We all know how well DC has done turning Arrow into the most effective and fun superhero TV show to ever grace the small screen. And, as effectively as the show incorporated Barry Allen last year, I think a lot of people were really concerned with how DC and the CW would do attempting to bring another hero to television.
We needn’t have worried – The Flash, in one episode, almost lives up to what two seasons of Arrow has been building to and, in some ways, exceeds the expectations that even the most optimistic fans had going in to the show. Read on for a spoiler-free review.
The show opens with a ten minute lesson in how to tell an origin story. Before the first commercial break, just about everything that needs to be told about how Barry became the Flash has been covered – especially because Arrow viewers got all of this last season. And yet, it didn’t feel rushed or incomplete; it was a tightly constructed prologue for the series that set up the viewer for the rest of the episode with all the knowledge they’d possibly need to enjoy it. The plot for the pilot is simple: the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator malfunctions, causing people in Central City to gain unusual powers, which some use for good, and others for evil.
Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) is perfectly cast – he is instantly likable and, despite the darkness from his early life, exudes hope and positivity from jump street. The show also wastes no time developing his supporting cast, the best members of which are the Wests, Iris (Candice Patton) and Joe (Jesse L. Martin). Both Wests have an innate chemistry with Barry, and they clearly care about him a whole lot. From the first time we see them share the screen, it is clear that this is a lived in, comfortable relationship.
The show doesn’t stop there in terms of rolling out a solid supporting cast. Eddie Thawne (Rick Cosnett), Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes) and Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker) are all cast quite well, and all show off a potential to be hugely important players in the future, even if they aren’t given a ton to do in the pilot. But, it is the father figures that really shine here: the aforementioned Joe West, Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh), and Barry’s actual father, Henry (John Wesley Shipp) all steal the scenes they are in. Shipp, the man who played Barry Allen in the 1990 version of the show, shows off some serious dramatic skill in his few scenes as the man convicted for killing his wife. The final scene, where Barry and Henry talk in prison, is a little too CW-melodramatic for a lot of people I’m sure, but the sentiment felt absolutely spot on and true to the characters.
Wells, on the other hand, is the one character on the show that isn’t wearing his heart on his sleeve; he’s a mystery, both in word and action. He is both opportunistic and giving, selfish and philanthropic – in short, he’s the most complex character the show offers so far. He is also played brilliantly by Cavanagh, who has the ability to both appear to be an everyman and a genius in the same breath. The charm he brings to the role is infectious, and has a hint of unpredictability to it. I’ve been a fan of his since Ed, and it is an absolute pleasure to see him on the show.
More than just the supporting cast, the pilot also crams a ton of DC Universe language, Easter Eggs, and tone to the show. If I were to list all of the things hinted at or shown in the episode it would seem to be potentially overstuffed, but it didn’t really feel that way in the moment. Even something like using “metahuman” as the term for those with superpowers is a clear indication of just how steeped in DC lore the show is – and not necessarily New 52-lore, either. I don’t think metahuman is used often, or at all, by DC anymore.
Continued belowThe particle accelerator as the source of all of the superpowers in this universe is a pretty brilliant way to bring powers to the more grounded world of Arrow, while still allowing the show its own tone and voice. Speaking on Arrow, the brief Oliver cameo was perhaps the cheesiest part of the episode (especially his poor man’s Spidey move) but, again, worked really well in context. Even the decision to have the Weather Wizard – the Weather Wizard – as the villain for the first episode is handled in a surprisingly effective way.
Arrow took 25 or so episodes to really find the balance that made the show work so well. I’m not saying The Flash has skipped all the growing pains – the pacing was a little off, the CW-melodrama factor is still there, Caitlin Snow needs a personality of some sort – but in terms of tone, this feels as assured as any pilot I can remember, and goes a long way towards establishing itself as a surefire success.
Much like Arrow, the show begins with a voice over narration – “My name is Barry Allen.” This is obviously a nod to Arrow, but it is also a clear indication that, like Oliver’s darkness drives the tone for Arrow, Barry’s light will set the mood for The Flash. And I can’t wait to bask in that light each week.
