Fans of “Arrow” and DC Comics everywhere have been expectantly waiting for the premiere of The CW’s new show “The Flash”, based on the comic book character by the same name. After the success of “Arrow”, the network decided it would try their hand at bringing another DC character to your television (aka computer) screens. While they’re marketing this show as an “Arrow” spin–off, it seems unlikely that the two shows will have any relationship to each other after the first episode. That said, they’re very much in the same style. While Oliver and Barry don’t have much in common minus the whole saving–the–world business, at least they both have added character complexity with one parent slumming it in Iron Heights jail.
Basically, the premise is that this particle–accelerator–thing explodes, Barry gets struck by lightening and their city goes to shit. Barry wakes up from a nine–month coma with special powers, but he’s the only new “meta–human” looking to use his power for good. He teams up with the scientists who made the particle accelerator in the first place and hopes they can help him catch the bad guys, while wearing a red spandex body suit.
The pilot’s opening line straight–up tells the viewers they are going to have to “believe in the impossible” in order to appreciate Barry’s story. Well, they certainly got that right. If you’re willing to accept the principles of physics as explained by a bunch of cinema studies majors writing the show, then “The Flash” should be high on your list. It’s exciting and the characters are quickly likable, even though their science is laughable. The stakes for everything don’t seem quite as high as they are in Starling City, but hopefully things will get a little more exciting as we find out more about what mad–scientist Harrison Wells is really up to.
If you don’t get all the “Arrow” references in the pilot or even in this review, stop right there. Season one is on Netflix and season two will be added for streaming shortly, and you need to digest those before you devote another minute to this new spin–off.
Check out other pilot recaps for "Selfie", "How To Get Away With Murder", "Gotham", "Red Band Society".
