It’s like catching lightning

Season 5 of ‘The Flash’ promises more action, and crazier time-travel shenanigans.

Androgynous, mercurial, sleek, and intelligent” was the way Grant Morrison, legendary comic book writer, described The Flash in his book Supergods, and it’s true.

From a wayward lightning strike came a ruby-red speedster and the modern counterpart to Greek mythology’s Hermes, and one of the most famous superheroes of the pop culture landscape. Barry freakin’ Allen, ladies and gents. And while there’ve been attempts to translate the character onto the screen (e.g. the 1990 TV adaptation for CBS, and the charming Ezra Miller-version in the poorly directed Justice League movie), none have nailed it quite as well as the show currently running on the CW network.

Having run since 2014, The Flash has so far enjoyed a strong four seasons, thanks in large part to its lighthearted tone and the mild (but just enough to be fun) hamminess you can expect from CW shows. It’s also seen our hero Barry Allen (played by Gustin Grant) do a lot of crazy stuff: mess with time travel, fight his arch nemesis Zoom, create weird paradoxes, team up with other speedsters, and trade blows with an eclectic roster of villains. Moments of quiet drama pack a punch, but the real scene stealers are the more action-packed bits — the trailing afterimage of light and shape that characterizes Flash’s speeding effect. Never gets old, along with Cisco’s quips.

And those are just the first four seasons. We see Season 4 conclude with a lot of questions and answers, but let’s focus on one detail: Season’s 4 mystery girl (played by Jessica Parker Kennedy) is The Flash’s kid. “I’m your daughter, Nora, from the future.”

What does this spell for Season 5? We can’t say too much, but here’s what we can give away. In the first episode of Season 5, we see Nora laying out who she is and why’s she stuck in Barry Allen’s point of history instead of the future, 30 years from the show’s present. A lot of questions come up about time travel, the integrity of the time stream, and what Nora’s presence spells for future events. Her appearance among Barry’s S.T.A.R. lab squad… is mixed. Nora’s presence will also have an impact on Barry Allen’s relationships, and his connection to the speed force.

Speaking of time travel, if flashpoint was a story about how time travel’s effects can ripple in the past, Season 5 will most likely explore the far-flung future. We figure Nora and Barry will have to figure out what they can and can’t know or reveal without messing up the time stream too much.

Season 5 also promises a new villain. It’s hard to see who could top what’s already in The Flash’s rogues gallery (Zoom and Captain Cold are already pretty hard to beat), but this new dude looks pretty menacing.

We got a sneak peek of Season 5’s first episode through the lovely people at Hooq, who arranged an advanced screening for us at Greenbelt cinemas. The Flash, as solid an adaptation as it is, has been criticized for its fair share of misses (the critics can hardly be blamed — Arrow, the series that The Flash spun off from, wasn’t exactly a masterpiece), but this episode is a strong debut, peppered with laughs, moments of drama, and an incredible action sequence near the end that had me literally gasping in the theater.

If that kind of feedback’s got you hungry to watch the show’s latest season, here’s the best part — HOOQ is letting you watch The Flash (and other acclaimed DC shows, like Supergirl!) on the same day as it’s broadcast in the US, so you’ll be jumping right into the action on the same day as American audiences! Appropriate that a show about super speed be something you catch up to and keep pace with, and HOOQ is the kind of streaming service that allows for that kind of faithful viewing.

HOOQ PH country manager Sheila Paul.

And if you ever got the chance to get into the show, or into DC in general, don’t sweat! The Flash is also the kind of show that caters not only to hardcore fans but also to newbies and first-timers. All the seasons are on HOOQ — perfect for bringing, like you’ve got all the time in the world.

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You can watch The Flash on HOOQ. For more information on how to watch, or make your own account, go to www.hooq.tv.