The Flash The Flash formula

[kcgr]

I've been binge watching to catch-up since I heard it was pretty good. Overall, it is not too bad, but the show has some annoyances that I probably would not have noticed unless I was watching episodes back to back to back.

1) A character (most likely Barry) has to reassure someone that everything is going to be OK, or that they are "going to save XXX." Regardless of the reassuring or the saving, they somehow must be contractually obligated to say the magical two words "I promise" in EVERY FRIGGING EPISODE.

2) Everyone has to have some secret that they eventually spill later in the season or episode. They then say they were just trying to "keep XXX safe" or "protect YYY" ... and they keep doing it again and again despite saying "no more secrets"

3) Barry has to be a dick, then come around to be reasonable in the end.

4) "I'm not fast enough" or " I have to get faster" gets reaally old after hearing it all the time.

5) Everyone fixes something, only to make something else worse as a plot device to string things along. Why are they so stupid so often??

6) All of the things above also seem to be designed to have these contrived one on one "can I talk to you for a second?" conversations in the hallway. This is like "I promise" .. it happens almost every single episode. Having these conversations develops the characters, but it almost the same every time. It is either: Someone has a hissy fit with the greater team in attendance. That person storms off. Someone then goes to chat with the first person in the hallway. OR After the hissy fit or an awkward moment, someone drops the "can I talk to you for a sec" then they go to the hallway to chat. Mix it up a little.

7) Barry could just rush it and hit the guy/gal, but no ... he has to rush up, let them know he's about to stop them and then throw in a little interview with them. Inevitably, Barry gets "whammied," but then he beats the meta in the end. Yea, I know it shows the meta's skill and makes Barry vulnerable, but it's too formulaic at this point. Even Barry should see that he can just zip right in and sock them out before they even know he's there.

Anyhow, I keep watching as the core of the show is fun. I'm not expecting anything deep or moody, the lightheartedness is good, but please have some variety and stop reusing elements 1-7 so much. No one wants the show to be a cookie cutter show.

I'm sure I missed a few things. This wasn't meant to be a dump on the show. They can do better by being unpredictable and less formulaic.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

The CW DC shows in general have a formula. Hero has command center where his support crew radio info into an ear piece. There's got to be at least one pop culture spouting member of the team. Hell the whole idea that the hero needs a team in the first place.

Well... I did a whole podcast on it. Listen to it here.

http://www.tobecontinuedafanboypodc...ille-and-death-of-muhammad-ali-june-10th-2016

 

[metaphysician]

To be blunt, "the hero has a team" is one of those things that kind of is necessary. It provides recurring characters who the hero can interact with, and be involved in the plot. "A lone hero who never interacts with any recurring characters as a hero, only in their secret ID where they do nothing but lie to them" does not good television make.

 

[Eni]

To be blunt, "the hero has a team" is one of those things that kind of is necessary. It provides recurring characters who the hero can interact with, and be involved in the plot. "A lone hero who never interacts with any recurring characters as a hero, only in their secret ID where they do nothing but lie to them" does not good television make.

A team is not necessary to keep an audience interest, one or two companion characters are enough, and especially with the Flash you see how they do the team formula wrong - the team is overbearing and overshadowing, hindering the Flash's development as a character instead of aiding him, making him dependent and really more of a moron than he could have the opportunity to be if he had to relay more on himself and his own thinking. They also introduce a lot of unnecessary drama that drags the show down as well, and the longer it goes on, the more cliche it gets.
For my part, I liked the Cisco-Caitlin-Barry dynamic of season one, so I initially didn't have a problem with them being there as well, but by now there are way too many members, and the show really should no longer be called the Flash, it's a very misleading title for what you actually get.

 

[DrCosmic]

That reminds me of Arrow at it's best, with just Diggle and Felicity, when it was really good. Flash was never just Cisco and Caitlin, though, Wells was always a huge part of it, and Joe was in on it pretty shortly thereafter.

I think the slow creep of teams (and power, and other things), comes from a bit of going with the flow and a little less of a structure, mixed with an unwillingness to let anything go (I think we have two Wells' on the team, last time I checked).

 

[kcgr]

I also forgot about the "ill-timed phone call" ... just when two characters need to hash it out, one gets a phone call that takes them away and drags out the plot some more.

C'mon people, have some manners. The person in front of you should have all your attention.

 

[shabadoo25]

The ridiculousness of the repeated themes and plot points of these shows really whack you over the head when you binge watch.

 

[kcgr]

The ridiculousness of the repeated themes and plot points of these shows really whack you over the head when you binge watch.

Yea, I'm caught up now, but unfortunately I have these things I'm subconsciously on the lookout for. It's almost like bingo at this point. They drop "I promise" and I can say "bingo!"

I'm still watching in the hope they can mix it up and improve. I'm not that opposed to the whole team behind the scenes helping, but HR is useless. Him being a catalyst?!?! Seriously, if the team would just talk about *****, they'd likely come up with the same thing as a dumbass twirling a stick that cannot add 2+2.

Let's hope for some creative and off the wall solutions coming our way versus "let me put together a reverse orgasmitron temporal accelerator" to take care of the problem. This takes MacGyvering to a whole 'nother level. t:

 

[DrCosmic]

The improvement is, essentially, what Arrow has done, and that is to, essentially, 86 the team. Take your main cast and make them That doesn't seem likely on Flash. Same thing happened to House back in the day. Having a rotating team with previous main cast taking on supporting roles allows things to move and flow and you can have the same tensions without having to do the same story beats over and over.

 

[Primal Slayer]

I dont think you need to practically do a reboot of majority of the team like Arrow did (Thea being side tracked....not cool) just tell better stories. 3 years with the same.exact.concept is ridiculous. They can have a rotating team but if you keep on doing the same.exact.concept every season that aint gonna help a thing. The characters that we know and invested in need to grow and face new challenges.

 

[zenith16]

I dont think you need to practically do a reboot of majority of the team like Arrow did (Thea being side tracked....not cool) just tell better stories. 3 years with the same.exact.concept is ridiculous. They can have a rotating team but if you keep on doing the same.exact.concept every season that aint gonna help a thing. The characters that we know and invested in need to grow and face new challenges.

 

[kcgr]

(sarcasm ahead) for S3E19

Well, the writers must be reading this thread and are intentionally picking at me. Last episode: Iris says, "Barry, you must promise me" about three times in a row to force Barry to say "I promise". THEN the phone rings, and he's gotta go.

Overall, I hit Flash bingo in annoyances: 1,3, 6,7,8 from above.

If I missed the others, they did a good job of keeping them subtle.

 

[Silver Lantern]

Very true, I like the flash series a lot always a fan and I love Wells and team flash but in order to do new things, maybe it's time they need to get rid of team flash and make solo episodes about Vibe, Killer Frost, Kid Flash and so on time to time and like the original series only Tina (3 people) knew his identity but until only 2 others found out but wasn't the main plot and there were consequences using his powers but only needed a scientist to help him. He didn't go telling everyone who he was or feeling pitty. In fact he could be tough and menacing when needed to be and solved things himself. I like the show but please God reboot it and make Barry more solo now and more scientist.

 

[Silver Lantern]

There is too much damn teen drama, self pitty (saying it's my fault) like every episode or I can't do it then he does it. Flash is great but after 3 years of speedsters main villain, secrets hiding, self pitty, too many new relationships, etc it's a drag.

 

[Silver Lantern]

The best idea for this show would be this. Cancel The Flash, Arrow, Supergirl, and legends. Now put them all together in one new series either called (Super friends, or Justice League) so Arrow, Supergirl, Flash, Superman, And more on a team and put the villains as Legion of Doom. Have solo episodes for each character and teaming them toether also to fight villains all over the world and bring in the Javelin jet. Use the Hall of Justice from the Dominator flash episode as the new base. Wells, Caitlin, Cisco, Felecity can be in separate zones in the H.O.J. Imagine the episodes each week and introce new heroes on the team and villains in L.O.D.