EPISODE 11: "The Sound and the Fury"
SYNOPSIS: Barry's faith in Dr. Wells is put to the test after a new villain comes to town with juicy secrets.
RECAP (Beware of spoilers!):
With yet another great episode of THE FLASH, I am starting to wonder whether I will ever have to write a bad review about this show. I hope this streak doesn’t end any time soon because I am having so much fun watching the exciting action scenes and awesome villains from episode to episode. While this would be about the time lesser shows begin airing dud episodes, it’s incredible that the writers of THE FLASH are able to continue this consistently entertaining run. There has yet to be one stinker. Other shows take note!
Instead of Barry being the brunt of a villain’s rage, tonight’s target is Dr. Wells. Teased in last week’s episode, Hartley Rathaway (aka Pied Piper) has a bone to pick with his former boss. As seen in flashbacks from two years ago, Rathaway was Wells’ right-hand man, an incredibly intelligent scientist who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. But sometimes that trait got him into trouble, especially in social situations with coworkers and in regards to the particle accelerator. As it turns out, Rathaway warned Wells that the accelerator had a good chance of exploding, but Wells chose to take the bigger risk for the bigger reward and continued on. When Rathaway stated his objections to the plan, Wells fired him from S.T.A.R. Labs and threatened to have him blacklisted in the scientific community if he tried to be a whistleblower. So, the two men didn’t necessarily end on good terms.
Meanwhile, Iris is celebrating her new job as a reporter for the Central City Picture News! Thankfully tonight’s episode focused more on this milestone and not on the love triangle between herself, Eddie and Barry. But unfortunately, her exciting new job isn’t everything she expected. As it turns out, her coworkers don’t respect her because she is a former blogger and her boss only wants her to cover stories about The Flash since he thinks she has an “inside” connection. He is not interested in any other ideas. Hopefully the fact that she was able to get Wells to answer a question about the particle accelerator will help give her more credibility.
After the opening chase scene, the next time we see Wells he is walking, yes walking, around his super fancy home and listening to music. Speaking of, why would Wells’ want his walls to be made of glass? Isn't that pretty risky for a man that is pretending to be handicapped? Anyway, Wells' cell phone starts to ring and a menacing voice on the other end says, "We both know what you did. It's time to pay the Piper." The entire glass ceiling then starts to fall, but Wells uses his Reverse Flash speed to get away just in time.
Wells calls the police, and soon Barry, Joe, and Eddie arrive to investigate. Joe and Eddie already have their suspicions about Wells, and their distrust is further confirmed when Wells has no injuries from the falling glass. A man in a wheelchair wouldn’t have time to escape the explosion, therefore it doesn’t make sense that he didn’t have a scratch on him. So Joe and Eddie start investigating Wells on their own to figure out what is going on. Note: Eddie was the one who investigated Wells’ house and claimed he found nothing suspicious. That could be true, Wells may not be hiding anything in his house. However, we should also keep in mind the theory that Eddie is working with Wells against Barry and only pretended to find nothing at the house. Either way, I’m not completely ready to trust him yet.
Speaking of, trust (and the lack thereof) is a major theme in tonight’s episode. While we know Wells isn’t to be trusted, Barry has always been completely loyal to his mentor. However, that changes when Barry disarms and captures Rathaway and brings him back to S.T.A.R. Labs for questioning. Rathaway warns Barry about the dangers of trusting such an opportunistic man (Wells) and tells Barry and co. some revealing information about Wells’ decision to follow-through with the particle accelerator, despite Rathaway’s warnings. This revelation is especially upsetting for Caitlin, whose fiancé was… changed… due to the accelerator. It also marks the first time Barry sees a glimpse of who Wells really is. After all, how well does he really know this guy? Hell, Barry didn’t even know Wells had been married!
Back in the lab, Cisco discovers (a little too late) that Rathaway allowed himself to get captured so he could infiltrate S.T.A.R. labs and steal files on Barry’s molecular makeup. But when Cisco goes to secure Rathaway’s prison cell, it’s too late. Rathaway uses hidden explosives to blow the door open, knocking Cisco unconscious. With a dangerous criminal on the loose in S.T.A.R. labs, Wells tries to use his super speed to outmaneuver Rathaway, but is too weak so he is forced to call in Barry. By the time Barry gets there, however, Rathaway and his weapon are gone.
Cisco tracks Rathaway by monitoring seismic activity in the area, which is caused by the weapon, and is able to pinpoint the latest crime scene. Barry arrives just in time to save people that Rathaway has started flinging over the side of the bridge while still inside their cars. This time, when the two men fight, the battle isn't as easy for Barry. Because Rathaway stole Barry's molecular information, he now has the ability to use the Flash suit's communication system as a way to kill him. It will create high-speed vibrations that will demolish Barry's organs. But Wells quickly comes up with a countermeasure, using a satellite, car radios, and a high frequency signal to disable the weapon.
With Rathaway now in the Pipeline, Cisco goes in to have a "friendly" chat (aka to gloat). But, before he can get too far, Rathaway lets Cisco know that he will soon be getting out. After all, he knows the location of Ronnie Raymond and how to save him.
Unfortunately, by the end of the episode, Barry’s trust in Dr. Wells is restored. He even gives him a framed group picture as a show of good faith. Thanks to Wells’ “I have failed this city” press conference that even Oliver Queen would be proud of, and the fact he saved Barry’s life with quick thinking, the episode ends on a positive note. But, I have to imagine Barry’s look into Wells’ life will make him at least a little more leery of his mentor in the future.
STINGER: Dr. Wells goes into his secret lair and attaches the tachyon device to his chest. As we saw earlier in the episode, he isn’t able to maintain his speed, and although the device helped for a period of time, it is beginning to lose its effectiveness. But, as Wells says, that device was only the temporary fix. The end game is close at hand. Dun dun dun.
DC UNIVERSE EASTER EGGS: This episode contained the first mention of “speed force” and also gave us a glimpse at the group of supervillains known as the “Royal Flush Gang” (the bad guys on motorcycles that Barry caught at the beginning of the episode). There are also speculations that Cisco will get his “Vibe” powers due to a run-in with Pied Piper.
COOL ALTERNATE USE OF "THE FLASH" POWERS: Barry uses his super speed to take a group picture without a tripod and without the camera falling on the ground. Barry also uses his speed to reassemble the glass ceiling that exploded, finding there was no point of impact.
FAVORITE QUOTE: When Cisco is talking about Hartley, he describes him this way to Barry, “He was mostly a jerk, but every once in a while he could be a dick.”
FINAL VERDICT: