The Flash: The Sound and the Fury Recap With Spoilers

01/27/2015 09:00 pm EST

The police chase three criminals on motorcycles through Central City, aided by the Flash, who reminds us that everyone has a hero they look up to. The criminals split up, so The Flash asks Caitlin and Cisco which way to go, but they can't agree. Wells takes over, and instructs Barry to use shortcuts and create a roadblock to force the criminals into one spot again, aided by Cisco manipulating traffic lights. Once the bad guys in the same place, The Flash steals their keys and leaves them behind for the police.

At S.T.A.R. Labs, the gang decides to take a picture, even though Wells is concerned about a photo of Barry in costume but unmasked. He's talked into it however, and they take a group shot. After, Barry thanks Wells for helping, and Wells confessed that he likes feeling like a hero.

Barry goes home and finds Iris there, collecting some things she left behind. Joe invites her to stay for dinner and tells her that she has a message from Central City Picture News. Iris has been offered her first official job as a reporter.

Wells goes home as well. He lives in a large modern house, covered in large windows and even glass paneled ceilings. He walks freely around the house and listening to music when his cell phone rings. When he answers it, the music abruptly stops. A voice on the other side speaks. "We both know what you did. It's time to pay the piper." The glass ceiling suddenly shatters, and Wells has to use his super speed to avoid the falling glass.

The police are already at Wells' house when Joe and Barry arrive. Wells downplays the incident, and Cisco and Caitlin arrive soon after. They're a little flustered, they got lost on the way because they had never been to Wells' home before.

Wells remembers playing chess at S.T.A.R. Labs two years earlier with an employee named Hartley Rathaway. Hartley is smug as he checks Wells, only to lose in the next move. Cisco arrives for his first day at work, and Hartley insults his choice of wearing a tee-shirt that says "Stay Calm and Han Shot First." Hartley questions why Wells would hire Cisco, and Wells answers that he just had a feeling about Cisco. He tells Hartley "You're still my guy."

Eddie reports to Joe on his search. Both men have noted that Wells is unhurt, which they agree is suspicious.

Barry uses his speed to reassemble the broken glass. Wells enters, and Barry tells him there is no point of impact, so nothing solid broke through the glass. Barry can tell that Wells knows more than he is saying and recognizes that Wells is refusing help on purpose. Wells confesses that he knows who called him. Hartley Rathaway.

At S.T.A.R. Labs, Joe and Barry are filled in by Wells, Cisco, and Caitlin about Hartley, who they all agree was a complete jerk, but also a genius who was disowned by his parents for being gay. Cisco and Caitlin are clearly still jealous of the closeness Wells and Hartley shared. Wells admits that Hartley left S.T.A.R. Labs after they had a disagreement. Barry promises to protect his friends.

In another flashback to Cisco's first day at S.T.A.R. Labs, Hartley continues to insult him. Cisco challenges him, and Hartley quizzes Cisco. Caitlin sees this and walks over to break it up and introduce herself to Cisco. She mentions that she and Ronnie are going away for the weekend to celebrate their first anniversary.

Iris shows up at a staff meeting for Central City Picture News, where she is treated rudely by another reporter, Mason Bridge. Her editor, Erik Larkin, assigns Mason to watch over Iris, and makes it clear he's really only interested in her connection to The Flash.

In Barry's lab, he explains to Joe that he thinks the glass was shattered by a specific frequency. Joe admits that he thinks Wells is hiding something. Eddie arrives to get Joe, the building owned by Hartley's father is being attacked. Barry immediately gets the same call from S.T.A.R. Labs.

Hartley is shattering the sides of his father's building, and also a few cop cars when they arrive, with the use of sonic gloves. The Flash shows, and Hartley says he can hear the radio frequencies from The Flash suit, and correctly guesses that Wells, Cisco, and Caitlin are on the other end, even though they don't speak. After a short fight, The Flash apprehends Hartley, who says he knows Wells' big secret.

At S.T.A.R. Labs, Hartley tells Cisco that he named himself Pied Piper and taunts Caitlin by saying he never got a wedding invitation from her. They lock him in a cell, and Cisco insists that Hartley remove some tech from his ears. Hartley says he can't, he lost his hearing and the implants are the only thing that control the pain. Wells arrives in time to hear Hartley threaten Cisco.

Wells is impressed that Hartley figured out S.T.A.R. Labs was working with The Flash. Hartley explains that he studied The Flash, and every time the hero left a crime scene, he headed in the vicinity of S.T.A.R. Labs. Wells tried to apologize, but Hartley claims that the apology is for The Flash to hear through the com, not for him.

Wells goes to speak to Barry, Caitlin, and Cisco. He tells them that Hartley knew the particle accelerator might explode, but because his data was not complete, Wells went forward with it anyway. Caitlin asks Wells to give them a heads up the next time he decides to risk their lives, and the lives of their loved ones. Both she and Cisco walk out. Barry points out that they stayed with Wells when everyone else left. He says that Wells will have to earn back their trust, and his as well.

At Central City Picture News, Iris is once again told to only work on a new Flash story and treated like dirt by Mason.

That night, Iris meets Barry at Jitters. She complains about her day, and about how she used to admire Mason so much. Barry reassures her "The people we admire aren't always what we want them to be." She appreciates his belief in her.

Cisco studies Hartley's gloves while Caitlin walks up and says she hasn't seen Wells in a while. Cisco hasn't either. He realizes that the gloves were at the lowest setting and they theorize that Hartley wanted to be caught. They check the monitor, and he escaped his cell.

Wells is in his hiding place with the Reverse Flash suit. He runs at super speed down the hall, only for his legs to give way. At the same time, Cisco runs to the particle accelerator. Hartley removes his ear implant, despite the pain and ear ringing it clearly causes him. Right as Cisco reaches the door, it explodes and sends him flying. Hartley steps out, clearly pleased that Cisco was caught in the blast.

Caitlin tries to call Cisco, but Hartley finds her and knocks her out. He takes back his gloves and begins to steal files from the computers.

Helplessly on the ground, Wells calls Barry. While Iris is placing an order and has her back turned, Barry speed out of Jitters. Hartley finds Wells on the ground and walks up to him. But when Barry arrives, he sees Wells safe in his wheelchair and Hartley is gone.

Cisco wakes up on the hospital bed in Caitlin's lab with a bad concussion. Cisco and Barry both blame themselves, but Wells stops them and says it is all his fault. He says he's going to earn back their trust.

In another flashback, Wells finds Hartley in the particle accelerator. Wells fires Hartley, and threatens to destroy his career if Hartley talks.

At the police station, Mason and Iris gather with other reporters for a press conference given by Wells. Wells admits that a friend warned him that the explosion might happen. "I failed this city." Hartley listens from home while he goes through his stolen files.

Wells opens it up for questions, and most of the reporters talk at once. Loudest is Mason, asking if Wells plans to build another particle accelerator. Wells ignores them all and specifically asks Iris if she has a question. She says that since Wells ignored her colleague, she will ask the same question. Will he ever build another accelerator? Wells says he won't. Mason is stunned at Iris. "What was that?" "Gumption."

Wells and Barry return to S.T.A.R. Labs. Wells expects Hartley to contact them. Cisco insists on working, even though Caitlin wants him to rest. Wells assures Cisco that he was never second best to Hartley. Wells hired Cisco for his humanity, something Hartley always seemed to lack.

Hartley calls, taunting them. He wants one more chess match. Wells and The Flash vs him. Hartley makes the first move by exploding a toll booth on top of a dam, causing a huge traffic jam.

The Flash assures Wells that he's glad for his help. Hartley uses the gloves to toss a car over the side of the dam and The Flash has to get the driver out before it crashes. Wells warns The Flash not to be distracted, he needs to get the gloves right away. That plan almost fails when Hartley tosses four more cars at once. But Barry gets the gloves off Hartley and tosses them aside.

Caitlin realizes that the stolen data was about Barry. Hartley looked up his molecular scans to learn what frequency will kill The Flash. Barry triggered that frequency by removing the gloves, and it reverberates through the radio in his suit. Barry writhes on the ground, spitting up blood and dying.

Wells gets on a computer and hacks the satellite radios in several nearby cars so that they give off another frequency, one that fights Hartley's gloves. Hartley realizes what's happening and grabs his gloves, but they explode in his hands, injuring him.

Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry is okay, though his ears and ringing and he speaks too loudly. Cisco finally agrees to lie down. Wells says it is hard for him to admit when he is wrong and hopes one day he can restore Barry's faith and trust. Barry answers "That day was today." Then Barry gives Wells the photo they took earlier.

Barry visits Joe at the police station. Joe says he admires Wells' guts at the press conference. Barry knows it was hard for Joe to raise a son as smart and nerdy as him, but assures Joe that no one can replace him, not even Wells. Eddie comes in as Barry leaves. It turns out, Eddie has been looking into Wells. He and Joe agree to keep investigating Wells.

Hartley wakes up in a new cell at S.T.A.R. Labs. Cisco is there, he tells Hartley that he no longer has his implants and won't escape again. Hartley answers that Cisco will let him out, and soon. Cisco doubts it, until Hartley says he knows where Ronnie is, what happened to him, and how to help him.

In his secret room, Wells wears a tachyon device on his chest. Gideon advises Wells not to, but Wells infuses himself with the speed force. He admits that his speed is inconsistent and sometimes he can't walk at all. Wells always knew this was a temporary solution. The end game is almost here.

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