CW's "The Flash" Can't Get Here Fast Enough!

Rocketing out of CW's Arrow comes another DC Universe super hero. His name is Barry Allen. He is the fastest man alive.

The CW pilot for The Flash does an exemplary job at setting the stage for all the events to come: telling an origin, providing a reason for the hero, and putting into play the long game (and the even longer game, but that would be spoiling things), all in the space of a one-hour episode. Hints have been dropped in Arrow for some time now about the Central City Particle Accelerator, and Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) has already made his guest appearance in that series. And while it won't be long before fans are finally rewarded with these hints culminating in a much-anticipated spin-off series, one thing is certain upon reviewing this pilot: CW's The Flash can't get here fast enough!

Going with the current storyline in The Flash comics published by DC, the series begins with, and regularly revisits, an event in Barry's childhood, where he witnesses the impossible murder of his mother by a ball of lightning with a man inside it. Nora Allen (Michelle Harrison) is killed, and the murder is pinned on Barry's father, Henry Allen (John Wesley Shipp, who played the role of the Scarlet Speedster in the 90s television series). Only Barry knows the truth about what happened, and nobody will believe him. He's seen as a bit of a conspiracy-chaser by his friends and co-workers -- but that world is about to change, and Barry is about to be vindicated.

Right away, Barry finds himself involved in a romantic triangle, the kind that seem to permeate CW series. He's in love with Iris West (Candice Patton), but she sees him as more of a sibling (for reasons made obvious in the pilot). She, on the other hand, has the hots for the newest Centrail City PD detective, Eddie Thawne (Rick Cosnett, The Vampire Diaries). If that name sounds familiar to Flash fans, it should: the secret identity of the yellow-clad Reverse-Flash from the 25th century is Eobard Thawne, so viewers will naturally be wary of this newcomer.

Assisting Barry with exploring his newfound abilities are some of STAR Labs infamous scientists, held responsible for the particle accelerator accident. Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker) and Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes) lend their expertise, but the obvious smartest man in the room is Harison Wells (Tom Cavanagh), and he's got a jaw-dropping secret for the canny DC fan. In fact, just about every time you see Harison, there's a new Flash Easter egg that could be a hint to future episodes or just a nod to the old series. (Pay attention to the name on the dry cleaning truck Barry runs into. If it means nothing to you, then hie thee to the googles!)

The Flash promises to take viewers on a wild, fast ride. If this first encounter with a possible future Rogue is any indication, the show is going to be a lot of fun.