ARCHIVE Day 85: CW’s The Flash

Original Release: May 31st, 2018

Season four of the Flash is finally on Netflix, which means I get to binge yet another twenty or so episodes of fun super hero schlock. Therefor, I will talk about it. So…

We can agree this is the best live-action superhero TV show, right?

Granted, the rest of the CW DC shows have a strong argument. Arrow started it all and brought the Green Arrow into the limelight, Legends of Tomorrow has Arthur Darvill AKA Rory Williams as well as all the best characters from the other shows, and Supergirl is… bad.

But that’s a post for another day.

But of all four of these shows, The Flash is easily the best. The characters are the most memorable and likable, the action is the most absurd and fun (which is the most important thing for a comic book show) and most important of all: it’s completely insane.

For those who haven’t seen it, let me give me an example of how ridiculous this show is: in season 4, one of the characters, Harry Wells, is looking for the bad guy named ‘Devoe’. Everyone else is busy, so what does he do? He calls a series of parallel universe Wells, gathering together Cyborg Wells, German Wells, and Playboy Wells. And briefly, very briefly, Wells the Gray pops in before they all shoe him away.

This show is stupid in all the best ways.

Plus, it adapts many of the Flash’s coolest stories and villains. Reverse-Flash, Zoom, Flashpoint, the original Flash, etc. They’re all different from their comic counterparts, but they retain everything that made them great while making them different. It’s a fantastic adaptation.

Also Mark Hamill is The Trickster. And the Trickster is just a really good time. I seriously love every episode he’s in.

Plus, the show follows the Avatar: Last Airbender rule of storytelling. Every episode, Flash and friends must face off against a new/ returning member of his rogue’s gallery. This way, every episode is a complete and satisfying story. All while the story builds up to the final battle against that season’s big bad.

Which admittedly, were all speedsters until season four. But it was still awesome, dammit!

Seriously, I know I say this a lot, but if you’re a fan of comic books you should definitely check out the Flash. It’s just a comic book in TV form. Netflix, the CW, wherever you can find it. Watch this god damn show.

Or you can watch Supergirl if you want to see feminism done wrong. Whatever works for you.