The Flash Seasons 1-3 (2014-2017) - Review

Starring: Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Jesse L. Martin & Tom Cavanagh

Written By: (Various)

Directed By: (Various)

Certificate: 12

 

Once again, it's time for me to start another of these reviews with a disclaimer: I have not watched a single episode of Arrow. Now given that The Flash is obviously a spin-off, you may be thinking “Why haven't you watched Arrow?” Part of the reason is that I never seem able to watch anything in the right order, although there is a bit more to it than that which I'll get onto later. I may not have even watched The Flash without a friend's recommendation, but now that I'm up to speed (pun intended) with the first three seasons, was it worth checking out?

 

When a particle accelerator project at S.T.A.R. Labs malfunctions in Central City, it releases a wave of dark energy throughout the city centre. One of the people affected is crime scene investigator, Barry Allen, who after being struck by lightning, is put in a coma for nine months. When he wakes, he finds that he can move at superhuman speeds, and that other random individuals in the city, branded 'metahumans', have gained a variety of unique and powerful abilities. With the help of S.T.A.R. Labs' Dr. Harrison Welles, Caitlin and Cisco, Barry harnesses his powers to become the Flash, using his superspeed to fight crime and take down metahumans who abuse their powers. Barry also makes it his personal goal to pursue the metahuman he saw kill his mother when he was a child – his nemesis, the Reverse-Flash.

 

In a time where a fair amount of superhero media seems to be getting progressively darker and more serious (e.g. The Dark Knight, Man Of Steel, Logan etc.), The Flash stands out from the crowd with its sense of fun and colourful visuals. This is mainly why I went ahead and watched The Flash before I'd seen Arrow, a show which by comparison seemed more serious and lacking that same fun spirit. Even Barry or the Flash himself stands out from other superheroes, whether it be Barry's shy, socially awkward persona, or even the fact that the Flash isn't one of those overly muscular and solid superheroes, but is instead more akin to Spiderman in that he's nimble, clearly agile and therefore harder to break. Given how impressive his performance is, it also feels like the role Grant Gustin was just made for, and he approaches the huge variety of things that the writers ask of him incredibly well, whether it requires him to come across as awkward, fun, cute, or even angry and heartbroken. And make no mistake, once you get past a rather hurried and bloated pilot episode which tries to take on at least three episodes' worth of setup, you're in for an immensely enjoyable series that soon finds its feet.

 

It's also probably worth clarifying that even that I haven't yet watched Arrow, I by no means have anything against it, and it's on the ever-growing list of things that I have to catch up on. However, it's still a win-win situation whether you watch The Flash with or without Arrow. If you do watch both shows, along with the other spin-offs they set up along the way such as Supergirl or Legends Of Tomorrow, then it's rewarding whenever they cross over, which happens regularly thanks to each season having a crossover event with the other shows. However, if like me you haven't yet watched the other shows, there's still a benefit to be felt as it makes The Flash feel greater and part of a bigger, connected universe. Most of the time the crossovers are easy enough to follow too, even if you're not familiar with the characters, and you can still get that geeky joy out of seeing them show up. (Spoiler Warning!) For example, I'm not 100% familiar with Oliver Queen as Green Arrow, but him showing up alongside the Flash and Firestorm near the end of the first season to take down the Reverse-Flash is still one of my favourite moments from the show.

 

But it's hardly as if The Flash is lacking in content on its own either, and it's impressive how much it manages to pack into each forty-minute episode. The supporting cast is particularly sizeable, with characters like Iris, Joe, Cisco, Caitlin, Wells and Barry's dad being joined by new additions like Ronnie, Jesse, Professor Stein, Patty, Julian and more as the show goes on. What's even more impressive is that all these characters are developed and have multiple layers to them. Iris, especially in later episodes, gets much more to do than many conventional superhero love interests, while Joe always comes across as very likeable and earnest, always wanting what's best for his kids. Cisco can always be relied upon to devise supervillain names and make geeky references, but when he needs to, Carlos Valdes can really bring out a more serious acting side. Similar praise goes to Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin, who gives a great performance both as the original character and later on her evil alter ego, Killer Frost. However if there's one person who completely steals the show for me, it has to be Tom Cavanagh. (Spoiler Warning!) He quickly became one of my favourite things about the show, and his performance as the Reverse-Flash in the first season really elevates that character into something special. While Matt Letscher does a good job as the real Eobard, it's Tom Cavanagh that owns that role for me. His range as an actor also becomes evident in seasons two and three, where we're introduced to Earth-2 Wells and later H.R. With a huge cast of characters, including multiple doppelgängers from various Earths, the cherry on the cake for fans of previous iterations of the Flash, is how there's still time to sprinkle in some fan service. (Spoiler Warning!) The best example of this is John Wesley Shipp, the actor who played the Flash in the 90s TV show, getting to resume his role as a Flash from another Earth.

 

Yet another factor that works in The Flash's favour is its overall structure and the balance it strikes between season-long story arcs and a “Villain of the Week” format. Many episodes will dedicate time to advancing a bigger, overarching plot that usually involves the main villain of the season, while also dedicating some time to a new threat, usually involving a one-off villain. Some of the metahumans we only see once or twice don't do all that much for me, such as King Shark or Brie Larvan (a.k.a. The Bug-Eyed Bandit), as they take the show a little bit too much into B-movie territory. Most however are pretty good, such as Mark Hamill's Trickster, Weather Wizard Mark Mardon, Doctor Light, Trajectory, and over time I even grew to like the delightfully camp and sarcastic Leonard Snart. But The Flash saves its best villains for those season-long story arcs, with the first season giving us the Reverse-Flash. As I've already said, it's almost entirely down to Tom Cavanagh that the Reverse-Flash is such a brilliant villain, and he's a big part of what makes the first season such a success. With Season 2, we're introduced to Zoom, and I honestly love Zoom as much as the Reverse-Flash, maybe even more so. He ticks almost all the boxes for me for an effective bad guy: Dark outfit, deep intimidating voice, masked face, incredibly powerful and able to outwit Barry at almost every point. Sadly, while the Reverse-Flash and Zoom are up there as two of my favourite villains from any form of media, the nemesis of Season 3, Savitar, isn't as impressive. Despite grand ambitions, menace and a superb metallic design, it doesn't help that Savitar is the third enemy speedster in a row, nor does the fact that his first appearance in the show is almost identical to Zoom's. He's far from being a bad antagonist, but by this point, pitting Barry against another enemy speedster just feels like stale repetition.

 

But while Savitar is still a perfectly adequate part of The Flash, in some other areas, the show does experience a couple of genuine problems. Savitar isn't the only aspect that can feel repetitive, as it seems whenever Barry's facing a metahuman that has the upper hand, the way he eventually defeats them seems the same a lot of the time. The show relies a bit too much on the “Believe in yourself and you can do it” cliché, as often someone back at S.T.A.R labs will give Barry an inspirational speech and he's suddenly able to defeat them. And although fans and critics have generally sung The Flash's praises, something that most people agree on is that the show can have a poor grasp of science, and S.T.A.R labs seem able to easily create any bit of scientific technology helpful to the plot. Even though I'm not a comic book fan, one of the best things about The Flash is how openly it embraces its roots and the comic book aesthetic, so in some regards I'm happy to overlook any ridiculous sci-fi. However there are moments where science that's basic enough for someone as simple as me gets thrown out the window, and the example of this that always sticks out in my mind is Leonard Snart actually freezing laser beams. Yes, really. Once Barry becomes fast enough that he's able to make ruptures and travel through time, the show also factors in a hell of a lot of time travel. Time travel can fast become a notoriously messy subject, as a lot of other sci-fi has proved, and time travel fatigue definitely starts to set in around Season 3. Making matters worse is the fact that sometimes the show's understanding of time travel is hazy and unclear. (Spoiler Warning!) For instance, at the end of the first season, the Reverse-Flash is defeated when his ancestor sacrifices himself, effectively meaning the Reverse-Flash is never born. Given how much Reverse-Flash has shaped Barry's life, you'd think this would change everything, yet it doesn't and it seems everything he ever did remains in place, but with no given reason as to why.

 

But just like Barry Allen isn't a perfect hero, The Flash itself isn't a perfect show. However that doesn't negate the fact that it's still a ton of fun and incredibly enjoyable. Its light tone, colour and accessibility make it perfect for both those familiar with the lead character, and for someone like me who's merely dipping their toes. Dismiss this as another dumb superhero show at your own loss as there's far more than that to be found here. If you're not familiar with any of the other shows surrounding it, or are just looking to try something different, then don't worry, The Flash is a great starting point and comes highly recommended!

The Flash

 

8/10