In previous seasons, each Arrowverse crossover has been rather straightforward in format. At first, only Arrow and The Flash participated, but the situation became more complex as the brand kept growing. To accommodate, the network would either air the encompassing arcs on successive nights, or do their best to pair the shows together so that complete tale be told in two evenings.
But when it comes to “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” it appears as though we have a much different situation on our hands. Seeing as how it’s based on one of the biggest and most impactful limited series in the history of comics, The CW realizes this will be a large responsibility. As such, this bad boy will consist of five parts spread across two quarters of broadcasting, with Arrow‘s eighth and final season serving as a prelude of sorts.
Still, it’s fair to assume that The Flash will contain some generous lead-in as well. After all, it was the first show to even hint at a Crisis happening, as far back as the fall of 2014. And if that weren’t enough, Grant Gustin posted a picture of episode 6×02’s table read on Instagram, which can be found below – and it’s now raising a few eyebrows.
Though you may not spot it at first, the second image in the slideshow reveals the episode’s title to be “A Flash of Lightning.” For those unfamiliar, that’s actually the title of Crisis on Infinite Earths #8, which is the very same issue that saw Barry Allen sacrifice himself to save the universe. After that, he didn’t rejoin the DC Universe for another two decades until Final Crisis came along.
Of course, it’s very doubtful that Barry will bite the dust so early in the season of his own show. But when you consider how LaMonica Garrett, the actor playing the Anti-Monitor, is joining table reads, this comic book reference probably isn’t being made by accident. At the very least, some “Crisis” setup should occur once this episode airs.
The Flash returns for its sixth season on Tuesday, October 8th on The CW.