A Troubling Confession

I have something to say, you guys, and you're probably not gonna like it. But hey, this is a place where people can speak their minds, dammit, and I'm gonna speak my mind. Here goes...I think this season of Arrow is way better than this season of Flash. WHAT? Blasphemy! Get your torches and burn me in the street and all that, but you'll realize I'm right. And then you'll (probably) regret killing me. 

This season of Flash has been a total mess structurally and pacing-wise. A fun, enjoyable mess that I really enjoy watching and discussing, certainly, but still way too messy for it's own good. For one thing, it's all over the place story-wise, and it really hasn't been until the Earth-2 arc that we got the sense the show's writers had figured out what they were doing. Up until then, it's been a lot of awkward wheel-spinning and story set-up. While the Zoom storyline is compelling, the show never seemed as interested in it as it should be, and we've just now unmasked Zoom with only 2-3 episodes left this season. What was another CW show with bad pacing that crippled the story? Oh right, Arrow last season, which enabled Flash to overtake it as the more beloved, both commercially and critically, show. 

Arrow, meanwhile, has stayed consistent and focused this season. Sure, there's been some rough patches (the continued usage of flashbacks struggles to stay relevant to the main plot) but think of how well Arrow is using it's singular focus on the Damien Dahrk to create great storytelling. The Constantine team-up that brings back Sara. Oliver's brutal beatdown of Merlyn. The Vixen team-up. The "redemption" of Andy that showcases the brotherhood and camaraderie of Team Arrow. Even when confronted with immortal lunatic Vandal Savage, the show still found a way to make Oliver's character arc work into an epic storyline organically, and it's all anchored by a strong villain and fascinating mythos. 

Damien Dahrk is everything Arrow's last 3 big bads haven't been. A charming, over-the-top mastermind who doesn't see himself as a hero, or a necessary evil, but just a businessman who really loves his job. Neal McDonough steals every scene he's in, and his power levels are consistent enough that it feels immensely satisfying and justified when Oliver manages to score a victory over him. On the other hand, Zoom was incredibly underused throughout much of Flash, and while it makes his limited appearances much scarier, it leads to us failing to really understand him as a character, especially since the show dragged it's feet into a reveal they should've done some time ago. (Fun fact: I predicted it several weeks before it happened, and was immediately told by everyone that there was no chance that would happen.) Anyway, Zoom's also more-or-less invincible, and while it worked last season because Reverse-Flash was compelling enough to sustain interest, repeating it just feels like Barry hasn't learned anything from the mistakes he's made last season. (Seriously, you go after Zoom with the boot and monologue long enough for him to escape. Everyone on this show is smarter than this.) 

Seriously, just do this again, but with a dozen more heroes.

I'm not saying Zoom's a bad villain, just like how I'm saying Flash isn't a bad show, but it's time the writers did what Arrow's did last season and learned from their mistakes. Focus the storytelling, plan out what you're gonna do, and DO NOT drag out plotlines. Also, stop going on unexplained hiatuses, as it also cripples the pacing of the show. You're doing good, but you could just do better. 

Of course, you could do A LOT worse.