By SCOTT IWANIEC & STEVE CIAMPA
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
[email protected]

With the cable superhero shows three to five episodes in, this is usually the “jumping off” or “staying on” point for its viewers. Here’s what we think of these points, with a slight preview for the Netflix series.

The Flash: Grant Gustin kills it in his role as Barry Allen. This show is embracing its comic book ridiculousness with its fun attitude, and definitely is not afraid to pack an emotional punch.

The only problem is that the side characters aren’t always great, and the side plots aren’t always that interesting. So far into this season, the show seems to be focusing on suspense. Definitely stay on, because what it does well, it does really well, even if you have to muscle through some lesser plot lines.

Arrow: The series headed into its fourth season about a month ago, and the tone and plot is as dark and entertaining as ever. Though slightly more violent than The Flash, Arrow will keep you on the edge of your seat with various, well-choreographed fight scenes, a well-written plot, and a newly introduced antagonist every season. I highly recommend catching up with this series if you haven’t already. Season four’s latest villain has new abilities and challenges to bring to the table, which  definitely keep the show interesting.

Daredevil:  Season one of Netflix’s Marvel series tells sinister and bloodthirsty tales that keep you glued to the screen and begging for more. Season two is looking to be even more emotionally hard- hitting and violent with the introduction of The Punisher. If this appeals to you, stay tuned for Jessica Jones. This show is based off the comic book Alias and deals with stories of prostitution, rape, mind control, and revenge.

These Netflix shows go dark. Daredevil was critically acclaimed and it looks like there’s even more to come. And for all of you asking, yes, these shows take place in the same world as the Avengers films.