I am a completist so when the CW announced that The Flash was a show from the same universe as Arrow, I knew that I would have to watch it. Fortunately I like The Flash. Unlike Arrow, a much darker and more violent show, The Flash is the rare show where the hero is NOT dysfunctional and a complete Pollyanna despite all the adversity that he faced. Unlike Arrow, The Flash is suitable for kids and adults although there is violence.
Is The Flash the first time in tv history that a black family adopted a white kid? I love Jesse L. Martin from Rent to Law & Order so I probably would have given The Flash a chance even if it wasn’t an Arrow spinoff. What I didn’t expect is to become a fan of the character Cisco Ramon, a scientist who quotes movies and pop culture. If he existed in real life, he would be my type, but alas, it is fiction. The Flash’s entire cast is pretty solid, including great guest stars such as Victor Garber (alias), Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell (Prison Break).
Unfortunately The Flash isn’t perfect. The Flash suffers from two annoying tropes that plagued Smallville: keeping one character in the dark about The Flash’s secret identity and the unrequited love interest, which felt extra cruel in The Flash because she only liked Barry Allen when he began to move on and find love elsewhere. She even actively sabotaged his relationships. The first of those tropes were dropped, but the jury is still out on the second one.
The Flash is a good show, but I would not drop everything to see it. If you like comic book heroes, then give The Flash a chance if you have time.