The CW
The superhero genre is presently hanging on for dear life sentence . Hollywood has burned the Joker to the priming , DC is in shambles and betting it all on Superman ( again ) next year , and Marvel is delivering as many striking as it does miss . However , a ten ago , superheroes were on top of the world , return hit after shoot on both the self-aggrandising and humble screens . It was in this copious and promise landscape painting that The CW’sThe Flashpremiered on October 7 , 2014 , and instantly became the vertex of the superhero genre and the best small - screenland DC task sinceBatman Beyond .
For about four long time , The Flashwas the undeniable king of sub on television , delivering fan - favorite seasons that were critically acclaimed and produced solid military rating — for The CW , anyway . Yet , as it happens to so many others , it soon lose its way and come into parody and outright derision , limp toward the finish line when it should ’ve sprint . Now , on its 10th day of remembrance , it ’s time to revisitThe Flash , a once seminal show on television that end as a simple darkness of its former ego . And while it was n’t all in force by the end , The Flashstill did much for the superhero musical style on the pocket-size screen and merit our appreciation — if not needs our esteem .
The CW
A spectacular beginning
“ My name is Barry Allen , and I ’m the fastest man active . ” Those were the opening words of every episode ofThe Flash , which perfectly catch the hyper - enthusiastic , matter - of - fact , in - your - face approach the show always took . After all , “ subtlety ” is not a word one would ever use to trace Barry Allen , so why should his show be any different ? After making his debut during a two - episode stretch on season 2 ofArrow , Grant Gustin began his nine - class tenure as the Scarlet Speedster on October 4 , 2014 . Season 1 ofThe Flashfocused on a prison term locomotion closed book of kind , framing the time of year with the reveal that the nominal hero “ vanishes in crisis ” in April 2024 . From there , the serial publication followed a Hellenic procedural expression , with each sequence focusing on a new metahuman enemy that Barry and his team at STAR labs had to sell with .
season 1 through 3 were the golden eld ofThe Flash . The show ’s winner rested on three key gene , one of which was Gustin . From his make headway smile to his youthful , schoolboyish charm to his contagious enthusiasm that made him seem more like a fanboy than a hero , Gustin was an inspired andincredibly compelling take on Barry Allen . Gustin ’s love for the role practically leapt out of the filmdom , and his commitment to the show elevated every prospect . Every action sequence , no matter how dodgy it see , became a thrilling event , and his alchemy with the supporting roll was lifelike and heartwarming , which take us to repoint number two : the cast .
A great cast
The Flashwas consecrate with one of the good ensemble casts in the superhero genre . Everyone played a central office in the tale , from Danielle Panabaker ’s frigid , but well - mean Caitlin Snow to Carlos Valdes ’ prospect - steal and hyperactive Francisco “ Cisco ” Ramon . peculiarly noteworthy , however , were Jesse L. Martin and Tom Cavanagh . A Broadway stager , Martin was the shape of paternal love as Barry ’s adopted father , Joe West . For his part , Cavanagh was striking as the cunning Harrison Wells , by and by reveal to be Barry ’s archenemy Eobard Thawne , aka The Reverse Flash .
Gustin ’s scenes with Martin and Cavanagh are perfect summarizations of everythingThe Flashdid well during its early years . There ’s unfeigned gravitas there , an emotional bond that keeps the show grounded on something relatable and universal . For all the silly prank and metahuman freaks , The Flashwas a taradiddle of aroused bonds spirt during a person ’s most traumatic multiplication and how these association have the power to shape future .
Speaking of Cavanagh , let ’s talk about the third rationality behindThe Flash‘s success : the villains . Season 1 set the bar incredibly high-pitched with Cavanagh ’s Reverse Flash , an antagonist so swell that pretty much every succeeding enemy of the Scarlet Speedster lived under his tail . Cavanagh was devastatingly enticing , yet fearful as Thawne , create what is arguably the practiced resilient - action DC villain on the small screen — no-good , Michael Rosenbaum . Seasons 2 and 3 had deserving villains of their own . The show ’s soph crusade benefitted from Hunter Solomon , aka Zoom , ultimately revealing him as the world squad Flash had thought to be Jay Garrick . time of year 3 then had Savitar , a speedster later revealed as an alternate version of Barry , as the Big Bad .
You may have noticed a recurring theme here : all three villains are speedsters , which might make gumption forThe Flash , but could also get old rather rapidly . Well , the show thought so , too , and made some change for time of year 4 that had interracial results .
A puzzling middle
In hindsight , season 4 was the great displacement forThe Flash . It was the first season not to feature a speedster as the baddie , a change applauded at the time , but which makes little sensory faculty in hindsight . Uneven new add-on to the plaster bandage , a needlessly convoluted story , and a weak scoundrel further muddled the whole affair . Still , for the most part , time of year 4 was adept , preserve the show ’s quality and two of the three key element . time of year 5 follow suit , focus on the Flash ’s elongated family and boast more than enough heart to make up for another flawed narrative and an even more disappointing scoundrel .
Still , the fracture in the formula were noticeable by this point , specially as the show became more at dwelling house with its quirks and check mark . See , the issue many shows run into , specially long - running I , is that they become too comfortable in their safe zone , leading to burrow visual modality that package them in as one affair . This approach usually leads to an growth in everything that work , which can slowly degenerate into lampoon . Think of howRoss became increasingly unlikeable onFriendsor how Sheldon became even more annoying onThe Big Bang Theory .
Even shows that rest somewhat consistent throughout their runs , likeModern Family , are guilty of this : think of how the jokes around Gloria ’s broken English or Cam ’s over - the - topness became more unblushing and , on occasion , beggarly - spirited in late season . It ’s an impulse that ’s very difficult to resist — to take something that works and repeat it . However , a joke is only so funny , even when told in unlike ways ; sometimes , you ’re just laughing out of familiarity , even if you do n’t of necessity see it humourous any longer .
That ’s fundamentally what happened toTheFlash . improbable many other shows , which are guilty of get expectant and louder , The Flashopted for familiarity . It became repetitive to the point of redundance . Seasons 6 and 7 sort of blend together , with plots that are neither particularly memorable , nor classifiable . Even the villain are similar ; when they had the potential to be great — look at you , Godspeed — they lack the spark that made Thawne so distinctive . They even looked the same , have similar outfits in different people of color . Yes , Bloodwork was a nice bit of grotesqueResident Evilinspiration , but Cicada looked like a political campaign - of - the - millArrowvillain , and Godspeed was basically Zoom in white . Whenever it did try something new , it came across as badly done , and the misfortunate CGI made it calculate sleazy and , thus , accidentally idiotic .
Still , it would be too harsh and arguably faulty to sayThe Flashstopped trying ; however , it would be accurate to say it tried all the wrong things . From season 6 onward , it was as if something was specify the show . Budget ? Perhaps , but considering how much it achieved with what I can only assume was a couple of dollars and a dream during season 1 and 2 , I ’d find that surprising .
I thinkThe Flashhad an personal identity crisis between time of year 5 and 6 . At some point , the weight of trying to be too many things at once — a police procedural AND a superhero show AND a kinsperson play AND a larger pulley-block in the ever - increasing Arrowverse — caught up with it , and everything came crumbling down .
A baffling end
By the time season 8 hail around , The Flashhad very much overextended its welcome . Gustin was still the pillar upon which the whole thing rose , but his supporting hurl was slowly jumping ship . Cavanagh step down as a series even in season 6 , and Valdes left the show in season 7 . From then on , it was just blow after blow for this once proud representative of DC Comics . The last two time of year are very much a blur , boast an anything goes approach , as if the writers were throwing everything at the wall and seeing what stick to , which made sentiency view hardly anyone was watching .
Still , one has to applaudThe Flashfor staying afloat as long as it did . Indeed , by the oddment , it had been there and back again , run so many lap around the same force field that even the interview was out of breath . But there ’s also something admirable about the show ’s willingness to be a full - on funny record book properly . When you look at its baby show , Arrow , an adaptation that could n’t have been more abashed at being establish on a comic Holy Scripture , you could appreciate just how muchThe Flashdid right . Yes , it descend into parody by the destruction , and its death was far more extended and painful than it should ’ve been . Indeed , this show should ’ve ended in time of year 5 — and if it had , the conversation surrounding it would be vastly different .
Alas , it keep going , eventually becoming an internet meme , a puzzling effort many bet at with tilted head and squinted eyes as if to say , “ Remember how practiced that show was once ? ” It ’s not all so spoilt , though . Those who dumbfound with the show until its closing in 2023 , all five of them , can probably attest to its place as something of a comfort show , the last remainder of a decade where superheroes ruled the business and everything seemed potential . It ’s unconvincing we ’ll ever see something likeThe Flashagain , a star sign of the changing time and a bittersweet reminder of how nerveless things were throughout the 2010s . As for its legacy ? Well , it can be summarized bythat ill-famed lightsaber scrap from time of year 7 : it ’s brassy and stupid and ludicrous , but boy , does it entertain .
The Flashis uncommitted tostream on Netflix .
