I haven’t taken the time until now to comment on the new Flash show. Pilots usually garner more comments from me, but–since we’re three episodes deep now–I might as well say some stuff about all of them.
The Pilot: This episode had some really awesome moments: Grant Guston’s sort of Peter Parker take on Barry Allen, the special effects, and just the over all look of the show itself. Unfortunately it was WAY rushed. Characters had no room to breathe and, instead, were forced to characterize themselves. (I’m angry because my fiancee died!) Given what all they had to accomplish, I’m surprised the network didn’t go with a longer episode. Ironically, Barry himself felt way more fleshed out in Arrow last season than he did in his own show.
Second Episode: The first act was abysmal. It did nothing but recap the pilot. It reeked of some execs thumbs on top of the show. And, I mean, come on–with DVRs, hulu, and–heck–just the Internet in general, people almost have to go out of their way to NOT see an episode of something they like. Thankfully, the remaining acts tightened up and delivered a strong story with a real kick-ass climax.
Third Episode: So far, the best of the bunch, but experiencing some cooky story problems. (For instance, the bad guy finds a specific victim in a massive city without the audience ever being told how.) Characters finally get the chance to breathe though, and we’re seeing a few more layers to them.
Bottom line: Flash is a fun show that has the chance to be great if it will just give the characters enough room to do their thing. If the progression of the storytelling is any indication, I think the finale will be lightyears ahead of the pilot in terms of awesomeness.
Superheroes in Prose Volume 10: Two Rocks and a Hard Place on sale October 29th