The Flash Season 1 review

DC fan that I am, I'm not too well versed in the Scarlet Speedster. I've read a few Flash comics and he's a Justice League staple, but most of my knowledge comes from the DCAU. While I didn't watch "Arrow", I was still interested in checking the show out and that interest paid off in spades.

The show is so entertaining that it won me over by the first episode. The characters are great, brought to life through a combination of good writing and a fantastic cast. Grant Gustin's Barry Allen makes for an incredibly charming lead. You sympathize with him and admire his resolve to help people. He is also much more upbeat than a lot of hero depictions, which makes for a lighter show that is more focused on fun. 

The show also has a strong supporting cast. Jesse L. Martin was a surprise, but he worked out well. He gets to show off a lot more range than he did on Law and Order (though amusingly enough, he still plays a cop.) 

While Danielle Panabaker and Carlos Valdes bring charm and heart to their characters, I think the show stealer is Tom Cavanagh as the enigmatic Harrison Wells. He's clearly having fun with it, though I do think that his performance was pretty understated all things considered. 

Where the 90's live action Flash didn't really feature any big villains, this one showcases as many as it can. We see Captain Cold, the Reverse Flash, the Trickster, and even Gorilla Grodd. It embraces its comic book roots and makes for a more entertaining show. 

As I said before, I didn't watch Arrow, but as it is a spin off, some Arrow characters do show up. It doesn't leave new viewers in the dust, however, and it does help build up the shared universe. 

Actually, this show is so good that I'm far more invested and excited for this universe than I am the one that DC is attempting to build with the movies. The show is so good that I am actually going back and watching Arrow because I want to be up to speed on everything that is happening. I'm sad that the season is over, but it was a very fun ride. It was the television highlight of the week for me and I'm really looking forward to see where it goes from here. 

The DVD/Blu Ray box set is not out yet, but I will be buying it to be sure. I want to support this, though I have a feeling that the extra features will also be entertaining to see. If you are a superhero fan, this show is definitely worth a watch. It has heart, humor, and can be rather inspiring at times. There are times where it can get heavy on the angst, but honestly, those times felt few and far between to me. It juggles all of the elements well and is a home run in my book.

                  



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