There’s so much to love in the pilot of The Flash that the few concerns we have are easy to overlook. Check out our spoiler-free review here!

When he isn’t speeding around Central City in his impressive red leather, Barry Allen is charming you heart and soul as the bumbling, sweet forensic investigator that dashes off, probably late, to the nearest crime scene.

Those that saw Grant Gustin play Barry Allen in Arrow season 2 know that he is capable of holding his own against the talents of Stephen Amell, Emily Bett Rickards, and David Ramsey, amongst others. The only question that remained was: Can he carry the weight of an entire show on his shoulders?

The answer is a resounding YES. No matter what may be thrown Barry’s way, Grant Gustin is surely up for the challenge. The pilot presented him with obstacle after obstacle to hurdle and he never lost a stride.

Related: Five awesome things about ‘The Flash’ pilot

The pilot introduced many of the principal cast of The Flash season 1, and gave us a perfect idea of just how these characters will influence Barry and his journey to save his city as well as clear his father’s name.

The first of the main cast that we meet is Detective Joe West, played expertly by Jesse L. Martin. The detective-with-a-heart-of-gold character isn’t too far of a stretch from his previous work on Law & Order, but the growth he embodies in just this episode alone leaves us full of excitement for the future. He has established himself as a father figure toward Barry, whose own father is incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. West’s relationship with Barry Allen is only slightly touched upon, but we are most anxious to see their bond deepen as Barry grows into his new role as Central City’s protector.

Detective West’s daughter, Iris (played by Candice Patton), has also played a pivotal role in Barry’s life. She and Barry have been best friends and confidants since before his mother’s untimely demise, and she has never left his side. There is clearly room for attraction to mount between the two, especially since it is abundantly clear that Barry is more than interested, but it will take some time for her to see him as anything other than a friend.

We also got our introduction to the team that will help keep Barry from losing his footing on the streets of Central City. ‘Team Flash’ (for lack of a better term) consists of Harrison Wells (played by Tom Cavanaugh), Cisco Ramon (played by Carlos Valdes), and Caitlin Snow (played by Danielle Panabaker). These three faces will undoubtedly only grow in importance as the season continues.

Cisco is the resident inventor, and the keeper of the high tech toys. When Barry needs a little something extra to get the job done, Cisco will come to the rescue. Harrison Wells is certainly the most mysterious of the team. The leading physicist on the particle accelerator was thrown for a loop when his groundbreaking invention malfunctioned to a horrific degree, and he was left shouldering much of the responsibility. Caitlin Snow, Wells’ assistant, had similar destruction done to her life when the Star Labs’ particle accelerator catastrophe struck Central City. With her career at Star Labs now tanked, and her fiance killed, her outlook on life is understandably bleak. We are certainly interested to see Barry lighten up her life a bit, and hopefully she will regain control.

The pilot was chock full of funny bits, including Barry’s use of a few terrible excuses that gave this viewer flashbacks to the Starling City vigilante’s early days (who made a memorable appearance in the pilot), but they are balanced nicely by the dramatic tone as Barry works toward accepting his new abilities.

The most concerning parts of The Flash center around clunky dialogue and a few awkward moments that could have felt a bit more natural. One line, which can be heard in the trailer, has Oliver Queen telling Barry Allen that the lightning strike “chose him,” which was met in the premiere screening with snorts and giggles. The campiness can be overlooked however, especially when paired with emotionally charged scenes like that between Detective West and Barry Allen, in which West berates Allen for continuously believing in the illogical. The moment tenses like a fight between father and son, and as Barry has grown up under Detective West’s care, it hits at the core of what this show is trying to convey.

Basically, whether happy or sad, determined or defeated, Barry Allen is one superhuman you will not want to miss a moment with this fall. Any pilot has a few wrinkles, and once the cast and crew iron out the problem areas, The Flash has a very bright future ahead.

Don’t forget to watch til the VERY end of the episode as the final few moments throw a huge monkey wrench into the show from the very start, and be sure to start formulating theories as soon as the pilot hits screens Tuesday, October 7, 2014 on the CW!