Grant Gustin in “Glee”
Once viewers get past images of actor Grant Gustin convincingly portraying a villainous gay character in “Glee,” watching the new superhero series “The Flash,” where he plays the titular super-speedster, gets easier.
Gustin’s a competent actor, so he distances himself from his first popular role—not in a flash, but soon enough. As mild-mannered assistant police forensic investigator Barry Allen, Gustin is given opportunities to explore a selfless, sympathetic character, the polar opposite of the snark-machine role prior to this superheroic makeover.
As with the DC comic book, Barry accidentally gains superpowers. But that same event also created a slew of powerful foes in beleaguered Central City, which he protects from mishaps and criminals alike, whenever possible.
The TV show has its own growing rogues’ gallery. The first “Flash” show from the early 1990s likewise had its parade of baddies, but this current one’s do-gooder and equivalent enemies are accompanied by sleeker, more elaborate effects.
There are other notable changes. That original “Flash” actor, John Wesley Shipp, returns—this time as Barry’s wrongfully imprisoned dad, Henry. The current Flash is also aided by a team of scientists that monitors changes in his enhanced body, and helps out with crucial missions he’s gotten himself involved in.
Further defining the character’s heroic nature are the two-part crossover episodes with “Arrow,” where Barry originally appeared. While DC currently has four TV adaptation shows—“Gotham,” “Constantine,” “Arrow” and “The Flash,” only the latter two share the same world.
That is wisely taken advantage of in the specials “The Flash vs Arrow” and “The Brave and the Bold,” where both superheroes team up to catch a slippery super-crook, and confront each other on a number of occasions.
The Flash’s “traditional” heroism is contrasted with the less-law-abiding archer Arrow, whose more extreme methods are questioned by the differently idealistic protector.
Gustin in “The Flash”
There are season-long subplots developing as well, secrets that Barry will ultimately discover, undoubtedly, and events that will have important ramifications.
Like the old DC show “Smallville,” “The Flash’s” villains of the week often help out with stressing the fundamental, core traits of the hero, even when it gets mighty repetitive.
In any case, the scripts could use some improvement, but they’re getting there. There’s no denying that the show, however, is rightly paced, a solid enough sci-fi-action series that brings DC’s flashier concepts to a conducive medium.
(“The Flash” airs Wednesdays, 8 p.m. on Jack TV.)
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‘Wolfblood’
This 13-episode, Bafta-nominated fantasy series is a coming-of-age story of teenage “Wolfbloods,” Maddy Smith and Rhydian Morris, who live double lives, shifting between their human and wolf forms.
(“Wolfblood” will air weeknights starting tomorrow, 6:30 p.m. on HBO Family.)