I think I speak for most, if not everyone when I say I wasn't expecting the pilot for The CW's Flash to leak as soon as it did, but as somebody who's been eagerly anticipating the show, I have to say, I feel very lucky that it did.
Let me just start of by saying I think the pilot was fantastic. It met all my expectations, and it has only increased my anticipation for rest of the series. I've decided to share my detailed thoughts on the writing, characters and everything to do with the pilot, so without further ago, let's start of with...
The Writing
I think when coming into a CW show, there's a certain level of expectations you have to set when it comes to the writing. It's like that with most movies and shows, to be honest. I mean you wouldn't go into a Joss Whedon film expecting a Chris Nolan film anymore than you'd go into a CW show expecting a HBO show. However, with that being said, the writing is very good by The CW's standards, and a lot stronger than Arrow's pilot from 2012.
Of course, like most pilots, the writing wasn't perfect. There's a few bits of iffy dialogue here and there, but for the most part, the show is well written, especially the dialogue between Barry and Detective West, and Barry & Henry Allen. I'd say the weakest part of the pilot was Weather Wizard, as we didn't really to get to know the character, but this is a 45 minute pilot after all, which also concentrated on Flash's origin, so they can't fit everything in.
All in all though, the writing was rather satisfactory, especially for a pilot, and between Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and Geoff Johns, they crafted a screenplay that made this Flash fan very happy!
Barry Allen/Flash
As somebody who was initially skeptical about Grant Gustin when he was announced as Barry Allen, I'm glad to say Grant Gustin, and the team behind the screenplay, have nailed the character in the pilot.
Barry Allen is a forensic scientist, and because of that, he approaches crime fighting as an investigator, and his scientific approach is always leading to him coming up with creative ways to deal with situations, for example, unraveling the tornado. Barry is also a very humble and level headed guy, making him extremely hard to dislike.
Gustin and the team have nailed these aspects of the character down perfectly in the pilot, and while they're sure to explore the character further in the series, so far all is as it should be, and as Barry Allen fan, I take my hat off to Gustin for playing the role so well.
The Costume
I personally love the costume, and I have done since it was first revealed. As expected, the costume looks a lot better in motion. I was initially worried about the belt, as it looked a bit off in the set pics, but thankfully, it looks fine in the pilot. The cowl is absolutely perfect, and I rather like the addition of lightning bolts at the side.
I like the fact the costume also had a purpose, as opposed to just being a fashion statement. I personally think we'll see the costume evolve over time, but as a first costume, and a costume made on a TV budget, I think it looks great.
Iris West & Detective Joe West
I personally liked Candice Patton's portrayal of Iris West. I found her to be instantly likeable, and Patton and Gustin have great chemistry as Barry & Iris.
Taking on the role as Barry's guardian after his dad was wrongfully sent to prison for his mothers murder, Detective West acts as a sort of mentor to Barry Allen, and obviously, his boss. The interactions between Barry and Joe West were great, and I look forward to seeing their relationship be explored further in the series.
Caitlin Snow & Cisco Ramon
Caitlin and Cisco make up what looks to be Team Barry, acting as Barry's very own Diggle & Felicity. I enjoy the interactions between Caitlin, Cisco, and Barry, and I'm interested in seeing how the characters are developed throughout the show, as they're both destined for bigger things than they're currently realize.
Dr. Harrison Wells
Harrison Wells, a name that is quite clearly an alias, because I kid you not, this guy is Eobard Thawne from the future, AKA Reverse Flash/Professor Zoom. If he's speech about changing the future wasn't enough to convince you, the revelation at the end of the pilot should be enough to seal the deal. I'm extremely interested is seeing how all of this plays out.
While there are some parallels with the comics, I'm sure certain things going to be hanged. However, I welcome the changes, as this really is Geoff John's second chance to make clear what he once failed to do. Short story short though, Zoom has obviously created a predestination paradox, which basically means that Flash wouldn't exist without Zoom, and Zoom wouldn't exist without Flash, tying their fate together throughout time.
Eddie Thawne
It's not surprise people thought Eddie was going to be Zoom, but after the revelation at the end of the pilot, and deeper think, it's clear to me that Eddie Thawne is none other than the shows version Malcolm Thawne, who is Barry Allen's long lost twin brother, and a distant ancestor of Eobard Thawne. The show runners revealed that Eddie has a dark and mysterious past, and this lines up with Malcolm Thawne perfectly.
In the comics, on the night Barry and Malcolm were born, the Thawne's gave birth to a stillborn, while Nora and Henry Allen have birth to a set of twin boys. The doctor who delivered the twins felt sorry for the Thawne's, and out of pity, gave one of the twins to the Thawne's, and lied to the Allen's by telling them that one of their twins was stillborn.
Well, eventually this all comes out, and Malcolm doesn't take it too well. He kills the doctor that gave him to the Thawne's, and begins stalking Barry, which would explain why Eddie conveniently showing up after Iris was mugged. Of course, I'm sure all of this will slowly be revealed in the show, and changes will be somewhat made, but I'm pretty confident that Eddie Thawne is the shows rendition of Malcolm Thawne.
Weather Wizard
In my opinion, Clyde Mordon was the weakest part of the pilot. That's not to say he was a bad villain, because he wasn't, but there's definitely room for improvement. It's unclear whether or not Clyde survived, but fear not, Clyde is actually Weather Wizard's brother in the comics, so regardless of whether or not he did survive, I'm sure we'll be seeing Weather Wizard again.
As for Mark Mordon, the Weather Wizard from the comics, it will be interesting to see whether or not he survived the plane crash too, and whether or not he shows up in the show to take on the mantle of Weather Wizard.
Easter Eggs
There was quite a few easter eggs in the show, but the two that stuck out the most was the Grodd and 2024 News Article. The later was a juicy one, which pretty much confirmed that Harrison Wells is really Eobard Thawne, but it also referenced Batman, as well as Barry's death Crisis On Infinite Earths.
Then there's the Grodd easter egg. It's strongly implied Grodd has escaped what looks to be a Gorilla cage after the particle accelerator explosion, probably due to gaining heightened intelligence from the accident, just like the meta-humans. I look forward to seeing where they go with this.
In Conclusion...
I think the show is off to a fantastic start. The pilot may not be perfect, but it's easily the strongest comic book related pilot thus far, blowing Arrow and Agents of SHIELD's pilot out of the water! As a Flash fan, I couldn't be more happier with the pilot, and I can't wait to see the rest of the series this fall!
Thanks for reading, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/Batmaniac/news/?a=102528
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