In the mid-2000s, SyFy was riding high on the success of its gritty Battlestar Galactica reimagining, so when the network announced a modern take on the classic comic strip hero Flash Gordon, expectations were sky-high. The result, however, was a show that stumbled out of the gate, got canceled after just one season, and has since faded into obscurity. But here's the thing: this forgotten sci-fi reboot, starring Smallville's Eric Johnson, actually got pretty good—if you gave it time.
A Hero With a Complicated Legacy
Flash Gordon predates even Batman and Superman, first appearing in newspaper strips in 1934 as a swashbuckling space adventurer. Over the decades, he's been adapted into film serials, animated series, and the gloriously campy 1980 movie. So when SyFy announced a 2007 series, fans of pulp sci-fi were eager to see how the character would be modernized.
The show, developed by Peter Hume, cast Eric Johnson (best known for playing Whitney Fordman on Smallville) as Flash, a young man still grieving the loss of his father, who died in a fire. That tragedy sets him on a path that leads to Mongo, a distant planet ruled by the tyrannical Ming the Merciless (John Ralston). Alongside ex-assassin Baylin (Karen Cliche), genius Dr. Hans Zarkov (Jody Racicot), and his ex-girlfriend Dale Arden (Gina Holden), Flash becomes embroiled in intergalactic conflict.
A Rocky Start That Turned Into Something Special
Let's be honest: the early episodes are rough. The pilot is a mess, the writing is clunky, and the show spends too much time on Flash's Earth-bound drama—his love triangle with Dale and her fiancé, his best friend Nick, and his worried mother. It felt like SyFy was trying to make Flash Gordon relatable in the same way Smallville made Superman relatable, but the execution was off.
However, around episode 10, something clicked. The series began to embrace its space opera roots, diving deeper into Mongo's politics, Ming's machinations, and the complex character of Princess Aura (Anna Van Hooft). The two-part story "Alliances" and "Revelations" even featured Sam J. Jones, the star of the 1980 Flash Gordon film, in a clever cameo. By the time "Conspiracy Theory" and "Random Access" rolled around, the show had found its voice.
Why You Should Give It a Chance
If you can power through the first half of the season, you'll discover a series that was unfairly dismissed. It's not perfect—the budget is clearly limited, and some performances are questionable—but it's a fun, earnest attempt to bring a classic hero into the 21st century. For fans of Smallville, it's also a chance to see Eric Johnson in a leading role, and for sci-fi enthusiasts, it's a hidden gem that deserves a second look.
So if you're looking for your next binge, consider giving Flash Gordon a shot. It's a show that, despite its flaws, ultimately delivers the cosmic adventures it promised. And who knows? You might just find yourself rooting for Flash by the end.
