DC shows ‘The Flash’, ‘Arrow’ return

Trenton Holmquist, Sectional Editor

DC TV is back and ready for action. “The Flash” season two premiered Oct. 6, and “Arrow” season four on Oct. 7. While The Flash is aiming for a bull’s-eye and Arrow is looking for a speedy recovery, both superheroes are prepared to take on A-List villains and protect the cities they call home.

Actors Grant Gustin (The Flash) and Stephen Amell (Green Arrow) suit up for another season on the silver screen. Of course, this year, their suits are brand new and even better than before.

The season two premiere of “The Flash” wasn’t particularly grand, but it gave viewers some much needed answers. After season one ending the way it did, there have been many theories as to the new paths and storylines the show is willing to take. Well, it looks like the writers chose a path a little bit in between dark and light.

The always sunny Central City, the home of the Scarlet Speedster, celebrates its first annual “Flash Day” in the first episode entitled “The Man Who Saved Central City.” As Flash makes his appearance on stage, the rally comes under siege by Atom Smasher, a chemical colossus whose only vendetta is to return home; in order to do so, his only choice is to kill Flash.

Flash’s alter ego, Barry Allen, is already conflicted by the deaths of his friends, blaming himself for their sacrifice. In his false guilt, Barry decides to patrol the streets on his own, leaving all of his friends in the dark. Even with the lingering threat of the Atom Smasher, Barry insists he be the only person involved.

The whole lone crime fighter theme could have been intriguing, depending on how it was played out. It created a sorrowful tone that all audiences could be sympathetic towards. Whenever The Flash runs headfirst into a fight, viewers will sit on the edge of their seats, knowing the odds were against the protagonist due to his lack of confidence and determination.

As usual, all was forgiven and everyone became friends again, which lost the intensity of what could’ve been a very exciting obstacle to overcome. It would have been better if the team hadn’t made up so early in the season, but instead held off a few episodes to avoid the cliche happy ending.

On a smaller scale, the special effects are due for a makeover. It isn’t too big of a deal, but the show could do with a bigger budget. Some scenes are noticeably animated, which is not good during important parts of the story. It’s never a good thing when the people look like wax figures while fighting one another.

It didn’t take much to cast aside the mistakes. It was a good premiere. Hopefully, the next few episodes will create a more exciting TV environment.

This year’s first episode of “Arrow” was almost literally a breath of fresh air. Season three of Arrow looked like the most promising during its time, but quite shockingly, it turned out to be the most disappointing. Every fan has been silently praying for season four to be the comeback they deserve.

After a painstakingly long wait, “Arrow” shocked the world again with what was the best first episode yet. Being the darker of the two shows, “Arrow” is naturally drawn to the deadlier, more dangerous villains. This year, the villain is Damien Dahrk.

Following Oliver Queen in his domestic life, the show made watchers feel warm and fuzzy on the inside what with all the romance going on. Unlike on “The Flash,” the progression towards the climax was well planned and didn’t happen immediately.

The past three years, “Arrow” has been a stern shoulder in DC Comics. Not overly superhuman, it provided more real life situations that people without superpowers can relate to. That isn’t quite the case this season. This year, they’re going to venture into magic and mysticism which leads to another great upcoming: John Constantine.

After the TV show “Constantine” was shut off the air, Stephen Amell roused some interest in getting the show back on. Unfortunately, no one would bite, so the writers of “Arrow” decided to do the next best thing — bring Constantine to “Arrow.”

That’s right, Matt Ryan, the actor who played the character John Constantine, will be making his first Arrow debut sometime around episode five, which could be one of the most exciting crossover events ever written. Now it’s only a matter of knowing what they’re going to have him on for. Some say magic, some say resurrecting the dead. Who knows? Maybe, just maybe, the writers are trying to drum up enough attention to give Ryan his show back.

“Arrow” had a great return. All that’s left to do is let the curtain unfold and wait to see what comes next. One thing is certain, though, this season is not going to be a disappointment.

Altogether, both shows made a heroic return to the family room. Despite the quick pace, “The Flash” held its own. Season two has started off as well as it should’ve and didn’t let anyone down. With a few small touch ups, this year has the potential to be even better than the last. “Arrow’s” promise for a better future is going to be well worth the wait and after its first episode, audiences everywhere should be pleased with the bright and dark things ahead.