And so season one of the CW’s superhero spinoff The Flash ends as it began, with a man in a silly red costume running around a big swirly thing. Is this a symbolic example of a show being flushed down the terrible drain from where no quality can emerge? Not even remotely. The Flash has been one of the single most enjoyable shows of recent years, achieving greater heights in its one year than other shows manage in ten.
 Put on the &*@$ing cape! | In the light of the show’s success and as a way of distracting me from the…six different article ideas I’m currently toying with, I’m going to discuss with you what it is that I believe makes this show so special. WARNING: THINGS FROM THE SHOW WILL BE REVEALED IN A FASHION OF REVELATION! WAIT UNTIL YOU’VE WATCHED THE SHOW FIRST BEFORE YOU READ! SERIOUSLY! |
Tapping the reservoir
One of the biggest commonalities of comic book adaptations, whether it’s movies or TV, is the combination of the slow burn and the grounded influence. Comics are inherently ridiculous and in order to translate them such that a wide audience will invest time and money into them, they are frequently “grounded” i.e. the story is portrayed in as realistic a fashion as possible with the intent of allowing Joe Soap to relate to the usually fantastical events on screen. Smallville, Arrow, X-men, Batman Begins, all excellent examples of trying to ground the series. The events and enemies are normalized, code-names are usually (but not always) unused, costumes are toned down etc. Working in tandem with this is the slow development of the superhero identify. Movies usually don’t have the luxury of this but TV frequently extends the main character gaining superhero status over several seasons. Arrow introduced “The Vigilante” who was later named The Hood. The Arrow identity was not assumed until the end of the first half of season two with Oliver Queen taking both the title and the mask.
One of the biggest commonalities of comic book adaptations, whether it’s movies or TV, is the combination of the slow burn and the grounded influence. Comics are inherently ridiculous and in order to translate them such that a wide audience will invest time and money into them, they are frequently “grounded” i.e. the story is portrayed in as realistic a fashion as possible with the intent of allowing Joe Soap to relate to the usually fantastical events on screen. Smallville, Arrow, X-men, Batman Begins, all excellent examples of trying to ground the series. The events and enemies are normalized, code-names are usually (but not always) unused, costumes are toned down etc. Working in tandem with this is the slow development of the superhero identify. Movies usually don’t have the luxury of this but TV frequently extends the main character gaining superhero status over several seasons. Arrow introduced “The Vigilante” who was later named The Hood. The Arrow identity was not assumed until the end of the first half of season two with Oliver Queen taking both the title and the mask.
Shooting the rich, shooting the poor. There’ll be no discrimination here!
Season three of the Arrow ends with Oliver abandoning his moniker, presumably to be either retaken in season four or renamed Green Arrow. Four years, and the superhero is still being formed. Smallville is the most infamous example with ten years before Clark can even fly on his own, a preliminary identity of The Blurr which lasted several years…and we never see him in the suit! Or even hear the name Superman.
The Flash looked at this formula and said “You know what’s cool? Psychic gorillas”. Rather than looking at the comics and trying to make a semi-realistic story, The Flash thinks comics are awesome and you need to learn why! The suit is donned at the end of the pilot and looks like the Flash’s costume, lightning-bolt ears and all. The title of Flash was hinted at in episode one and firmly established by episode six. The series has mined the comic mythos heavily and in the course of twenty three episodes we’ve had three of the biggest Flash villains introduced with only minor alterations, LOADS of time travel, hints of alternate realities, speedsters vs singularities and Jay Garrick’s hat.
Fun fact. Jay always tips his when he saves someone, whether they can see it or not. Man’s an old fashioned kinda gent.
The show revels in its ability to be as faithful to the comics as possible. Things are more grounded than most comics. There are no diabolical monologues and only one guy does puns (but he does them SO well). Barry’s top speed is currently Mach 2 rather than…near-infinity. Most characters don’t have all out costumes. But the show manages the balance perfectly. The slow build in The Flash is not the creation of the heroic identity but the gradual introduction of the bizarre to the common viewer. It does the impossible and satisfies everyone, old and new fans alike. The creative team deserve nothing for praise for looking at a comic book adaptation and going “the keywords are comic book, not adaptation”.
But it’s not all fun and games…
The Flash Family
The Flash is an extremely enjoyable and very funny show. There is some great wit and humour giving it a generally light tone. Thing is, that’s not the strength of this show. The real strength of this show is that for all the comic bookness (it’s a word!) and the jokes, it’s the very real familial drama that carries this. Relationships define this show and we get to see those relationships up close and personal. The show gives A LOT of time to Barry’s various parents and surrogate parents, developing a definitive viewpoint on family, portraying morality in a different light to Arrow (i.e. compromise does not work here) and what it is that units us. No relationship encapsulates this better than Barry Allen and Joe West, who are in many ways closer than Barry is to his natural father. There are so many moments between these two it’s almost impossible to pick out one stand out one but for me, as a man very close to his own father, it’s the defining relationship of the show
But it’s not all fun and games…
The Flash Family
The Flash is an extremely enjoyable and very funny show. There is some great wit and humour giving it a generally light tone. Thing is, that’s not the strength of this show. The real strength of this show is that for all the comic bookness (it’s a word!) and the jokes, it’s the very real familial drama that carries this. Relationships define this show and we get to see those relationships up close and personal. The show gives A LOT of time to Barry’s various parents and surrogate parents, developing a definitive viewpoint on family, portraying morality in a different light to Arrow (i.e. compromise does not work here) and what it is that units us. No relationship encapsulates this better than Barry Allen and Joe West, who are in many ways closer than Barry is to his natural father. There are so many moments between these two it’s almost impossible to pick out one stand out one but for me, as a man very close to his own father, it’s the defining relationship of the show
In twenty years from now, maybe we'll both sit down and have a few beers, and I can tell you 'bout today and how I picked you up and everything changed.
The other relationships are usually equally as strong (with the possible exception of Barry/Iris and Everyone/Eddie). We see Cisco as both a goof and a brother, both to his biological one and his red suited man-bro (IT’S A WORD!). Caitlin goes through a wide variety of emotions, varying from sister to love interest to single sensible person in a room full of crazy. Wells is by far the most complex example of love/hate. The Wally West era of the Flash (my favourite Flash and Flash era) is defined by its focus on family and as the show mines the last 75 years of comic books, it’s a blessing that such a key element was carried over.
Money is no object. Literally.
TV budgets are the bane of sci-fi/fantasy. So many shows have so many great ideas and are utterly shafted by the fact you just can’t get the effects work for the money you have. A bad show will stretch the budget for as much flash as possible and fail miserably. A good show falls back on the old adage that less is more. The Flash actually has only a minute or five of effects shots per episode. These are predominantly shots of the Flash running, or a digital stand-in or something simple. But sometimes, they are a wee bit more elaborate, like a quick shot of a tornado or a tsunami.
And sometimes…
Money is no object. Literally.
TV budgets are the bane of sci-fi/fantasy. So many shows have so many great ideas and are utterly shafted by the fact you just can’t get the effects work for the money you have. A bad show will stretch the budget for as much flash as possible and fail miserably. A good show falls back on the old adage that less is more. The Flash actually has only a minute or five of effects shots per episode. These are predominantly shots of the Flash running, or a digital stand-in or something simple. But sometimes, they are a wee bit more elaborate, like a quick shot of a tornado or a tsunami.
And sometimes…
 Dawn of the Planet of the Ass-kickings. | In this series, there is NO better example of how to make something look good when you just do not have the money to make it big. Grodd is a psychic super-intelligent talking gorilla and easily one of the big three Flash bad guys. This show opens with a seemingly innocuous Easter egg hinting at Grodd’s existence in this universe. That’s ok, they do the same with Green Lantern late in the day. But |
instead of leaving it at that, this show laid hints for numerous episodes that “Grodd is coming”. At the time…I wasn’t expecting much. Maybe a re-used suit from Congo. I never expected a fully CGI gorilla who has more screen time than any other special effect in the show and looks great! There’s a couple of shots where you see the money issues but for the most part, through the very clever use of lighting and camera angles, Grodd is made to look like he’s been created on a higher budget than was available. There are shows with space battles and huge explosions with bigger budgets than a first season spin-off of a primarily practical effects show is ever going to have that don’t pull it off nearly as well. All credit to the direction and CGI teams. They make a little look like a WHOLE lot.
The Flash: An example of modern manly men.
Something I was thinking about today which I think is also part of the wider success of The Flash is its portrayal of masculinity. I usually don’t give a lot of thought to these kinda things so bear with me if this gets a little rambly. The Arrow is a typical example the traditional apex male that we aspire to when we use terms like masculinity or manliness. He’s physically fit, a capable fighter, attractive, rugged, a leader, a provider, strong moral principles and the willingness to enforce them. He’s 24’s Jack Bauer with a bow and arrow... and some sense of morality.
The Flash: An example of modern manly men.
Something I was thinking about today which I think is also part of the wider success of The Flash is its portrayal of masculinity. I usually don’t give a lot of thought to these kinda things so bear with me if this gets a little rambly. The Arrow is a typical example the traditional apex male that we aspire to when we use terms like masculinity or manliness. He’s physically fit, a capable fighter, attractive, rugged, a leader, a provider, strong moral principles and the willingness to enforce them. He’s 24’s Jack Bauer with a bow and arrow... and some sense of morality.
| As men we are slightly bombarded with the message that on SOME level, we need to be Oliver Queen. We need to be dominant, or decisive, or powerful or whatever. Few of us ever really manage it but that’s the message we’re given. The Flash takes a different route to this. Every single man in this show cries. Every. Single. One. And I’m not talking crying while stabbing your friend kinda crying, I’m talking “emotional overload” kinda tears. We’ve had sexy cries , wobbly lip cries, breaking down |  The only salmon that fishes for bears. |
cries, look into the distance cries. Barry sheds tears for himself, his friends, his situation, his mother, that cat he passed in the street with the wonky tail etc. Cisco cries when he’s about to be murdered. Which seems understandable but remember the traditional image, you take death like you do a flu shot. Not Cisco. Tears be streaming. Joe West, Cop Dad and 100% MAN, has more teary eyed moments than I have ever seen from an authority figure in a TV show.
Cop Dad: World’s Ultimate MAN!
The common link here though is not that these men wear their emotions on their sleeves, it’s that A) No one brings attention to these emotional moments and 2) they get on with their lives. There are no breakdowns in The Flash. Tears are shed, whether as expressions of joy or sadness or whatever, and then what ever action needs to be taken is taken. The men of The Flash wear their emotions as a factor of life, not a hindrance. Again referencing Arrow, emotion there is frequently treated as a weakness (Oliver’s obsession with not allowing himself to love for example). In The Flash, emotion is the driving force of everything, and I mean that literally. Eobard Thawne kicked events off because of hate, and no one takes a raw logical or analytical move in this entire show. Rather than detracting from the natural masculinity of the characters it enhances it. In this regard, The Flash is portraying what I think many now feel to be the modern take on “the manly man”. These are who you should be aspiring to be kids, people of integrity, morality and feeling, who will achieve their goals without letting the world make them into something they’re not. Off the top of my head, I can only think of one other show that has portrayed “manly” heroic characters in this light.
The common link here though is not that these men wear their emotions on their sleeves, it’s that A) No one brings attention to these emotional moments and 2) they get on with their lives. There are no breakdowns in The Flash. Tears are shed, whether as expressions of joy or sadness or whatever, and then what ever action needs to be taken is taken. The men of The Flash wear their emotions as a factor of life, not a hindrance. Again referencing Arrow, emotion there is frequently treated as a weakness (Oliver’s obsession with not allowing himself to love for example). In The Flash, emotion is the driving force of everything, and I mean that literally. Eobard Thawne kicked events off because of hate, and no one takes a raw logical or analytical move in this entire show. Rather than detracting from the natural masculinity of the characters it enhances it. In this regard, The Flash is portraying what I think many now feel to be the modern take on “the manly man”. These are who you should be aspiring to be kids, people of integrity, morality and feeling, who will achieve their goals without letting the world make them into something they’re not. Off the top of my head, I can only think of one other show that has portrayed “manly” heroic characters in this light.
A fun story about men in silly fruit hats. Also DEATH!
I think this is wonderful, as wonderful as the fact zero attention is given that the very angry police captain is gay and gets married during the shows run. We need more shows that tell us its ok to be someone like this because if the 40 year old American mothers are right that TV makes you do things (via mind control I assume), than we could do worse than emulating some real God Damn Men(TM).
There are a million things I could say on this show. I could discuss the very good job they did of melding the Barry Allen Flash and the (better) Wally West Flash into one person, the development of our side characters, Eddie Thawne’s surprisingly subtle subtext…or the fact that Iris gets a wee bit screwed character wise for about ten episodes. But for the sake of brevity, and your sanity, I’ll leave that and skip to one of the absolute key things this and any other show has to get right…Gotham…
“There are only three types of citizenship: hero, villain, nobody.”
Bad guys make superhero stories. There I said it. No matter how good your hero is, if he doesn’t have a solid target to play against, your story is going to fail. Arrow season three is one of the best examples of this I have ever seen.
There are a million things I could say on this show. I could discuss the very good job they did of melding the Barry Allen Flash and the (better) Wally West Flash into one person, the development of our side characters, Eddie Thawne’s surprisingly subtle subtext…or the fact that Iris gets a wee bit screwed character wise for about ten episodes. But for the sake of brevity, and your sanity, I’ll leave that and skip to one of the absolute key things this and any other show has to get right…Gotham…
“There are only three types of citizenship: hero, villain, nobody.”
Bad guys make superhero stories. There I said it. No matter how good your hero is, if he doesn’t have a solid target to play against, your story is going to fail. Arrow season three is one of the best examples of this I have ever seen.
-_-…you’re not Liam Neeson…wait, he was actually interested in playing him? FUC-!
The Flash had an especially uphill struggle as traditionally the Flash’s gallery has some…quirks. Psychic gorillas…not as weird as it gets. So it was up to this show to make one of the hardest to sell villain groups threatening on a weekly basis. And they succeeded. Grandly. Most of the villains were once an series characters and it has to be said, they were a slightly mixed bag (Bug-eyed Bandit…right). Where this show shown was its repeaters. Again, realizing that comic books are fairly camp the showrunners gave us a pretty camp villain trio in the form of the Rogues, a slowly building group we will no doubt see more of next season.
Parkas are cooler than fezzes. Sorry Matt Smith.
These three don’t chew scenery. They process it into a fine powder. Cold is never more than three sentences away from an ice pun, Heatwave is batcrap mental and Golden Glider is just so…slimy. The actors are given direction and they revel in it. Cold is easily the most fun bad guy in the entire show (I say again, fun. Don’t worry; You-Know-Who is coming). While the writers make sure to make him intelligent and a threat, the fact he is the first to appropriate a code name is amazingly good fun. Grodd, whose introduction takes most of the show, is easily the most rawly terrifying bad guy. He’s huge, getting smarter and as a friend said, very young. He’s twice the size of a normal gorilla and strong enough to know sell a punch moving at mach speed. Add in his psychic powers and just the raw terror of being face with an inhuman threat you have no defense against, and Grodd dominates in a way that would make me very pleased to see him be a main season villain. But the villain cake has to go to the best bad guy in this show, and probably tied with Wilson Fisk for best live action TV supervillain ever, the Reverse Flash.
 Hey it’s the brother from Scrubs! | Eobard Thawne or Harrison Wells. Whatever name you prefer he is a masterful villain for any season of a show, let alone a season one! Introduced in the opening minutes as a yellow blurr, the Reverse Flash shapes the events of this entire show (everyone was guessing we’d do Flashpoint…turns out this IS Flashpoint). When we meet Wells, he is a stand offish but well-meaning man, confined to a wheel chair by his own hubris. Then he stands up and uses a future telling newspaper and your mind goes “WHAAAA!” Then he murders a guy to protect the Flash. Slowly you see him manipulate every single character in the show to the point where |
I genuinely don’t believe anything that happened to him before the final ten minutes of episode twenty three weren’t entirely planned. And yet as we see him use and murder and scheme, we also see him as a genuine mentor who helps and guides our heroes. We are made to think he cares for them as a father might care about his children…and it turns out he does. He is capable of killing all of them without regret (as a time traveler trapped in the past he basically sees them all as dead already) but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t grown to care. He hopes Cisco will see why he did what he did. He feels genuine pride at Barry’s accomplishments. He saves Ronnie when he REALLY doesn’t have to, at a possible cost to his long term plans. When he says he loves Cisco and modern Barry as much as he hates the future Barry, I completely believe him. His final words to Barry might be a taunt…or might be a father figure wondering how his pseudo-son will manage without him guiding his actions. You just don’t know. Season two has many things to match, but the brilliance that is the Reverse Flash arc is the big one.
| Run, Barry, run. The Flash ended its first season on a cliffhanger that leaves you wondering what the status quo is for season two. Is everyone dead really dead? Is everyone alive really the same as before? They’ve already confirmed Tom Cavanagh will remain on as a series regular and hinted at introducing Wally West. What kind of characters will they be? Could they touch on Jay and Bart? Can season two keep the momentum? These are uncertain times. But when I look back at this show…nothing can spoil the experience I’ve had in the last year. It’s been an amazing and appropriately fast paced ride. I’m looking forward to what the future brings, I think it’ll be one hell of a ride. |  You never did beat him Barry… |
Rock on you crazy diamond.
P.S.
If you introduce my favorite DC superhero CW, if you could make him a lot less this
If you introduce my favorite DC superhero CW, if you could make him a lot less this
Everyone hates you kid. Ev.Ry.One.
And a lot more this
Slightly less dead would be good too. Silver, red or yellow. Equally good.
No. I’m never letting that go DC.
 | Micheal O'Sulivan is a long time host of the Moonbase 2 podcast, frequent contributor to the Old Oilhouse and Underbase, and can kill a horse with both hands tied behind your back. His hobbies include robot dinosaurs and angering Canadian Bears. You can find him @Irishpalaeo on twitter! |
