The Flash Season One: The Sound and the Fury

No Meta - Humans this ep again

Well's former protégé Hartley Rathaway (Andy Mientus) returns to seek revenge after being affected by the particle accelerator and becoming Pied Piper. Cisco recalls his first day at S.T.A.R labs and Iris is hired by the Central City Picture News but gets off to a rocky start with reporter Mason Bridge (Roger Howarth).

This episode saw the introduction to a really great villain from the comics, Pied Piper, and I was really impressed with how he was portrayed; Andy Mientus did an awesome job. First off I liked how closely weaved in he was to the origins of the particle accelerator and the staff at S.T.A.R labs which was seen in the Flashbacks. This also gave Wells and Cisco a character who was close to them in their past which is good because unlike the other characters we don't know anything about their friends and family (especially Cisco). Back to Pied Piper I really liked his sonic based weapons, that he was affected by the explosion in a more negative way because of his hearing and how much of a challenge he posed to Team Flash because of his genius and the cool mind games he played with them. It is also good that he is the first gay character in the series and they didn't go overboard with that and made him a gay comic - relief. If there is a negative to say it is that while I liked his weapons and his plan I didn't like the way he was defeated because the whole cars with satellite radio was too convenient and a weak way to defeat him.

Finally the Speed Force is confirmed!

The other highlight was Wells who continues to be more and more interesting and we actually got to see him use his speed but that he couldn't use it for long. That was really interesting and it could be that like some other Reverse Flashes from the comics his speed did not naturally come from the Speed Force and he acquired it through other means. I am really glad they finally mentioned the Speed Force which is (keeping this spoiler free) a form of energy that grants a Speedster their powers and Barry plays a really large part with it in the comics. A Reverse Flash from the comics used technology to grant him powers from the Speed Force which could explain Well's wanting the tacion device, like with everything Wells does I want to know more and more about him. As for his role in the rest of the episode it does seem he generally cares for Barry, Caitlin and Cisco which still makes it hard to believe that he is a villain and I liked his confession about the particle accelerator because he also seems to regret ruining the lives of the citizens of Central City such as Caitlin. I tell you if this is all an act by Wells to hid his evil intentions then it is a really good one.

You should really wear a suit to your first day Cisco

As for the rest of the episode I wanted to first mention that the cameo of the Royal Flush Gang that appeared in Arrow was really cool, obviously it isn't the same gang but they could have inspired others and I kind of hope they touch on this a bit more. Iris actually had some strong material to work with this time and I enjoyed the scenes she was in at her new job. It isn't anything new (new reporter trying to prove themselves at the job) but it is something good for her character and now she will either want to find more information on the Flash or prove she can write other stories all the while trying to impress Bridge who I did like as well. One thing I didn't like was the moment between Joe and Barry when Barry says how good he was at raising him which I felt came completely out of no where. It's always good when we get a heart warming scene from these two (like in the last few episodes) but it just felt really out of place this episode because they had no conflict or anything throughout. As for Joe seems he is back to not trusting Wells but I wonder if his investigation will lead him getting killed in the end?

"Your time is over Bridge"

Overall great introduction to the Pied Piper and I hope he becomes a regular villain like Captain Cold. Looks like next episode could focus on Firestorm or not; I'm sure the Americans would know because their three episodes ahead of us! You know how hard it is to resist the temptation on reading what happens on Arrow and The Flash every day!

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: Pied Piper debut
                   Wells and the Speed Force
                   Iris had a good plot for once

Let - Downs: How Pied Piper was defeated
                      Barry and Joe's scene was just out of place

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/  

The Flash Season One: The Flash is Born

The episode begins with Iris once again blogging on her site and Barry, disguised as The Streak, trying to warn her to stop. Barry leaves when he hears sirens and speeds to a car chase and manages to get a kid out of the way while West and Eddie look on. Barry fights the man the police are chasing but is severely injured when he discovers it is a Meta Human who can coat his skin in to a metallic substance. At S.T.A.R. labs Barry wonders how he can fight someone with that kind of power but West assures him they will find a way, he then goes to CCPD where he learns that the Meta Human is criminal Tony Woodward AKA Girder who used to bully him as a kid. West later talks to Wells about the possibility of a Meta Human killing Barry's mother, Nora, but Wells believes that's impossible, elsewhere in the lab Cisco thinks Barry can hurt Girder if he can channel his speed the right way.

Now that has got to hurt!

Barry and Eddie then investigate the car Girder left behind and follow the clues to a brewery factory and question the employees. They learn that Tony worked at a steel factory and while in a fight over losing his job fell in a vat of molten metal; this also happened the day of the accelerator exploded thus turning him into Girder. Girder then visits and flirts with Iris and even shows off his powers and when Iris tells this to The Streak, Barry angrily speeds off to Girder's hideout. At the old steel factory Barry fights Girder but is once again beaten into submission. Cisco and Caitlin take him back to S.T.A.R labs where Cisco thinks that Barry can damage Girder if he hits him at Mach 1.1 with a running start of 5.3 miles. Later Barry trains with Eddie and learns more about him meanwhile West has a drink with Wells because he is suspicious he had something to do with Nora's murder but Wells denies this.

"Pretend the bag is Eddie"

Girder kidnaps Iris who takes her to their old school because he wants to be famous for killing The Streak however she manages to pull the fire alarm that alerts Barry when he hears about the kidnapping. He races to there but once again finds himself losing to Girder despite dodging his punches with his speed at first. He then runs 5.3 miles away and charges back at Mach 1.1 and punches Girder, creating a sonic boom and knocking him out. Barry later puts Girder in a cell next to the accelerator and reveals his identity, having finally defeated his old bully. West apologies to Wells after finding out he moved to Central City shortly after Nora's murder because his own wife recently died. Barry then visits Iris and the two make up for being angry with each other and during their talk The Streak is renamed The Flash. The episode ends with West going over Nora's case files but is surrounded by a yellow and red vortex, even getting a blurred glimpse of the man in yellow, he is unharmed but is left a photo of Iris with a knife stuck in it with the message "Stop or Else".

"Guess who's back?"

We got to have a another look at The Man in The Yellow Suit sooner than I thought and I had to admit that was one awesome scene with West in the vortex. It may be 14 years after Nora's murder but The Man in The Yellow Suit is still at large and after his threat I wonder if West will continue to help Barry. He now must believe him beyond any doubt and makes me even wonder if he will tell him what happened or just keep it to himself because he doesn't want Barry or S.T.A.R labs doing more investigating. This also makes me wonder if Wells had anything to do with it because as I had said before he defiantly has his own plan but I can't see him as a villain because he is just too helpful to Barry. This is my theory but since Wells had that device that let him saw that newspaper article in the future maybe him and The Man in The Yellow Suit are both from the future; maybe that is why The Man in The Yellow Suit killed Nora because she was mother of The Flash?

That does look cool

As for the rest of the episode I really enjoyed it and the Meta Human had an awesome power and the effect of it covering his skin looks really good. It is cool that we get a Meta Human who Barry actually knew from before; I am reading the New 52 Flash comics and there is a Meta Human called Mob Rule who is a childhood friend of Barry's so this episode kind of reminded me of that. The fights between Barry and Girder where great to watch as well; the first Meta Human to be a physical challenge to Barry but that slow motion Mach 1.1 punch was done so well. Also again they are keeping up these great origin stories for how the Meta Humans got their powers.

looks like West has found a new best friend

The rest of the episode was great as well I liked the interaction between Barry and Eddie and how they where both bullied. Eddie is a good character and I want to see him more involved with the cases like he was now, maybe he might even join the team in a future episode. I am also glad that Barry and Iris are talking again because I honestly didn't want that to go one for ages and also that The Streak is finally renamed The Flash; was quicker than The Hood becoming The Arrow.

"Yeah new move!"

Overall this was a great episode and left on such a cliff hanger that I cannot wait until next week to find out what West will do. Iris still kind of annoys me but that is because her subplot of being an amateur reporter investigating the superhuman and meeting that superhuman on a rooftop isn't exactly original in the world of superheroes now is it? I just think they could have found another way for her to be involved because she is just being an inconvenience to Barry who is having to constantly visit her as The Flash to warn her of the dangers.

SCORE: 9/10

Highlights: Another glimpse of The Man in The Yellow Suit
                   The fights between The Flash and Girder
                   The interactions between Barry and Eddie and West and Wells

Let - Downs: Iris's blogging subplot still annoys me

 

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/