'Flash' finally makes CW network watchable
You need a secure self-body image to watch shows on The CW. The men and women on shows like "The Vampire Diaries," "Supernatural" and "Arrow" are perfect chiseled specimens.
While I don't begrudge handsomeness on its surface, it seems like many of these shows favor appearance and style over convincing performances and quality storytelling. Seriously, have you seen the dude playing Beast in its "Beauty and the Beast" show?
Even with this particular bias, I'm shocked to report how smitten I am with The CW's newest hit, "The Flash," based on the DC Comics character. Even with its cheesy dialogue and uneven special effects, it's the first comic book show in a while to embrace the goofy fun which drew many of us to comics in the first place.
I could never stomach the self-serious shenanigans of CW's flagship "Smallville," and the current "Arrow" series takes on too much Batman-style gloom. In contrast, "The Flash" is about a guy who can run really, really fast, and the show doesn't waste time trying to ground that premise in too much realism.
The biggest asset of the series is star Grant Gustin. Sure, he's handsome and chiseled like everybody else on The CW, but he brings a nerdy earnestness to CSI-turned-superhero Barry Allen which recalls the best qualities of Tobey Maguire's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
The show itself, at least in the first two episodes, leans heavily on optimism and Allen's drive for preserving the safety of his city. It also establishes a plausible explanation for the appearance of super-powered baddies, allowing the series to introduce The Flash's colorful assortment of villains. Fingers crossed for the giant talking ape.
"The Flash" is campy, for sure, and if not for Gustin and a game supporting cast (including familiar faces Tom Cavanagh and Jesse L. Martin), the show wouldn't be able to control its tone. The first episode features The Flash trying to take down a tornado by running around the vortex in reverse. It's not something that should work on a live-action television show in 2014, and yet "The Flash" makes it a thrilling set piece which also serves a compelling character arc for Barry.
It's a promising start for the DC property at a time when the franchise needs consistency. Earlier this week, DC announced a 10-movie slate for Batman, Superman and their "Justice League" teammates, including a film version of The Flash which will star a different actor.
The slate would be exciting to any superhero fan if DC didn't already have a history of switching release dates and bungling projects into the ground. They've already changed the release date of the first film, "Batman v. Superman: Something Something Justice" a couple of times, so we shouldn't get amped about a movie Flash just yet.
Until then, The CW's "Flash" has the titles of best superhero show on TV (sorry, "Gotham" and "S.H.I.E.L.D.") and the most watchable show on the Chiseled Warrior network.
Catch up with "The Flash" on Hulu.com. New episodes air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. You can watch past seasons of "Supernatural," "Arrow" and "The Vampire Diaries" on Netflix Instant, if you're into those kind of shows.
Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.