[TV Show Review] ‘The Flash’ Season 2 is even better than the first

"The Flash" Season 2 (Forbes)
"The Flash" Season 2 (Forbes)

Should you watch the series more than once? Yes.

Should you buy the DVD? If you like checking out references.

Score: 4.2/5

Number of episodes: 23

Episode length: ~40 minutes

"The Flash" Season 2 (Forbes)
“The Flash” Season 2 (Forbes)

“The Flash” is a live action superhero action drama about the Flash from DC Comics. He is the fastest man alive in the DC universe. Season 2 aired over 2015 to 2016.

The second season sees his adventures dealing with alternate universes that have made contact with our universe thanks to his actions in the previous season. It stars Grant Gustin (Flash/Barry Allen), Candice Patton (Iris West), Danielle Panabaker (Caitlin Snow), Carlos Valdes (Cisco Ramon), Tom Cavanagh (Harrison Wells), Jesse L. Martin (Joe West), and Keiynan Lonsdale (Wally West).

"The Flash" Season 2 (Forbes)
“The Flash” Season 2 (Forbes)

I consider “The Flash” to be the best superhero drama currently airing, and possibly one of the best superhero shows ever. It’s got the right amounts of action, drama, technobabble, camaraderie, family moments, comic book references, and romance to make it an excellent drama that’s accessible to all audiences, and not just pop culture fans. Season 2 takes the excellent elements of Season 1 and gives it a new twist, keeping what’s good and familiar while giving us enough novelty to continue hooking our interest.

"The Flash" Season 2 (Forbes)
“The Flash” Season 2 (Forbes)

Highlights

Barry Allen’s emotional conflict

Barry Allen, as written, is an incredibly cheerful character. This is why when disaster strikes, it hits him even harder than it would some other angsty hero (like Arrow). The conflict here isn’t about whether the tragedies will consume him, but whether it will change him fundamentally from an optimist to a pessimist. Be it the conflict he has from the season premiere all the way to the death at the end of the season, we’re always invested in Barry Allen’s conflict because we don’t want him to change. We want him to be, and to stay, happy.

The fantastical element

“The Flash” is ultimately a science fantasy show, and it uses this element judiciously in its episodes. It’s not taken to the extreme where you get lost, like how “Fringe” does it sometimes (although I loved “Fringe”, don’t get me wrong). Yet there’s enough of it to remind us that “The Flash” takes place in a larger than life world, that it’s a fantasy drama. There’s just enough logical and consistent explanation for us to buy in to the sci-fi elements without descending into copious explanation that drags down the pacing. It’s just right.

Every character has an interesting arc

Although Flash is the central character in “The Flash”, the other characters are not just there for show. They each have their own storyline that feels organic and natural, rather than just jettisoning them into situations which are uncomfortable for them (like a nerdy IT girl becoming a CEO, for instance, which does not happen here). The fantastical element is also incorporated into many character arcs, which means that they’re interesting because they serve a purpose, rather than just being interesting for the sake of ratings.

The alternate universe (Earth-2)

The Earth-2 doppelgängers are a unique way of tying up loose ends and exploring facets of the characters without laborious exposition or contrived set-ups. “The Flash” also has a lot of fun with them, because it allows them to go pretty far with certain characters without having to worry about the consequences of their actions. I liked Earth-2 in this series, and the alternate universe concept was very well handled.

"The Flash" Season 2 (Forbes)
“The Flash” Season 2 (Forbes)

Letdowns

Wally West is a spoilt brat

I like the Wally West version of Flash, mainly because of “Justice League Unlimited”. Here, he’s portrayed as a grumpy, whiny kid who has to have everything go his way. I understand that it eventually shows his character growth and such, but really? Does he have an axe to grind with everyone when he appears? Can he not just behave with a little more maturity?

Zoom gets really hammy

Zoom, the big bad for Season 2, starts off as a threatening, nearly invincible villain. After the big twist is revealed, he devolves into a corny bad guy who cackles with laughter and wants to be evil for the sake of it. He even seems to be depowered after his lapse into hamminess, and his final plot is eye-rolling-ly silly. By the end of the series, he’s no longer the scary presence he used to be.

"The Flash" Season 2 (Forbes)
“The Flash” Season 2 (Forbes)

“The Flash” Season 2 is, amazingly, even better than Season 1.

Picture credit: Forbes

Marcus Goh is a Singapore television scriptwriter. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. He Tweets/Instagrams at Optimarcus and writes at marcusgohmarcusgoh.com

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