‘The Flash’ spoilers: Get an official look at Barry Allen’s life and more
The CW has gotten into a nice little habit as of late of releasing official synopses for many of their programs, which is a particularly nice asset to those of us trying to dive into a show with at least somewhat of an idea of what we can expect.
When it comes to “The Flash” in particular, they are certainly being more than generous. There are already many trailers out there, and even though not everyone has actually seen the pilot yet, it may actually feel like you have. This will be even more the case once you take a look at the extended take on the show below, which gives you some great insight into the relationships that Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen has with some of the other people in his life:
“Barry has always had the heart of a hero and now he has the legs to match, but he quickly learns that being a superhero is not as easy as it seems — and he can’t do it alone. While Barry struggles to understand his new abilities, the people around him also have to adjust to a new reality. Joe West, Barry’s surrogate father, is coming to grips with the fact that the world of the extraordinary actually does exist. Joe thought he understood what it meant to chase criminals, but now he’s facing opponents who can do more than just rob a bank, they can control the weather. Though he knows this remarkable turn of events is Barry’s destiny, every time Barry faces danger, Joe is terrified for his surrogate son. While Joe worries about Barry, Barry worries about Joe’s daughter Iris, and how his new life as The Flash will change their relationship. Iris and Barry grew up together, and she has always believed in Barry’s conviction that unknown forces were at work the night his mother was killed. Barry has kept his romantic feelings for Iris hidden, and now feels he must protect her by keeping his new identity a secret as well. And Iris has a secret of her own — she has been dating her father’s partner, Detective Eddie Thawne, who is such a good guy, even Barry finds it hard to hate him. Still, there is tension between Barry and Thawne, who is jealous of Iris’ newfound fascination with The Flash and is determined to unmask him. Barry realizes that keeping the secret of his new identity separates him from Iris, even as her growing obsession with uncovering the truth brings her ever closer to The Flash.
“Barry has found another kind of surrogate family in the team at Harrison Wells’ S.T.A.R. Labs. Wells himself is quickly becoming a second father figure to Barry, who learned about morality and justice from Joe, and is now learning about science and technology from Wells. Wells’ ultimate agenda remains somewhat mysterious, but Barry is excited by the grander worldview that has been opened for him, and the friendship he’s building with S.T.A.R. lab team members Caitlin Snow and Cisco Ramon. For Caitlin, who lost her fiancé in the catastrophic explosion, working with Barry is providing a much- needed sense of purpose and a way to deal with her grief. Caitlin’s excitement at seeing Barry learn to use his new power is balanced by her growing concern for his safety – she and Cisco have both learned that accidents have devastating consequences. Cisco was a close friend of Caitlin’s fiancé and secretly blames himself for the tragedy. A mechanical genius who comes up with amazing gadgets that help Barry control his speed, Cisco is happy to suddenly have a new project –- and a new friend –- in Barry. “
It may sound strange, but one of the things that we are most interested about with the show right now is seeing just how long the writers may wait before eventually allowing Caitlin to become more and more like her alter ego Killer Frost. They’ve already proved with “Arrow” that making someone into a villain does not necessitate having to kill them off right away, so there may not be that big of a reason to wait until three or four seasons down the road before making the change. Plus, you don’t even know how the show is going to fare just yet.