The Flash: Pilot

"Pilot" is the first episode of The CW series The Flash. The episode was written by Andrew Kreisberg and Geoff Johns, based on a story by Greg Berlanti, Kreisberg, and Johns, and directed by David Nutter. It was first broadcast on October 7, 2014, on The CW. The show is a spin-off from Arrow where many of the characters in The Flash were introduced during its second season. The episode revolves around Barry Allen (Grant Gustin), a forensic scientist working for the Central City Police Department. On the night of the launch of a particle accelerator, a malfunction causes it to explode during a storm. At the same time, Barry is struck by lightning. He wakes from a coma after nine months, and discovers that he has developed a new power: super speed. He is helped by S.T.A.R. Labs' personnel, led by Dr. Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh), who are trying to control his speed so that he can use it for greater good. CW executives, impressed by early cuts of Barry Allen's appearances in the first two episodes of Arrow, ordered a stand-alone pilot. This allowed the creative team to flesh out his story and his world with a larger budget, as opposed to a backdoor pilot's constraint of incorporating characters from the parent show The Flash. Colleen Atwood, Arrow's costume designer, created the Flash's suit. The creative team wanted to make sure that the Flash resembled his comic book counterpart, and was not a poor imitation. The pilot was ordered on January 29, 2014, and on May 8, 2014, The Flash was picked up as a series, with an initial order from The CW for 13 episodes. The pilot was first screened at the Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment panel at the San Diego Comic-Con International in July 2014. When it premiered, the pilot had a strong debut attracting 4.83 million viewers. It was the second-most watched premiere on The CW, behind the pilot episode of The Vampire Diaries broadcast in 2009. The episode received critical acclaim with praise for the tone (considered better than Arrow's), Gustin's performance as Barry, the action scenes, costume design, and the supporting cast.