The Flash zoomed into homes across America like an out-of-work cousin. Contrasting with the dreary, gloomy Arrow, The Flash was a jolt of energy, optimism, and fun. It was hilarious, warm with just the right melodramatic sentiment, and stuffed with action. No episode was perfect, but the first season was good television — really good television.
Expectations are high for the second season, premiering Oct. 6th on The CW. At the end of last season, the Reverse Flash/Harrison Wells/Eobard Thawne was erased from history (it was a heck of a character arc) and a big-ass portal was wrecking Central City, Barry running like a madman to close it. With Arrow season four and the premiere of Legends of Tomorrow looming, what will The Flash season two look like?
Well, busy with new stuff.
New Flash!
Barry Allen wasn’t the first speedster in DC Comics: Jay Garrick was the original Flash, who debuted in January 1940 in Flash Comics #1. And he’s bringing the Golden Age of Comics to the Golden Age of TV.
Garrick was a college student who gained his powers from inhaling hard water vapors from his science experiment. At the end of The Flash, a throwaway gag saw Jay’s helmet come from Wells’ time portal.
Well, it wasn’t a gag. Actor Teddy Sears (Masters of Sex) will be portraying Jay Garrick, who has the moniker “The Crimson Comet” in the TV series and is a parallel speeder from a parallel Earth. He’s arrived in Barry’s universe to stop the new villain Zoom (more on him later). Will the two be friends or rival equals?
No shit, they’ll team-up. Their pairing is reminiscent of the iconic Flash of Two Worlds! published in Flash #123 in September 1961 which had Barry Allen cross paths with Garrick, establishing the concept of “multi-verses” in DC. Just as that comic did, Jay Garrick’s arrival signals the introduction of multi-verses in DC television. While we’ll only see Jay Garrick for the time being, The Flash writers have opened up the doors for tons of new heroes — and villains — to show up soon.
The show has also lovingly homaged the issue in its marketing campaign.
Another New Flash!
Jay Garrick won’t be the only speedster making his debut in The Flash. Wally West, perhaps the most iconic of all the Scarlet Speedsters, will come in his New 52 incarnation played by Australian actor Keiynan Lonsdale, who will somehow be related — or of a different Earth? — to Iris and Joe West.
New Villains!
With the Reverse Flash gone, replacing him as the big bad is Professor Zoom. Who was also the Reverse Flash. But not. It’s complicated, and it’s likely The Flash series will make a left turn from the comics to avoid the confusion even comic readers have.
But Tony Todd (Candyman) will be voicing Zoom, and just voicing him, which just raises more questions about his identity which will no doubt come to play later on. Joining the “Make Barry miserable” party is former WWE Champion Adam “Edge” Copeland playing the Atom Smasher.
Though a hero in the comic books, Copeland’s Atom Smasher will be a bad guy out to rip apart The Flash’s puny body. Previously alluded to have died in the same accident that birthed The Flash, turns out he’s alive and he’s pissed. But since he’s destined for heroism, expect a face-turn for the brutish pugilist.
And expect the reverse to happen for everyone’s favorite S.T.A.R. Labs scientist, Caitlin Snow, who is destined to become the evil Killer Frost.
And it could be happening this season! Actress Danielle Panabaker was decked in full Killer Frost get-up for a brief moment in the season one finale, but Panabaker revealed at that she’ll be Killer Frost “very soon.”
And of course, the Reverse Flash may be gone, but Dr. Wells/Thawne isn’t. Tom Cavanagh is returning for season two, and his presence is to properly fold in the multi-verse in The Flash. Says star Grant Gustin from Comic-Con:
“Wells and Barry won’t be interacting at all, right out of the gate. Wells is on the show, but we’re introducing the multiverse concept so that’s why he still exists somewhere.”
New Powers!?
That’s also according to Gustin, who plays Barry Allen. In the second episode, Barry “discovers a new aspect of his powers” and that it will involve lightning. Maybe Flash rubs his feet really fast on carpet and produces some dope static.
New Love Interest!
Iris West, who lost her fiance Eddie in the season one finale, has a history of time travel in the Flash comic books. While she’s somehow destined to end up with Barry, she’s still heartbroken over Eddie and — based on her interviews at Comic-Con — may be desperate enough to do something drastic.
Meanwhile, Patty Spivot from the Flash comics will be portrayed by Shantel VanSanten, the first actress ever to play the character. A Central City investigator obsessed with metahumans, she’ll be crushing on Barry without knowing he’s also the Fastest Man Alive.
Maybe it’s best she doesn’t know. Hey-o!
New Costume
While it wasn’t a huge issue, Barry’s costume in the first season wasn’t completely accurate to the books. It rebelled and ditched the iconic white circle in the chestplate, which sort of dulled the costume’s aesthetic.
In the second season, Barry upgrades and his threads are now a brighter shade of red with the all-glorious white chestplate. Again, not a big deal, but at least this Flash looks like the Flash we’ve always known and loved.
Old Crossovers!
The Flash seriously blew away a lot of expectations in its premiere season. It established an identity away from Arrow, and built a following on its own without piggybacking off its sibling series (although the team-ups were way fun). And indeed, Arrow will be crossing over with The Flash yet again this year, not even counting the mega-crossover Legends of Tomorrow premiering as a midseason replacement. It’s a good time to be a hero.
The Flash premieres Oct. 6 on The CW.
