Typically, when you think of superheroes Flash isn’t normally the first one that comes to
mind. However, personally Barry Allen is my favorite ever since I watched the pilot episode back in 2014. He’s always curious and takes everything into consideration, it shows in his day job of being a forensic scientist. His sense to help others before himself in a big city where there is always something to do. But knowing this I always anticipate when something will happen, a metahuman gets on the loose, Barry catches them, then the next day the same thing before a giant threat comes into the storyline. In my adaptation I want to focus on the setting and change it from Central City to a rural setting. With this it’ll be harder to anticipate Barry’s actions and see the struggles he would face with trying to hide his identity and help others.
Annotated Bibliography
“Chaos Theory: An Unofficial History of the Modern Superhero Film”
This article talks about how in superhero movies, comics and shows the creators and directors are always retelling stories but in their own way. Slight changes are made but usually you can tell the familiarity between an old movie and its new one. It makes sense, then, that superhero movies would also be about remakes,reboots, and recycling. Even today, we’re still being told and retold the story of how Peter Parker earned his arachnid-like powers, or what really made Bruce Wayne want to dress up and scare criminals. The sad fact is that almost nobody making superhero movies has any idea what they’re doing. There’s no proven formula for success in the genre, so any given successful superhero film is only proof of what works in the present, not what will work again.” Abrams thoughts influence my projects adaptation because in the TV show there is a lot of repetition. But in mine I will show how Barry can live his life in a quiet, quaint place, by taking in this information into consideration to change the story instead of reusing the storyline already given.
“What Is a Traumatic Event?”
This article is about childhood trauma and the way it can affect one’s life and explain why they react a certain way because of it. “Children who experience an inability to protect themselves or who lacked protection from others to avoid the consequences of the traumatic experience may also feel overwhelmed by the intensity of physical and emotional responses”(Peterson). In the Flash, Barry experiences early childhood trauma after watching his mother be murdered in front of him. It controls his actions and what he does with his life because of it. For example, his job is because of what happened, it shows how Barry never lets go of things and lets it control him. This shows when he is the Flash because with every ‘villain’ he catches throughout an episode he lets them control his mindset and is predictable about how he will catch them. This will influence my project as I change the location of where he lives to be able to be less predictable throughout the storyline.
“What do Forensic Laboratory Scientists do?”*
This article talks about what you need to do to become a forensic scientists and what you do being one. “While on the job you, Some occasionally work irregular hours to monitor experiments that cannot be complet- ed during regular working hours. Crime scene technicians work rotating days, rotating shifts, on call, and holiday and weekend hours”(24). Which is what Barry does constantly. He goes to work analyzing data and staring at the pieces of a puzzle until he can figure it out. It seems unhealthy because to be fixated on one thing takes your focus to only that, and for so long turns into all you can think about. He goes to work focuses on a case, goes to be the Flash focuses on the villain of the day, then goes home and to bed and starts the same thing the next day or episode. It gets boring how is he not bored if he does the same thing all the time? You can’t truly live your life if you are focuses on only your work. This is something I will consider throughout my adaptation on how to slow down the workload and repetitive storyline throughout the series.
“Benefits of Living in a Small Town”
In this article it is discussed how small towns are more convenient than larger ones. “Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.” Small towns are great for community where most people know each other” (Kessler). This information will benefit my adaptation because when I change the setting Barry and the town will all know each other. Small towns have charm and appeal where not much happens. Which will change Barry’s constant on the go routine from living in a big city. The predictability of the storylines threats or villains will be different and unpredictable.
“The Flash suffers from one of its most lackluster episodes yet”
In this article it talks about how the show is written in a very predictable way. Barry’s speed, job, and problems of catching someone is seen in every episode of season one and beyond. “The Flash has already become so predictable that — if this isn't an elaborate fake-out — we're going to regret having invested time in this”(Brock Wilbur). Wilbur is clearly upset about when he’s watching, he can never enjoy it and feels time is wasted because he already knows what will happen. Which when everything is always the same people get bored and want something new. This article will help my adaptation to show how the Flash needs a change to help keep readers engaged and excited to continue Barry’s storyline. Instead of an “elaborate fake-out” I’d keep viewers following Flash because of the different setting and what will come Barry’s way because of it.
“A New Look at an Old Problem”*
This article talks about the history and risks boredom can have. Boredom can be tied to a short attention span or anxiety. But the environment where a “task load is low,” people might have “negative consequences as absenteeism and poor retention”(280,Cummings). Which means when one has not a lot to do or work with that is when boredom kicks in and might even be bad in some cases. For the Flash, viewers are bored from the same things happening over and over again. Which, because the shows “ task load is low” or not a lot is happening means it is time for a change. I will use this idea to be able to keep in mind what has happened in the show and it’s episodes to influence how I create my different storyline of Flash.
Work Cited
Abrams, Simon. “Chaos Theory: An Unofficial History of the Modern
Superhero Film.” IndieWire, IndieWire, 30 Dec. 2013,
www.indiewire.com/2013/12/chaos-theory-an-unofficial-history-of-the-modern-superher
o- film-133585/.
Cummings, Mary L., et al. “Boredom in the Workplace: A New Look at an Old
Problem.” Human Factors, vol. 58, no. 2, Mar. 2016, pp. 279–300. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1177/0018720815609503.
“Forensic Science Technician.” Tech Directions, no. 7, 2010. EBSCOhost,
libraries.maine.edu/mainedatabases/authmaine.asp?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/logi n.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,uid&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.241876184&site= eds-live.
Kessler , Amy. “20 Benefits of Living in a Small Town as a 20-Something.” Boundless, 6 Nov. 2014,
www.boundless.org/blog/20-benefits-of-living-in-a-small-town-as-a-20-something/. Peterson, Sarah.
“About Child Trauma.” The National Child Traumatic Stress
Network, 5 Nov. 2018, www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/about-child-trauma. Wilbur, Brock. “The Flash Suffers from One of Its Most Lackluster Episodes
Yet.” Polygon, Polygon, 19 Oct. 2016, www.polygon.com/tv/2016/10/19/13328838/the-flash-season-3-episode-3-recap.
Poulin 6
mind. However, personally Barry Allen is my favorite ever since I watched the pilot episode back in 2014. He’s always curious and takes everything into consideration, it shows in his day job of being a forensic scientist. His sense to help others before himself in a big city where there is always something to do. But knowing this I always anticipate when something will happen, a metahuman gets on the loose, Barry catches them, then the next day the same thing before a giant threat comes into the storyline. In my adaptation I want to focus on the setting and change it from Central City to a rural setting. With this it’ll be harder to anticipate Barry’s actions and see the struggles he would face with trying to hide his identity and help others.
Annotated Bibliography
“Chaos Theory: An Unofficial History of the Modern Superhero Film”
This article talks about how in superhero movies, comics and shows the creators and directors are always retelling stories but in their own way. Slight changes are made but usually you can tell the familiarity between an old movie and its new one. It makes sense, then, that superhero movies would also be about remakes,reboots, and recycling. Even today, we’re still being told and retold the story of how Peter Parker earned his arachnid-like powers, or what really made Bruce Wayne want to dress up and scare criminals. The sad fact is that almost nobody making superhero movies has any idea what they’re doing. There’s no proven formula for success in the genre, so any given successful superhero film is only proof of what works in the present, not what will work again.” Abrams thoughts influence my projects adaptation because in the TV show there is a lot of repetition. But in mine I will show how Barry can live his life in a quiet, quaint place, by taking in this information into consideration to change the story instead of reusing the storyline already given.
“What Is a Traumatic Event?”
This article is about childhood trauma and the way it can affect one’s life and explain why they react a certain way because of it. “Children who experience an inability to protect themselves or who lacked protection from others to avoid the consequences of the traumatic experience may also feel overwhelmed by the intensity of physical and emotional responses”(Peterson). In the Flash, Barry experiences early childhood trauma after watching his mother be murdered in front of him. It controls his actions and what he does with his life because of it. For example, his job is because of what happened, it shows how Barry never lets go of things and lets it control him. This shows when he is the Flash because with every ‘villain’ he catches throughout an episode he lets them control his mindset and is predictable about how he will catch them. This will influence my project as I change the location of where he lives to be able to be less predictable throughout the storyline.
“What do Forensic Laboratory Scientists do?”*
This article talks about what you need to do to become a forensic scientists and what you do being one. “While on the job you, Some occasionally work irregular hours to monitor experiments that cannot be complet- ed during regular working hours. Crime scene technicians work rotating days, rotating shifts, on call, and holiday and weekend hours”(24). Which is what Barry does constantly. He goes to work analyzing data and staring at the pieces of a puzzle until he can figure it out. It seems unhealthy because to be fixated on one thing takes your focus to only that, and for so long turns into all you can think about. He goes to work focuses on a case, goes to be the Flash focuses on the villain of the day, then goes home and to bed and starts the same thing the next day or episode. It gets boring how is he not bored if he does the same thing all the time? You can’t truly live your life if you are focuses on only your work. This is something I will consider throughout my adaptation on how to slow down the workload and repetitive storyline throughout the series.
“Benefits of Living in a Small Town”
In this article it is discussed how small towns are more convenient than larger ones. “Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.” Small towns are great for community where most people know each other” (Kessler). This information will benefit my adaptation because when I change the setting Barry and the town will all know each other. Small towns have charm and appeal where not much happens. Which will change Barry’s constant on the go routine from living in a big city. The predictability of the storylines threats or villains will be different and unpredictable.
“The Flash suffers from one of its most lackluster episodes yet”
In this article it talks about how the show is written in a very predictable way. Barry’s speed, job, and problems of catching someone is seen in every episode of season one and beyond. “The Flash has already become so predictable that — if this isn't an elaborate fake-out — we're going to regret having invested time in this”(Brock Wilbur). Wilbur is clearly upset about when he’s watching, he can never enjoy it and feels time is wasted because he already knows what will happen. Which when everything is always the same people get bored and want something new. This article will help my adaptation to show how the Flash needs a change to help keep readers engaged and excited to continue Barry’s storyline. Instead of an “elaborate fake-out” I’d keep viewers following Flash because of the different setting and what will come Barry’s way because of it.
“A New Look at an Old Problem”*
This article talks about the history and risks boredom can have. Boredom can be tied to a short attention span or anxiety. But the environment where a “task load is low,” people might have “negative consequences as absenteeism and poor retention”(280,Cummings). Which means when one has not a lot to do or work with that is when boredom kicks in and might even be bad in some cases. For the Flash, viewers are bored from the same things happening over and over again. Which, because the shows “ task load is low” or not a lot is happening means it is time for a change. I will use this idea to be able to keep in mind what has happened in the show and it’s episodes to influence how I create my different storyline of Flash.
Work Cited
Abrams, Simon. “Chaos Theory: An Unofficial History of the Modern
Superhero Film.” IndieWire, IndieWire, 30 Dec. 2013,
www.indiewire.com/2013/12/chaos-theory-an-unofficial-history-of-the-modern-superher
o- film-133585/.
Cummings, Mary L., et al. “Boredom in the Workplace: A New Look at an Old
Problem.” Human Factors, vol. 58, no. 2, Mar. 2016, pp. 279–300. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1177/0018720815609503.
“Forensic Science Technician.” Tech Directions, no. 7, 2010. EBSCOhost,
libraries.maine.edu/mainedatabases/authmaine.asp?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/logi n.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,uid&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.241876184&site= eds-live.
Kessler , Amy. “20 Benefits of Living in a Small Town as a 20-Something.” Boundless, 6 Nov. 2014,
www.boundless.org/blog/20-benefits-of-living-in-a-small-town-as-a-20-something/. Peterson, Sarah.
“About Child Trauma.” The National Child Traumatic Stress
Network, 5 Nov. 2018, www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/about-child-trauma. Wilbur, Brock. “The Flash Suffers from One of Its Most Lackluster Episodes
Yet.” Polygon, Polygon, 19 Oct. 2016, www.polygon.com/tv/2016/10/19/13328838/the-flash-season-3-episode-3-recap.
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