My name is Barry Allen. And I am the fastest man alive.
When I was a child I saw my mother killed by something impossible. My father
went to prison for her murder. Then an accident made me the impossible. To the
outside world I am an ordinary forensic scientist, but secretly I use my speed
to fight crime and find others like me. And one day, I'll find who killed my
mother and get justice for my father. I am the Flash!
The Flash finished strong with a fantastic season finale last
week and satisfyingly delivered a rock solid first season. The flash is one of
my favorite superhero characters and initially I wasn’t happy that the TV show
took precedence over a feature film, but I’m glad it happened that way as it
gave the property's rich mythology a chance to shine in the small screen. Even with
other notable superhero shows on TV like Arrow and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The
Flash quickly stole their thunder (pun) becoming the best superhero show this
year.
Grant Gustin (Barry Allen) did a superb job in portraying the
scarlet speedster showcasing a dynamic mix of humility, humor, and even narcissism.
I wish he’s a tad more muscular but it’s just a minute nitpick. The entire
supporting cast were wonderful and their chemistry, undeniable. Carlos Valdes (Cisco
Ramon) was funny and witty. I enjoyed his task of naming the metahumans.
Danielle Panabaker (Dr. Caitlin Snow) was your resident sexy yet capable
scientist. However, my favorite was Tom Cavanagh (Dr. Harrison Wells). His
incredible gravitas were simply captivating! Sure he’s a villain, arguably the
best but he’s not completely evil. He truly cared for his team and that made him
impossible to hate.
The father and son relationship between Barry and Detective
Joe West (Jesse L. Martin) was one I especially enjoyed. In contrast, Barry’s
relationship with Iris West (Candice Patton) was one that often made me peeved.
I just found it cheesy, forced and melodramatic at times. Yet, when she’s on screen
with her boyfriend Eddie Thawne (Rick Cosnett) she really shines. Speaking of
Rick Cosnett, his portrayal of a tough detective was the most unconvincing. He just
didn’t moved or talked like a detective – too feminine (even my wife
noticed).
One of the factors that made The Flash successful was due to
the show’s willingness to please its fans by sticking very close to the source
material. Add to that the fact that Barry obtained his powers from the very
beginning unlike other shows. What’s even more impressive was the show’s rogue
gallery. Even though some villains were forgettable, there were several that
really stood out such as The Trickster, Captain Cold, Gorilla Grodd, and of
course Reverse Flash. If the show was given 16 episodes instead of 23, that
would’ve made the story progress a lot smoother and avoided the weak and superfluous “villain of the week” formula.
In terms of the special effects, The Flash mostly succeeded.
The only issue for me is when they use CGI in almost all of the battles. I fail
to see why they can’t keep The Flash’s face real especially if the scene is in
slow motion. Again, minor nitpick. In addition, the visual as well as the
soundtrack were all on point.
Overall, the first season of The Flash knocked it out of the
park. I thoroughly enjoyed all the crossover episodes and all the guest
superheroes that appeared throughout the season such as Arrow, Firestorm, and the ATOM. I felt that the team-up delivered some really awesome geek-out moments. At this point with all these
superheroes and Supergirl (debuting soon), we’re awfully getting close to a TV
version of the Justice League (hey, you never know). Even though the finale
ended with a cliffhanger, there were closures as well. And that made it
satisfying but at the same time intriguing, as we wait and start speculating what season 2
might bring. Until then, may the “Speed Force” be with you!
Rating: A-
BY: Jovanni Febrero
BY: Jovanni Febrero
