Here it is: the preview for Arrow episode 2.8, the first of two guest-starring Grant Gustin as a pre-Flash Barry Allen(via FlashTVNews). The episode airs on December 4. You don’t see too much of Barry in this 20-second spot, but…
Everything will change in a Flash.
Update: Here’s a slightly longer version (via comicbook.com):
What do you think?
Barry Allen is my 2nd favorite DC character but I’m not gonna bench watch a critically panned soap opera (that I hear only gets a bit better nearly halfway through it’s second season) just to see him looking & acting like peter parker (minus the jokes and tendency to talk to himself… hopefully)
I’ll wait until the pilot, maybe he’ll be blonde by then
Critically panned? Which critics are you referring to?
They’re not going to change the hair color, and we both know it.
Probably the critics who are so renowned, all they do is post their “reviews” anonymously on internet message boards.
I was gonna say, all the nerd critics (and for a comic book show, those are the ones who matter), this show is critically received pretty well.
Not to say they couldn’t drop some of the juvenile relationship drama, and maybe start making it more super hero-ey (which they are), just saying I see it generally reviewed pretty well.
Until I see the whole episode, I refuse to judge Grant Gustin. His acting will matter far more than his hair or his age, but he does (based on these two lines of dialog) to be a little… Reserved
Agreed. John Wesley Shipp had brown hair in the 1990 show, and fandom seems to love him.
I’ve rarely came across a positive opinion on show’s first season, but I never really cared to research the show’s public reception. nonetheless I’m watching (and planning on watching) too many shows to have time for another one.
I know hair color is minuscule to complain about. I think Grant’s acting is fine, he said he was playing barry as a nervous nerd and nervous nerds make whacky nervous pauses.
However, a young socially awkward geek is something I’ve haven’t seen barry portrayed as that much. As interesting as seeing him like that in this show would be, with his hair all brown and no super-speed; “Barry Allen” is not gonna be the first comic character I think of when I see him (although classic parker was more anti-social then socially awkward).
‘just to see him looking & acting like peter parker (minus the jokes and tendency to talk to himself… hopefully)
I’ll wait until the pilot, maybe he’ll be blonde by then’
–I hear your pain! But seriously, I pretty much assume that they’ve blended the characterisations of Barry, Wally and Bart in the creation of the role. With a heavy emphasis on Bart. It’s basically Barry Allen in name only. I would have loved to see a more adult and proffessional Barry Allen but it’s a show aimed at teenagers.
You know what little thing does bug me though? I hope it’s just some editing that made it weird but “Barry… Allen. Crime Scene… Investigation Unit”
Wacky pauses
I took those more as awkward pauses than wacky.
That makes sense. Especially if, according to reports, he is suppose to be very new at his job. That or he is a big William Shatner fan. Then again, who isn’t?
I can think of at least one person who isn’t a Shatner fan…
http://www.elevenshadows.com/travels/miscellaneous/vasquezrocks/images/vasquezrocks-gornandcaptainkirk.jpg
Yeah, but he eventually came around.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d06ENQDJtfk
Yeah awkward was the more correct term.
But you know, if it’s a growth thing: if he becomes more empowered and less awkward after solving this crime and/or gaining his powers? Then I’m all for this.
TV is longer form story telling, I’m willing to embrace it.
Gustin looks fine to me, I hope he does well. It’s not too big a deal that he doesn’t have blonde blonde hair to me, and Barry was 24 when he got his powers in the comics, so Gustin’s age doesn’t bother me.
I don’t think he actual age is an issue for anybody, it’s how old he looks. Colton Haynes (Roy Harper) is what? 24 or 25? But he doesn’t visually read “fresh out of high school”, which Gustin does.
Gustin just looks fresh out of high school. Not a big deal to me. I’m not gonna riot. It’s really just part of the Greek heroic nude physical ideal super heroes have always had and how it has shaped our expectations of their appearances.
I’m giving him a fair shake. I won’t judge him as Barry until I really see his performance.
I dunno. I mean I’ve had the complete Flash tv series DVD set for years now and I still haven’t gotten the urge to watch past the first two episodes. He just wasn’t ‘Barry’ to me. A speedster, yes, but not Barry Allen.
Same with Elementary. Now that show I really like yet at the same time he isn’t Sherlock Holmes to me because it’s even more ‘off’ than BBC Sherlock. I enjoy it as a crime drama, but not as something ACD.
So far Gustin doesn’t look like Barry to me. Remains to be seen if he and his companions will act like the comic book versions enough for me to accept it. Just being a speedster is not enough. Even then if the serious is as ‘dark’ as I think they are planning….I’m not going to be interested even if he dyes his hair.
Just think of it as a different interpretation of the character. Batman in Nolan’s movies and the Batman of the ’60s show are very different yet also still true to the character from the comics. Same with the ’90s TV show.
The lack of blonde hair bothers me a bit, but its A FLASH TV SHOW!!!!! He could have a clown wig and I’d watch it… VIVA FLASH!!!!!!