This Article Contains Flash Season 1 SPOILERS.

The CW's adaptation of The Flash became a hit in its freshman season on TV. The series not only widened the DC Comics TV shared universe started by Arrow, it also firmly established its own rich comic book mythology, in which super powered beings and time travel are all part of the norm. From that mythos came even more fantastical things (like a spinoff show about time-hopping heroes), which means sky's the limit when it comes to what could happen in The Flash season 2.

We left Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) in a perilous situation, trying to stop a chaotic storm caused by his trip back through time to the night his mother died. The outcome of that situation could propel us into a very different world for season 2 of The Flash - but whatever may come, here are 12 Things We Want to See.

1. A New Opening Monologue

Flash Season 2 Multiverse Time Travel

The CW DC superhero shows have retained a common structure and format when it comes opening and closing their episodes. Both The Flash and Arrow open an episode with their respective protagonists doing voice-over monologue, recounting the general story and themes of their origin, while viewers watch a montage of matching footage. It's a quick and concise way to both remind forgetful viewers of what they're watching, and quickly bring new viewers up to speed (pun).

...Of course, anyone who watches these shows faithfully also knows that by the end of a 22 episode season, these opening monologues (even if changed at midseason) can start to sound a little repetitive and tiring. With a new season, we hope The Flash gets a new opening monologue - one that will frame the storyline and themes for season 2 clearly, from the start.

2. Better Superpower Mastery & Strategizing

Flash Season 2 Speed Force New powers

The Flash season 1 did an admirable job of making speed force super powers feel suitably epic and convincing on the small screen, but one consistent criticism of the show is that, despite extensive training, Barry Allen never seemed to grasp the use of his powers with the confidence and skill of a true superhero.

Now that Dr. Wells (the show's main crutch for propping up an inexperienced speedster) has seemingly been removed (or has he???), in season 2 we need to see Barry stop relying on outside guidance and start mastering his own powers. That includes vibrating through objects, moving his limbs (i.e., arms) to create vortexes, or better controlling his time travel sprints.

In addition to mastering his abilities as a speedster, we also need to see Barry (and by extension, #TeamFlash) start to make better strategic decisions when battling metahuman foes. Season 1 all but wore out the pattern of Barry running into fights unprepared, or with compromised strategies, only to narrowly escape death with some last-minute application of his powers. Season 2 needs to show us a Flash getting one step closer to that white emblem heroic version of himself from the future.

3. Barry's Dad Out of Prison

The Flash Season 2 Henry Allen

One aspect of The Flash that helped set it apart from so many other comic book TV shows (or movies even), is the excellent and moving dramatic threads that existed between Barry Allen and his two father figures, Detective Joe West (Jesse L. Martin) and Henry Allen (John Wesley Shipp). Scenes with Barry talking to Joe and/or Henry were so good, in fact, that we want to  see more of the latter in season 2.

With the whole mystery and mythology of Barry's mother's murder now revealed to the viewers (barring any temporal resets), it's arguably time to move the show past Barry's quest to free his father. But rather than leave things in a standoff where Barry and Co. can no longer prove Henry's innocence (thereby forcing him to rot in jail) it would be much more interesting to have Henry back out in the world, trying to rebuild his shattered life.

Who would Barry live with? How would his relationship with Joe be affected? What would happen if Henry and Joe suddenly had different opinions about Barry's lifestyle and future? How would Barry deal if his remaining parent was put in peril again? You see the sorts of drama that could be explored. John Wesley Shipp is strong actor in his own right, so just having him around to elevate a greater number of scenes would be a plus.

4. (Reasonable) Explanation of Tom Cavanagh's Return

The Flash Finale Barry Attack Thawne

TV veteran Tom Cavanagh pulled triple-duty in making The Flash's freshman season a success: his tempered demeanor was key in carrying the "Yoda" role as Barry Allen and #TeamFlash's mentor, Harrison Wells. He was also good at playing the mysterious conspirator throughout season 1, while still being believably charming and fatherly - and when he finally went "full Eobard," he was wonderfully animated and villainous (funny even), a far cry from the stoic place his character started in.

That all said, it's been something of a mystery to see that Tom Cavanagh is still listed as a series regular for The Flash season 2.  Producers have already claimed that both Cavnagh and actor Matt Letscher (the real face of Eobard Thawne) are possibilities to return as The Reverse-Flash at some point in the future. But while having Letscher back on the show in an expanded role would make sense (Eobard Thawne finds a time paradox loophole), having Cavanagh back is definitely a head-scratcher, since Thawne presumably wouldn't need to wear his Dr. Wells skin-suit anymore.

So will the real Dr. Wells somehow be resurrected? With so many unanswered questions - and time travel or the multiverse always potential factors - nothing is impossible. We just hope that the explanation given for Cavanagh's continued presence is halfway reasonable.

5. Wally West

Wally West Flash Season 2

Every since we learned that Barry Allen would be the main character of The Flash TV series, fans have been wondering if/when they might see the second most famous speedster from the annuals of DC Comics: Iris West's nephew Wally West, who has been the sidekick known as Kid Flash, as well as the full-fledged Flash for most of the '90s and early '00s.

When Flash spinoff TV show Legends of Tomorrow announced that actor Franz Drameh (Attack the Block, Edge of Tomorrow) was joining the series in an unknown superhero role, speculation from fanboys was that he would be playing a character like Cyborg, or possibly Wally West. In DC's "New 52" comic book reboot (which has influenced their TV/movie universes, and vice a versa), Wally West was reimagined as an African-American character, instead of a white ginger. That change to the books makes synergistic sense, given that in the Flash TV show Iris and Joe West are black, and therefore, their relative (barring a Fantastic Four situation) would also presumably be black.

Whether Drameh is Wally West - or some other actor eventually takes the role - we would love to see fans' other favorite Flash at least get a first introduction in season 2, before possibly speeding toward a larger destiny.

6. True Gorilla Grodd

Gorilla Grodd Flash Season 2

The Flash season 1 earned major points for being able to bring one of the hero's most outlandish villains (a telepathic Gorilla named Grodd) to the small screen in believable enough - often scary - fashion. But while that CGI gorilla lurking in the shadows might've been a milestone for comic book TV fans and showrunners, he was but a light brush stroke of who Grodd is in the DC Universe.

From the comic book page to being  included in several DC cartoon series (Justice League, Batman: Brave and the Bold), Grodd has come to be one of the more recognized villains in the DC stable. In those cartoon appearances (particularly the early '00s Justice League cartoon series) Grodd was presented as a mastermind antagonist, which is definitely something The Flash TV series did NOT explore, instead positioning the gorilla as a boogeyman haunting the sewers, doing the Reverse-Flash's dirty work. Needless to say, there's room for growth in the character.

While we never expect The Flash TV series to delve into things like Gorilla City, we do expect Gorilla Grodd to make a big return, hopefully leading his own scheme instead of working as someone else's underling.

7. More Alternate Reality Stories

The Flash Season 2 Easter Eggs Preview

With The Flash TV series having already broached topics like time travel and alternate timelines, we (like many fans) want to see a (literally) new world of story possibilities open up in season 2.

The Flash showrunners have already confirmed that the DC multiverse will be a focus of season 2, so there's some underlying guarantee that this particular fan wish will be granted; but how the show uses the multiverse will be just as important as the fact that it uses it at all. Season 1 made an intriguing two-part episode out of Barry altering a very pivotal day in his timeline, showing us how the series can use different versions of reality to its storytelling benefit.

On the other hand, shows like Fringe and Heroes got bogged down exploring too many alternate versions of reality. Despite the vast possibilities, we do want The Flash to keep its central, serialized, storyline streamlined and focused - but that doesn't mean we can't get a few one-off, "Elseworlds" episodes where Barry and/or Team Flash find themselves  playing in different versions of reality. Those same alt-verse episodes could present wonderful new versions of established characters or heroes, and maybe a few new ones to meet. Given the long history of DC Comics mutlitverse and Elseworlds stories, there's no limit to what The Flash can explore.

8. New Speedsters

The Flash Speedsters

One of the most exciting aspects of The Flash season 1 was seeing two rival speedsters do battle, or using their respective powers for heroic and terrifying ends, respectively. As comic book fans know, Flash and Reverse-Flash aren't the only speedsters in DC lore - in fact there are more than a dozen speedsters to choose from.

The Legends of Tomorrow trailer already dropped an Easter egg for Golden Era Flash, Jay Garrick, with that spinoff series likely to explore the idea that there are other speedsters besides the Flash and Reverse-Flash in the DCTVU.  So if the spinoff series is possibly introducing other speedsters, we'd like to see the main Flash TV series do the same.

Besides Jay Garrick and Wally West, we'd like to see a fun twist on things by having an "Elseworlds" type episode featuring an alt-reality where Barry's dad is The Flash. Since it was John Wesley Shipp who made Barry Allen and The Flash famous in the '90s TV series, so seeing him back in the suit would be a superb wink to older fans. Other than that, characters like Max Mercury or Johnny and Jesse Quick are all still on the table - either in their classic heroic depictions, or villainous versions from alternate earths.

9. More DC TV Multiverse Easter Eggs

The Flash Season Finale Legends of Tomorrow Cameo

Following closely on our wish for more alternate reality storylines comes this wish to see the DC TV universe expand itself even further, through clever Easter eggs that could look beyond the dimensional barriers to places like Earth and Earth-2, or the Flashpoint timeline.

The trailer for the Legends of Tomorrow spinoff series indicates that the Flash's actions in the timestream (and future destiny as a renowned hero) will have a far-reaching effect on the DC TV universe, and could arguably spawn any number of new heroes who could one day lead their own respective TV series.

But since the LoT gang aren't the only heroes hopping through time, we're hoping that The Flash season 2 will continue to open new DCTV doors, as well. And with the multiverse as its play thing, maybe the show could at least reference alternate versions of big icons like Batman and Superman (a future featuring Batman Beyond, perhaps)? without spooking WB over the sanctity of the Batman V Superman movie brand. That alone would be a small miracle.

10. The Return of Reverse-Flash

The Flash Season 2 Reverse Flash Identity

The Reverse-Flash was a frightening "big bad" to have hanging over season 1 of the show, and the twist about Dr. Wells and Eobard Thawne was one that virtually no one saw coming. Even though the story arc between Thawne/Wells and Barry Allen is seemingly over, fans of the comics know that the Reverse-Flash has more than one way of making a return.

With alternate timelines on the table, a new Reverse-Flash can come from anywhere, anywhen, and it could be anyone able to harness the speed force hiding under his yellow mask. Since season 1 did such a good job building the villain and revealing his secrets, we'd like to see that tradition continue into season 2.

Besides having actors Matt Letscher and/or Tom Cavanagh back as possible Reverse-Flashes, it would be fun to see some other actors possibly tackle the role. John Wesley Shipp would be a fun candidate (even for just an episode) - and it would be a big twist to see an alternate version of Eddie Thawne (Rick Cosnett) show up as Reverse-Flash II. How would Iris handle that one?

11. More Pied Piper

Flash Season 2 Pied Piper Hartley Rathaway

Evil metahumans running amok often gave The Flash season 1 a kind of Smallville 'freak of the week' feel, which it thankfully countered with some great mythos and serialized storylines. However, in the lineup of superpowered baddies locked out of sight in S.T.A.R. Labs' basement (and likely out of viewers' minds), there was one who managed to breakout, both figuratively and literally: Hartley Rathaway, The Pied Piper (Andy Mientus).

Flash's version of Pied Piper established an openly gay villain (played by an openly gay actor) without making his sexuality a distracting (and reductive) focus. The combination of the writers' backstory and dialogue for Hartley, as well as Mientus' wittily fickle performance, also made the Piper one of the more complicated and well-layered villains on the show.

If Wentworth Miller spouting comic book platitudes as Captain Cold is enough to secure him a starring slot on Legends of Tomorrow, then Andy Mientus' Pied Piper should definitely getting a bigger role in this DCTVU. Hopefully Flash season 2 takes advantage of that opportunity.

12. Cisco Gets a Girl (and Powers!)

The Flash - Cisco Love Interest Season 2

During The Flash's early marketing and promotion campaign, it seemed as though Team Flash - specifically the character of Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes) - could be a detriment. Trailers for the The Flash pilot made the S.T.A.R. Labs crew look like a comedic relief Scooby gang, with Cisco being the hammiest of the bunch. Thankfully, the exact opposite turned out to be true: #TeamFlash became a big part of the show's chemistry and charm, with Cisco quickly becoming a fan-favorite male counterpart to Arrow's Felicity Smoak. But unlike virtually every other character on the show, there's one big thing Cisco has been missing: a (serious) love interest.

After seeing how Cisco made sparks fly with bad girl Lisa Snart (aka "Golden Glider"), it's clear that even the nerdier half of the Ramon brothers has a fair amount of swagger. In season 2, we'd like to see Cisco get someone to really care about - be it Lisa, or some new girl who arrives on the scene. (Please not Caitlin - that would be "#Olicity" level awkward).

With a serious love interest, we may also have the perfect vehicle for Cisco to fulfill Eobard Thawne's prophecy in the season 1 finale, as love is usually a good motivator for the type of accident or sacrifice that creates a superhero. And ever since the name "Cisco Ramon" was included in the show's roster, fans have been waiting to see the DC hero known as Vibe on the small screen.

With "Caitlin Snow" also poised to become the villainous Killer Frost, it'd be a highlight of season 2 to see S.T.A.R. Labs' star pupils battling one another with metahuman powers.

Conclusion

The Flash Finale Killer Frost Future

Those are just a dozen things we want to see in The Flash season 2, but if you were paying attention to season 1, you probably know that a lot of these things are already set up on the game board - along with hints and teases of many other fun things to come.

If you want to know more about what the showrunners of The Flash are setting up for season 2, be sure to read the article below:

The Flash season 2 begins airing on The CW in Fall 2015, along with Arrow season 4. Supergirl will debut on CBS in November 2015. DC's Legends of Tomorrow will air on The CW during the 2015-16 season. Titans is expected to debut on TNT during the first half of 2016.