10 Things You Need to Know About 'The Flash'
Superheroes are all the rage on TV these days, and no series is doing it better right now than “The Flash.” As the show gears up for the second half of Season 2, here are ten facts about the hero and his series that you need to know.
1. The Show Added New Characters to the Mythos
Nearly every character of any significance on the show is pulled from the comics. However, several main characters are actually new additions. While Eobard Thawne himself is a decades-old Flash villain, neither his ancestor Eddie nor Harrison Wells (pictured) exist in the comics. And though Iris obviously has a father in the comics, he’s essentially a completely different character from Joe West.
2. The New Show Has Ties to the Old One
Several actors appearing on the current “Flash” show, including John Wesley Shipp and Mark Hamill (pictured), also appeared on the 1990 short-lived CBS “Flash” series. Amanda Pays, who also starred on the CBS series, reprises her role as Tina McGee on the new show. Now just bring back Julio!
3. Firestorm and Green Arrow Share a Connection
Robbie Amell, who plays Ronnie Raymond in several episodes of “The Flash,” is the cousin of “Arrow” star Stephen Amell. The resemblance is pretty noticeable, even though the characters themselves aren’t related.
4. Cisco Likes 'The Big Bang Theory'
Barry Allen’s tech wiz pal, Cisco, is fond of wearing nerdy T-shirts, and some of them pay homage to the popular sitcom “The Big Bang Theory.” Cisco’s “Bazinga!” shirt and “This is my spot!” shirt are all nods to “Big Bang’s” quirky main protagonist Sheldon Cooper.
5. The Justice League May Be Coming
The Season 1 episode “The Trap” came close to name-dropping the Justice League when Barry and his friends encountered the advanced computer Gideon and saw a glimpse of life ten years in the future. The comic book-style teaser art released for that episode even had Gideon call Barry a “founding member of the Justice…” before being cut off. Also, there is a fancy mural at Central City Police HQ depicting abstract versions of the JL.
6.. Central City Looks Like Portland
Just like in the comics, it’s not clear what state Flash’s home of Central City is located in. However, the second episode of the series features a map of Portland, Oregon with the real-world names changed to DC landmarks.
7. No One Knows How Fast He Can Go... Yet
Barry is still testing the limits of his Speed Force powers in the TV series, but if he ever reaches the peak speed seen in the comics, he could become a truly unstoppable force. The comic book version of Barry has been shown running faster than the speed of light -- breaking the barriers of time and space in ways that the show has yet to fully explore.
8. There Are Tons of Green Lantern References
“The Flash” has teased the possible debut of Green Lantern since its very first episode. Many episodes have name-dropped Ferris Air (the place Hal Jordan works when he isn’t defending the universe) or featured its abandoned facilities. Season 1's “Rogue Air” even directly referenced Hal when Barry mentions that a Ferris Air test pilot mysteriously disappeared.
9. Batman and Superman Have Also Been Teased
Most signs point to the fact that Batman and Superman don’t actually exist in the world of “The Flash.” That hasn’t stopped the show from including sly references to both heroes, including a line referring to the villain Girder as a “man of steel” and Cisco being inspired to create a “Flash Signal” after reading a superhero comic.
10. Flash Almost Joined Team Arrow
Grant Gustin made his debut as Barry Allen in a Season 2 episode of “Arrow” before spinning off into his own series. If "The Flash" spinoff wasn't a success, the producers has a back-up plan: Make Barry a recurring character on "Arrow" instead. producers have revealed that they had a backup plan for Barry if “The Flash” wasn’t a success. He would have become a recurring character on “Arrow” instead, which probably would have resulted in a radically different show.
