In Defense of The Flash
Ten years ago, the pilot episode of The Flash (2014-2023) aired on The CW. In the episode, we met CSI scientist Barry Allen, the show’s protagonist, as he received his newfound super-speed powers, before getting a glimpse into the future towards the end. The screen read “Flash Missing Vanishes in Crisis,” while a future newspaper explained that the hero had gone missing in a time of crisis on Apr. 25, 2024. As seasons went by we crept closer to the catastrophic event, until ultimately in the 2019 five-part special “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” based on the comic issue of the same article five years earlier, came to life.
Though we are technically late to celebrate now, it is a great time to clear the air on some classic taboos relating to the show. These quick controversial opinions will mostly be based on the first four seasons of The Flash, also known as the best seasons of the show.
First and foremost, I am an Iris supporter. Iris West is Barry’s love interest and fans of the show have long criticized her for being unable to realistically keep up with the team of scientists that help the Flash. I, however, believe Iris is fully capable of keeping up with the rest of the team. My clear bias is that like Iris, I am a journalist, and therefore believe being a journalist comes with a helpful skill set. Throughout the show, as characters continue to keep secrets from Iris, like the Flash’s identity, she continues to figure them out. If she seems ill-equipped it is due to the hoops she has to jump through to keep up, not due to her ‘lack of skill,’ but because the team is keeping vital information from her.
The second point I would like to address is about the season one villain, Dr. Wells. Specifically, I would like to address how he faked being in a wheelchair for an entire season. As he is an evil supervillain, I doubt he cares about the appropriation of people with disabilities but what truly baffles me is how he lied to three supposed geniuses for over a year. In one particularly enlightening episode, you get a glimpse at Wells’ multi-million-dollar home, which is most certainly not wheelchair friendly; He definitely had the money to make it so and yet—no one questioned a thing.
Finally, I would like to defend the fourth season of the show. It is not uncommon for a show that runs as long as The Flash to lose its fan base and its quality to deteriorate over time. I believe the fourth season, which is often accused of being the downfall of the show, however, is not as bad as you may remember. This season is based on the 2011 comic run “The Trial of the Flash” by Cary Bates. Watching your favorite hero be sent to prison and come face-to-face with the one-off villains he sent there is compelling television. On top of that, Barry and Iris getting married added a new dynamic to the show as Barry struggled to juggle his relationship and being a superhero while in prison.
Even though The Flash may have run far past its prime, I stand by the first few seasons of the show and enjoyed keeping up with Team Flash until its end.
Thumbnail photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons