Developed by: Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, Geoff Johns
Starring: Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Rick Cosnett, Carlos Valdes, Tom Cavanagh, Jesse L. Martin, Keiynan Lonsdale
Barry Allen’s life changed dramatically when, at the tender age of 10, he witnessed his mother’s murder by a man with superhuman speed. The police think his dad did it, as does his father’s best friend, detective Joe West (Martin), so Barry’s dad is banged up for the murder and Barry is adopted by the good detective. Fast forward 15 years and Barry (Gustin) is now a CSI working for Central City Police Department alongside Joe and his daughter, Iris (Patton), who also happens to be Barry’s BFF. Though outwardly a cheerful soul, Barry is still haunted by his mother’s murder.
And then S.T.A.R. Labs’ Particle Accelerator explodes. What Particle Accelerator, you may ask? Why, the one created by the brilliant Dr Harrison Wells (Cavanagh), of course. The explosion and subsequent wave of radiation causes certain people to develop special powers. At the same time, Barry has a bit of an accident with lightning and chemicals in his lab and is transformed into the Flash – the dude who can seriously motor.
Barry is approached by Wells and his team of scientists and uber geeks, Dr Caitlin Snow (Panabaker), a bioengineering expert, and Cisco Ramon (Valdes), a mechanical engineering wizard, and asked to help track down the people with special powers who Wells dubs ‘metahumans’. In return, Wells offers to help Barry understand and develop his powers as well as study Barry.
Bazza agrees. Cue the fun as the gang tussle with super powered villains before Season 1’s truly epic cliffhanger with the world being, literally, torn apart, and the betrayal of a much loved member of the gang.
So what’s to like about the show?
The Flash frequently has characters from its sister series, Arrow, dropping in to add to the fun. This works well as the atmosphere and tone of Arrow is dark and muscular whereas the Flash is light and humorous. If Arrow is the serious adult, then the Flash is the fun-loving kid and they complement each other like yin and yang. With both shows on our screens, tv land is in zen-like harmony. Om…
The verdict on the flash? The solid performances are backed by an utterly enthralling story arc with the result of a show that is gripping, exciting and fun, on a nuclear scale, and I can’t recommend it enough. Catch it – if you can!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzUWsAj-7gQ]