'The Flash' Recap: 'Monster'

​Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

Regardless of how many different ways we consume comic book stories, we can always take solace in the fact that these tales were always designed to do one particular thing...inspire the outcast that resides in all of us. Because at some point or another, we have all experienced feeling like an outsider in some form or fashion, and so have our favorite superheroes, allowing for us relate to them on a level we never knew we could.  

That's an important element in comic book storytelling to remember because even now, in this era where the superhero reigns supreme in television and film, we are still able to relate to them on that fundamental level we discovered the first time we were introduced to their story and last night on ​The Flash, that need to belong, to be accepted and trusted by friends and family, be it extended or real became quite the focus of the story and well, when all was said and done it made 'Monster' a bittersweet and touching episode because it accomplished so much in the way of character growth and once more, the story focused on our side characters to make that happen.  

Case in point, Harrison Wells, or H.R. as the Earth-19 version of Wells likes to be called. This is a man who spent the night trying to desperately to please the S.T.A.R. Labs group by being as friendly as they come and embracing anything and everything this world has to offer...simply because he was exposed as a fraud on his original earth, and here as well and wanted nothing more than a second chance to prove he was worth something, anything and felt this earth was his best chance to contribute. Heck even Caitlin wanted to feel a sense of self worth by visiting her mother to get help with her new found powers but above all else she wanted to see if she could evoke some kind of emotional reaction out of her mother in order to prove that her condition was more than a mere scientific curiosity and that her mother still cared about her as a person above all else.

But the centerpiece of the night when it came this to this notion came from the most unlikely of characters...Julian. We learned a lot about this young man and why he's filled with such fury and all of it fit in with the central theme, that fact he felt as though he didn't matter to anyone, and that his accomplishments were a joke. His disdain for Barry? Grounded in Barry's privilege and tenure at CCPD since he spent his life working so hard to get somewhere in his career. The snark and dismissiveness he often directs at Meta Humans? Sheer jealously that they do so little with their powers outside of causing trouble and how he wishes he could have such abilities to do some good, and his honesty around all of this arrived when he tried to kill our 'villain' of the week, a kid who made holograms to also feel important and powerful in life, and the Flash came in to pull the kid out of harm's way before the bullet from Julian's gun could do any damage.  

If anything, these little side stories were a wonderful way to tie the audience into this particular episode because let's be honest, we all felt something for one if not all of these folks last night because we've all been there. We've all been the new guy that felt out of place or desired to belong and some folks work hard for their parent's approval and well, I'm really enjoying how The Flash is taking chances with stories like these, giving us something a little more personal and thoughtful. It's making this season incredibly compelling since it is keeping the audience on its toes and in the process, it's actually making Barry larger than life since he's starting to become a hero that is moving beyond his pain and inspiring everyone around him and it's wonderful to finally see him come into his own. Either way, I adored this episode for its throwback to classic superhero storytelling and for reminding the audience that we're all in this together and that sometimes a little kindness can make anyone a hero. Until next time.

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