The Flash: 5 Lessons It Should Learn From Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman

Serialization is a double-edged sword for writers. On one hand, it keeps viewers coming back to sate their curiosity about the mystery of the season. The flipside is that it's never-ending, which gets a little tiring after the first couple of years. Lois & Clark had ongoing storylines, but definitely fell more into the classic episodic format where episodes were more self-contained.

The upside of episodic television is that viewers can watch almost any episode and enjoy it for what it is. This lends itself well toward syndication which is where many television shows became legends. They attract new fans who missed the original run, including fans who weren't even born yet. Serialized series are a harder sells toward syndication which prefers standalone episodes. The Flash's reliance on serialization may be damaging to its legacy.

Lois & Clark's legacy is doing well 22 years after its conclusion. It's made new fans in syndication and continues to be discussed. There is a funny re-watch podcast dedicated to reviewing the series called Lois & Clark'D: The New Podcast of Superman on iTunes. Dean Cain & Teri Hatcher are popular draws at comic-cons, and have been special guest stars on Supergirl. They have even expressed interest in a revival series.

The final problem with sterilization: too few villains are interesting enough for a whole season. Does anyone really want more Cicada? Perpetually delaying the final confrontation until May only makes the story extremely tedious, and Team Flash looks embarrassingly inept each time Cicada escapes.