A spinoff of Arrow and based on the DC Comics character, if you haven’t checked out The Flash, I highly recommend it. Superheroes are everywhere these days and The Flash is the total package. The lead actor, Grant Gustin, is both handsome and charming, the supporting characters are excellent and there’s lots of action.

Barry Allen (Gustin) is an assistant forensic scientist for the Central City Police Department. While he enjoys, being a superhero, Barry is tortured by tragic events during his childhood. As a boy, he watched his mother murdered by a mysterious being. Barry’s father (John Wesley Shipp—the 90s version of The Flash) is sent to prison for the crime. While his co-worker, detective Joe West (Jesse L. Martin) and his daughter Iris have become his family. Nonetheless, Barry is obsessed with clearing his father’s name. Oh, and he happens to be in love with Iris, who’s dating her dad’s partner Eddie Thawne (Rick Cosnett).

A freak accident with a particle accelerator at Dr. Harrison Wells’ (Tom Cavanagh) S.T.A.R. Labs gives Barry superhuman speed. Much of the first season concerns our hero honing his newfound abilities and enjoying every second of it. Thankfully, the series is really well done and avoids becoming cheesy or over-the-top. Grant Gustin does a great job of giving the character a nice mix of boyish enthusiasm with a real desire to help residents of Central City. Even though his desire to clear his father’s name is always there, the story is lighter in tone than say, Gotham, or its sister show, Arrow. If that doesn’t entice you, Mark Hamill turns up as the older Trickster. Other villains include Gorilla Grodd, Captain Cold, Multiplex, Plastique and The Mist.

There are a lot of superhero shows out there right now, but The Flash is so good because it’s fun. Not bogged down in backstory, the writer’s wisely got right down to the business of telling the Barry Allen/The Flash story. Combine that with great acting and impressive special effects and a worthy hour of television is born.

Presented in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio, The Flash looks absolutely spectacular. The colors pop throughout, blacks are inky and skintones look natural. The image is razor sharp, every detail clearly evident. This transfer leaves little to complain about.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is just as solid. Dialogue is clean and clear, but it’s the action sequences that really make this track stand out. Surround sound is used to full effect, as breaking glass, wizzing bullets, car crashes, etc. regularly fill the soundfield. The audio track really works to help pull viewers into the show.

English SDH, Danish, Finnish, French, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latino) and Swedish subtitles are included.

The following extras are available:

Disc 1:

  • Commentary on “Pilot” includes executive producers Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg, and DC Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns.
  • Deleted Scenes from “Pilot” (3:55, HD), “Fastest Man Alive” (:33, HD), and “Things You Can’t Outrun” (:47, HD).

Disc 2:

  • Deleted Scenes from “Power Outage” (1:39, HD), “The Man in the Yellow Suit” (2:57, HD), “Revenge of the Rogues” (1:54, HD), “The Sound and the Fury” (1:07, HD), and “Crazy for You” (2:00, HD).

Disc 3

  • Deleted Scenes from “The Nuclear Man” (2:35, HD), “Fallout” (1:00, HD), “Rogue Time” (1:56, HD), and “Tricksters” (2:30, HD).
  • “Behind the Story: The Trickster Returns!” (8:39, HD) Mark Hamill and John Wesley Shipp discuss the original Flash series from 1990 and how the hero has evolved.

Disc 4

  • Deleted Scenes from “The Trap” (2:06, HD), “Grodd Lives” (2:38, HD), “Rogue Air” (1:32, HD), and “Fast Enough” (7:15, HD).
  • “The Fastest Man Alive” (30:39, HD) is a featurette that explores the history of the comic book and the creation of the television show.
  • “Creating the Blur: The VFX of The Flash“ (26:25, HD) CGI artists discuss what’s involved in creating the special effects.
  • “The Chemistry of Emily and Grant” (4:20, HD) the screen test between Grant Gustin and Emily Bett Rickards.
  • “DC Comics Night at Comic-Con 2014” (29:31, HD) Arrow, Gotham,” The Flash and Constantine are represented with a panel featuring actors and producers.
  • Gag Reel (8:24, HD) highlights all the gags, flubs, etc.