I Can't Believe You Haven't Seen The Flash: Season 1

For those that are following this blog, you'll notice that typically it is films being reviewed, but in honor of Pilot season and the return of many autumn shows this week, I'm launching my TV review series.  The Flash is a spinoff of the successful CW superhero program Arrow.  At first I avoided this show because, come on, how could anyone make a successful show about The Flash on a mid-level network with a tiny budget? I was wrong.  So wrong, in fact, that now I can comfortably say The Flash is the most innovative show currently on television, and we need more programs like it (good thing we're getting them!)

Story:
Barry Allen (played by Grant Gustin) is a nerdy, slightly awkward police forensics scientist with some very bad luck.  As a child his mother was murdered by a mysterious force that entered his home, no one was able to explain what it was.  Due to this, Barry's father is accused of the murder and has been sitting in prison for 14 years.

Barry's role model and idol Harrison Wells (played by Tom Cavanagh), is a brilliant scientist who is about to breakthrough and turn on his particle accelerator, a revolutionary device that was supposed to change every understanding of the world's knowledge of physics.  Something goes terribly wrong, and the accelerator explodes, emitting a blast that effects all of Central City.  With this blast came side effects that afflicted certain people, giving them strange abilities, they would later be known as metahumans.  The blast, coupled with a perfectly timed lightning bolt, struck Barry and put him in a coma for nine months, and when he woke up he had the ability to run impossibly fast, upwards of mach two.

Grant Gustin stars as Barry Allen

Barry is taken in by Harrison Wells and his employees at Star Labs, Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes) and Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker), to study his condition.  Much to the dismay of Barry's legal guardian Joe (Jesse L. Martin) and his foster sister Iris (Candice Patton). Eventually, the crew at Star Labs and Barry begin to hone the skills of 'The Flash', and hunt down metahumans who are using their abilities for evil.  Barry becomes a symbol to Central City as a protector, while trying to keep his identity concealed and solve his mother's murder, a task he has been burdened with his entire life.

Characters:
The luxury TV shows have over films are 23, hour long episodes to develop characters over multiple seasons, rather than the two or three hours of a movie.  The Flash has a huge cast, all parts being essential and intricate to the plot, none being more vital than Barry Allen, played by Grant Gustin.  Gustin perfectly captures the dorky side of Barry, the Peter Parker-esque quirks that make him relatable to the nerds (myself included) that watch the show.  His everyman qualities are what make him such a strong leading man, and he perfectly balances the naiveté of a regular with the courage of a superhero.

Tom Cavanagh is Harrison Wells

One year ago, I only new Tom Cavanagh as J.D.'s deadbeat brother on the show Scrubs.  Today, I know him as Harrison Wells, the best comic book (spoiler alert!) villain put to screen since the Joker in The Dark Knight.  He is cunning, brilliant, creepy, malicious, but also fatherly, nurturing, caring and trusting.  His deceit knows no bounds, as a man out of time he is always 10 steps ahead of Barry, who for most of the season is living in the dramatic irony of his love for Wells.  this show does not work without Tom Cavanagh, he is equally important to cameras and writers in terms of the program's ability to function.

The host of supporting characters all bring different qualities to their roles.  Cisco provides comic relief and scientific exposition, Caitlin adds an emotional aspect as well as a potential love triangle, Iris is typically the driving force behind so many of Barry's actions and feelings, and Eddie Thawne (played by Rick Cosnett) is a strong foil to Barry as a sexual competitor.  One of the best characteristics of the show, however, are Barry's many father figures.  He has one in Harrison Wells, one in his actual father Henry Allen (played by John Wesley Shipp) and his foster father Joe West.  Barry's greatest goal is to clear his dad's name and get him out of prison, something that has tied them together for years.  But nothing beats the relationship between Barry and Joe.  Sometimes Barry lashes out at Joe's care because he's not his real father, but the man relentlessly pursues him with the means to protect and serve. Joe's love for Barry is a masterclass in fatherhood, and the two have an amazing rapport together.

Jesse L. Martin is Barry's legal guardian Joe

Cinematography:
As I stated above, who would've thought that a show like this could be pulled off.  Usually these powers and fantastical elements are better left to films, where the budget is higher and the suspension of disbelief is more quickly enabled.  This show was crafted impeccably, providing so many details to engage the viewer from start to finish.  It's rare that a spinoff is as successful as it's predecessor, but The Flash holds up, and as a huge fan of Arrow, it is an amazing treat to see the two casts interact and intertwine.  As The Flash starts its second season, I hope the writers can up the stakes even higher, and keep bringing the masterful combination of comedy, heart, drama and action that they did for their first 23 episodes.

OVERALL GRADE: 8.3/10

FAVORITE EPISODE: Ep. 9 The Man in the Yellow Suit