Cape Town - Meet Barry Allen (Grant Gustin), the fastest man alive. Just how fast is he? Super-fast! Barry (aka The Flash when he dons his super-suit) can outrun a bullet, run on water, as well as disarm and tie up a criminals so quickly that you’d swear Harry Potter’s sorcery secrets were to blame.
But there’s no magic to Barry’s crime-stopping super-antics – science is the name of the game when it comes to keeping Central City safe from the countless villains wreaking havoc in award-winning series The Flash (2014-current). It has an average rating of 98% fresh on Rottentomatoes.com and was named Best Superhero Adaption Television Series at the Saturn Awards in 2016, film awards dedicated to the best in science fiction, fantasy and horror.
It all starts when an explosion at S.T.A.R. Labs sends a shockwave through Central City (episode 1), turning some of the residents into super-powered “metahumans”.
Barry is struck by lightning during the explosion and when he wakes up nine months later, he’s got lightning-fast reflexes and realises he can use his newfound powers for good (episode 2).
And with all 23 episodes of season 1 now available to binge-view on ShowMax, here are 5 reasons why superhero series The Flash is well...super:
1. Science saves the day
Gadgets and gizmos play a huge part in the action on The Flash. Barry works with a team of fellow brainiacs at S.T.A.R. Labs. There’s super-smart but creepy Dr Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh) who owns S.T.A.R. Labs and is responsible for the explosion that created all the metahumans. Then there’s loyal and laidback lab geek/engineering expert Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes), and Dr Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker), a bio-engineering expert. Together, they help Barry stop a near-constant stream of baddies.
2. They're bad to the bone
The Flash’s opponents are awesomely evil: Danton Black (Michael Christopher Smith) can create multiple clones of himself; Grodd is a giant talking gorilla with incredible strength; Leonard Snart aka Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller of Prison Break fame) has deadly cold guns and first pops up in episode 4; and James Jesse aka The Trickster (played by Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame) is a psychotic prankster who causes havoc in episode 17.
3. Fun
The Flash is a family show that everyone can enjoy and there’s tons of family drama in the mix too! Barry, who’s a forensic scientist at the Central City Police Department when he’s not The Flash, was adopted by Joe West (Jesse L Martin) after his dad was wrongfully jailed for murdering his mom. Joe’s a detective at the Central City PD and investigates crimes relating to super-villains.
4. Looking for love
Joe’s also got a gorgeous, grown-up daughter Iris West (Candice Patton), who’s a feisty reporter with an eye for a good story. She’s got her eye on her dad’s cop partner Eddie Thawne (Rick Cosnett) and they’re dating, much to Joe’s disapproval. Meanwhile, Barry’s got his eye on Iris, but she only sees him as her adopted geeky brother. This is one complicated love triangle that gets messier as the season progresses.
5. Cool crossovers
The Flash is set in the same TV superhero universe as Arrow (2012-current – seasons 1-3 are on ShowMax), so expect super-cool guest appearances from Arrow characters like Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards), Detective Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne) and Ray Palmer aka The Atom (Brandon Routh).
See the trailer here:
Check out season 1 now on ShowMax.com and sign up for a seven-day free trial.