'Pilot'
Genre: Action, Drama
CSI investigator Barry Allen gains superpowers and is transformed into 'The Flash' when he is struck by lighting.
The Flash is a adaptation of the DC comics about the superhero 'The Flash' which airs on the CW network and is available to stream on Netflix. It was created by Greg Berlanti, Geoff Johns, and Andrew Kreisberg, and stars Grant Gustin as Barry Allen/'The Flash'. The pilot premiered in 2014, and the fourth season is currently airing.
Analysis:
Gender
The show is stereotypical in the way it presents Barry's best friend, Iris West, in the pilot. When she is first seen she is introduced as not being as smart as Barry but not caring to learn what she doesn't know about physics, and seeming to be concerned about her appearance. She is used only as a love interest for Barry, and later in the episode is seen to have become the girlfriend of one of Barry's colleagues which upsets him. Barry saves her from a police car as it swerves towards the pavement whilst chasing a criminal, closely mirroring the damsel in distress stereotype, and making it seem as if she needs Barry, and cannot save herself.
Barry's superhero persona of 'The Flash' is also presented in what seems to be a stereotypical manner. He is shown as being strong, and does not obey doctor's orders when he is told he could hurt himself by attempting to save someone else, instead being selfless and acting as the hero. He also has a troubled past, with his father being accused of murdering his mother when he was 11, although he knows otherwise.
The thing that separates 'The Flash' from other superheroes is that he is more vulnerable, even crying openly and often. He doesn't hide his emotions and admits when he is wrong, which are typically feminine traits.
However, his guardian Joe West, is very maternal, always giving him advice and comforting him, which also goes against the norm, even though both Barry and Joe work for the city's police force in typically masculine jobs.
Therefore, although the show presents female characters in a traditional way during the pilot, it subverts typical masculine traits, and instead utilises more feminine ones to present more interesting, layered male characters.
Review:
I found this change of gender stereotypes with male characters interesting in The Flash, although it would have been better if there had also been an attempt to do the same with the female characters. However, Barry is both strong and vulnerable which I think has potential for lots of character development and varied stories in future episodes. This is what I liked best about Barry's character because it made him more relatable than other superheroes, who I find can sometimes try to forget about their troubled pasts, rather than embrace them and use them as one of their strengths as Barry does. Some of Barry's heroic acts were quite over-dramatic though, for example, after the police car swerves and narrowly misses him and Iris, he goes after the criminal himself, making the car roll. But as Barry escapes the wreck of the criminal's car, a passing car crashes into the wreckage, causing even more destruction, which I thought was unnecessary given the amount of damage already in the scene. Overall, I would like to see what happens in future episodes of The Flash because I don't usually watch shows or films about superheroes, but I enjoyed Barry's transformation and would like to see how it continues to change his life as he helps people. However, if the female characters continue to be so typically presented I probably won't watch many more episodes.
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