We all sat back and watched The Flash take The CW by storm this fall, and I for one am so glad I jumped on the bandwagon early. The first ten episodes were jam-packed with love, loss, and cooky super villains, which translated into ratings gold for an otherwise shaky network. If you didn’t tune in for the front half of this new hit series, no need to worry! The show returns on January 20th, leaving you plenty of time to binge watch over your holiday break.

In the meantime, here are five reasons why you should DEFINITELY be watching The Flash.

1. This Guy

Grant Gustin as Barry Allen is one of my favorite on-screen incarnations of a superhero character. Ever. The Flash has always been a smooth, fast-talking kind of guy, but Gustin takes it to a whole new level with his charming grin and gangly awkwardness. Not only does he insert an adorably shy side to Barry, he’s also a master of comedic timing. This action/adventure drama sometimes feels like comedy hour with how often the characters land their jokes. You’ll be on the edge of your seat, but you’ll also be shaking with laughter most of the time.

2. The Mystery

We’re not sure yet what exactly is going on with the sometimes-shady Dr. Wells, but it can’t be anything good. He seems to be messing with the future and the past, and I’ve seen enough Doctor Who episodes to know that time travel never ends well (especially if your intentions are less than honorable). I’m not sticking Dr. Wells in the villain column just yet, but I’m going to keep my eye on him. The mid-season finale certainly hinted that he might not be the friendliest physicist on the block, and we’ve still got 13 episodes to go. Anything could happen.

3. The Girls

Let me introduce you to Iris West and Caitlin Snow. Not only am I beyond excited to see a woman of color cast in a traditionally Caucasian role, I’m also thrilled to see Caitlin as the quirky scientist sidekick, a character traditionally depicted as a dude. Both of these women are gorgeous, emotional, hard-headed, and sometimes damsel-y, but they are also strong, smart, no-nonsense supporting characters. I love seeing well-rounded women on TV, and The Flash has got that in spades. Iris owns the screen as Barry’s childhood friend and unrequited love, while Caitlin stole our hearts with her huge brain and mother hen attitude. Really, I’d watch the Iris and Caitlin show if it ever came down to it.

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4. The Feels

As with all good CW shows, this primetime drama is about family and the gut-wrenching feelings they give us when they’re on screen together. It doesn’t even matter which family you’re talking about; Barry and his falsely accused father, Joe and his daughter plus surrogate son, or even just the unshakeable loyalty of Team Flash – a hodgepodge, but a family nonetheless. These people would move heaven and earth for each other, which is exactly what we as an audience want to see from our beloved characters. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll cry some more. These guys just really know how to pull on the heartstrings.

5. The Crossovers





If you hadn’t heard, The Flash is actually a spinoff of the parent series Arrow, which details the life and times of a very different vigilante: Green Arrow (aka Oliver Queen). The two shows have extremely different tones and premises, but somehow the creators still manage to honor that connection between the worlds and characters. There were dozens of Easter Eggs dropped throughout the Fall to indicate that these two stories were happening on congruent timelines, and there were a total of FOUR crossovers. The two-hour crossover event definitely took the cake as the best thing to hit the CW network in years. Watching our two favorite shows collide and interact was definitely the highlight of the season. Other series on that network should start taking notes.