S01.E11: The Sound And The Fury

[Trini]

 

BROADWAY STAR ANDY MIENTUS GUEST STARS AS THE PIED PIPER - Dr. Wells' former protégée, Hartley Rathaway (guest star Andrew Mientus), returns to seek revenge on his mentor after being affected by the particle accelerator explosion. Now able to manipulate sound waves, the brilliant Rathaway is a dangerous threat to both Wells and The Flash. Meanwhile, Iris is thrilled when she's hired by the Central City Picture News as their newest cub reporter. Unfortunately, her editor (guest star Tom Butler) pairs her with a veteran reporter, Mason Bridge (guest star Roger Howarth), who wants nothing to do with her. Cisco recalls his first day on the job at S.T.A.R. Labs when he met Hartley and Caitlin. Joe asks Eddie for a favor but asks him to keep it a secret from Barry.

 

http://youtu.be/EY-LnVFUDX8

Edited January 23, 2015 by Trini

[Trini]

http://youtu.be/T0AZg0aLE9o

[SimoneS]

That was so freaking annoying. I hate it when the person who knows the secret stalls and stalls instead of just spitting it out, then of course, they never reveal the secret. All Hartley had to do was tell Barry that Wells was the Reverse Flash instead we get game playing and he never tells Barry about Wells. Wait, that is the real secret that Hartley knows right?

 

Barry is so easy. He came around really quickly to trusting Wells again. I wish Joe was more involved in the story, but I am glad that he does not trust Wells any more and is investigating him. 

Edited January 28, 2015 by SimoneS

[Jediknight]

Oh Cisco, Cisco, Cisco, Han didn't shoot first, Han was the only one to shoot.

 

I was hoping Cisco would have been the one to outsmart Hartley, but the speech from Wells was good.  Hartley was a dick, he was Sheldon Cooper times 950, and Cisco isn't.  But I'm guessing he's going to outsmart Wells to help Barry beat him in the season finale.

 

Joe and Barry doing the experiment was a lot of fun.  Judging from that scene, Joe loved the experiments Barry was doing in the garage, because he was into the one in Barry's office.

 

We finally got a Speed Force mention.

[Lantern7]

Anybody else let down by the "Pied Piper" moniker? Hartley didn't actually pipe anything. They got the gay and deaf parts right, but he looked more like Shriek from Batman Beyond than any sort of piper. </geeknitpick>

 

Damn, this show sure does love its Barry/Joe moments. Joery? Can I use such a term to express "mere" friendship?

 

Kinda cringeworthy to see Iris get her start in journalism. Then again, I do have a high tolerance for pain when it comes to fiction journalism, having exposed myself to the "careers" of Clark Kent and Lois Lane on Smallville. Is there a way to make her viable without any leaps of logic? I'd like to see that.

 

Damn, if Wells was any shadier, he'd be . . . well, the Shade.

[Enero]

Did anyone else think Wells was going to stand up when he admitted he’d been keeping a secret?

 

I really liked Hartley.  So far, he’s been the most interesting “villain" to be on the show.

 

Barry’s no one can ever replace you speech to Joe kind of scared me a little bit. I hope he doesn’t end up dead due to his investigation into Wells. That said, I'm so glad that Joe ain't no fool. He's totally on to Wells. Glad somebody is. I'm surprised Barry hasn't questioned him more. I mean shouldn't he be asking where the Reverse Flash came from? How it's possible for someone out there to exist with the same power as him but a lot faster. Does he think they got injured by the particle accelerator too?

 

I was hoping we would’ve got more Iris tonight, but the little we did get was a nice setup to her new career in journalism. I wish we'd seen her transition from being excited about running a blog about Flash and other meta humans to having a true interest in journalism. It's interesting that Wells ignored Todd (can't remember the character's name on this show) and prompted her to ask him a question. I think him doing this could have been for various reasons but mostly to further his "I'm actually a good person" charade in front of Barry.

 

So am I to understand that Wells wanted the special device to help stabilize his speed? So that it wouldn’t come and go?

 

Great episode!

Edited January 28, 2015 by Enero

[Trini]

Surprised that they showed Wells using his powers(?). So if there was any doubt about Reverse Flash....

[bettername2come]

I thought Rathaway only knew about the danger of the accelerator. And where Ronnie is.

 

I liked the Wells speech to Cisco. It reminded me of Joe's "I need my Barry Allen" speech a few eps back. I also enjoyed "Welcome back, Mr. Ramon," but I'm a sucker for callbacks.

 

So apparently, Wells can't maintain the speed force and the wheelchair isn't always fake, yes? 

 

Did anyone else think Wells was going to stand up when he admitted he’d been keeping a secret?

 

 Totally hoped he would.

[Jediknight]

Did anyone else think Wells was going to stand up when he admitted he’d been keeping a secret?

I was expecting it as well.

[phoenics]

I too am curious about Wells and the wheelchair - so apparently he was crippled by the blast, but his RF powers help him walk and move? And also have super speed?

The part where his legs started vibrating - I couldn't figure out if Hartley did that to him or if that was just showing him losing his speed powers? Kinda like Barry's hand shaking?

That part just wasn't clear.

I mean - I guess it's clear that he's losing his speed powers - but why?

I suspect this all ties into why he needs the Flash to "disappear" in the future like the newspaper Gideon shows him?

Loved Iris' story in this... happy to see her finally get a real arc now.

[SimoneS]

I wish that Iris was not a cub reporter like Lois Lane. I would have preferred it if she was also a scientist working for that lab which is why she is interested in learning about The Flash and the other metahumans.

 

I think that Wells intends to steal Barry's speed somehow. He must need it to return to the future.

[Lila82]

Did anyone else think Wells was going to stand up when he admitted he’d been keeping a secret?

 

Or admit his love for Hartley?  I was sooooo confused during the chess scene, and later when Joe made parallels between Hartley and Tess.   Were we supposed to see a love connection between H&H?  Just father son, mentor/mentee?   Did I miss something?

 

Still, Hartley was a terrific villain, mostly because he had a personal stake in the particle accelerator.  He's more than a villain of the week because of those connections with the core characters.

 

With each adorable Barry/Joe scene, I feel like we're one step closer to Joe's death.  Every epsode, it's like I let out a relieved breath that Joe is still alive.  Do not mess with them, Show.

 

Caitlin grumble - the girl is a crazy talented, insanely gifted scientist.  I can look past the (repeated!) jumpsuits, but not babbling at work, to a new colleague and superior, about her boyfriend taking her on a trip.  She would know better than that.

 

 

I need Iris's time management skills.  She goes to school full time, works at Jitters, and a manages a regular gig at the city paper.  Where can I purchase her time turner?  

 

ETA:

Every time Team Flash puts a villain in their super-duper prison, all I can think is: where do they go to the bathroom?  What exactly happens back there?

Edited January 28, 2015 by Lila82

[wingster55]

Are Dr. Wells powers due to the Tachyon device...or did he have them before.

I'm hesitant to label him RF still..he may be but even so...there's more to the story. And that "more" involves time travel, and Eddie. 

[Shanna]

Please don't have iris start talking about how she has gumption. Or spunk. Even in response to proovcation, I groaned at that line.

So I guess she and Barry are back to normal now?

Still muling over the rest.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Shanna

[Trini]

 

With each adorable Barry/Joe scene, I feel like we're one step closer to Joe's death.  Each epsode, it's like I let out a relieved breath that Joe is still alive.  Do not mess with them, Show.

 

Ah! Don't even put that out there! They're lucky to have Martin on this show.

[Ltg.jon]

I get the logic of the good guys having a secret prison for super-powered villains who couldn't otherwise be contained in a regular prison. But the Piper's powers apparently came from his gloves. So what's the justification for denying him a trial?

[Ubiquitous]

I was sure Well's secret was he and Hartley being romantically involved as soon as Wells mentioned he had been disinherited from his family.

[madhacker]

469

I'm just glad that Andy will be back for the Firestorm episode. He's way too talented for just a one time episode (and I'm not saying that just because I think he's hot, cause he is). Hopefully the CW will cast him in another show and keep him around. Am I the only one who thought that when they were shooting the scene when Flash brings in Hartley from the elevator that Grant had to have cracked up at the "red leather" line? For some reason I just can't imagine Grant hearing that and not burst out laughing.

 

Also I'm noticing that they're making Flash's Rouges way more interesting and deadlier. I mean let's be honest Captain Boomerang was kinda a joke in the comics and in the crossover he actually held his own against both The Arrow and Arsenal at the same time. Same thing with Captain Cold.

[phoenics]

I wish that Iris was not a cub reporter like Lois Lane. I would have preferred it if she was also a scientist working for that lab which is why she is interested in learning about The Flash and the other metahumans.

 

I think that Wells intends to steal Barry's speed somehow. He must need it to return to the future.

Out of curiosity - why?

I like that Iris gets to have her own story and

Iris in the comics is a reporter nearly on the same level as Lois Lane - she's just slightly different - and she actually - in the comics - works closely with Barry Allen on a lot of stories. They help each other - she's the reporter who hunts down leads and he brings his CSI experience. It's kinda like Lois & Clark, but slightly different, obviously.

.

I can see how it might seem like it might give Iris more story to make her part of the "Star Labs" team, but I think it's more interesting to make her compelling in her own right (like she is in the comics), :)

I see Team Flash as a copy of "Team Arrow" and neither really exist in canon - but it does give a nice "Fellowship of the Ring" kinda feeling... After decades of seeing superheroes "go it alone" giving them a "team" to work with is kinda cool...

[Enero]

I get the logic of the good guys having a secret prison for super-powered villains who couldn't otherwise be contained in a regular prison. But the Piper's powers apparently came from his gloves. So what's the justification for denying him a trial?

Apparently he's too brilliant for the Central City jail. I always wonder too how they take care of the meta humans? Despite their powers they're still human. They still need to eat, go to the bathroom etc., Do they have an automatic feeder for them? How do they clear out their waste? Do they have a cleaning crew for that?

I have to say I too thought that Wells and Hartley were romantically involved. For a second there I almost thought we were going to learn that he and Cisco got something going after getting over their original animosity towards each other. Hartley was emanating some serious sexual vibes with both characters.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Enero

[Atony]

 Or admit his love for Hartley?  I was sooooo confused during the chess scene, and later when Joe made parallels between Hartley and Tess.   Were we supposed to see a love connection between H&H?  Just father son, mentor/mentee?   Did I miss something?

 

Yeah, I was also getting that vibe between Hartley and Wells that they were lovers.  I couldn't determine if that was intentional.

 

Thought the Hartley was a really good character regardless, I agree with whoever said he has been the most developed villain of the week so far.

 

 

 

I get the logic of the good guys having a secret prison for super-powered villains who couldn't otherwise be contained in a regular prison. But the Piper's powers apparently came from his gloves. So what's the justification for denying him a trial?

 

Yeah, locking away a normal human in an illegal prison without a trial seems pretty fucked up.  Without his gadgets there is no reason Hartley can't face the normal criminal justice system.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Atony

[phoenics]

Ah! Don't even put that out there! They're lucky to have Martin on this show.

I had the same sense of foreboding when I saw that ending scene with Joe and Eddie investigating Wells... it really worries me...

I'm sorry - don't hate me for putting that out there... I love Jessie Martin as Joe.

Yeah, I was also getting that vibe between Hartley and Wells that they were possibly lovers.  I couldn't determine if that was intentional.

 

Thought the Hartley was a really good character regardless, I agree with whoever said he has been the most developed villain of the week so far.

Wow - I must not have been paying attention enough... I just took it as two intellectual snobs going at each other... I missed the subtext... but admittedly I was distracted during part of the episode...

[TwistedandBored]

I knew H. Wells was powerless without that Tachyon device. So, what happens when that things runs out of it's juice? Who is Harrison waiting for to jump start his powers again? 

 

Anyways, it was a solid episode. It further everyone's story in a way which I liked. 

[Enero]

Forgot to add, Joe is going to have to be careful with having Eddie help him investigate Wells. It's not out of the realm of possibility that during this investigation, he figures out that Barry is the Flash and what a can of worms that would open.

[bluebonnet]

This episode made Barry's "fight" with Heatwave and Captain Cold even more of a joke because it made it abundantly clear that Barry knows how to take away weapons from a villain.  

 

I'm also surprised that Wells and Hartley were not revealed to be lovers.  I kept thinking that they had great chemistry.  Something feels missing from this relationship.  

 

And the prison.  Why!?!  I don't know why, out of everything in this show, the prison bothers me the most.  I can't take my Barry Allen being complicit in this.  

Edited January 28, 2015 by bluebonnet

[Advance35]

Really cool episode and really cool villain.

 

I liked that Hartley/Pied Piper had a personal connection to Star Labs and as a result his antagonism was a lot more nasty and personal than most of the villains they've encountered so far.   His taunting Caitlin about what happened to Ronnie.   And can I say that him actually punching Caitlin in the face made me gasp.     

 

His continued antagonism and disdain for Cisco was also really interesting to see, as was Cisco's response.

 

And as awful as he was, the flash back showed he was doing the right thing, the accelerator wasn't stable and because he started making noise about it, Well's flushed him.   Though I also think Well's was right in that Hartley lacked a certain humanity that Cisco has in spades.   As raw a deal as he got, he's definitely developed a lack of concern for human life since he wasn't just using the people on the bridge as bait, he was trying to kill them.

 

Was Hartley's parents the people that got off the plane last week with the painting that Captain Cold and "Mick" went after.   There Butler said Mr. Hartley your son has been trying to reach you and Mr. Hartley said "We know longer have a son."   Interesting.

 

I've never really cottoned to Iris and her reporting.   It's not fair but I always see her and Vicki Vale (Gotham Gazette) as Lois Lane wannabe's.   Again, I know it's not fair but that's just how I react.

 

It's really going to shake this group to their core when they find out just how treacherous Dr. Wells really is.

 

Great Episode.

[Sakura12]

Cisco's "he was a jerk. But sometimes...he could be a dick." was hilarious. 

 

Iris' abrupt change to journalism is weird. Especially when they act like it's all she wanted to do (like with Barry calling her a great journalist and her saying she idolized jerk reporter), when all she did was start a blog. I'm all for her getting more of a storyline but at least have it make sense. Before the Iris supporters jump all over this. I like Iris, I just don't want her to be like Laurel where she just gets put in storylines because comics.

 

Pied Piper's nickname made no sense. Come on Cisco, you are better than that. I do love that this show is making fun of DC's stupid names for some of their characters. I also like that Barry does struggle a bit and his team is able to help him out like a real team. Canon changes like that make sense for a tv show. The best part of shows is the interactions between the characters. I'm glad they are utilizing all the characters and having them actually talk and hang out together. 

 

I can't wait for Malese Jow next week. And it looks like that answers the is Barry a virgin question. He had Linda half naked on top of him. However his leaving like that is going to make her suspicious, since she is actually a reporter. 

Edited January 28, 2015 by Sakura12

[Shanna]

I liked that Hartley/Pied Piper had a personal connection to Star Labs and as a result his antagonism was a lot more nasty and personal than most of the villains they've encountered so far. His taunting Caitlin about what happened to Ronnie. And can I say that him actually punching Caitlin in the face made me gasp.

Snip...

I've never really cottoned to Iris and her reporting. It's not fair but I always see her and Vicki Vale (Gotham Gazette) as Lois Lane wannabe's. Again, I know it's not fair but that's just how I react..

Excellent villain with a personal connection to the group (and possibly a love affair with wells, I wasn't the only one getting that vibe I see!). But I still couldn't get over my impression that he was dresses as Harry potter for Halloween. Did the outfit and glasses come from the comics? Because it was distracting me.

His hitting Caitlin full on like that was hard to watch.

I don't like iris as a journalist either but I guess we are stuck with it. I just hope they don't make it too irritating.

Eta, I didn't notice Malese Jow in the previews! Awesome.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Shanna

[In2You]

This episode bored me. I mean I still don't like Team Flash as a whole so I'm sure that was part of the reason. Also that selfie scene just reminded me that Barry still has yet to tell Iris that he's The Flash and he's been closer to her a hell of alot longer than he has to these people. Yet now they're documenting  the journey in pictures. 

 

There was alot of misogyny present. Especially with all those shots at Caitlin over Ronnie which just gave way to more scenes with Danielle's wooden acting.

 

I'm so beyond the tired joke of Cisco giving villains there nicknames. And I really hate how they the Rogues have basically amounted to non factors on this show. I cant name one of Barry Allen's villains that has been interesting or memorable here. 

 

So Barry just rushes out of that room full of people and without telling Iris so much as a good bye and she doesn't even call him out on it later.

[Atony]

But I still couldn't get over my impression that he was dresses as Harry potter for Halloween. Did the outfit and glasses come from the comics? Because it was distracting me.

 

Not that you are wrong, but it's funny because "evil Harry Potter" is exactly how Kreisberg describes him in this interview http://insidetv.ew.com/2015/01/26/flash-pied-piper-video-spoilers/

 

But that isn't the outfit from the comics no.  That would be even campier, trust me.  Also apparently the glasses were the ones Andy Mientus (the actor) wore to his audition because he was having eye problems and they liked them so much they ordered another pair for the character https://twitter.com/andymientus/status/560250795099455489

 

They actually changed him a lot from the comics, the hypnotic flute is kind of his signature there.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Atony

[Actionmage]

Like others, apparently, I was wondering why the cops weren't dispatched to the dam via 911 calls like the earlier incursion at Rathway Industries. There were civilians that were directly threatened with death ( the first lady Barry saved), and I doubt every driver was hands-free with phones. Some probably had them on their person.

 

In that civilians were menaced, and as noted above, the immediate threat was tool-based and neutralized, why no civilian cops? When we saw Joe chilling at his desk, I was surprised. Then he acted as if he wasn't aware of the dam situation at all! It made the freaking news, but CCPD wasn't called and Joe wasn't curious about this new meta? Pull the other one, Show.

 

I did like that Iris did not have a miraculous first day, but also not entirely the worst. Roger Howarth ( Todd Manning, One Life To Live) was a nice surprise and I almost didn't recognize him with out Manning's scar make-up. I hope he finds himself Iris' Mr. Grant. Remember, Mr. Grant hated spunk too, but became a good friend. His character seems more honest than the paper's editor, at least.  I did like that Iris was called on by Wells, but I was hoping that she'd walk past the press corps and sashay over to Joe. Yeah, a bit juvenile, but showing Mr. Bridge she's not without resources/sources.

 

We got some background on Cisco! I about jumped out of my seat when Cisco got blown up! I yelled and the hubby just looked amused at me. I like that Cisco and Caitlin seemed to be friendly from the jump. I want to trust Wells' speech to Cisco, but it's Wells and Barry was in eavesdrop range. I do think Harrison sees a great potential in our Mr. Ramos, but there's that trust line with Wells I'm not able to cross.  Besides, I think it's clear that Hartley would not appreciate the understated comedy genius of Ghostbusters.

 

ITA about Hartley and The Dark Secret of Harrison Wells. I mean, he has more than one, so...? Which one? Mr. Actionmage was " that'll get you killed" about Hartley's announcement. I mean, where's Stagg for heaven's sake? We haven't heard one way or another about a major player in the universe getting either killed or severely injured! Disappearing a disinherited, snot-nosed, assy version of Richie Rich isn't hard for Harrison.

 

Okay, another gripe: if there was a scan for implanted metal objects, why would they believe Hartley unquestioningly about hearing aids? Or uncritically? Was it simply because Caitlin and Cisco didn't think he'd be devious enough to actually be a criminal?

 

Another gripe? Barry, in his rush to finish things with Hartley, forgot the one lesson/piece of advice Oliver told him in the crossover: check the scene out ahead of a confrontation.  Barry was all " Moar coordinates!" There was no plan other than to pummel Piper again, and apparently, in the exact same way. That almost got Barry killed! This is not about Oliver, but the sound advice ( as it were) Ollie gave him. I hope we see this fight as a catalyst for smartness or reasonable caution in the future. After seeing him use the explosive against the drone that sent it, I have to think that   The Flash writers can think of smart ways to show Barry using his powers.

 

Overall, again, the gripes did not impede my ability to enjoy the hour.  I thought it was pretty neat and added to all the players, even Eddie with his grin to Joe at the end.

[Ltg.jon]

But I still couldn't get over my impression that he was dresses as Harry potter for Halloween. Did the outfit and glasses come from the comics? Because it was distracting me.

The glasses were new. The hoody was evocative of his comic book costumes, without looking like a costume. His original costume was very Pied Piper of Hamlin, complete with floppy hat. At a later point, he was given a more modern costume that included a hoody.

They actually changed him a lot from the comics, the hypnotic flute is kind of his signature there.

That was definitely his focus, but I recall instances of him also using sound as a weapon. Edited January 28, 2015 by Ltg.jon

[ohjoy]

There's got to be more to this than Wells being evil RF. Until the cackling laughter starts and he goes from sitting in the chair to jumping on Barry and punching him in the face, I refuse to believe Wells is evil. I'm enjoying his shady shadiness of mystery entirely too much. (Please feel free to join me in my secret room of denial. There are some lovely refreshments.)

You know, I watched Ed. I liked it, but I wasn't totally enamored (I don't think I watched the whole series). So I liked Tom Cavanaugh, but was never "in love" with him.

Until now.

[Xander]

There wasn't as much action but I quite enjoyed it. But that selfie, though. Isn't that too much of an obvious set up for someone to discover the Flash's identity? 

Edited January 28, 2015 by Xander

[benteen]

Really good episode.  Hartley was an excellent villain and maybe the best one to date.  He worked well off all the members of Team Flash.  I thought too it would be revealed that he and Wells were lovers.  Also nice to get more of a backstory for Team Flash and was surprised to learn that Wells does have limitations to his mobility. 

 

Does Hartley know Barry's true identity?  I wouldn't imagine that would be too hard if he discovered Flash's connection to Wells company and when he stole all that data.  Of course, it didn't help that Wells called Barry by his first name even after Hartley made it clear he could hear all their voices on Barry's ear piece.

[thuganomics85]

Hartley was way more interested then I thought he would be, even though I'm not quite sure that Pied Piper would have been the nickname I would automatically associated with him.  Not familiar with the actor, but I thought he played off Tom Cavanagh and the rest very well, and I enjoyed his back-story.  I liked that he was a dick, but he was actually right about how the experiment could be dangerous, and Wells just completely dicked him over.  So, I can see why he wanted revenge on Wells and even agree with him on some levels.  Of course, he took it too far by wanting to kill Barry and be willing to use civilians and collateral damage, so he had to be brought down.  But, now he is claiming he knows how to get and even save Ronnie?  Clearly we haven't seen the last of him.

 

Curious to see if Wells telling the truth (at least this version of it) is going to impact Team Flash in any major way.  Cisco and Caitlin still seemed miffed over what happened, but Barry already seems to be trusting him again, which, come on, Barry.  Trying to see the good in everyone has it's limits.  Thank goodness that good old Joe ain't dropping this.  But I do worry for him and Eddie, if Wells finds out they are looking more into him.

 

So, Wells really does have Flash-like powers, but there seems to be a limit of some kind?  Still not sure what is going on here.  

 

Glad they are finally doing something with Iris, even if being a reporter is way too common in this genre.  Maybe they'll find a way to flesh it out, but so far, I don't think anything can ever top The Daily Bugle stuff in Spider-man.  No one can touch J. Jonah Jameson; especially when he's played by J.K. Simmons!

 

Barry and Joe will never not be awesome.  I love Joe getting excited over the experiments.  It's just fun seeing an "older" character in a superhero franchise, who is totally down with the silliness.

 

Next week seems to be quiet episode, if the main story is going to be with Barry is going to get lucky or not (with Malese Jow, who I'm assuming is going to be Linda Park.)

Edited January 28, 2015 by thuganomics85

[Maverick]

I was expecting it to be revealed Wells and Hartley had a fling.  That was totally a slashy subtext in the convo after the Cisco introduction.  Then I was expecting him to reveal he knew Wells could walk.  

 

With the campy plots, 2 gay characters and 3 gay actors, this show is totally the Bewitched of superhero shows (not that that's a bad thing).  

[bethy]

There's got to be more to this than Wells being evil RF. Until the cackling laughter starts and he goes from sitting in the chair to jumping on Barry and punching him in the face, I refuse to believe Wells is evil. I'm enjoying his shady shadiness of mystery entirely too much. (Please feel free to join me in my secret room of denial. There are some lovely refreshments.)

I'll have a glass of red wine if you've got it. Wells has definitely got the shady down, but I'm really going to be sad if he's full on Evil.

[benteen]

Definitely Wells's episode and he's the most fascinating of the characters on this show.

 

Of course, Wells just opened himself up to a shitload of lawsuits with his admission.

[Actionmage]

I had to laugh when Wells admitted that he " had failed this city." I laughed and the hubby and I shared a knowing grin. I just hope Felicity has it on a loop or something for Oliver, or at least Diggle.

[Oscirus]

So can I get a little consistency in this show? Pied Piper isn't a meta-human so why the hell is he being jailed at the lab? Am I supposed to forget last week that Heatwave and Captain Cold didn't meet the same fate? Having to adjust to the laziness in writing is getting old.

 

I didn't get homosexual vibes from Wells/Piper, more like a father son type relationship (of course fostered by the ultra manipulative Wells). I bet something good happened in between the time that Piper found Wells in the hall and the time Barry arrived.

 

I'm glad that Iris is finally getting her own storyline. I'm also glad that Iris is finally getting a father figure.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Oscirus

[futurechemist]

I like how despite the grey morality of this show, it's a fairly upbeat and cheery series.  Wells is dark, possibly a murderous Reverse Flash, keeps secrets from everyone and is still likable.  In this episode, it's understandable why Hartley went crazy.  He tried to save lives, had a good work ethic, and got his ass handed to him for it.  Then he went all supervillain, but at least he had motivation to take revenge on Wells which is more than some of the other villains.  Based on how he was played, I could see him as a force for chaos, rather than villainy.  Basically there's good chemistry between all the characters on the show.

 

I'm not sure how much comics discussion we're meant to bring in, but Pied Piper in the comics is gay

and is dating Captain Singh

.  Other than the throwaway line about Hartley enjoying being carried by a man in leather did we get any other references to this?

[MrWhyt]

I Other than the throwaway line about Hartley enjoying being carried by a man in leather did we get any other references to this?

Wells mentioned he was disowned by his family when he came out to them.

[quarks]

Ah, so I was not the only person expecting Wells to admit that he and Hartley had at least a fling!  I think that was mostly on the actors, not the script, but I definitely got that vibe.

 

Meanwhile, I'm beginning to think that Oliver needs to head to Central City, not Starling, once he's cured, to retrain Barry in some basic tactics. And also to remind everyone in Central, including Wells, that "I have failed this city!" is a Starling City sort of thing.

 

Regarding Caitlin - yeah, that "my boyfriend is taking me off for the weekend" line was awkward and did her no favors, but I guess the show was trying to remind the viewers that her boyfriend actually worked at Star Labs and interacted with Hartley, so that the final twist of Hartley knowing where Ronnie is had some basis to it. 

[driedfruit]

I'm glad the cheesy faking paralysis trope was a mislead. So Wells was moving through time, getting himself the tachyon generator before he actually needed it? It was odd seeing him actually vulnerable.

 

Boy, is Barry naive. But at least he has Joe looking out for him. I enjoy some Barry/Joe scenes, like geeking out over the experiments (how could he not?) but the more emotionally charged ones leave me resentful that Joe doesn't get half as much with his own daughter. Barry's dumb ass is lucky to have Joe looking out for him though.

 

Iris and Todd on my screen together? Ha. I'm couldn't be more excited for this relationship, though my complaint as always is that she needs more screentime. I did love that she stepped up and supported Mason. Smart move, but also subtle enough that it was believable.

 

Iris' abrupt change to journalism is weird. Especially when they act like it's all she wanted to do (like with Barry calling her a great journalist and her saying she idolized jerk reporter), when all she did was start a blog. I'm all for her getting more of a storyline but at least have it make sense.

 

Is it so abrupt? Iris has been working on the blog for months, investigating cases and writing about them. She's been an amateur journalist and knows how much she enjoyed it, even if she needed a break once her hero disappointed her. Landing a high ranking job in their hobby would excite anyone. And is it that unusual that she idolizes a journalist? That could have been part of her reason for taking Barry's advice in choosing journalism for her elective way back.

 

And Barry's enthusiasm is just out of being a supportive bff. If Iris got a job as a backup singer for Rihanna, I have no doubt he'd call her a great singer due to that one time he saw her lip-sync into her hairbrush. It's what bffs do.

Edited January 28, 2015 by driedfruit

[Jordan27]

I thought it was kind of weak.  For all the comments about this being brighter than Arrow, I just don't think it's holding up.  Arrow is much more compelling and dramatic.  This show is comic-booky and very clichéd. 

 

Tonight's clichés...

 

1.  Veteran newspaper writer doesn't like new upstart.

2.  Cisco again running before thinking.  Where was he going after the Piper escaped?

3.  Piper escapes.  It's getting to be an easy place to escape.

4.  Barry being dumb about Wells after he's already shown be to be dishonest.

 

This show is reminding more of the old Batman show more than Arrow and is becoming very formulaic. 

 

I'm still watching, but I hope they will write some better plots. 

[wayne67]

I thought it was kind of weak.  For all the comments about this being brighter than Arrow, I just don't think it's holding up.  Arrow is much more compelling and dramatic.  This show is comic-booky and very clichéd.

 

I think this is my major problem with Flash, I like that the characters have a sense of humour but it comes across sometimes as callousness. Cisco in particular gloating over Piper about keeping him in a meta human prison cell. Meanwhile Barry fights every battle with every criminal more or less the same way, run and hit, run and circle, run and exchange meaningless barbs with super villain. How many times must Barry get his ass handed to him by the villain of the week before he starts taking combat training or reads up on battle tactics or something.

 

Maybe this is an unpopular opinion but I'm sick of the Wells evil foreshadowing snippets. WE GET IT. Wells is dodgy.

 

Is that science woman ever going to make a return to complain about her missing Tachion device that Barry basically blackmailed her out of ?

 

I wish this show felt like it had some continuity.

 

I can't take Iris's job as a journalist seriously when she says she admires the famous reporter and she can't remember whether he won 1 or 2 pulitzers, she sounds like a terrible reporter to me, lazy about checking facts.

Edited January 28, 2015 by wayne67

[Shanna]

I found myself agreeing with the villain (who is nothing like a piper in this version so huh?), that Barry is acting kind of stupid. His game plan was to do the exact same thing that got his ass handed to him before.

I agree with the poster above, he should have listened more to Oliver. Maybe he needs to be shit by an arrow again :)

[Gwen-Stacys]

That was so freaking annoying. I hate it when the person who knows the secret stalls and stalls instead of just spitting it out, then of course, they never reveal the secret. All Hartley had to do was tell Barry that Wells was the Reverse Flash instead we get game playing and he never tells Barry about Wells. Wait, that is the real secret that Hartley knows right?

The secret was that Wells knew that the particle accelerator was unstable but still went forward with the experiment? Or at least that's what Igot from it. No one knows who or what Wells is except Wells.

[Glory]

I thought that it was implied that Hartley had a crush on Wells (handsome, rich, authority figure who believes in him) and that Wells saw Hartley in more of student/teacher relationship. So, I could buy Hartley feeling especially betrayed by Wells as someone he had feelings for and who he worked with and then "Bam!" he's out on his ass with nary a recommendation letter. Hartley is then in the jaded lover spot without ever having been in a relationship with Wells.

 

Similarly, the "secret" that Hartley knew/knows was that Wells knew the particle accelerator wasn't stable. That press conference was derived to take away Hartley's power. If Wells tells everyone himself it's not a secret and Hartley has no trump card. I doubt Hartley knows that Wells is RF.