Last week, we saw the finale for season three of Arrow with last night bringing us the finale for season one of The Flash. And as is the case, with both shows tackling stories about DC Comics superheroes, there will always be comparisons.
But when comparing the two series, what are we looking for? Which show had the best action sequences? Which show had the best overall season plot? Which show kept truer to the comic books?
We looked at all the details, measured them up and determined which series came out on top this season.
Action
When it comes to superhero-related TV shows, one thing that is absolutely necessary is action, and both The Flash and Arrow gave fans some of the best fight scenes on television. With Barry Allen speeding through Central City and running rings around his enemies, and Oliver Queen kicking butt with the help of Team Arrow, there weren't a lot of dull moments this season with either show.
But when it comes to action, only one of these series did it best and that's Arrow. A lot of that has to do with the fact that it's not just Arrow running around the city and saving lives, but this season gave us a lot of great sequences with other characters, from John Diggle taking up the hood in Oliver's absence to Laurel's Black Canary (with her Canary Cry!) finally coming into her own. Also, the grounded nature and practical effects on Arrow will always work better on a show with a CW budget.
The action on Arrow is so impressive that The CW has a whole YouTube playlist dedicated to behind-the-scenes stunts videos from the series.
Winner: Arrow
Plot
However, when it comes to plot, we feel this season of Arrow failed its television viewing audience. This season, Oliver found himself forced to take up arms with Ra's al Ghul and become a member of the League of Assassins, to eventually become the new Ra's. He even married Al Ghul's daughter, Nyssa. And, obviously, for reasons, Oliver went along with everything, so much so that his friends and those who care about him feel that he's betrayed them.
Of course, this was a huge ploy, but the entire affair felt forced and unnatural, particularly when Oliver suddenly turns the tables on Ra's, defeats him and then decides to become someone completely different: happy Oliver. How does this even make sense? Of course, a happier Oliver will probably have him become Green Arrow next season, which should lighten the series up.
However, The Flash's plot in his first season is one we'll remember for years to come. Not only did we get Barry Allen's origin story, but we also got time travel, battles with Reverse Flash (one of the central plot points of the season) and stories with the rest of the Rogues. This all led up to one central emotional finale where Barry found himself struggling with the most important decision of his life: does he save his mother in the past? This first season of The Flash left its viewers on the edges of their seats, and now we're all impatiently waiting season two.
Winner: The Flash
Romance
What's a superhero story without a little romance? Obviously, the biggest romance story here is Arrow's Oliver and Felicity (which shippers have termed Olicity). And this season, they finally got their moment, although it happened just before Oliver turned himself over to Ra's. And as always, Oliver betrays Felicity when he's pretending that he is a dedicated League of Assassin member and marries Nyssa, but that still doesn't stop him from running off with Felicity at the end of the season.
Yes, Felicity, a strong female character who has much to offer in the Arrow universe still runs off with the bad boy who has lied to her over and over and over again. At least we got to see her with the honest guy for a little while, when she briefly dated Ray Palmer.
On The Flash, though, the story is more about Barry's unrequited love for Iris and Iris' love for Eddie. It's painful, too, because both Barry and Eddie are good guys, and even though the newspaper from the future shows that Iris marries Barry, Eddie still decides to go after her, although the season finale has a tragic twist. It's both heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time, and feels much more organic than the Oliver/Felicity romance. There's a simplicity to the romances on The Flash that just works better.
Winner: The Flash
Villains
Arrow has its share of villains, but this season's biggest villain was Oliver himself. Other villains put in an appearance here and there, but this season was more about Oliver and his fight against Ra's al Ghul and it seems that this season just took it all a bit too seriously.
The Flash, though, gave us a lot of fun iconic villains, all in the first season, so much so that we have to wonder if they've left any for future seasons. We got the Weather Wizard, Captain Cold, Trickster and many more, including Reverse Flash, who played into the season's overall story arc. There's no contest here when it comes to bad guys: The Flash wins this category hands down.
Winner: The Flash
Comic Book Accuracy
Arrow's story comes from the Green Arrow comics, but, just in name alone. With the other characters on the series, too, such as Black Canary, the origin stories are drastically different, although little bits of comic book lore are thrown in for good measure.
Of course, it's likely we'll see Oliver become Green Arrow in its next season, so perhaps we'll get back to the comic books where Oliver is not so much like Batman.
The Flash, though, stays fairly true to Allen's origin story. Although the particle accelerator explosion is a new plot device, it still sticks close to the original. Barry is much the same as he is in the comics, with his superpowers front and center (Arrow's setting focuses much less on superpowers). The Flash embraced its comic book story and even gave us a classic villain, Reverse Flash, in the first season. Now, it's likely we'll see other comic book plots, such as multiple Earths, so again, The Flash takes the trophy here.
Winner: The Flash
Arrow vs. The Flash: who wins?
When we tally up the scores, there's a clear winner this season and that's The Flash. With its bold comic book choices, wonderful time travel-related plot, interesting villains and similarity to the comic books, The Flash beats Arrow hands down.
[Photo Credit: The CW]
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