The Flash: 19 Easter Eggs And References You Have To See

18. ...And Familiar Faces

It wasn't just names that connected things to Arrow. Barry Allen was introduced to audiences in a rather sneaky way, debuting not in his own show but with a guest appearance in a handful of episodes of The CW's other big superhero hit. On the last season of Arrow Grant Gustin's scientific assistant in the Criminal and Forensic Science Division of Central City Police Department popped over to neighbouring Starling City in order to investigate a case eerily similar to one back home. This was all pre-superpowers, mind; he was just getting by on his wits back then, and he managed to use them to figure out Oliver Queen's secret identity. Not that the little green domino mask and hood is really doing all that much to conceal it, Ollie. Felicity visited Barry a handful of times following the accident that would eventually give him superpowers but which, for nine months, knocked him into a coma (which is the opposite of a superpower), and his appearances on Arrow ceased as soon as he woke up and started being speedy. The first episode of The Flash got everybody up to speed with the character's background and origin story but didn't ignore the connective tissue to Arrow, as when Barry first freaks out about his current powers/responsibility thing, the first thing he does is leg it to Starling City to have a natter with his vigilante mate. Ollie's jolly nice about it all, suggests that he could be a different kind of hero to him, and then goes off on his merry way. Now might be a good time to catch up with Arrow if you haven't already, because they may just team up again in the future...