I love this show. I really do. I highly recommend it.
I watch a ton of television and movies and was told to watch this show by a few people. I kind of hesitated because it was a superhero show and on the CW. I didn't feel like I really needed to watch a bunch of teenagers run around fighting crime and hormones.
However, I was so very wrong. This show does just about everything really, really well.
The writing is great. It knows its target audience, it knows how to provide the cliches, and it knows how to go just a step beyond them to touch upon what really drives a story -- complex character motivations and great interactions with other characters.
The casting is pretty great, too. I was pleasantly surprised by some great acting. Some actors are better than others, but that will happen on any show.
The father figure, Joe, is portrayed by Jesse L. Martin and he is fantastic. His acting is above and beyond the others. He gives the heart and soul of the show, well, a heart and soul.
Another great actor in this show is the excellent Tom Cavanagh. I truly enjoy watching him on this show. Every scene he is in he steals. He is capable of being witty, funny, charming, devious, and above all else likable. I like him whether he is a bad guy or a good guy. My eye is drawn to him on the screen and I am delighted every timeI get a chance to watch him in action.
Newcomer Carlos Valades rounds out the top tier of the casting. He does cute, warm, amusing, and nerdy so well it is hard not to like him. In fact, I think it would be very hard to find anyone that doesn't like him. A few times in the show I feel like I've caught the actors themselves trying to hide smiles from his portrayal of Cisco. I constantly find myself sincerely, visibly smiling ear-to-ear when he is on screen.
The supporting cast is good as well. I very much enjoyed Captain Cold (Wentowrth Miller), Dr. Martin Stein (Victor Garber), and appearances by The Arrow and Felicity Smoke.
The main casting of Barry has grown on me. The young woman who portrays Iris West is good, but I just don't feel that connection to her. She is of course, beautiful, she does warmth well, she does scared well ... I'm just not sure what it is. It could be the writing of her character, I'm not sure. I just don't love her. The young man who plays Eddie Thawne does not do it for me at all. That smile that is plastered on his face always makes me think he is a bad guy. I think it's just bad acting. The last character is Dr. Frost. I'm holding judgement on her for now. In the first few episodes I considered her the weak link. She is growing on me, but no where near how much The Flash has grown on me. However, there is something I do really like in the actress, so, for now, She is relegated to B team, but no harsh words for her.
I watch a ton of television and movies and was told to watch this show by a few people. I kind of hesitated because it was a superhero show and on the CW. I didn't feel like I really needed to watch a bunch of teenagers run around fighting crime and hormones.
However, I was so very wrong. This show does just about everything really, really well.
The writing is great. It knows its target audience, it knows how to provide the cliches, and it knows how to go just a step beyond them to touch upon what really drives a story -- complex character motivations and great interactions with other characters.
The casting is pretty great, too. I was pleasantly surprised by some great acting. Some actors are better than others, but that will happen on any show.
The father figure, Joe, is portrayed by Jesse L. Martin and he is fantastic. His acting is above and beyond the others. He gives the heart and soul of the show, well, a heart and soul.
Another great actor in this show is the excellent Tom Cavanagh. I truly enjoy watching him on this show. Every scene he is in he steals. He is capable of being witty, funny, charming, devious, and above all else likable. I like him whether he is a bad guy or a good guy. My eye is drawn to him on the screen and I am delighted every timeI get a chance to watch him in action.
Newcomer Carlos Valades rounds out the top tier of the casting. He does cute, warm, amusing, and nerdy so well it is hard not to like him. In fact, I think it would be very hard to find anyone that doesn't like him. A few times in the show I feel like I've caught the actors themselves trying to hide smiles from his portrayal of Cisco. I constantly find myself sincerely, visibly smiling ear-to-ear when he is on screen.
The supporting cast is good as well. I very much enjoyed Captain Cold (Wentowrth Miller), Dr. Martin Stein (Victor Garber), and appearances by The Arrow and Felicity Smoke.
The main casting of Barry has grown on me. The young woman who portrays Iris West is good, but I just don't feel that connection to her. She is of course, beautiful, she does warmth well, she does scared well ... I'm just not sure what it is. It could be the writing of her character, I'm not sure. I just don't love her. The young man who plays Eddie Thawne does not do it for me at all. That smile that is plastered on his face always makes me think he is a bad guy. I think it's just bad acting. The last character is Dr. Frost. I'm holding judgement on her for now. In the first few episodes I considered her the weak link. She is growing on me, but no where near how much The Flash has grown on me. However, there is something I do really like in the actress, so, for now, She is relegated to B team, but no harsh words for her.
As for the episodes themselves, they have great pacing, the plots are interesting, and each has just the right balance between humor, plot twist, and intrigue to make for a great show. Never do I feel like one is at the cost of the other.
The special effects are pretty good, too. The costumes are great. Again, just the right balance is struck on this good-natured, fun-filled show.
There also isn't a heavy does of teen/early twenties angst. It is refreshing to see the young adults respect their parents, bosses, and elders. It's refreshing no one has an alcohol or drug problem. Some of the best scenes are between Joe and Barry, a father and foster son relationship that is warm, touching, and at times, truly admirable.
The special effects are pretty good, too. The costumes are great. Again, just the right balance is struck on this good-natured, fun-filled show.
There also isn't a heavy does of teen/early twenties angst. It is refreshing to see the young adults respect their parents, bosses, and elders. It's refreshing no one has an alcohol or drug problem. Some of the best scenes are between Joe and Barry, a father and foster son relationship that is warm, touching, and at times, truly admirable.
This superhero show distances itself from others like Daredevil because it is light, funny, and good natured. There isn't a ton of overt violence in it. It's spunky.
I say give it a chance. I know that since I watched the first season on Netflix I'm going to put forth the effort to find this show for the second season. It's worth my time ... and yours.
I say give it a chance. I know that since I watched the first season on Netflix I'm going to put forth the effort to find this show for the second season. It's worth my time ... and yours.
Until next time!
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You can find my other blogs here:
http://www.ihatemyback.com
http://www.madelinefresco.com
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Madeline Fresco is a novelist who lives in San Diego. She is the author of CROSSED THE LINE, available for Kindle at Amazon.com, for Nook at Barnes & Noble, and as an ePub at other eBook retailers. You can also listen to her novel as a free, serialized audiobook at http://www.madelinefresco.com. Her second book THE CHOICE, is available on Kindle at Amazon. Her third book ANGUISH, is available for Kindle at Amazon.com
**
You can find my other blogs here:
http://www.ihatemyback.com
http://www.madelinefresco.com
****
Madeline Fresco is a novelist who lives in San Diego. She is the author of CROSSED THE LINE, available for Kindle at Amazon.com, for Nook at Barnes & Noble, and as an ePub at other eBook retailers. You can also listen to her novel as a free, serialized audiobook at http://www.madelinefresco.com. Her second book THE CHOICE, is available on Kindle at Amazon. Her third book ANGUISH, is available for Kindle at Amazon.com