Barry Allen is dealing with a lot of emotions in the aftermath of “Crisis on Infinite Earths” which involved Oliver’s death(s). Earlier in Season 6, The Flash did its best to convince viewers that its titular hero was going to die. Well, he ended up surviving the mega-crossover. Arrow’s Oliver Queen did die early on in “Crisis,” and for Barry, the pain is still fresh.
Arrow has had its series finale and also bid farewell to Oliver in the process. Barry Allen was among those who attended his good friend’s funeral, but his time of mourning Oliver will not end there. In fact, when The Flash returns Barry will be dealing with a strong dose of survivor’s guilt. On where Barry’s head will be at, The Flash’s showrunner, Eric Wallace recently noted,
He is ready to enjoy life with gusto. He's so happy to have a second chance, as we are all. There's also, I think, a little bit of survivor's guilt leftover from Oliver's death. Oliver didn't make it out of Crisis. He was the only one, and that's going to haunt Barry just a little bit.
Obviously, it is a lot for Barry to sift through on The Flash as he has lost his very close friend. Not to mention having to deal with the whole new world of Earth Prime. The multiverse is no more following “Crisis,” and sadly, Oliver is too. The end of the multiverse’s impact, coupled with Oliver’s death, would be a lot for anyone to take in, and from what Eric Wallace told TV Guide it won't be an easy thing to get over, although it sounds like there will be positivity too.
According to The Flash’s showrunner, Oliver’s death will haunt Barry as he tries to embrace this second shot at life. That Oliver was the sole casualty of “Crisis” will not be lost on a grieving Barry (or Stephen Amell’s Arrow-verse colleagues). How will the Scarlet Speedster handle Oliver’s loss moving forward? The Flash’s showrunner, Eric Wallace also said "loved ones" will play a key role.
The way you cope with tragedy is holding on and embracing the loved ones in your life and celebrating them. I think that's a lesson that Barry will have to kind of relearn over the course of graphic novel number two and this whole season, and that's where his head's at when we kick off with our premiere.
Barry’s coping mechanism will be to bring his loved ones closer! After all, Barry has been taught a sad new lesson on what it means to lose someone. When The Flash started, he was still grieving the loss of his mom following her murder and his innocent dad’s subsequent incarceration for the crime, but the sad endings didn't stop there.
Will Barry have more loved ones to cherish in the wake of Oliver's death when The Flash returns? So far, we know one member of Team Flash will be in for a life-changing surprise when Season 6 resumes. Are Barry and Iris going to be parents? That was a guess from CinemaBlend’s own Laura Hurley, which was also my first instinct. We'll have to wait and see.
When Season 6 returns, The Flash fans will find out if Nora’s existence is on the verge of coming to fruition. Thanks to the strange happenings on The Flash, Barry, and Iris, have already met their future daughter. Hence, she has to be born sometime, and good news in the wake of bad news is a common TV trope.
Ultimately, Stephen Amell has indicated that he would be willing to return to the Arrow-verse someday. I just do not expect that to happen right after he has said goodbye. For now, Oliver will go on being missed by Barry on The Flash and the Arrow-verse as a whole. The Flash will also welcome Diggle back following Arrow’s series finale!
When is the superhero series coming back? The Flash will resume airing new this winter starting (February 4) at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. You can currently stream past seasons of The Flash on Netflix, among other 2020 premieres.
