The Legacy of The Flash

The Flash is set to end with the upcoming 9th season. There have been plenty of moments worth being excited about and decisions that have left audiences scratching their heads as to why those were made.

Wherever you side on the debate about the Arrowverse there is no denying the cultural impact it has had. Many of these characters have become household names. It has given DC the popularity that it needed. The Flash in particular has surged in fandom and popularity since the show launched.

It is easy to point at the faults of the show and say things like "What were they thinking?" Or "Why would they do such a thing?" But writing a nearly decade-long show comes with some changes to the characters we were used to. We cannot expect that shows of this nature cater to our specific wants and desires as an audience member. I know there are 80 plus years of comics but some of those stories are dated and would not make for an easy transition into film and television. You can call out the CW all you want but to make these shows as consistently as they have with the budgets they have is impressive.

Especially The Flash which required heavy CGI for the Speedster effects over the years. It took a character that was a relatively well known comic book hero and made him into something special. That didn't come without applause and frustrations and that will both be discussed. It popularized Barry Allen while disrespecting Wally West in the process. Wally was criminally underused in this series and it was the first impression many were given to the character. Barry deserved the love, he is a phenomenal Flash in the comics and responsible for some of the most iconic moments over the years. I will always stand by the statement that Barry getting love in the series did not need to diminish Wally in any way. Especially when The Flash is responsible for the change in ethnicity for the West family which has been gaining traction in other media. Wally could have been instrumental in telling stories that were grounded in realism. Instead we got a version that fizzled out and never moved beyond The Kid Flash title.

What The Flash did right was the devastation Eobard Thawne caused in the life of Barry Allen and the people he loved. That is the centre of the show. The fact these two will forever be linked as opposites and the way their destinies are forever linked. It is a wonderful story. Always has been in any media. The Flashpoint Paradox, This show, multiple comic storylines where they intersect. Thawne for me is one of the greatest villains that has ever been created. He is purely a disruptive force for his own reasons and for his own betterment. Armageddon in Season 8 truly showcased this when he went as far as to steal Barry's life. That was one of the stories that cemented this show's legacy as more good than bad.

The Arrowverse will always have a complicated history with the fans but overall there is more positive you can say than negative. It is time to put those differences aside and be thankful the Arrowverse did what no other brand could do for obscure DC characters. It made the conversation around them relevant again. It gave them a home. It allowed general audiences to be willing to watch the DC brand take risks. If nothing else the Arrowverse proved DC fans will always be honest about what they like and dislike and you cannot fault people for that.