Airing Tuesday nights at eight o'clock on The CW, The Flash is a TV drama that captures the superhero antics of Barry Allen. In the second episode titled "Fastest Man Alive", Barry (played by Grant Gustin) is still adjusting to his newly discovered super speed and his role as a masked crime fighter. The episode follows Barry as he struggles to balance the relationship with his adopted family, Iris (played by Candice Patton) and Joe West (played by Jesse L. Martin), with the work he's doing at S.T.A.R. Labs with Dr. Harrison Wells (played by Tom Cavanagh) and Dr. Caitlin Snow (played by Danielle Panabaker). On top of all this, Barry must stop a villain named Multiplex (played by Michael Smith) who has the ability to clone himself.
An interesting thing about The Flash TV series that some viewers might not know is that it's a spin-off of another show on The CW called Arrow. Which means both shows actually take place in the same universe. In regards to the two shows shared universe, Adam Holmes of Cinema Blend wrote, "Both shows exist in the same world and are slowly building and epic mythology while maintaining unique tones."
Here's a link to Adam's article
Products/services that were advertised during this episode: Scion, Big Hero 6, AT&T, Garnier Fructis, Reese's, Beyond the Lights, Lowe's, iPhone 6, Crest, Marshall's, Dove, Chili's, Luvs, 104.7 KDUK, Jack in the Box, LifeWise, Subaru, John Wick, Domino's, Bounty, State Farm, Gerber, Sunset Overdrive, Wells Fargo, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Payless, Pepsi, Verizon, Colgate, Febreze, Three Rivers Casino and Hotel, Carl's Jr. Nissan, News Source 16, The Best of Me, Kit Kat, Loreal, and Pom Wonderful.
The Flash is a drama at it's core, with action, humor, romance, and lighthearted moments thrown in. It shares similarities with shows like Gotham and Constantine, which both air on NBC, in that these shows are trying to establish their own worlds based on comic books. One of the things that sets The Flash apart from other shows on TV is it's tone. Other dramas like Arrow, Gotham, and The Walking Dead all have very dark, serious atmospheres. While it has its serious moment, The Flash is, for the most part, more upbeat than other dramas on TV.
The Flash-"Heroic" Trailer
While the character of Barry Allen is well acted by Grant Gustin, he does perpetuate the stereotype of the nerdy guy who can't talk to girls. Barry can run a mile in three seconds, but he can't tell a beautiful girl how he feels. This stereotype has been prominent in comics since the creation of Peter Parker/Spider-man, and it's used far more often than it should be.
The target audience for The Flash is going to primarily be fans of the comic books, but it may also include people who enjoy drama/fantasy shows and maybe people who watch Arrow. Advertisers know this, as I saw ads for films like Big Hero 6 and X-Men: Days of Future Past, and video games like Sunset Overdrive, which features a main character with superpowers. These ads airing with The Flash are a great example of association principle in advertising, where two products are made to look similar or connected to one another even though they might not be related at all.
As a fan of The Flash comics, I have to say that I really love what the creators of the show are doing with the characters. Grant Gustin is settling into the role of Barry Allen well, as is the rest of the cast. There has yet to be a truly intriguing villain and some of the dialogue comes across as cheese at times, but for the most part, The Flash has already proven to be one of the best new shows on TV.
The Flash, as a cultural mirror of society, reflects people's need to escape. In her TED Talk video, Lauren Zalaznick points out that throughout the last fifty years every time there has been a spike in ratings for fantasy shows there has also been a spike in unemployment. As Unemployment has been high the last few years the popularity of shows like The Flash, The Walking Dead, and Game of Thrones have increased as well.
Professional critics also seem to be enjoying The Flash. Jesse Schedeen of ign wrote, "The Flash only got better in its second episode. The show benefits from a clear sense of confidence as it establishes Barry Allen's relationships with both the crew at S.T.A.R. Labs and the West family."
A link to Jesse's review
http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/10/15/the-flash-fastest-man-alive-review
A link to Jesse's review
http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/10/15/the-flash-fastest-man-alive-review
Even though I don't follow the show on social networking sites, I do watch it on a weekly basis. That being said, I checked out the Facebook page for the show and it has 58,225 likes. Fans of the show and comics seem to enjoy the Facebook page.
A link to the Facebook page
www.facebook.com/FlashTVNews
The main thing I took away from this project about The Flash that I didn't really notice before is how the show's tone really sets it apart from a lot of different shows on TV. Other shows that I watch on a pretty frequent basis include The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, and Gotham. All of those shows rely on being, dark, mature, and serious. The Flash dares to be different by taking a more lighthearted and humorous approach to TV drama.
