The Flash may be the fastest man alive, but he has caught our eye ever since the Arrowverse show first hit the tv screens on October 7, 2014.
Life for scientist Barry Allen completely changed when he gained superhuman speed after the explosion of S.T.A.R. Labs’ particle accelerator. Our scarlet speedster has been fighting urban crime for eight seasons now.
Although the threat from other metahumans has still not subsided, The Flash will be taking its final bow with season 9.
If you’re looking to binge the full series before S9, we got your back! Here is an accurate watch order, which also includes a chronological order with the crossover episodes correctly positioned.
1. Release Date Order
If the name Barry Allen is still ‘Very Alien’ to you, you should get the ball rolling with Season 1 and continue watching the seasons in which they were released.
- Season 1 (2014)
- Season 2 (2015)
- Season 3 (2016)
- Season 4 (2017)
- Season 5 (2018)
- Season 6 (2019)
- Season 7 (2021)
- Season 8 (2021)
- Season 9 (upcoming in February 2023)
Season 9 will be The Flash’s last season, so make sure to binge all the seasons before it airs.
The drawback of this order is that it neglects certain episodes where Barry Allen made his appearance as The Flash in other shows. So to cover all bases, I’ve curated the Ultimate Watch Order — for your perusal, down below.
2. Ultimate Watch Order
Along with being the chronological watch order, this list also takes into account multiple crossovers, The Flash guest appearances on other shows as well as Shorts/Specials.
Right from the first-ever crossover event of the Arrowverse Flash vs. Arrow to the most iconic one titled Crisis on Infinite Earths, I have attached the list of properly sequenced crossover episodes after every season:
- Season 1 (2014)
Flash vs. Arrow (Crossover 1):
- The Flash Season 1, Episode 8
- Arrow Season 3, Episode 8
- Season 2 (2015)
Heroes Join Forces (Crossover 2):
- The Flash Season 2, Episode 8
- Arrow Season 4, Episode 8
Worlds Finest (Crossover 3):
- Supergirl Season 1, Episode 18
- Chronicles of Cisco: Entry 0419
- Season 3 (2016)
Invasion (Crossover 4):
- The Flash Season 3, Episode 8
- Arrow Season 5, Episode 8
- Legends of Tomorrow Season 2, Episode 7
Duet (Crossover 5)
- Supergirl Season 2, Episode 16
- The Flash Season 3, Episode 17
- Season 4 (2017)
Crisis on Earth-X (Crossover 6):
- Supergirl Season 3, Episode 8
- Arrow Season 6, Episode 8
- The Flash Season 4, Episode 8
- Legends of Tomorrow Season 3, Episode 8
- Stretched Scenes
- Season 5 (2018)
Elseworlds (Crossover 7):
- The Flash Season 5, Episode 9
- Arrow Season 7, Episode 9
- Supergirl Season 4, Episode 9
- Season 6 (2019)
Crisis on Infinite Earths (Crossover 8):
- Supergirl Season 5, Episode 9
- Batwoman Season 1, Episode 9
- The Flash Season 6, Episode 9
- Arrow Season 8, Episode 8
- Legends of Tomorrow Season 5, Episode 0
- Season 7 (2021)
(The Flash did not crossover into any other shows, but did host crossover episodes in Ep 16).
- Season 8 (2021)
(The Flash did not crossover into any other shows, but did host crossover episodes in Ep 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, and 20).
- Season 9 (2023 — Upcoming)
To note — Chronicles of Cisco: Entry 0419 and Stretched Shorts mentioned in the watch order are basically promotional miniature shorts. They do not directly engage The Flash but operate on the sidelines of the main story.
The first one is a four-episode series, in which Cisco encounters Peek-a-Boo, and their clash eventually helps Cisco in making a bulletproof suit for the Flash. Stretched Shorts, Ralph Dibny, consist of three videos that are set during The Flash Season 4.
3. How Much Time Will It Take To Watch
By rough calculations, it will take you roughly 5 days and 9 hours to binge-watch the entire Arrow. All 8 seasons, with 8 crossover events and 2 mini-series have been taken into account.
Note: These are approximate values of the runtimes.
4. About The Flash (The CW)
The Flash is an American superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and Geoff Johns. It is a spin-off from Arrow, existing in the same fictional universe known as Arrowverse.
Cast members include Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Rick Cosnett, Carlos Valdes, Tom Cavanagh, Jesse L. Martin, Keiynan Lonsdale among many others.
The series follows Barry Allen, a forensic investigator in Central City, who is hit by lightning on the night of the inauguration of the particle accelerator. Months later, he wakes up from a coma and discovers he has super-speed. He becomes The Flash and fights crime in Central City.
No Comments on How To Watch The Flash? Easy Watch Order Guide