Barry Allen's luck on The Flash hasn't been the greatest; every time it seems like things are going to work out for the best, something comes out of nowhere to tear everything apart. The harder he tries it seems like the worse everything gets -- after all, trying to fix things is how Flashpoint happened.

Now, however, the stakes are higher than they've ever been. Barry has seen a glimpse of the future, and it ends with Iris West's death; that's not a future he can accept. If co-showrunner and executive producer Aaron Helbing is right, Barry's going to try everything in his power to prevent that future from ever coming to pass.

Speaking with TVLine's Michael Ausiello, Helbing revealed that stopping Iris' apparent fate will be the driving force behind the second half of the season. According to Helbing:

"Obviously Barry loves Iris more than anything, and now that he has gotten a glimpse of the future, the thrust of the back half of the season is Barry trying to do whatever it takes to save her."

This isn't the only information that Helbing revealed to TVLine, either. He also hinted that Iris' death and Barry's suffering as a result of it wasn't necessarily what was being referred to in some of Savitar's prophecies. His statement on the matter was vague, and hinted that the death and suffering might even change as Barry takes steps to prevent it. As Helbing put it, “The future is malleable. Anything can happen.”

Of course, it remains to be seen just how far Barry is willing to go to try and save Iris. Desperation could lead him down some very dark paths, which could in turn drive a wedge between him and Iris in the future. Some have even speculated that he becomes Savitar himself, due in part to similarities between Savitar's look and the costume worn by a future version of the Flash in the comics; if that was the route the show was going, then Savitar might be trying to kill his younger self to prevent damage to the Speed Force that the Flash eventually causes. That wouldn't explain why he was killing Iris, though, so some fans are skeptical.

Regardless of how far Barry goes to stop Savitar and save Iris, there's a good chance that he won't be able to do it alone. The Flash has long been a team-focused show, and Barry's support structure is a vital part of his success. If Iris' death isn't what's referred to in Savitar's prophecies, then it's possible that a key component of this support structure might be on the chopping block instead. If that's the case, then Barry's going to have a bigger job cut out for himself than he thought.

Next: The Flash: Jay Garrick Has Expanded Role in Second Half of Season

The Flash returns in January 2017 on The CW.

Source: TVLine