As a spinoff of Arrowverse to operate in, all while connecting to, but not relying on, the show that started it all.
Since the episode had to do all that heavy lifting, it's not hard to imagine that lots of fans missed out on some of the early details from the episode. So since It's been 6 years since the pilot first aired, so here are 10 things you never noticed about the first episode of The Flash.
Future Events
After the final title card is shown, we get a scene that sets the stage for the rest of the series. The scene shows Harrison wells going into a secret room hidden in the walls at S.T.A.R. Labs and getting up out of his wheelchair to look at a futuristic newspaper from April 25, 2024, with a headline stating "Flash Missing. Vanishes in Crisis."
While the major headline regarding the Flash's disappearance received most of the attention, there is a much smaller article that centers around a future merger between Wayne Tech and Queen Inc. This was marked the show's first major hint to Bruce Wayne and characters related to him existing in the Arrowverse.
Linda Park
One of Barry Allen's main goals at the start of the episode was to see the Particle Accelerator turn on at S.T.A.R. Labs. When Barry returns to his lab after having to leave the event early, he turns on the tv to see if he can still get updates. When he turns the TV, the news anchor covering the event is actually Linda Park portrayed by Olivia Cheng.
In the comics, Linda Park is the girlfriend and later wife of Wally West. The character would appear in later episodes as a romantic love interest for Barry, except now she would be played by a different actress, Malese Jow.
Alternate Title
While the majority of TV shows don't title their first episodes simply go by "Pilot", The Flash also has an alternate title for the first episode that some weren't aware of, "City of Heroes."
While Oliver originally worked alone as the Arrow and the team he got, later on, were based on fan reception and the direction the story was headed, having this title for The Flash makes it clear that the writers wanted to focus on the team aspect of heroism from the beginning.
Changed Origin
In the Arrow episode "The Scientist", we see Barry Allen first make his appearance while investigating a robbery in Starling City and at the end of the next episode titled "Three Ghosts", we see Barry leave and head back to Central City after helping Oliver and the team.
He arrives back just in time to see it turn on and back at his lab since he missed the line, calling Felicity to let her know before getting struck by the lightning that gives him his abilities. However, in this episode, Barry was never in Starling City the day of the particle accelerator activation, he and Iris were at the event, and he never makes the call to Felicity.
Two Speedsters
The night of his mother's murder, Barry wakes up after hearing commotion downstairs. When he goes to investigate, he sees his mom in the middle of the living room screaming as she's surrounded by red and yellow streaks of lightning.
While it seems like two streaks are coming from one speedster, we later learn that one of the streaks of lightning was actually a future version of himself, who was also the same one who got him out of the house that night.
Atom Smasher
When Iris arrives at Barry's lab and asks if he's ready to see the particle accelerator turn on, she refers to it as the "Atom Smasher" corrects herself and instead calls it an "atom-smashing." While it is easy to miss, the line was more than a simple slip of the tongue but was actually a reference to a classic comic book Flash villain.
In the comics, Albert Rothstein also known as Atom Smasher has the ability of atomic dispersal which allows him to increase his size growing up to 28 feet tall.
Ferris Air
When he first realized he realized how fast he could run, one of the first things Barry does is promptly return to S.T.A.R Labs in order for them to run tests and figure out exactly what happened to him.
In order to evaluate just his speed, Dr. Wells and the others take him to Ferris Air Testing Facility. Ferris Air is a fictional airline company from the comics that are usually associated with the character Hal Jordan, also known as Green Lantern.
Grodd's Cage
As Dr. Wells is showing Barry around S.T.A.R. Labs, they a giant cage in the hallway. The metal bars to the cage are severely bent out of shape, almost as if what was being held in there has forcefully broken and escaped.
It's a short scene but those paying close attention would notice the name on the door to the cage "Grodd". A reference to the incredible smart gorilla from the comics and one of the Flash's most fearsome villains. Grodd would later appear in the episode "
Barry's Name
After getting in an argument with Joe and being told he isn't a hero by Dr. Wells, we see a frustrated Barry run 600 miles to Starling City to talk to the one person who could potentially relate to him, his friend, Oliver Queen. Oliver meets Barry on a rooftop and the two have a conversation about the speedster's newfound powers and what he should do with them.
The conversation ends with Oliver telling Barry that he believes the lightning chose him and saying that he can inspire people by "Saving people in a flash." So while Iris may have been the first one to popularize it, Barry really has Oliver to thank for giving him his name.
The Original Suit
Over the show's 6 seasons, Barry has gone through numerous costume upgrades so it would be difficult to how and why he got the suit in the first place. The suit was originally created to replace the uniform's firefighters wear, designed by Cisco in hopes that doing something good for the community would put the S.T.A.R. Labs crew back in their good graces.
The suit was made to heat and abrasion-resistant from reinforced tri-polymer with a handful of various built-in sensors. The suit even came with a gas mask and goggles which Barry removes during his fight with Clyde Mardon aka Weather Wizard.