Arrowverse: Every Pilot Ranked From Worst To Best

Being the first Arrowverse spin-off series and following in the footsteps of Arrow, which at the time had just finished its second near-perfect season in a row, there was a lot of pressure on The Flash to succeed - especially when you factor in the unnecessary criticism from those who didn't think Grant Gustin was the right choice for the titular role.

However, The Flash's pilot didn't just exceed expectations, silence critics and bring the Scarlet Speedster back to TV, it excelled in its own right - proving that every risk the producers had taken to make this show happen had indeed paid off.

What made the episode work was that it was nothing like Arrow. Sure, it borrowed a few structural cues here and there, but it had its own unique light-hearted tone that really set it apart. That tone allowed the family-centric storyline to thrive, as an ever-hopeful and kind Barry Allen became the impossible and, in doing so, decided to use his gifts to help those around him.

The writing was strong, the emotions were high and special tornado effects were movie-worthy. But the one thing that made this work more than any of that, was Grant Gustin's infectious performance - as the young actor portrayed Barry like the always-fighting underdog that we could root for. And root for him we did - something we're still doing five seasons later.

The Flash's first season set a new standard for the Arrowverse - one that has never been remotely equaled since - and it all started with this phenomenal pilot.