Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-28265951-20160421125919/@comment-28555794-20160526192644

By now I'm sure you've seen the Season 2 finale. Don't read unless you have!

The possibilities about how much Barry's actions will alter the timeline are tantalizing to think about! It's interesting that this time around, his alternative future self (henceforth referred to as "Alt Fut Barry") left the house BEFORE he could motion to Season 1 Barry not to intervene! And now S1 Barry is erased from existence!

What ever happened Alt Fut Barry (from 2024...I think)? Did he get erased from existence after he saved young Barry from Reverse Flash in the year 2000? Or will Season 2 Barry become that Barry? Because remember...he INVENTED Gideon, and was the police commissioner and married to Iris from that alternative timeline. And he also interacted with Eobard Thawne! However, this would probably mean that Eobard Thawne discovered tachyon enhancement in that timeline, given that he was no match for a non-enhanced S2 Barry (who was also fueled by rage), but he was a match for Alt Fut Barry!

I'm willing to bet that part of Season 3 will be about establishing that timeline!

And another question that's boggling my mind: In the S2 finale, if S1 Barry (who traveled back to save his mother) didn't see that his mother was safe...would be have been erased from existence, or been allowed to go back to his present? He was removed from existence only after he saw that S2 Barry saved her! What if S2 Barry did what Alt Fut Barry did: motion him to go away?! And Barry never saw that his mother was alive?!

I think the writers are using elements of "Terminator" and "Back To The Future" for their rules. The "Speed Force" rules helps keep the cycle, but it does allow for the timelines to change like BTTF, like when S2 Barry went back to learn of Tacbyon enhancement! He came back to the present to a slightly changed timeline, where that "electro kid" and Team Flash were friends.