'The Flash' Review/Recap "The Sound and the Fury"

Adam Reynoso ’15 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

One thing The Flash gets right is the supporting cast, which includes guest stars. While the lead is charming and great as the show’s hero, what makes him work is the people around him. Just as well, a hero is only as good as their villain and this week’s Pied Piper (Andy Mientus) definitely delivers on that front. And to go along with the Pied Piper, Dr. Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh) only continued to place himself further in the gray area as the show continues to establish him as the Reverse Flash.
Another one of the more iconic Flash villains, Hartley Rathaway, aka Pied Piper, made his debut this week and fit into the somewhat campy, lighthearted show. Having already been disowned by his wealthy family for being gay, his main mission in this episode was to get his revenge against his former mentor, Wells, for ignoring his warnings about the Particle Accelerator and completely turning his back on him before he was affected by the Particle Accelerator.
Rathaway really allowed the audience to get a better look at the beginnings of the STAR Labs group and Cisco’s (Carlos Valdes) introduction to the group. Just as well, Rathaway served as a possible  foreshadowing for Barry’s (Grant Gustin) own relationship with Wells. Rathaway was seen as the prodigal son, someone whom Wells respected and held in high regard, mainly for his geniosity. But Rathaway was ignored and fired, despite him being right. This forces everyone to question Wells and his intentions about the particle accelerator.

It may have taken longer than expected, but the group is finally starting to grow suspicious of Wells. He, meanwhile, has displayed his powers as another speedster, confirming that he is indeed the Reverse Flash. And it’s interesting to note how even though the show is about Barry and the Flash, this show is just as much about figuring out Wells’ role as the Reverse Flash. We’re continuing to slowly figure out who he is and as seen in the tag at the end, he’s losing control of his powers and has his endgame in sight. And as everyone might have forgiven him in the end, Joe (Jesse L. Martin) has asked Eddie (Rick Cosnett) to help look into Wells’s background as he’s finally going with his gut about Wells. This investigation is bound to go into an interesting direction, especially with bringing Eddie into the mix.
Elsewhere in the episode, Iris (Candice Patton) continued her path into a journalism career, but found that she’s going to have to prove she’s more than a Flash blogger. And Cisco’s faced with a difficult choice in the end as Rathaway tells him he has info on Caitlin’s (Danielle Panabaker) fiance, Ronnie (Robbie Amell).
The episode introduced another character from the Rogues gallery and finally shed more light on Wells’ character. Mientus did an excellent job as the Pied Piper and played it with enough camp and angst that it worked. And with the characters finally questioning Wells, it’s only a matter of time before they begin to see him for who he really is.
The Flash airs on Tuesdays at 8/7c on the CW.
Overall Episode Grade: B+