Barry Allen, a young forensic investigator in Central City, is struck by lightning in a storm moments after the new S.T.A.R. Labs Particle Accelerator explodes and releases unknown energies into the area. Waking up from a coma nine months later, Barry discovers he now has the ability to move at superhuman speeds. Aided by the remaining S.T.A.R. Labs crew, Barry dons a costume and uses his power for good, but the Particle Accelerator accident has created other "metahumans" who may not share his morals. As the Flash, Barry is monitored by Dr. Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh) and his team as Barry attempts to balance his new secret life with his day job for the police, where his foster father Joe West (Jesse L. Martin) is a detective. While spending time training to use his new super-speed powers for good, Barry also seeks to solve the mystery of his mother's death when he was a child, for which his father was unjustly jailed, as they witnessed a yellow blur of a man do the deed - a man who might have the same power as him.
For recap, see Recap.The Flash 2014.
Tropes Specific to Season One of The Flash (2014):
- Always Someone Better: The Reverse-Flash, thanks to being vastly more experienced and skilled as a speedster, proves to be better than Barry in every confrontation, even after further training.
- Break the Cutie: Due to the events of this season, and inexperience, Barry suffered this by the end of the season.
- Can't Default to Murder: In Rogue Time, Captain Cold has discovered The Flash's secret identity and is using it as leverage, threatening to expose him if he doesn't stay out of Snart's business. Barry asks if Cold thinks he'll allow innocent people to suffer to protect his secret. Snart is forced to admit that he won't, and so they come to a compromise: Barry won't arrest Snart as long as he keeps Barry's secret, and doesn't kill anyone.
- Fake Identity Baggage: Played for Laughs in "Who is Harrison Wells". Hannibal Bates, a shapeshifting criminal who can impersonate anyone, takes on Barry's form after tying him up and locking him in a closet. Hannibal is completely unaware that Barry is the Flash, so when Caitlin finds him and gives him updates on what their crimefighting team of scientists is doing, Hannibal has to try really hard to act like he understands. Cringe Comedy ensues.
- Keeping Secrets Sucks: Barry and Eddie are in agreement that keeping Iris Locked Out of the Loop in regards to Barry's identity, even if they believe it's for her safety, is hell. Barry only went with it in the first place because Joe asked him to, and when they let Eddie in Barry had already gotten too used to hiding it.
- Love Triangle: Barry and Iris have had feelings for one another since they were children, but never acted on them. When Barry goes into a coma, Iris gets into a relationship with Eddie. It becomes increasingly clear to everyone that she's still sweet on Barry, even if she refuses to acknowledge it.Eddie: Ever since the very beginning, there's been three people in this relationship. You, me, and Barry.
- Oblivious to Love: For the first nine episodes, everyone knows Barry Allen is in love with Iris West...except for Iris West. And even then, she never figures it out herself — Barry has to straight up tell her. Likewise, everyone knows Iris West is in love with Barry Allen...except for, again, Iris West. Even Barry knew she loved him (thanks to Time Travel shenangigans), and even confronted her about it. Though, by that point, one could assume Selective Obliviousness or even straight-up denial on Iris' end.
- Obliviously Superpowered: In Season 1, after Barry changes the timeline for the first time, Cisco starts having dreams of the original timeline where he was murdered by "Dr. Wells"/Eobard Thawne. Cisco and the rest believe this is a simple side effect of the timeline change, until Wells/Thawne realizes in the season finale that Cisco could have only seen the original timeline through powers gained during the particle accelerator explosion to "see through the vibrations of the universe".
- Rotating Arcs: Even before the Monster of the Week format eventually fades, there are several other threads that the heroes have to tackle.
- The When It All Began (literally) of Nora Allen's murder, where Joe and Barry's efforts to find the true killer and clear Henry Allen's name is the main Myth Arc of the season.
- Barry's repeated encounters with Leonard Snart, starting a rivalry with the latter deciding to form a group of fellow supervillains that can match the Flash. Sadly, this was dropped by Season 2.
- From "Flash vs. Arrow" and right up to "Crazy for You" is the B-plot of investigating what really happened to Ronnie Raymond, culminating in the two-part episode that introduces Firestorm.
- Sunk Cost Fallacy: Invoked by Joe when he explains why he didn't give Eddie permission to propose to Iris. As he explains, Iris has feelings for Barry that she doesn't know how to deal with and won't go away when she marries Eddie, who will catch on sooner or later. The two will stay in an unhappy relationship neither wants to end because it would mean acknowledging Barry's role in it.
- Took a Shortcut: Barry's excuse when asked how he got in front of someone they were trying to catch. He actually used his superspeed.
- Unknown Rematch Conclusion: The first crossover with Arrow has Barry controlled by a metahuman villain, forcing Oliver to fight and defeat him to snap him out of it. The crossover's conclusion has Barry and Oliver deciding to have a friendly rematch as the credits roll.
- Unskilled, but Strong: Barry has his superspeed, but he doesn't have a lot tactical or martial arts training. This tends to let him get hit by surprise attacks a lot.
