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Amazingly, there has never been a DC villain called the Red Herring. If there were, he’d be a shoo-in for this show – some Puppet Master-style evil overseer, confusing the characters with a series of deliberate misdirections.

(We would use some chess metaphor about a “grand master” or “pawns” at this point but chess metaphors in telefantasy are embarrassingly clichéd. Plus, after a recent superb episode of Person Of Interest inverted the entire trope with one brilliant line, we were hoping we’d never have to hear an ominously-delivered “Checkmate” ever again. But sadly, for all its good points, The Flash’s writers didn’t get the memo.)

Be honest, right at the start of “The Sound And The Fury” you thought – just for a moment – that it was Barry phoning up and threatening Wells. Especially when, for the first time in the show, we explicitly see Wells creating the “red” lightning when he runs at super speed (a great “Ooooooo!” moment). This has to be the start of the showdown between Future Flash and Reverse Flash, surely?

But no. It’s Hartley Rathaway, now going by the name of the Pied Piper, who’s out for Wells. The smoke and mirrors don’t end there. Later in the episode, Hartley tells Wells that he’ll reveal his secret and you think he must mean about being a speedster, especially after Rathaway tells Barry archly, “One day this man will turn on you in a flash.” But again, no – he’s referring to the fact that Wells knew his reactor could explode.

The Pied Piper is a curious villain, and not just because his code name only makes sense if you know his comic history (where he did originally hypnotise people with music). Cisco might approve of the name, but you’d have thought that left to his own devices – based on the powers Rathaway has shown – Cisco would have come up with the name “Vibe”… except that may have caused problems in the future.

The Flash Trivia

Andy Mientus, who plays Hartley Rathaway, auditioned for the role of Barry Allen.

Rathaway looks, frankly, bobbins in his costume, but that may be point. He has the appearance of an eight-year-old boy with his anorak hood up and using the rest of the coat as a cloak; maybe that’s why the Flash knocks him down with a playground slap then throws sticks at him. It all looks a bit silly for a super-powered smack down. Hartley does redeem himself, though, with the line “Being scooped up by a guy clad in head-to-toe leather is a long time fantasy of mine, so thanks.” Plus, he’s a good schemer. Just not as good as Wells, clearly.

Speaking of whom, Wells must have some bloody good lawyers. After his press conference, how come he’s not arrested for manslaughter or criminal negligence at the very least?

Elsewhere, Iris’s plot line suddenly takes a turn for the interesting with her new job at Central City Picture Post. Admittedly, it was obvious she’d somehow impress supercilious reporter Mason Bridge by episode’s end, but the fact that she realises she’s only been employed because the editor thinks she has a hotline to the Flash adds an interesting dynamic. As does the fact that Barry, oddly, doesn’t seem in any hurry to help her out.

Grant Gustin is great as usual especially in the sentimental, out-of-nowhere “you were a great surrogate dad” scene with Joe which he sells despite some cheesy dialogue. It also helps that the syrupy moment is immediately followed by a harder-edged Joe telling Eddie to continue the investigation into Wells.

While the action scenes aren’t quite up to standard (they’re fine, just not quite as polished or visually interesting as usual) and the chess shtick is well past its sell-by date, the rest of “The Sound Of The Fury” is quality Flash, playing to the show’s strengths and burying enough little intriguing hooks into you to make sure you’ll be back next week…

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Best Line

Cisco: “He was mostly a jerk. But, every once in a while, he could be a dick.”

Fast Talker

Talking of the Royal Flush Gang, in the initial chase scene, we were impressed with a) the way the three bikers are labelled K(ing), Q(ueen) and A(ce) on Wells’s computer, and b) the way Wells can instruct somebody moving as fast as Barry to go “left” and “right” at just the right moments. Is this a subtle reference to the fact that Wells has super speed powers too? How come Cisco and Caitlyn aren’t suspicious?

Is He Wossisname?

There isn’t a character called Mason Bridge in the DC comics universe, but there is minor one called Mason Trollbridge, who was mates with Wally West, another version of the Flash. He was also, briefly, a tribute act to a ’30s superhero called the Clipper, taking up the mantle of the crime-vigilante who “clipped” the ears of the villains he defeated (and who rescued him as a kid).

The Flash airs on Sky 1 in the UK and the CW in the US on Tuesday nights

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Writers	Alison Schapker, Brooke Eikmeier
Director	John F Showalter
The one where	One of Wellss old colleagues turns nemesis in the guise of the Pied Piper.

Dave is a TV and film journalist who specializes in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He's written books about film posters and post-apocalypses, alongside writing for SFX Magazine for many years.