Barry Allen was just 11 years old when his mother was killed in a bizarre and terrifying incident and his father was falsely convicted of the murder. With his life changed forever by the tragedy, Barry was taken in and raised by Detective Joe West, the father of Barry’s best friend, Iris. Now, Barry has become a brilliant, driven and endearingly geeky CSI investigator, whose determination to uncover the truth about his mother’s strange death leads him to follow up on every unexplained urban legend and scientific advancement that comes along.
Barry’s latest obsession is a cutting edge particle accelerator, created by visionary physicist Harrison Wells and his STAR Labs team, who claim that this invention will bring about unimaginable advancements in power and medicine. However, something goes horribly wrong during the public unveiling, and when the devastating explosion causes a freak storm, many lives are lost and Barry is struck by lightning. After nine months in a coma, Barry awakens to find his life has changed once again – the accident has given him the power of super speed, granting him the ability to move through Central City like an unseen guardian angel.
Barry has always had the heart of a hero and now he has the legs to match, but he quickly learns that being a superhero is not as easy as it seems -- and he can’t do it alone. While Barry struggles to understand his new abilities, the people around him also have to adjust to a new reality. Joe West, Barry’s surrogate father, is coming to grips with the fact that the world of the extraordinary actually does exist. Joe thought he understood what it meant to chase criminals, but now he’s facing opponents who can do more than just rob a bank, they can control the weather. Though he knows this remarkable turn of events is Barry’s destiny, every time Barry faces danger, Joe is terrified for his surrogate son. While Joe worries about Barry, Barry worries about Joe’s daughter Iris, and how his new life as The Flash will change their relationship. Iris and Barry grew up together, and she has always believed in Barry’s conviction that unknown forces were at work the night his mother was killed. Barry has kept his romantic feelings for Iris hidden, and now feels he must protect her by keeping his new identity a secret as well. And Iris has a secret of her own -- she has been dating her father’s partner, Detective Eddie Thawne, who is such a good guy, even Barry finds it hard to hate him. Still, there is tension between Barry and Thawne, who is jealous of Iris’ newfound fascination with The Flash and is determined to unmask him. Barry realizes that keeping the secret of his new identity separates him from Iris, even as her growing obsession with uncovering the truth brings her ever closer to The Flash.
Barry has found another kind of surrogate family in the team at Harrison Wells’ S.T.A.R. Labs. Wells himself is quickly becoming a second father figure to Barry, who learned about morality and justice from Joe, and is now learning about science and technology from Wells. Wells’ ultimate agenda remains somewhat mysterious, but Barry is excited by the grander worldview that has been opened for him, and the friendship he’s building with S.T.A.R. lab team members Caitlin Snow and Cisco Ramon. For Caitlin, who lost her fiancé in the catastrophic explosion, working with Barry is providing a much- needed sense of purpose and a way to deal with her grief. Caitlin’s excitement at seeing Barry learn to use his new power is balanced by her growing concern for his safety – she and Cisco have both learned that accidents have devastating consequences. Cisco was a close friend of Caitlin’s fiancé and secretly blames himself for the tragedy. A mechanical genius who comes up with amazing gadgets that help Barry control his speed, Cisco is happy to suddenly have a new project –- and a new friend –- in Barry.
While he struggles to combine these two very different groups of people into a crime-fighting unit, Barry is still excited every day by his newfound powers. He is also shocked to discover he is not the only “meta-human” created in the wake of the accelerator explosion – and not everyone is using the new powers for good. In the months since the accident, the city has seen a sharp increase in missing people, unexplained deaths and other strange phenomena. Barry now has a renewed purpose – using his gift of speed to protect the innocent, while never giving up on his quest to solve his mother’s murder and clear his father’s name. For now, only a few close friends and associates know that Barry is literally the fastest man alive, but it won’t be long before the world learns what Barry Allen has become…The Flash.
The series stars Grant Gustin (“Glee,” “Arrow”) as Barry Allen/The Flash, Candice Patton (“The Game”) as Iris West, Rick Cosnett (“The Vampire Diaries”) as Eddie Thawne, Danielle Panabaker (“Necessary Roughness,” “Justified”) as Caitlin Snow, Carlos Valdes (“Once” on Broadway ) as Cisco Ramon, with Tom Cavanagh (“Ed,” “Eli Stone”) as Harrison Wells and Jesse L. Martin (“Law & Order”) as Detective West. THE FLASH is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti (“Arrow,” “The Tomorrow People,” “Green Lantern”), Andrew Kreisberg (“Arrow,” “Eli Stone”), David Nutter (“Arrow,” “Game of Thrones”) and Sarah Schechter. The pilot was directed by David Nutter. This series is based upon characters published by DC Entertainment.
1.13 The Nuclear Man ROBBIE AMELL AND VICTOR GARBER GUEST STAR AS FIRESTORM — After Ronnie (guest star Robbie Amell) attacks a physicist (guest star Bill Dow), Barry (Grant Gustin) and the team realize they need to go after Caitlin’s (Danielle Panabaker) fiancé who is now a dangerous meta-human. They deduce the best way to track Ronnie is to find Dr. Martin Stein (guest star Victor Garber) who was working on a project called F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. Barry struggles to balance his duties as The Flash and his relationship with Linda Park (guest star Malese Jow), and Joe (Jesse L. Martin) enlists Cisco’s (Carlos Valdes) help to reinvestigate the murder of Nora Allen (guest star Michelle Harrison). General Eiling (Clancy Brown) returns to Central City. Glen Winter directed the episode written by Andrew Kreisberg & Katherine Walczak (#113). Original airdate 2/10/2015.
1.14 Fallout GENERAL EILING TARGETS FIRESTORM — After the nuclear explosion separates Ronnie (guest star Robbie Amell) and Dr. Stein (guest star Victor Garber), Barry (Grant Gustin) and the team believe both men are safe. Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) is thrilled to have her fiancé back and prepares to resume their life together while Dr. Stein returns to his wife. However, when General Eiling (guest star Clancy Brown) targets Firestorm, Ronnie and Dr. Stein must decide if they are safer together or apart. Meanwhile, Mason Bridge (guest star Roger Howorth) tells Iris (Candice Patton) that there is something secretive going on at S.T.A.R. Labs and Dr. Stein gives Barry some important information about time travel. Steve Surjik directed the episode written by Keto Shimizu & Ben Sokolowski (#114). Original airdate 2/17/2015
Question: Do you have any scoop on any DC heroes or villains coming to Arrow or The Flash? —Michael
Ausiello: I’ve got some explosive scoop on this one (you’ll see what I did there in a minute): Sgt. Bette Sans Souci – AKA Plastique – will make her way to The Flash this season.
The series’ incarnation of the metahuman is a fetching young redhead who was a bomb specialist with the Army before she was injured by an IED in Iraq.
Since being exposed to the Central City explosion, she can turn any object into a bomb with just a touch of her hand – not a bad comrade for The Flash to have on his team, eh? (Source)
What can you tell me about Stephen Amell’s cameo in the pilot for The Flash? —Kat
I can tell you that it’s a nice enough, if obvious, moment, where Barry seeks out the nudge he needs to be the hero he now can be.
Now, if I can interest you in some Episode 2 scoop, I am hearing that the second metahuman The Flash will face off against might make us all feel a bit… well, Mist-y. (Source)
Any info on the crossover episodes of Flash and Arrow? — Leona
I hear the shows' overall narrative arcs will be somewhat related this season, enough so that the crossover will make sense.
"Something will happen at the end of Episode 7 of Arrow that will send the Arrow team to Central City and they will discover it was a wider plot, which will drive them all back to Starling City," executive producer Andrew Kreisberg tells me. (Source)
Do you know if The Flash is looking to introduce any more of the Rogues from the comics? – Andy B.
In addition to the likes of Captains Cold and Boomerang, at midseason we will also meet Hartley, a onetime mentee of Dr. Wells’ who lost his hearing in an accident and now is out to wreak havoc with an invention of his own.
(Of course, you may know Hartley — who happens to be gay — as the Pied Piper.) (Source)