Board Thread:The Flash discussions/@comment-9346948-20170503000247/@comment-3221148-20170504121513

Or you could do it like that:

Season Finale (not this one specifically): Barry "dies", dissipates into the Speed Force

Doesn't mean we remove Grant Gustin from the main cast, because:

First Episode: Wally struggles with the mantle of the Flash on his shoulders. Suddenly, Barry appears in the end teaser.

Second Episode: Wally is cornered by an especially powerful villain, saved by Barry at the last second.

Later Eps: Everybody is happy that Barry is back, but they slowly realize something is not right with him.

Mid-Season: Barry goes full villain, conquers Central City, everybody thinks he's on the path to become Savitar.

Later Season: It is revealed that "Barry" was actually Thawne the whole time, in the manner of "The Return of Barry Allen" arc in the comics. It's a younger Thawne who wants to BE the Flash himself.

Finale: Thawne is defeated with the help of a version of Real Barry.

What can I say? I love "The Return of Barry Allen". It brought a lot of supporting cast speedsters, like Johny and Jesse Quick, Max Mercury, Jay Garrick together.