Classic TV Show Finales Heavily Influenced The Way The Flash Went Off The Air

After nine seasons on the air, The CW's "The Flash" concluded in May 2023, putting a punctuation mark on the beloved Arrowverse. As one would imagine, wrapping up a series as loved as "The Flash" couldn't have been an easy feat. How does one finish such a series in a satisfying way, pleasing the vast majority of the immensely devoted audience? According to showrunner Eric Wallace, the key to ending the ninth and final season of "The Flash" was taking cues from some of the greatest TV shows ever to grace the small screen.

"I watched a whole bunch of series finales, and I'll tell you the ones I loved and used as inspiration: 'Lost,' 'Angel,' and 'The Office,' ironically," Wallace told Entertainment Weekly ahead of the "Flash" finale. Of course, these shows aren't very narratively similar to the DC favorite, though narrative similarities weren't on Wallace's mind when he looked to them for inspiration. He explained that his true angle was replicating the emotions that came with these endings. Thus, the cameo-filled, feel-good last episode was born.

While whether or not "The Flash" Season 9 finale totally stuck the landing is a matter of opinion, most fans of the series still had plenty of praise to offer the episode.

In the wake of the "Flash" Season 9 finale, despite the program's ups and downs throughout its time on The CW, fans online couldn't help but express how much they're going to miss the long-running DC series.

"It's been a long nine years and even though we've seen just about everything possible, it still hurts to say goodbye," commented Andre The Great on YouTube, with Shadus of TSS admitting that while they don't want the series to end, they accept that it is indeed over. Tahir Ali even went as far as saying the series changed their life, so they're certainly going to miss it now that it's over. "Gonna miss The Flash. Thank you for the memories Grant. Run Barry Run," added David Smith.

Several YouTube commenters also took the time to give props to Grant Gustin, who masterfully brought Barry "The Flash" Allen to life on the program during its entire run. For instance, Johannes wrote, "It was an honour watching The Flash till the very end. Grant Gustin will always be The Flash! No one will ever replace him. This show will always hold a special place in my heart." Silvestre Villarruel also stated that they're firmly on Team Gustin and ATAldr claimed that Gustin practically carried the show on his back for the past few seasons.

With several classic TV finales behind it, "The Flash" series finale, while not perfect, certainly left a lasting impact on fans. Surely the series as a whole will remain a favorite for years to come.