The Flash Is it recommended that I watch Arrow first?

[James.Bartlett]

So,

Me and my girlfriend are quite keen to watch The Flash, however, I don't really want to have to sit through three seasons - or even one season - of Arrow before finally being able to watch it.

I know that the two shows cross over but is it necessary that we watch Arrow before we watch The Flash or not?

 

[Ruseri]

It's not necessary, but if you can stomach it, i'd say at least watch the episodes of Arrow that include Barry...
If for no other reason, to avoid confusion when they reference certain events from that show (and to see captain boomerang)t:

 

[Spider-Aziz]

What Ruseri said.

 

[trd84]

Not necessary, but I'd watch Barry's introduction on Arrow to see him before he was the Flash, episodes 8 and 9 of season 2. Episode 19 of season 2 also introduces 2 Flash characters.

 

[Human Torch]

I don't think you need to have seen Arrow,though it might inform you a bit on some of the visiting characters from Arrow in the show.

 

[famicommander]

Just watch episodes 8, 9, and 19 of Arrow season two.

Then watch Flash, and if Arrow interests you after that go back and watch the rest of it.

At no point does Arrow approach the quality of Flash in my opinion, but Arrow season 2 is still great TV. Season one is about half awesome and half awful, while season three is just a mess.

 

[cheungcheung]

Just watch episodes 8, 9, and 19 of Arrow season two.

Then watch Flash, and if Arrow interests you after that go back and watch the rest of it.

At no point does Arrow approach the quality of Flash in my opinion, but Arrow season 2 is still great TV. Season one is about half awesome and half awful, while season three is just a mess.

The truth...

 

[Human Torch]

I wouldn't say any of Arrow season two was awful. It did falter a bit here and there though.

 

[Mariah]

I'd recommend watching the episodes Barry was in to get an idea of where the character was featured. I liked his cameos in Arrow.

 

[eon001]

I don't watch Arrow, and I don't plan on ever watching it in the future. It hasn't spoiled my enjoyment of the Flash. Just jump right in. There's been a few Arrow cameos that threw me off like the most recent one with Black Canary. But it wasn't too distracting.

 

[RetrogradeOrbit]

If you watch the Arrow episodes that have Barry/Flash in them it will probably benefit you to do so.

I'd just add that you should slot the Arrow episodes around the relevant Flash ones so you don't confuse yourself!

 

[Bathead]

Yeah, you don't need to watch Arrow, but I'm going to go against the trend in this thread, as I've enjoyed every episode in all three seasons so far, that you at least check it
out. Don't let the nay-sayers OR the fanboys influence you, make up your own mind about it.

 

[ravn0s]

my older brother only watches the flash and he had to ask me who the guy with the bow and arrow was. it's probably best to know at least a little bit about arrow since there are a few crossover episodes.

 

[Cain]

I only saw Arrow once after The Flash had started and had never seen an entire episode prior to The Flash and I've been enjoying The Flash series just fine. It's pretty stand alone.

 

[Headliner]

Nope. Only if you want to catch the small references they make to Arrow and the city. Watched my first Arrow episode a few weeks ago. That show is boring and dull to me.

 

[Tempest]

Yeah, you don't need to watch Arrow, but I'm going to go against the trend in this thread, as I've enjoyed every episode in all three seasons so far, that you at least check it
out. Don't let the nay-sayers OR the fanboys influence you, make up your own mind about it.

The only thing about Arrow that I don't really enjoy are all the flashbacks. I think they're over-used. But I don't know where or why all the hate comes from for the women of the show...I've enjoyed them.

 

[Quinnsanity]

Nope. Only if you want to catch the small references they make to Arrow and the city. Watched my first Arrow episode a few weeks ago. That show is boring and dull to me.

That's what it's become. Season 1 was really good.

 

[marvelrobbins]

Just watch episodes 8, 9, and 19 of Arrow season two.

Then watch Flash, and if Arrow interests you after that go back and watch the rest of it.

At no point does Arrow approach the quality of Flash in my opinion, but Arrow season 2 is still great TV. Season one is about half awesome and half awful, while season three is just a mess.

I laregly agree with this.Ilike arrow season 1 as well as 2 but season 3 has been epic failure.While tv version of ra's al ghul is closer to comic version than the darkknight trilogy was he has been failure as big bad of arrow season 3.

Welss/reverse flash season 1 arc beats all villains arcs on any other TV version of any super hero.

 

[Infinity9999x]

Just watch episodes 8, 9, and 19 of Arrow season two.

Then watch Flash, and if Arrow interests you after that go back and watch the rest of it.

At no point does Arrow approach the quality of Flash in my opinion, but Arrow season 2 is still great TV. Season one is about half awesome and half awful, while season three is just a mess.

Yep. Season one was rough, and I only kept watching because it had by far the best action sequences of any tv show I had watched (and still would, if Daredevil hadn't come along.) Season 1 ends on a much better note, and Season 2 is pretty darn good, thanks mostly to Manu Bennett being a badass. Season three has been incredibly hard to stomach. It's a awful concoction of good ideas and horrible ones, the plotting has been all over the place...and it honestly plays out like they late fanfic writers do the season arc...but fanfic writers who couldn't agree on what story they wanted to tell.

It's actually been really sad. Arrow was my favorite superhero show last year, and now, it's only above Gotham...and just barely.

So in short, no, you really don't need to watch Arrow. I would echo the other posters and say watch the episodes Barry pops up in.

 

[Bathead]

The only thing about Arrow that I don't really enjoy are all the flashbacks. I think they're over-used. But I don't know where or why all the hate comes from for the women of the show...I've enjoyed them.

I don't get it either. It seems quite irrational to me.

 

[marvelrobbins]

Hate for all women is an overblown statement.Laurel is one who has the most negative comments about her.

 

[Infinity9999x]

I don't get it either. It seems quite irrational to me.

I don't get the rabid Ollicity hate at all. People have been incredibly harsh on her. And yeah, she hasn't been written well this season, but nobody on the show has. Except Laurel, who oddly, is the only character that's been written much better than her first two seasons.

And with the Laurel critiques...yeah, people where still overly harsh. But her character was written VERY poorly in the first two seasons, with Season 2 being almost unwatchable. Which is why, again, I don't understand people flipping out over Felicity. She's nowhere near S2 Laurel.

The same thing happens with Iris on this show. Has she been written great? No. But she's nowhere near the show wrecking antiChrist some posters make her out to be.

 

[famicommander]

The only thing about Arrow that I don't really enjoy are all the flashbacks. I think they're over-used. But I don't know where or why all the hate comes from for the women of the show...I've enjoyed them.

Because all the women on Arrow consistently do ridiculous and out-of-character things for the sake of manufacturing melodrama, Smallville-style. Thea and her "don't like to me" nonsense, Laurel and not tellling Lance, Laurel and her self destructive behavior in season 2, Moira and her lying about everything all the time, Felicity and her "you're not MY Oliver waaaaah" all season long...

It's just a really cheap way of creating tension between the characters.

I myself don't hate any of the characters but even just contrasting the way the female Arrow characters behave compared to Iris, who has been annoying herself at times, it's night and day.

 

[Justin]

Pretty certain you can just watch The Flash. However he has a really cool cameo in Arrow just before the mid season and there's a bit of Ray Palmer and Felicity crossing into both shows.

For the full CW experience you'll want to watch them both. But it can be done.