The Flash - Review

The Flash

Plot summary:

After being struck by lightning originating from a storm created due to an explosion at STAR Labs, forensic scientist for the Central City Police Department; Barry Allen; is sent into a coma. And after nine months has passed, Barry wakes up to find himself gifted with superhuman powers which allow him to run at great and impossible speeds. But Barry soon finds out that he’s not the only one the storm had given unusual powers to – and that not all of them use their powers for good. With his newfound power – and with the aid of Cisco Ramon, Caitlin Snow, and Dr. Harrison Wells of STAR Labs – Barry sets out to help those in need during times of crisis and to put an end to the mayhem that Meta-humans – such as himself – cause whilst they abuse their powers.

Review:

From the get-go, we get to witness Barry’s tragic past where his mother is murdered by what appeared to be a man enveloped in lightning for which his father was sent to prison for. An event which aside from traumatizing him, sparked his interest in the inexplicable. We are shown that Barry, from his early childhood, had a strong sense of morality which has not diminished or wavered over time until now. He’s shown to have stood up to bullies, even if he wasn’t able to overpower them. A quality that sticks to him like glue considering the formidable opponents he faces throughout the series after he becomes The Flash – and no matter what the circumstances are, even if he’s overpowered, he keeps standing up, he keeps fighting. All of this depicting how just and strong of a character he truly is.

Considering the other characters, there’s Joe West(Jesse L. Martin), who’s the detective who takes Barry in after his mother’s murder and raises him like his own son, Joe’s daughter; Iris(Candice Patton); whom Barry has feelings for, but is too scared to confess, Cisco Ramon(Carlos Valdes) and Caitlin Snow(Danielle Panabaker); who both work at STAR Labs, one, as a mechanical engineer, and the other, as a bio-engineer, respectively, Dr. Harrison Wells(Tom Cavanagh); the director of STAR Labs who seems to be having some dark secrets and grand scheme planned, and Eddie Thawne(Rick Cosnett), who’s Joe’s partner.

Grant Gustin does a spectacular job in portraying as Barry Allen. He balances all aspects of Barry’s character right to the dot, from the intelligent CSI to the noble and courageous superhero, not to mention the nerd who’s socially awkward at times. And he definitely does well when it comes to the emotional scenes too, as do everyone else. Martin’s acting as Barry’s father-figure looks just so genuine, and it is well-depicted in the arguments and other emotional scenes between Barry and Joe. Valdes’ character – Cisco – is definitely one of the main sources of comedy in the series, especially when it comes to inventing names for the supervillains they come across. And Valdes does a brilliant job in his acting as he brings to life this character who’s generally laid-back, but resolved when needed be. Panabaker definitely does a brilliant job as well as she stars and Snow, who’s generally the opposite of Cisco, being the more serious and uptight, but equally passionate about the work they do. But her character is shown to loosen up a bit as the series progresses. Patton also is praiseworthy in her acting as the pleasant and determined Iris, who soon gets interested in investigating about The Flash. And Cavanagh delivers some convincing acting as he takes on the role of Wells who becomes Barry’s mentor.

The plot is fantastic, and the roster of supervillains lined up to appear in episodes is equally fantastic. The series focuses on testing Barry, both, physically and mentally, and it’s a pretty fun ride to see him grow, both, as a hero and a person, as he overcomes not only powerful villains, but his internal struggles as well. The music is really good, both, for action and drama. And Barry’s narrating is quite entertaining and funny at times. The CGI involved in this series is without a doubt amazing and just beautiful, and the costumes involved are stunning. The Flash is a series you definitely don’t want to miss.