“The Flash” returns with three new characters in an overall enjoyable adventure.

“LET’S LET BARRY DO HIS THING.”

Note: The following review goes into detail about the episode. SPOILER ALERT!

After a one week break and the powerhouse of an episode that was “Going Rogue,” the big question of “Plastique” was whether or not The Flash could keep that momentum going and continue to introduce memorable supporting players. The answer is, strangely, both yes and no.

This week’s escapades concerned a string of reported bombings across the city. However, things went into overdrive when the crooked General Eiling and his army forces took over the bomb investigation. It was revealed that the particle accelerator caused a woman returning from Afghanistan to gain the power to make anything she touches explode. Hoping to harness her power, Eiling then made her his personal lab rat, and it’s up to Flash to make everything right.

There was a lot to like about this episode, from a very amusing opening scene where Barry, Caitlin and Cisco pal around at a bar to Barry’s many attempts at getting Iris to stop blogging about him (one of which includes a fantastic use of his powers). However, the episode’s main focus, Bette Sans Souci or Plastique, proved an intriguing yet ultimately unsatisfying addition. Her status as the first “friendly” metahuman was refreshing, as she sought refuge from General Eiling’s search at STAR Labs and allowed the team to study her. Guest star Kelly Frye is able to give the character a balanced sense of both danger and vulnerability, and her interactions with Flash gave more than a few good moments. General Eiling himself was intriguing as well, providing exactly the sort of tough, corrupt military man that will open a few doors villain-wise. And while Plastique’s overall story was a good one, the show taking her off the board in the final act feels like a missed opportunity to add another recurring player to Flash’s world.

Luckily, the episode’s other big debut, General Eiling, is going to be sticking around. He even got a few great scenes with Harrison Wells. This episode showcased Dr. Wells well, allowing him to show off his manipulative side without resorting to the generically evil antics. Wells and Eiling have a history that is ripe for exploration, so that will most likely be tapped as a plot device going forward. There was also some great action scenes this week, highlighting a fantastic use of Flash’s powers for running up buildings and on water. Visually, this episode was firing on all cylinders.

THE BREAKDOWN

“Plastique” felt like two steps forward and one step back for The Flash. While it shows off more of the show’s charming humor and introduces General Eiling, Plastique just ended up feeling like a waste, relegated to monster-of-the-week status and an early grave. The Flash may miss a step every now and then, but the series, if you’ll excuse the pun, shows no signs of slowing down.

Want more discussion of The Flash? Check out Ink Tank, where Alex Pappas and I talk about all things comics.

What’s everyone’s thoughts on General Eiling? Describe your STAR Labs experiments in the section below.

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