The Flash Season 2 Episodes Ranked

The Flash Season 2 Episodes Ranked

I’ve sped my way through season 2 of The Flash. As I did with season 1 I will be going through and ranking all 23 episodes from season 2 of The Flash. Let’s get started!

23. Back to Normal (Episode 19): A filler episode that I think came at a weird point in the season. After episode 15-18 really dove into Zoom and focused on him, it built up him even more as a villain that needs to be taken out. We have this filler episode that doesn’t really tie into anything, it’s just an episode that needs to be there in order to make this a 23 episode long season. And that’s very frustrating when this is the 5th to last episode of the season, and it’s completely filler. The only thing that really happens is Earth-2’s Killer Frost is killed by Zoom. I don’t know if that needed to happen or not, it didn’t pack really any emotional weight to it. The villain of the episode, it’s an interesting power set that he has. But it’s one that is kind of goofy when you stop and think about it. This episode isn’t bad, it’s still fun and watchable. I don’t think seasons 1 and 2 have any bad episodes, this is just a mediocre and good enough episode. 

22. The Man Who Saved Central City (Episode 1): I’ve always found this to be an entirely watchable episode but a bit of a weaker episode of the season. Now the episode has that charm of being early in the show so it’s still fun to see these characters and you get some solid laughs in here. And there’s some interesting ideas in Central City wanting to honor The Flash, but Barry not forgiving himself for the events of season 1’s finale. That could have made for an interesting arc and in theory they did. But I feel like whenever Barry is bummed out and brudding it sucks a lot of the fun and joy out of the show. So the episode isn’t as flashy or as good as it could have been. And then Atom-Smasher was a total waste, he could have been a cool character but he’s a one and done villain. The cliffhanger here is really cool, I’ve always found that to be the best part of the episode. 

21. Flash of Two Worlds (Episode 2): A solid follow-up that I would say is an improvement from the first episode. Episode 1 feels more like the epilogue to season 1 still teasing the directions for season 2. I think this episode is much more of the start of the season 2 story. In this episode we learn a lot more about Jay Garrick, his backstory and where he came from. It heavily teases Zoom as the big bad for the season. And it teases a multiverse, a concept that back when this season came out wasn’t explored. Now in 2023 that’s an idea that has been explored on great lengths but it’s just fresh here because it came out before the multiverse craze happened. Sand Demon is a pretty decent villain, he’s not great or is he bad. He’s just a good enough villain that serves his purpose in the episode well enough. So in general this is an episode that doesn’t have anything in here that I hate nor does it have anything in here that I am full of love. This is a good enough, watchable enough episode that I think has a few more layers to it then episode 1 does. 

20. Gorilla Warfare (Episode 7): The second full on Gorilla Grodd episode of the show and I thought there were a lot of aspects about this episode that I appreciated and enjoyed. First up, I think Grodd is a great villain. I know some people weren’t crazy about his usage on the show, it worked for me. I thought there was some interesting stuff they did with him, his motivation was personal and very human. So there’s a deeper reason for why Barry is doing what he’s doing. Barry is dealing with the fallout from his encounter with Zoom so Barry is vulnerable and feels guilty for letting down Central City after Zoom showed them that The Flash isn’t a hero. You also see the more heroic side of Harry in this episode, he’s a lot kinder in this episode and he gets a bit of a character arc in here. So this is an episode that is solid, it’s watchable. But it’s not a fully top tier episode of the season, it’s there in the middle. 

19. Family of Rogues (Episode 3): I think this is an episode that has a few more things to offer then the other episodes lower on the list. First up, I think it has a bit more emotion because of Snart. We understand both Leonard and Lisa Snart a bit more because their father is in this episode and he’s this cruel and awful person. It shows the human and vulnerable side to both of them in this episode. Like I say everytime I always love seeing Wentworth Miller in here, I think he’s cast so great in this role and he elevates every episode. You get more of those cute dynamics between Barry and Patty in the episode where you see the flirting between the two of them start and I like that. I wish Barry and Patty stayed a couple of more seasons because I really like the two of them together. Now it’s still not a great episode. I'm not too big of a fan of the plot line with Iris’ mom coming back, that’s never been a part of the season that’s really worked for me. But in general this is a solid episode.

18. Legends of Today (Episode 8): Now in general, this crossover event is not one of my favorites. But I do think this episode is fun and has some interesting things in there. It’s great to see Barry and Oliver teaming up once again, Stephen Amell and Grant Gustin have this great dynamic between the two of them and so it’s always fun to see them team up together to fight a villain. And what’s nice about the crossover is that while it very much focuses on Kendra’s transformation into Hawkgirl, introducing Hawkman and Vandal Savage, and setting up Legends of Tomorrow the episode does tie into season 2. There’s a lot of season 2 stuff in this episode that ties into stuff later on in the season. Now I’ve never been a big fan of Vandal Savage as a villain, for how powerful and dangerous he is, he’s never been all that interesting of a villain to me. So that part has always held this crossover back from being great. 

17. Potential Energy (Episode 10): Of the episodes of the season this is probably the one that I had the most change of thoughts on. Where I always had this episode towards the bottom of my ranking of the season 2 episodes. But after re-watching it, there’s a lot in this episode to really enjoy. First up, you get some tension with Barry and Patty that feels right and earned. That causes them to break-up at the end of the episode, there’s just a lot of those interesting dynamics in here that really work. And I think they work because you care so much about the two of them, you like the two of them as a couple. The Turtle is a surprisingly good villain, I think there’s a lot in there with him as the villain to make fights interesting, the threat he poses is very different. Now as this was the first episode where we really got to explore Wally, I don’t think they did the best job of making him a good or likable character. But besides that, this is a solid episode. 

16. The Fury of Firestorm (Episode 4): The episode that introduced Jefferson Jackson into the Arrowverse and a very important episode for setting up Legends of Tomorrow. And there’s a lot in here that is very cool. I think Jefferson Jackson is a great character and I like his role in the episode. The villain of the week is solid, I think his motivation and his full turn was a bit rushed but overall a solid villain. We get teases of a new Wells in here where Joe learns about this and so does Barry, it builds out this mystery surrounding that. Plus we get more of that flirty chemistry between Barry and Patty in the episode, it’s fun to see Barry flirting with somebody that isn’t Iris. Now once again, I’m not really the biggest fan of the plot line with Iris’ mother, that’s never been super interesting for me. It is important with introducing Wally into the show that was a major part of season 3 and beyond. But the plot line itself was interesting enough, but I think it could have been better. 

15. Fast Lane (Episode 12): Another episode where my thoughts on it changed a good bit. And there’s a lot more layers in this episode than I thought. I thought the stuff with Harry and Barry was kind of fun, it was interesting to see them working together. This is where Harry starts taking Barry’s speed to give to Zoom. And when Iris is hurt because of it, Harry feels bad and guilty about it so he confesses. And while what he was doing was not right, he shouldn’t be doing that there’s a truth in what he’s doing. We understand why he’s doing it, so it makes Harry this more interesting character through it. I think here we get to understand Wally a bit more, we understand why he’s street racing and when Iris gets hurt from it he starts to change. So there’s a lot of great details in here that make it for a more interesting episode to watch. 

14. The Runaway Dinosaur (Episode 21): An interesting episode that has a lot of great moments inside of it, but at the same time…feels a bit like a filler episode. Now I get what they were going for this episode, but in the grander narrative of season 2 this one doesn’t really have a great spot inside of it. But I think there could have been something interesting if they tied the speed force into the larger narrative, if they did that this episode could have worked. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great moments here. I think the stuff with Barry meeting his favorite people in the speed force, mainly his mother does pack some emotion inside of there. And I think the episode does a nice job of setting up the last two episodes with Zoom taking over Central City with metahumans. So there’s a lot in here that I think is very cool, but I wish they tied the overall story in the season long narrative taking place. 

13. Rupture (Episode 20): I think what works best about this episode is that it’s largely about Cisco and his brothers. That’s something that episode 16 of season 1 explored then this episode explores that as well. And you have these big emotions as his brother learns about Cisco’s powers. We learn more about their dynamic and relationship, and the fact that Rupture, the villain of the episode, is Dante's Earth-2 doppelganger is very interesting. I think the idea of Team Flash recreating the Particle Accelerator explosion as the way to give Barry back his speed is very interesting. And I love how they explore all of the different perspectives of the characters. All of them have reasons as to why they want to do it or as to why they don’t want to do it. So this is an episode that I think is very very good, and the fact that it’s only number 14 on the list shows good consistent and great season 2 is. 

12. Versus Zoom (Episode 18): I love how this episode focuses a lot on Zoom’s backstory and what made him the person that we see him as. And I like how this episode went dark with it, typically this is a very light hearted and fun show. But I think this episode showed that the show can work when it goes darker with its ideas and certain episodes. What's fun about this episode is they used this as a way to crossover with Supergirl. At the time it was on CBS so they used the opening where Barry travels dimensions as a way to crossover. I feel like this is one of Wally’s best episodes of the season, where he’s starting to get an arc. He’s starting to be a better person and not a douchebag towards Barry. I liked the moments between Wally and Joe in this episode. I think an issue with the later half of the season is Iris having this conflict of whether or not she’s destined to be with Barry. I get why she’s feeling that way, but I don’t find it all that interesting. Also, Barry giving Zoom his speed again I get why he did it, but I think that’s an idea that is better on paper then in execution. 

11. King Shark (Episode 15): It’s a lot of fun when you have King Shark as your villain of the episode, the CGI done for me is very cool. Whenever they do Gorilla Grodd or King Shark episodes they look really really cool. And it’s fun to see Barry go up against a big shark. It provides for some fun action along the way. It’s great to have Diggle and Lyla in the episode, a fun mini crossover taking place. And I like how in the early seasons of the show Diggle is freaked out by Barry’s super speed, it puts a smile on my face everytime. The scene where Barry tells Iris and Joe about their Earth-2 doppelgangers is an emotional scene that I think really works. Cisco is worried about Caitlin turning into Killer Frost, so you have that tension in there. But once again, I feel like Wally is just unlikable. The way he treats Barry, the way he’s jealous of Barry I don’t think works all that well. It makes you not like Wally when he’s talking down to the protagonist of the show. So it’s an episode that I think is very good, it’s a very watchable episode. But it’s also an episode that I feel could have been better. 

10. Flash Back (Episode 17): I always enjoy it when this show (or any show) time travels back to an old episode. And play that episode out from a different perspective, episode 15 of season 1 did that. And here they did that concept with this episode going back to season 1, episode 11. And I thought this was a really cool and really fun episode that provided a lot of great moments. I love the moments in the time vault between Barry and Thawne, it’s so tense and so well acted by Grant Gustin and Tom Cavanagh. And since we know that this version of Harrison Wells is really Thawne, it produces tension as you know that Thawne can do anything to kill Barry. So when he is in the past, you feel this tension when they have scenes together. They use Hartley Rathaway in some clever ways, making me a better character in my mind. And the episode does have some emotion with Iris seeing the video message from Eddie, it is an emotional scene that is a part of Iris’ journey in season 2. So all in all, this is another rock solid episode in the season. 

9. The Darkness and the Light (Episode 5): An episode that is very much the start of this 2-episode story arc involving Doctor Light with our introduction to Zoom. Where we have Doctor Light from Earth-2 show up where it’s Linda, Barry’s girlfriend from season 1. And from there, there’s some very interesting dynamics and moments that come from that. We get Team Flash learning about Harry Wells and you get some really funny moments between them where they're quite too sure how to make this new version of Wells. Harry has this very dry but sarcastic sense of humor about him that fits perfectly with the typical humor of the show and characters. Barry and Patty also go on their first date, a very fun scene that once again has a lot of humor where Barry can’t see, so Cisco is wingman on it. It’s a very funny scene that I forgot how funny some scenes are from the early seasons, this being one of them. So this is really where I felt the season was coming together and going somewhere, it set a bunch of pieces in motion for the rest of the season. 

8. The Reverse-Flash Returns (Episode 11): An episode that I feel would have worked better in the early stages of the season, that doesn’t make the episode bad but I think it does make this episode feel weird at this point in the season. It’s still fairly high on this list so obviously I really like the episode and think it’s a great episode. It’s great to see Matt Letscher returning as Thawne in this episode and he gets some great moments with Barry, the acting between Grant Gustin and Matt Letscher in the episode is really cool. I also really appreciated how much this episode really tests Barry where he finally captures Thawne, he defeats Thawne. But in doing so changes the timeline and affects Cisco. So in a great scene they have to let Thawne go back to the future to safe Cisco. And after all that Thawne did in season 1 it’s this interesting idea to have happen. Patty’s send off in the episode is fairly emotional and done very well. So there’s a lot with this episode that I really like, it’s a great episode. I just think this should have been an earlier season 2 episode. 

7. Invincible (Episode 22): Now this is the episode where I feel like Barry and Zoom’s rivalry is at its best. Where you get a couple of great scenes between them that makes you feel the rivalry between them, building up to the cliffhanger of the episode that leads into the finale. Where you realize that Barry and Zoom are a lot more alike than the audience or Barry wants to admit and that it provides some great moments that are impactful to Barry. I love the idea of meta humans just running rampant through Central City, I do wish that concept was the last 3 episodes of the season, but they didn’t and that’s ok. It’s fun to see Black Siren here that became a big part of Arrow seasons 5-8, it’s easy to forget she originated in this episode. I like what they did with Wally in the episode, I think that was an interesting story arc for him. It makes sense with what they’ve done with the character in episode 10-21. So this is another great episode that has some great moments and elements about it. 

6. Escape from Earth-2 (Episode 14): The second part in the Earth 2 storyline and the episode where everything starts to fall apart and the episode becomes incredibly tense with Barry being Zoom’s prisoner, while Cisco and Harry have to find Barry, and you have the timer ending soon before they all have to get back. So it’s this tense episode that keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. You give Earth-2 Barry, the nerdy one this character arc where he gets to be the hero. And the finale of the episode isn’t necessarily the biggest or flashiest (no pun intended) finale here but it’s one of the most thrilling and exciting of the bunch. All leading up to this crazy cliffhanger that makes you want to see episode 15 right away. So this is another fantastic episode of the season. 

5. Trajectory (Episode 16): At face value this seems like it’ll be just another filler episode of the season and while it is, it isn’t at the same time. The best part about the episode would be the final couple of minutes where Team Flash learns who Zoom really is. This show and the Arrowverse has done a lot of masked villains, where their identity is part of the mystery of the season. But I think this season is the best masked villain realization where they way it’s built up. The way they tied into Trajectory’s downfall and death into them putting the pieces of Zoom’s identity together is one of the best moments of the entire season. Trajectory herself is a pretty solid villain, she’s memorable and I like how she does tie into the season long story line. And I think the drama between Harry and Jesse makes sense, it’s believable as to why they are both thinking and acting the way they are. So all of the elements of the episodes really do work, and it’s an episode that’s a lot better then I remembered it being. 

4. Race of His Life (Episode 23): A great conclusion to season 2 that closes out the season long story line greatly. After episode 22, built upon the rivalry between Barry and Zoom where at the end of episode 22, Zoom killed Barry’s father. This episode deals with the fallout of that and part of the tension of the episode is Barry. Barry is so angry with Zoom (rightfully so) that this leads him to be reckless and Team Flash imprisoning him. There are consequences that lead to the final between Barry and Zoom. The final fight between Barry and Zoom might be fast (no pun intended) but it works, it’s satisfying for the season long rivalry between the two of them. All leading up to the two great moments in the epilogue. First up, you get the reveal of the man in the iron mask, the real Jay Garrick. And I love how it’s John Weasly Shipp and I thought that was handled really well. And then the season ends on a great cliffhanger setting up Flashpoint for season 3. So this is an episode that I think works on all of the different levels that it was going for. This is how you do a season finale of the show! 

3. Running to Stand Still (Episode 9): Probably the most Christmasy episode of the entire show where Trickster’s entire plan is built around Christmas. Trickster is a great villain that always elevates the episode he’s in, Mark Hamill plays him so well. Mark Mardon is a great villain once again and I like how he’s used. When we learn that Patty has ties and connections to Mark, it fleshes out Patty. It also really helps us understand Zoom more, we understand and learn more about his plan that makes him an even greater and more dangerous threat. We get our introduction to Wally in this episode that has a certain emotional core to it, especially with the first half of the season building up to that moment. There’s a lot in this episode that is very cool and it’s just a very fun episode that is the most Christmasy episode of the show. I wish more episodes of the show were like this, where you have several villains from the past coming together to stop The Flash. That’s not something that’s been done all that much. 

2. Welcome to Earth-2 (Episode 13): An episode that I’ve always loved and find it to be a fun episode exploring the multiverse. When this episode and season aired it was before exploring the multiverse was this big thing, so it was still so fresh and new to do an episode like this. It’s fun to see the Earth-2 doppelgangers of Team Flash. I love it whenever Grant Gustin gets to play a different version of Barry, especially a fun and goofy version of him like in this episode. This was the tease of Caitlin’s journey into becoming Killer Frost, it’s great to see Ronnie back as an evil Firestorm. And we get more Zoom where we see him more as a threat, he kills his henchmen because they aren’t doing what they’re told. It shows us as the audience that Zoom is dangerous and not somebody you want to mess around with it. If he wants something done, you better get it done. Joe’s Earth-2 death is handled very well, it’s emotional when it happens. So when you put it all together it’s just a fun episode that explores the multiverse in such a fun way. 

1. Enter Zoom (Episode 6): Widely regarded as one of the best episodes of the show and that statement is very much true, this is a great episode in a great season. And this is the episode where they really established Zoom as a threat as far as threatening and scary villains, Zoom is probably the top of that list in the Arrowverse. And the fight between him and Barry in the episode is one of the most tense fights of the show and easily one of the best and most memorable fights of the show. But while the film can be very dark and tense, the episode can also be very funny. In the first half you have Team Flash using Earth-1 Linda Park pretending to be Doctor Light as a way to lure Zoom to Earth-1 to stop him. You get some really funny moments with that work, they put a smile on your face. And as I mentioned with episode 5, it makes you forget just how funny this show can be especially in the early seasons of the show, mainly seasons 1 and 2. So for me, this is the best episode of the entire season.