‘The Flash’ Midseason Finale Will Run Long

Adjust your DVRs accordingly. The Flash, the hit new CW series based off the DC Comics character, will run two minutes longer than usual this week as the shows’ first season hits the midseason finale. The CW announced that the episode, titled “The Man in The Yellow Suit,” will run longer, as the show finally delves into the mysterious yellow blur that killed Barry Allen’s (Grant Gustin) mother, which set him on the path of justice.

The Flash has been a ratings boon for the CW, scoring the highest ratings for a premiere in the network’s history. Originally a spinoff of the other DC Comics TV show on the network, Arrow, The Flash was green lit before the pilot was even shot. As explained by the Inquisitr, the original plan was to have the character debut on Arrow last winter, which he did, and then return late in the season to act as a soft backdoor pilot. But the CW realized that the character was special and took it to series, which forced Arrow writers to scrap their own late-season plans to accommodate.

The Flash continues to bring in solid ratings each week as the creators, Marc Guggenheim and Greg Berlanti, with help from DC Comics chief creative officer, and Flash comics writer Geoff Johns, have meticulously built the mythology slowly. The Scarlet Speedster’s infamous rogues gallery has been slowly introduced, with the character of Cisco (Carlos Valdes) even giving them ironic nicknames based on their powers, which makes calling a criminal with a freeze gun “Captain Cold” (played by Wentworth Miller) seem more realistic than the villain just calling himself that in the show.

In another nod to what came before, John Wesley Shipp — who played the character in the 1990 CBS series — was cast as Barry Allen’s father, who is in prison for the murder of his wife, even though the mysterious (and as the show projects, impossible) “Man in Yellow” did the deed.

“The Man in the Yellow Suit” will reportedly reveal who Nora Allen’s killer was, as he and Barry will finally come face to face. For fans of the comic book, the identity is no secret, and the confrontation will be epic, hence the two extra minutes for the midseason finale. The episode is written by Todd and Aaron Helbing, and is directed by Ralph Hemecker.

The official description of the finale was also released by the network.

“Barry (Grant Gustin) finds himself face-to-face with his nemesis, the man in the yellow suit, a.k.a. Reverse Flash, who killed his mother. Barry is frustrated when the Reverse Flash escapes, but Dr. Wells (Tom Cavanagh) and Cisco (Carlos Valdes) come up with a plan to trap him. All they need is bait, so they turn to Dr. Tina McGee (guest star Amanda Pays) from Mercury Labs to help.

“Meanwhile, it’s Christmas at The West household and Iris (Candice Patton) is in full holiday cheer. Eddie (Rick Cosnett) gives her a surprising gift but also leaves her with a question that could change her life. Joe (Jesse L. Martin) joins the search for the man in yellow and ends up in the crossfire. Plus, Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) finds Ronnie (Robbie Amell).”

According to the description, not only will Barry Allen finally confront his nemesis, but a new hero, Firestorm (Robbie Amell), will be added to the show’s cast. With all this goodness crammed into one hour, two extra minutes may not be enough.

The Flash airs Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. eastern on the CW.

[Image courtesy of Screenrant.com]