The Flash Season 1 Review

Episode Guide

Pilot
Fastest Man Alive
Things You Can’t Outrun
Going Rogue
Plastique
The Flash is Born
Power Outage
Flash VS Arrow
The Man in the Yellow Suit
Revenge of the Rouges
The Sound and the Fury
Crazy For You
The Nuclear Man
Fallout
Out Of Time
Rogue Time
Tricksters
All Star Team Up
Who Is Harrison Wells?
Grodd Lives
Rogue Air
Fast Enough

Featuring complex character dynamics, likeable characters and an intriguing plot, Season 1 of The Flash is everything you could ask for from a superhero series. I’ve long been a believer that superhero stories only work in this format, with its allure coming from building characters, great twists and visually appealing action that’s hard to achieve in an hour and a half film. The Flash proves this with a well thought out season of entertainment, delivering a strong 23 episodes. Its both complex enough for people familiar with the material to be satisfied, and accessible enough for newcomers to jump on board.

The story follows Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) who is affected by a city-wide catastrophe that sees him inherit super speed. After witnessing his mother killed and his Father wrongly imprisoned for her murder, Barry struggles with controlling his new power, fighting crime against super villains and grappling with his inner demons. With a 23 episode structure, there’s a lot to get through. The series builds toward a mid-season showdown before its TV break and finishing with the final push toward resolving the main conflict. Each episode tackles individual stories, mostly showcasing a different villain, who The Flash fights by the end of the episode. Woven throughout this familiar structure are complicated character arcs and an over-arcing plot around Barry finding out who killed his Mother while stalked by a man called the Reverse Flash.

I mentioned before about the characters and the acting on display here is really very good. The over-arcing plot does feel a little convoluted at times and this show is best watched in one go rather than waiting for the show to return after several month absence on TV. Having said all of that, the character relationships are well established with no one person feeling like a one trick pony. Ramone (Carlos Valdes) is the comic relief of the team but even he explores the darker side of his personality.

Visually, The Flash is very impressive. Whether it be the red streaks from the super suit as Barry runs, the variety of different abilities showcased or the slow-motion shots of The Flash dodging obstacles, every episode has enough a decent amount of action backed up with a good amount of CGI. It does become a little formulaic at times, with each episode following a similar structure that by the end of 23 episodes runs its course it does feel a little tired. With such a complicated plot it can be overlooked and its a nitpick for an otherwise solid season of entertainment.

The Flash is a prime example of how to develop a superhero correctly and build on that through its episodes. The characters are well developed, the villains have decent motivations and the main plot line is intriguing. The ending does leave it wide open for Season 2 but most of the conflicts and characters have satisfying conclusions. With decent visuals, a confident charm and some really good writing, The Flash is one of the best superhero TV shows on the air.