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No matter how many multiverse-threatening events it features, The CW’s The Flash will never top its iconic first season.
During its first season, The CW’s The Flash was widely regarded as the best superhero show on television. Audiences and critics initially responded well to the series’ light-hearted tone and comic-inspired situations, but over the years, public opinion on it has soured somewhat. Part of this is due to the fact that there are now so many other superhero series available for consumption, but The Flash has also undeniably lost some of what initially made it great.
Season 1 of The Flash came out at a perfect time. The Stephen Amell-starring Arrow had already been on television for two seasons, and had proved that superhero shows could indeed be wildly successful. It had also introduced Barry Allen as a character for a few episodes to gauge interest in a potential Flash series, to overwhelming success. When The Flash finally aired, it became arguably even more popular than Arrow had been, opening the door for even more superhero shows to find a home on The CW.
The Flash starts off on the right foot, with its lead protagonist already being an established, well-liked character, and the series continues to build on that by exploring both sides of Barry’s life. While his super-powered alter ego obviously has plenty of time to shine, Season 1 also takes the time to bring viewers into Barry’s life and help them really understand him as a person. Scenes featuring his CSI work or his conversations with his imprisoned father help to get the audience just as invested in Barry Allen as they are in the Flash, and the most recent seasons of the show are severely lacking in scenes that do this.
Another major element that contributes to Season 1’s success is its supporting cast. Season 1’s Team Flash — consisting of Caitlin Snow, Cisco Ramon, Harrison Wells and later Joe West — help to train Barry to become a better hero while also bringing different perspectives on his life. In addition, the cameos from other heroes this season really help to cement Barry as one of the Arrowverse’s leads, in a class with other iconic heroes like the Green Arrow, the Atom and Firestorm.
But of course, a hero is only as good as their villain, and Season 1 features one of the best antagonists to ever menace the Arrowverse. The mysterious connection between the Reverse-Flash and Harrison Wells takes several unpredictable twists and turns throughout the season, before they are eventually revealed to be the same person: Eobard Thawne. The episode revealing Thawne’s identity is widely remembered as one of the show’s best, and it feels like the series hits the gas from that point on, never slowing down until the season is over. Without a villain as complex or well-acted as Eobard Thawne, Season 1’s overall plot could have been a total flop.
Finally, the best aspect of The Flash Season 1 is a greater theme that encompasses everything else good about the season: it’s about Barry. Recent seasons of the show have become so invested in exploring grand concepts like the multiverse, or developing side characters, that it sometimes takes its titular character out of focus. Season 1 is catered towards Barry, with each ally, villain and storyline specifically selected to help advance his story. After all, without Barry Allen, there would be no Flash.
Season 8 of The Flash premieres Nov. 16 on The CW.
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