While The Flash’s later seasons may have been a mess, seasons 1 and 2 of the series are still better than most superhero shows today. While it might feel like there are more superhero shows than ever on screens right now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the genre is in the best place.
In fact, superhero fatigue has well and truly set in for many viewers, and it is not uncommon to see fans say that the best days of many small-screen superhero franchises have been and gone. The news that Jessica Jones returns in Daredevil: Born Again season 2 would have been groundbreaking five years ago, but now feels underwhelming.
The Flash’s First 2 Seasons Are Peak Television
That said, this may simply be because the bar was set too high from the start. 2014’s CW series The Flash, based on DC’s Barry Allen version of the superfast superhero, transcended its origins as an Arrow spinoff from the start and soon became a cult classic in its own right.
The Flash’s premiere was The CW’s second most-watched pilot of all time, second only to The Vampire Diaries, when the show began, and the show’s critical acclaim proves that its large viewership wasn’t its only success. Seasons 1 and 2 of The Flash were truly great superhero TV, elevating the Arrowverse to become a small-screen MCU competitor.
Why The Flash Fell Off After Season 2
Re-watching the series some twelve years later, it is striking to see just how much the first two seasons have aged incredibly well. The Flash seasons 1 and 2 hold up against even the big-budget Disney+/HBO Max superhero shows, which is a staggering achievement considering the show was working within network TV’s limited budgets and creative constraints.
Sadly, it is important to remember that The Flash didn’t end with its second season. The show’s storyline fell apart as it progressed, growing gradually more convoluted and melodramatic. In a fate that has fallen too many CW shows before and since, The Flash lost its easy humor and twisty storytelling amid an avalanche of lore and too many characters.
The Flash Has A Complicated Legacy
Looking back on The Flash’s first two seasons in 2026, it is clearer than ever that the series had something special that few subsequent superhero shows have been able to match. That said, the rest of the show’s run was a big disappointment, and this was made all the more bitter by its early promise.
It is possible that The Flash was never going to live up to its first two seasons, but it is still tough not to wonder about what might have been when viewers revisit the imperfect series. Seasons 1 and 2 of The Flash are a true masterpiece, but the rest of the show’s run regrettably drags down its reputation.
- Release Date
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2014 – 2023-00-00
- Showrunner
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Eric Wallace