The Flash premiere: Why this new superhero is worth watching

Superhero shows are the trendy TV ticket right now.

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But The Flash does something other TV shows often miss: It focuses on the characters instead of focusing on the unsolved crime, murder mystery or whatever drama said hero must jump into to protect the city against. The point is never the drama and always the human connection. The Flash understands this and capitalizes on it.

We’d say the downside of the show so far is that the costume isn’t the greatest. And for a superhero show in 2014, the special effects and CGI are a little lacking. Still, we can forgive all of that for the promise of a good story that the pilot delivers on. And while those elements may not be the best we’d hoped for, the first episode looks and feels like a comic.

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Grant Gustin sells it as Barry Allen (aka The Flash). We are definitely calling him as the next big heartthrob on The CW. He brings the perfect amount of awkward charm and chivalrous determination to his character. Though the role is a bit cliché (think a mirror image of 2002’s Spider-Man just with speed instead of spidey sense), as a fresh face Gustin pulls it off with refreshing charisma. Plus, we’ve gotten plenty of the gritty, dark superhero characters. It’s nice to see Barry in the light of someone who hasn’t lost his optimism and hope for the world.

Gustin is relatively unknown, aside from his stint on Glee. It is this role that had us foolishly questioning whether the actor was up for a character as complex as Barry needs to be. If you’ll remember, Gustin played Sebastian Smythe, a not-so-awesome member of rival club The Warblers. We were quickly put in our place during the pilot. Especially during that last scene where Barry talks with his dad in jail. He had our hearts melting.

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What really sells this pilot, though, is that instead of trying to be edgy and hip, The Flash focuses on being fun. And that’s something that definitely makes us want to tune in again.

What did you think of the premiere episode of The Flash? Will you tune in again next week?