The fifth season of the American television series The Flash, which is based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash, premiered on The CW on October 9, 2018, and concluded on May 14, 2019, with a total of 22 episodes. The season follows Barry dealing with the consequences of his future daughter's time traveling, while confronting a new foe in Orlin Dwyer, the Cicada. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe, and is a spin-off of Arrow. The season was produced by Berlanti Productions, Warner Bros. Television, and DC Entertainment, with Todd Helbing serving as showrunner.
The season was ordered in April 2018, and production began that July. Grant Gustin stars as Barry, with principal cast members Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, Tom Cavanagh, and Jesse L. Martin also returning from previous seasons, while Hartley Sawyer, Danielle Nicolet, and Jessica Parker Kennedy were promoted to series regulars from their recurring status in season four. They are joined by new cast member Chris Klein while former series regular Keiynan Lonsdale makes a guest appearance. The series was renewed for a sixth season on January 31, 2019.
Episodes
Cast and characters
Main
Grant Gustin as Barry Allen / Flash
Candice Patton as Iris West-Allen
Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin Snow / Killer Frost
Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon / Vibe
Hartley Sawyer as Ralph Dibny / Elongated Man
Danielle Nicolet as Cecile Horton
Jessica Parker Kennedy as Nora West-Allen / XS
Chris Klein as Orlin Dwyer / Cicada
Tom Cavanagh as Harrison Wells and Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash
Jesse L. Martin as Joe West
Recurring
Patrick Sabongui as David Singh
Lossen Chambers as Vanessa Ambres
Islie Hirvonen as Grace Gibbons
Sarah Carter as adult Grace Gibbons / Cicada II
Klarc Wilson as Officer "Jonesy" Jones
Victoria Park as Kamilla Hwang
Guest
Production
Development
At the Television Critics Association winter press tour in January 2018, The CW president Mark Pedowitz said he was "optimistic" and "confident" about The Flash and the other Arrowverse shows returning next season, but added that it was too soon to announce anything just yet. On April 2, The CW renewed the series for its fifth season. Todd Helbing, who had previously served as a co-showrunner for the series' first four seasons, emerged as the series' first sole showrunner following Andrew Kreisberg's firing during the previous season.
Writing
In October 2017, Kevin Smith revealed that then-executive producer Andrew Kreisberg already had plans for the next season of the show and had told him the story for The Flashs fifth season, which got Smith very excited and jokingly commenting, "I now have to stay alive one more year".
At San Diego Comic-Con 2018, Todd Helbing revealed that "legacy" would be a theme during the season, adding, "I think everybody's thinking about what it means after they leave". On the arrival of Barry and Iris' future daughter, Nora, Grant Gustin teased the different headspaces the characters would be in. "[Nora]'s kind of attached to [Barry] when she arrives and a little more distant with Iris", Gustin said. "It's a weird thing for Iris to see them bond so easily... obviously something happened in the future, which worries Iris", added Candice Patton. The season also sees Barry, Ralph and Iris returning to their professional careers as a CSI, detective, and journalist, respectively. Patton noted that, "We live in such precarious times where we don't know what the truth is... I feel like [journalists] are superheroes... I hope that's a concept we bring to the show and give journalists the praise they deserve".
Helbing also revealed that there will be "a lot of deaths this season" and that the main antagonist would not be a speedster for the second season in a row. The new antagonist, Cicada, instead possesses powers that "present a challenge for Team Flash that they've never had to deal with before". He is not a cult leader as he is in the comics, but is portrayed as a "grizzled, blue-collar everyman whose family has been torn apart by metahumans" and who views the rise of metas as an epidemic, and seeks to exterminate them one by one.