Binge Watch Guide is a blog series to lead you through the many available series for streaming.
Note: This review is only for the first season, which is on Netflix.
Once a small spin-off of the acclaimed show "Arrow," "The Flash" soon became an instant hit on the CW last fall, making it the broadcast network’s most-watched television series ever with a viewing rate of 5.85 million viewers.
Time Commitment: Medium Low
If you're looking for a show to indulge in on a cold November weekend while doing everything humanly possible to avoid having to study for finals, then "The Flash" is for you. (Admittedly, I binge watched half the show just the other weekend with the girl I was babysitting. No regrets.)
The series, which airs Tuesday nights at 8:00 p.m., is currently on its seventh episode and will wrap up its first half of the second season next week, so there’s plenty of time to catch up if you’re worried about being behind.
Most interesting character: Eobard Thawne/Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh)
Attempting to avoid too many spoiler alerts, I can say that this character was sketchy from the get-go.
In the first episode, he appears as a kind, paraplegic scientist who eventually becomes a mentor to Barry Allen (The Flash) once he discovers Barry has super-speed. However, after each episode it becomes clear that Thawne’s intentions may not be in The Flash’s best interest. Nearly every episode ends in a creepy scene with Thawne up to no good.
He served as the main antagonist of the first season and was a vital part of Barry’s search for the person that killed his mother when he was a kid, a plot line that drove much of the first season.
What makes Thawne such an interesting character is his complexity: you’ll find yourself being torn between wanting to like him and hating him.
The good:
"The Flash" incorporates a little bit of romance, comedy, drama and suspense all in just one 42-minute episode. It's high action, fast-paced story is entertaining to those who have short attention spans like myself.
Fun scenes like this next one that make you forget you’re watching a superhero show:
The bad: Iris West
Sorry Barry, but your love life is awful.
Iris West, Barry’s best friend and main love interest, serves nothing more than as a catalyst to further his own storyline. Her character has so much potential (think: amazing journalist/cool superpowers/secret identity to name a few!) but is limited by her damsel in distress role in a love-triangle that seems to be going no where.
The takeaway:
If you're finding yourself stressed by that paper, presentation, or exam coming up, stop what you're doing and watch "The Flash." It's a great show to distract yourself with and you might be surprised by how much you like it.
If you liked this, consider watching this too:
If you like "The Flash's" action: Netflix’s original "Daredevil" is a darker, more twisted superhero drama.
If you like "The Flash's" comedy: I suggest "Psych," a show that follows two best friends that so happen to be police partners.
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