The Flash (TV Series 2014– )

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by musicalbeds, Dec 11, 2014.

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  1. melstapler

    melstapler Reissue Activist

    Arrow and The Flash are enjoyable and big improvements over Smallville. My oldest niece and oldest nephew are both big fans of Arrow and The Flash, although Arrow is their favorite. I mistakenly assumed that females in their teens and beyond would prefer The Flash over Arrow, although both shows are fairly close in terms of what they offer. At times, The Flash seems to be a little more lighthearted and for the most part, Arrow is a little darker. Watching an episode of Arrow does seem closer to a movie, which might add some perceived value. I like how Arrow threw a curve ball and had Dolph Lundgren starring as a prominent villain. Lundgren will be appearing as another character in the upcoming Aquaman film. Unlike Arrow and The Flash, I've noticed the kids are more selective with Legends Of Tomorrow and will skim through the episode instead of watching it from beginning to end. Considering that Legends Of Tomorrow was basically a spin-off of The Flash and Arrow, the close connection it has to those shows is essential, but slightly detrimental at times. At times, there comes a point where I start missing the characters on The Flash and Arrow. Not to mention, the whole past vs. future aspect.

    The Gotham TV series is a fun show, although I have mixed feelings about having Bruce Wayne appear as a child while other villains such as Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze and The Riddler are already adults. I've never known of a DC universe where those villains are significantly older than Bruce Wayne and that would mean they'd be even older by the time he becomes Batman.

    Although it's been quite a few years since Smallville ended, that show initially created a universe which combined the annoying romantic drama of Dawson's Creek with DC characters loosely based on the comics and other adaptations. Although they attempted to change the direction of the show in later seasons, the added characters (Lois Lane, Slade Wilson, Green Arrow, Cyborg, Aquaman, Hawkman etc) and plots were major improvements, but often seemed half-baked and never quite allowed the series to reach its full potential.
    [​IMG]
    Slade Wilson on Smallville
    [​IMG]
    Hawkman and Green Arrow on Smallville
    [​IMG]
    Cyborg on Smallville
    [​IMG]
    Aquaman on Smallville
     
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  2. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Thank for the lengthy informative post.
     
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  3. By the ratings, The Flash is the most popular DC tv show. Most people consider that first season of the Flash its best year. It's a fun show that hasn't had too many missteps along the way, which you can't really say about the others. Arrow has been up and down, depending on the featured villain. Arrow gets a lot better when Green Arrow has a strong opponent around such as Deathstroke or Vigilante.

    Each DC show does its own thing, so it's hard directly comparing them. Legends of Tomorrow has basically become a straight comedy since an uneven first season.
     
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  4. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    I think all the DC shows fall into the same pattern of "superhero loses power, superhero gains power, superhero gets amnesia, superhero regains memories, superhero gets romantic partner, superhero loses romantic partner." It's an endless soap opera that they constantly rinse and repeat. Very boring after awhile, particularly when they kill off people and then suddenly revive them from the dead (which has happened two or three times with some characters in Gotham).

    It's even messier in The Flash because of the added problem of time travel. When there's four or five different Earths simultaneously existing, and identical characters are evil on one Earth, good on another, super-powered on the next, regular people on the next, and dead on the other Earth, it gets a tad confusing.
     
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  5. Cliff

    Cliff Magic Carpet Man

    Location:
    Northern CA
    I really liked The Flash but Arrow was a lot better, IMO.
     
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  6. Frank

    Frank Senior Member

    CW Superhero shows:
    Arrow: Feels the most substantial but has really lost its way in comparison to the first two seasons. Suffering through the hangers on has become a chore and I'm not quite sure why they're there except for new Canary who is obviously there for me to look at which I'm glad to.
    Flash: Does the heavy lifting as far as superhero mythology. Well balanced between TV fluff and comic book feel. Some episodes fall flat but not many.
    Legends: The most enjoyable as far as being a TV show. Should be better now that they've gotten rid of the guy who can't act at all. It's completely off the rails but in a fun way. Sarah Lance is a disaster of a confusing character and its sad that they've reduced her to an identity construct, but the show survives it.
    Supergirl: Started great, not as well as Arrow started but almost, but now horrible to the point of being nearly unwatchable. Hugely disappointing for what should be the flagship.
     
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  7. Isaac K.

    Isaac K. Forum Resident

    I’m left wondering who is the guy that left that can’t act. Victor Garber? The only one in the cast with a career in Hollywood that spans decades?
     
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2018
  8. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    Yeah, that mystified me too. The character wasn't well-written, but Garber can act.
     
  9. misterbozz

    misterbozz Senior Member

    Location:
    Nerima-ku, Tokyo
    He means the other half of Firestorm I think.
     
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  10. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    Okay, I see that possibility. Really I think the problem is the wiring and directing not the actors.
     
  11. Frank

    Frank Senior Member

    No, of course Jack Bristow can act. I meant this wooden mess:

    [​IMG]

    The writing and directing are fine - it's not supposed to be high art and I don't expect it to be anything it's not.

    When there's one weak link every single week who you can literally see staring at whatever his lines are written on and then he still reads them like he's seeing them for the first time, it's not the writing or directing, it's the actor.
     
  12. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    Well I don't see this the same way. I see the writing and directing as weak and over the top. The writing for this character is pretty bad. He really has no real depth to him, nothing the actor can work with. They're all cardboard cut outs and the writing and directing make them all seem stiff and shallow to me. I know Caity Lotz can act but she and Dominic Purcell seem worse actors in this than Franz Drameh to me. It's just weak . . . . And I hate the distorted sounds that pass for a soundtrack on this show. I'm gong to stop watching it, it's the weakest of the CW lot. It doesn't have to be fine art but it's so cartoonish it's beyond comic book silly. Just my opinion of course.
     
  13. Frank

    Frank Senior Member

    I hate it when my cartoon characters are cartoonish! Please travel through time battling sabretooth tigers with depth! :laugh:
     
  14. Luvtemps

    Luvtemps Forum Resident

    Location:
    P.G.County,Md.
    Is thas crappy series still on the air[Earth One-Earth Two]are they on[Earth Three yet?] yes I have watched it,but from the moment that wimpy Flash showed up,I was through.
     
  15. I'm not sure he was ever a good casting decision. The British actor had a terrible American accent for his character at times. He just wasn't a good fit for the character.
     
  16. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    I see Marvel's Jessica Jones.
    Season 2 will be shown this year.
    Does DC have anything that equals it?
     
  17. misterbozz

    misterbozz Senior Member

    Location:
    Nerima-ku, Tokyo
    In TV terms I'd say no - but I also don't think they are even attempting to enter that more "adult" oriented zone.
    Probably closest was the very earliest episodes of Arrow.
     
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  18. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    I get that, but the tone of this one is just way too over the top for me. I want to like it but. . . . Not happening for me.
     
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  19. misterbozz

    misterbozz Senior Member

    Location:
    Nerima-ku, Tokyo
    I see we are getting "Black Lightning" in January, in a CW show that they say (at the moment) will not overlap with the other shows.
    Will be interesting to see the tone they take with this (not a character I know anything about).
    From this trailer looks like it could be a touch more gritty?

     
  20. misterbozz

    misterbozz Senior Member

    Location:
    Nerima-ku, Tokyo
    Black Lightning I thought was a really good start - more gritty and grounded.
    Particularly looked good when set against what I thought was one of the worst ever episodes of The Flash last week with 'the trial'.
     
  21. It’s funny but I’ve always thought of Arrow as more of a comic book soap opera and The Flash, a little less so.
     
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  22. It was OK but lacked any real sense of drama or surprise. It was a place holding episode.
     
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  23. Frank

    Frank Senior Member

    Barry can't reveal his secret identity in court because his enemies would use that information against the people close to him, yet every villian the whole time has already known his secret identity and has used that information against the people close to him.

    Berlanti logic.
     
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  24. The Flash is the one Berlanti show where they really try sticking to comic book conventions. The other DC shows don't care as much about comic book tropes.
     
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  25. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    Well, finally Ralph Dibney has become the Elongated Man. They did a good job developing the character and incorporating humor from both Elongated Man and Plastic Man (I feel). Nice addition.

    And Jessica Parker Kennedy on board? She made a brief appearance on Supergirl as a caterer during the West/Allen wedding. Looks as if she was writing Kryptonian. . . . I like her, she's gorgeous and her sort of intensity as an acting method works in comic book world. . . .
     
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