Topic: The Flash Marathon

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The Flash Marathon

WHO-O-O-O-OSH! The origins and exploits of the crimefighting DC Comics superhero come your way at lightning speed in this 22-episode live-action series. John Wesley Shipp portrays Barry Allen, a police crime technologist endowed with sudden talents after a fluke lab accident. He pledges to use his new powers for good, powers that include ultra-speed reflexes and the ability to vibrate his molecules so rapidly he can pass through solid walls. Amanda Pays is medical researcher Tina McGee, who monitors Allen's accelerated metabolism and guards his secret identity. The Trickster, Captain Cold, the Ghost, mad inventors: Central City is rife with criminals. Now there's a hero to keep pace with them. He's called The Flash. And in our era of instant communications, he's more in step with the times than ever.

Back in August of 2008 I had a poll to what TV Series I should review next. The Flash: The Complete Series was the clear winner of that poll. But unfortunately do to the first disc being destroyed I couldn't watch the series at that time. It took me a good year and a half to replace the set. But I finally did.. and I promised to review the set when I got it... so here I am keeping my promise.

Episode List:

1. Pilot 2. Out of Control 3. Watching the Detectives 4. Honor Among Thieves 5. Double Vision 6. Sins of the Father 7. Child's Play 8. Shroud of Death 9. Ghost in the Machine 10. Sight Unseen 11. Beat the Clock

12. The Trickster 13. Tina, Is That You? 14. Be My Baby 15. Fast Forward 16. Deadly Nightshade 17. Captain Cold 18. Twin Streaks 19. Done with Mirrors 20. Good Night, Central City 21. Alpha 22. The Trial of the Trickster

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The Flash Marathon

Image: While working in the police lab Barry Allen is struck by lightning. The mixture of the lightning and chemicals turns Barry Allen into The Flash

Episode 1 - Pilot Movie

The origin of a superhero. An accident gives police crime-lab expert Barry Allen awesome powers of speed, and he vows to use them to bring his brother's murderer to justice. But first, Allen must learn to control his sudden, remarkable talents.

Guest Stars:
Paula Marshall as Iris
Michael Nader as Pike
Tim Thomerson as Jay Allen
Priscilla Pointer as Nora Allen
Lycia Naff as Lila
Richard Belzer as Joe Kline
Robert Hooks as Chief Arthur Cooper
M. Emmet Walsh as Henry Allen

My Thoughts:
This is a series I enjoyed since it originally aired in 1990, Wow... it just hit me that this series is already 20 years old! I used to watch this with my wife (girlfriend at the time) every week. And we were both bummed when it was canceled after the first season. This movie length pilot episode is a great origin story for our hero. I think John Wesley Shipp was a great choice for the Scarlet Speedster. And I also liked the lovely Amanda Pays as Tina McGee... the scientist that helps Barry Allen. She is the only person that knows Barry's secret. Well except for Barry's dog of course. I still laugh every time that dog freaks out because of Barry's speed. I actually laughed out loud when Barry asked his dog if he wanted to take a walk... and scared the dog goes hide in the closet... pulling the door shut with his leash. The episode ends on a good note... with Barry sitting with his nephew talking about his father and telling him that if he ever needs him he would be there in a Flash. This is a very strong and fun start to a great series.

My Rating:

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The Flash Marathon

Image: Mutated dog (German Shepard) after being injected with a secret serum.

Episode 2 - Out of Control

He needs subjects for genetic-engineering research - any volunteers? Tina's former colleague is the main suspect when the bodies of murdered homeless people mysteriously disappear from crime scenes.

Guest Stars:
Vito D'Ambrosio as Bellows
Biff Manard as Murphy
Mike Genovese as Lt. Warren Garfield
Stan Ivar as Dr. Carl Tanner

My Thoughts:
A good episode... but not as good as the pilot movie. The transformations were done rather well. They definitely looked cool. Basically the story of a scientist that forgets his ethics while working on experimental gene mutations trying to cure disease. A case of someone doing the wrong thing for good reasons. But ends up getting lost on the way.

My Rating:

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The Flash Marathon

Image: The Flash

Episode 3 - Watching the Detectives

Is The Flash a political pawn? A crooked D.A. discovers the superhero's civilian identity and uses that information to blackmail him into becoming his secret accomplice.

Guest Stars:
Richard Belzer as Joe Klein
Joyce Hyser as Megan Lockhart
Vito D'Ambrosio as Bellows

My Thoughts:
Another good episode. They decided to get the "what could happen if someone finds out who the Flash is" storyline out of the way pretty early in the series.

My Rating:

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The Flash Marathon

Image: The Flash quickly disarms a thief

Episode 4 - Honor Among Thieves

Guarding a priceless museum exhibit has the police stretched thin - a situation a criminal mastermind plans to exploit with a citywide series of thefts. Good thing The Flash can cover a lot of ground!

Guest Stars:
Ian Buchanan as Stan Kovacs
Michael Green as Mitch Lestrange
Clarence Clemons as Darrell Hennings
Vito D'Ambrosio as Bellows
Elizabeth Gracen as Celia Wayne

My Thoughts:
Another episode I enjoyed. I really liked the story... it did a good job of keeping me interested through-out the episode.  This episode also gives us some background info on Barry Allen... talking about his college days.

My Rating:

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The Flash Marathon

Image: Dr. Tina McGee explains to Barry that he has an implant in his brain

Episode 5 - Double Vision

His wish is The Flash's command. A mad scientist implants a device in the superhero's brain and gains remote control of his powers.

Guest Stars:
Richard Belzer as Joe Klein
Vito D'Ambrosio as Bellows
Biff Manard as Murphy
Mike Genovese as Lt. Warren Garfield
Charley Hayward as Trachmann

My Thoughts:
A good episode... but not really a favorite. I didn't really care much for the main bad guy... and some of the story was done a bit silly.

My Rating:

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The Flash Marathon

Image: Barry Allen and his father... a retired cop... on the case.

Episode 6 - Sins of the Father

Brothers of the badge. Ex-cop Henry Allen may dismiss son Barry's modern police ways, but that's before Barry nails an escaped con who targets his dad. Henry has one question, though: Who's this Flash guy?

Guest Stars:
Paul Koslo as Johnny Ray Hix
Priscilla Pointer as Nora Allen
M. Emmet Walsh as Henry Allen
Mike Genovese as Lt. Warren Garfield
Richard Kuss as Pete Donello

My Thoughts:
This is a great episode... definitely one of my favorites. Barry's father finally shows some respect for what Barry does.

My Rating:

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The Flash Marathon

Image: The Flash gives a skateboarder a quick ride.

Episode 7 - Child's Play

A '60s drug icon who faked his own death and went underground aims to reassert himself by turning the world on to his new, highly addictive designer drug. Bummer, man: that cat called The Flash is in the way.

Guest Stars:
Vito D'Ambrosio as Bellows
Biff Manard as Murphy
Jonathan Brandis as Terry
Perrey Reeves as Pepper
Michele Lamar Richards as Joan Sullivan

My Thoughts:
Another good episode. The bad guy in this one is a bit over the top... but that is to be expected in a show like this. I liked the kids in this one. They did a fine job.

My Rating:

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The Flash Marathon

Image: The Flash quickly cuffs a couple of bad guys.

Episode 8 - Shroud of Death

It all fits. Barry puts together bits of metal found at crime scenes and discovers they form a neofascist group's medallion. But will that intel be enough to keep Lt. Garfield from being the group's next target?

Guest Stars:
Mike Genovese as Lt. Warren Garfield
Lenore Kasdorf as Mavis
Walter Olkewicz as Callahan
Lora Zane as Angel
Don Hood as Frank Dejoy

My Thoughts:
Brittany watched this episode with me... which means there was no skipping past the theme. Though any other time I do. Thankfully this set has the next chapter right after the opening theme. Britt and I both agree... Julio... for a scientist he is pretty dumb. In  several episodes he sees something that should make it easy for him to figure out Barry is The Flash. And this happens four (Yes Four!) times in this episode alone. I can't remember for anything in the world if Julio ever finds out the truth about Barry or not. But over all this is a good episode. It has an interesting story with a few laughs.

My Rating:

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The Flash Marathon

Image: Nightshade to the Rescue!

Episode 9 - Ghost in the Machine

Don't touch that dial! The Ghost controls the airwaves, tapping into video feeds just as he did back in 1955. Nightshade, a crimefighter from the '50s, resurfaces to fight him - and now he has The Flash on his side.

Guest Stars:
Richard Belzer as Joe Kline
Jason Bernard as Dr. Desmond Powell
Vito D'Ambrisio as Bellows
Biff Manard as Murphy
Lois Nettleton as Belle Crocker

My Thoughts:
This one I really liked a lot. I liked the whole previous masked man meeting and teaming up with The Flash. It made for a really interesting story... one I was glued to the set to watch!

My Rating:

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The Flash Marathon

Image: The Invisible Man becoming visible in front of The Flash

Episode 10 - Sight Unseen

Catch him if you can. A criminal who's developed a cloaking device renders himself invisible and sets out on a deadly vendetta that endangers Star Labs and all of Central City.

Guest Stars:
Vito D'Ambrosio as Bellows
Biff Manard as Murphy
George Dickerson as Quinn
Mike Genovese as Lt. Warren Garfield
Deborah May as Ruth Werneke

My Thoughts:
A good episode. I did enjoy it... but I have to say I thought the antidote for the toxin that was released in Star Labs was a bit on the convenient side.

My Rating:

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The Flash Marathon

Image: This thug thought he could take on The Flash

Episode 11 - Beat the Clock

A need for speed. Julio is certain that a jazz immortal on Death Row is innocent. But he's scheduled for execution at midnight - and Julio, Tina and Barry have only one hour to prove the jazzman is not guilty.

Guest Stars:
Richard Belzer as Joe Kline
Thomas Mikal Ford as Elliott Cotrell
Ken Foree as Whisper
Mike Genovese as Lt. Warren Garfield
Angela Bassett as Linda Lake

My Thoughts:
Pretty good episode... but not one of my favorites. That could be because of all the music in the episode.

My Rating:

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That finishes off the 3rd disc. I am already half way through the series.

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The Flash Marathon

Image: James Jesse Becomes The Trickster

Episode 12 - The Trickster

Three's a crowd! While Barry/The Flash and private investigator Megan Lockhart renew their friendship, a madcap magician who calls himself the Trickster sets out to hocus-pocus Megan into his own life.

Guest Stars:
Mark Hamill as The Trickster
Joyce Hyser as Megan
Vito D'Ambrosio as Bellows
Biff Manard as Murphy
Mike Genovese as Lt. Warren Garfield

My Thoughts:
Another one of my favorite episodes. This one is just plain hilarious. It is loaded with laughs. Mark Hamill was a trip as The Trickster. I especially had to laugh at The Flash trying to run on a floor full of marbles.

My Rating:

[Najemikon]

Hamill astonished me as the brilliant voice of The Joker in the Batman Asylum game, apparently a role he reprised from the animated TV series. Was that show before this one? The Trickster sounds like a play on Joker; or did they realise how good he would be after seeing him as a similar character here I wonder?