what is assumedly the new Team Flash: Wally West, Cisco Ramon, Julian Albert, Joe West, Iris West, Jay Garrick, Gypsy and Earth-2 Harrison Wells. Now, perhaps not all of those characters will be in tow for Season 4, but with Central City in widespread disarray due to the Speed Force's destruction, you have to imagine they'll all stick around for at least a short while to reform a status quo. With Harry back on Earth-1, we'll also assume Jesse Quick will be popping back to see her boyfriend and help him defend Central City from whatever terrors strike in the absence of the Scarlet Speedster.
Will Central City survive Season 4 after going through The Flash's biggest cliffhanger yet? That's a tall order to fill, but history shows this team is always up to the task. With The Flash officially in the offseason, now would be a good time to get a jumpstart on finding a show to take its place. Also, if you're just someone who loves watching finales as good as last night, be sure to head over to our list to see when every major show is wrapping up its season.
