At the end of last season, The Flash (Grant Gustin) and the S.T.A.R. labs team of Caitlin Snow, Cisco Ramon defeated his enemy Eobard Thawne, but in doing so they left open a Singularity that threaten to swallow up all of Central City. The Singularity also did something else – it opened up a doorway to a parallel world, Earth-2, allowing new threats to enter into Central City and threaten its people and The Flash. The most dangerous threat of all? Super speedster Zoom who has made it his mission to destroy The Flash and rule over both Earths.
Fans of The Flash comic books will welcome the nemesis of Zoom coming to the series and the darker, more complex turn the series has taken in its second season. The CW (the channel The Flash runs on) has become home of DC Comics series from Warner Bros. and of them all, to date, The Flash seems to be the strongest one so far. Arrow took a bit of a dip in its last season, Supergirl was middling, and iZombie has only one season under its campy belt. Of course, Gotham and Lucifer run on a rival network, although they are also from Warner Bros., but out of them all, the only series that would actually rival The Flash is Gotham with this neo-noir setting and gritty focus on the super villains. As far as the traditional superhero series go, however, The Flash is, for now, the best one on network television, thanks to its mix of freak of the week episodes, tight story arcs, and a solid ensemble cast.
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The Video
The HD production for The Flash arrives on Blu-ray in a satisfying AVC 1080p transfer from Warner Bros. The Flash vacillates between the dark and shadowy and the cool and bright, and this transfer handles both rather well. There are only small spots where a little video noise and extremely mild banding can be spotted, but this is very limited in comparison to how this series looked during broadcasts. In other words, this Blu-ray set is for intents and purposes pristine in comparison to cable/streaming versions of the series and will completely definitely satisfy all but the pickiest videophiles out there.
The Audio
The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix for The Flash seems to fall in line with most of the Warner Bros. series on Blu-ray, especially the multitude that appear on The CW. It isn’t terrible, but it isn’t what I would call reference either. There’s an abundance of atmospherics, but very limited discrete sound effects through the surround channels. The louder scenes have little very distinct separation of sounds, but once in a while we get some effects that move around us, mostly when The Flash starts running or during cut scenes.
The Supplements
The Flash: Season 2 comes with over four hours of extras plus Digital HD UltraViolet and three free digital, commercial-free episodes via Amazon or VUDU from Season 3. See the list below for specifics.
- Digital HD UltraViolet
- Get 3 Commercial-Free Episodes of Season 3 via Amazon or VUDU
- Barry and Iris: New Beginnings! (07:35) – For decades, comic book fans have been treated to the romance and passion Barry Allen has for Iris West. In this featurette, we’ll see how the show has brought this timeless love to the screen and the possibility of new directions.
- The Flash: Visual Effects – Follow The Flash in 360 (02:13) – Visual effects supervisor Armen Kevorkian explains how part science/part visual effects makes the storytelling dynamic and brings The Flash to life.
- Whose Helmet Was That? (04:23) – Sometimes even The Flash needs that extras help. What if that comes in the form of a visitor from another world? Jar Garrick, The Flash from Earth-2, complete with his uncanny winged helmet, makes his début in the second season.
- Rogues Gallery: One Cold Father, The Lewis Snart Story (04:13) – A brief look into the life of Lewis Snart, the abusive and manipulative father of Captain Cold and Golden Glider. Father does not know best!
- Heart and Heat: The Story of Firestorm (04:49) – The story of Ronnie Raymond is a tragic one, but despite being a victim of circumstance, this character always leads with his heart. The visual FX capture the heat, along with introducing Jax, the new Firestorm.
- The Flash: Visual Effects (02:38) — Earth-2 – Visual effects about the villains on Earth-2.
- Cutting Teeth: The Flash vs. King Shark (05:18)– Just when The Flash thought it was safe to bask in his victory, he is caught off guard by a colossal opponent. The VFX journey of brining King Shark to life.
- The Power of Dr. Light (05:43) – Possessing the power to capture and use light as a weapon, this major character presents The Flash with one of his most difficult opponents to date. Can The Flash outrun the speed of light?
- Into the Breach: Designing Earth-2 (04:54) – The breach opened up a pathway to a parallel universe. Earth-2 is revealed via a unique series of choices in terms of production, characters and visual effects in this short documentary.
- Gag Reel (12:29)
- Deleted Scenes
- Behind the Story: The Chemistry of Emily and Grant Screen Test (06:54) – Grant Gustin and Emily Brett Rickards bring their characters Barry and Felicity together in this rare glimpse behind the scenes.
- Grodd Lives! (06:51) – From the mind of Armen Kevorkian (visual FX supervisor), one of the greatest villains is brought to life. Working for hundreds of hours, a small army of artists helps create the vision of the show – to see Grodd live!
- Star Crossed Hawks
- The Flash: Visual Effects (02:51) – A Closer Look – A closer look at the visual effects that make a comic book superhero fly off the screen with stunning photo-realistic visuals.
- Christmas in a Flash (04:36) – Everyone loves a great Christmas episode. This season, The Flash takes on The Trickster and other rogues in a holiday battle royale.
- 2015 PaleyFest (29:54) – Team Flash meets the fans at the Paley Center.
- The Flash: 2015 Comic-Con Panel (15:04) – Warner Bros. Television Presents a Night of DC Entertainment at Comic-Con 2015: The Flash.
- The Flash: Visual Effects
- The Many Faces of Zoom – The Super Villain of Zoom is explored from the three actors that portray the character. From comic book roots to the TV screen, Zoom just might give The Flash the greatest challenge of his life.
- Chasing Flash: The Journey of Kevin Smith (51:40) – Kevin Smith, director, writer, and stand up philosopher! Join Kevin on his journey to the set of The Flash, and follow him back home as he shares his experience and the world of directing “The Runaway Dinosaur.”
- The Flash: Visual Effects – Everything Falls Apart (03:21) – See how the visual effects team used effects throughout the season, leading up to the finale, and what’s next for the characters in Season 3.
The Final Assessment
The Flash: The Complete Second Season helps solidify The Flash as one of the better superhero series on television, avoiding the sophomore slump and improving the characters. This Blu-ray set with its solid picture and sound, and hours of extras is a great way to catch up on it before the new season kicks off.
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