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Because COVID-19 is 2020’s “gift” that keeps on “giving,” “Pay the Piper” finds itself suddenly transformed into the penultimate chapter of The Flash: Season 6. It’s certainly not the ideal way to lead into the conclusion of this truncated season, but we can’t exactly hold that against this episode. The best Flash fans can do is accept Season 6 isn’t going to end the way it deserved and enjoy this more character-driven episode geared around one of the show’s better small-time villains. And no, I’m not talking about Godspeed.
Andy Mientus makes his return as Pied Piper in this episode. It’s amusing to see how Hartley Rathaway seems to be the first person whose life is overturned whenever Barry screws around with the fabric of time and space. Were Barry once interfered and managed to make an ally out of an enemy, Crisis ensured Hartley reverted back to his old ways. This may not be the most significant status quo change caused by Crisis, but it does serve a purpose. If Hartley is going to follow the example of characters like Captain Cold and Heat Wave and walk a more righteous path, let it be his own decision. That’s basically the hook of “Pay the Piper.” It finds a more organic way of depicting Hartley’s evolution from metahuman criminal to… whatever he qualifies as now.
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The rivalry between Hartley and Barry/Cisco is definitely the highlight of this particular episode. It’s fun seeing a more villainous side of the Pied Piper again, even if his motivations in this episode are nothing if not understandable. At no point does Hartley really come across as a villain, just a guy grieving for a boyfriend who might as well be dead. That conflict helps showcase a very Spider-Man-esque tale of power and responsibility. Barry feels a responsibility to fix a problem he never technically caused in the first place, while Hartley is forced to acknowledge he can do far more with his powers than rob jewelry stores. Honestly, when it comes time to expand the team Flash ranks again, the show could do far worse than make Mientus a series regular.
Sadly, the return of Godspeed isn’t cause for the same level of excitement. Godspeed is such a bizarre character in the Arrowverse. He shares very little in common with the comic book version beyond his basic look, and whenever he does appear he’s more convenient plot device than actual character. That’s certainly the case in this episode, as Godspeed pops up only when the plot needs a quick catalyst and then vanishes just as quickly. To be fair, the final showdown is entertaining. It’s been long enough since we’ve had a good speedster vs. speedster battle that the Flash/Godspeed showdown has a certain novelty value. Still, there’s always this nagging sense the series could be doing a lot more with this villain.
And maybe it will eventually? Clearly, there’s a larger conspiracy surrounding Godspeed that has yet to pay off. That doesn’t excuse the show’s inability to make Godspeed feel like a real character and not just a plot device. I can understand why the show’s writers may be cautious with this character and wary of rehashing all the familiar tropes where major speedster villains are concerned. But at some point, viewers either need to be given a clearer reason to care about Godspeed or the character needs to be retired.
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Apart from Barry’s fight to conserve his dwindling speed, it’s mainly the Iris/Kamilla subplot that serves to push the Mirror Master story forward this week. Unfortunately, that doesn’t amount to a lot of forward momentum, though Iris’ deteriorating condition does add a bit of extra urgency to their shared predicament. But after last week’s episode was so good about picking up the pace, it’s disappointing that speed doesn’t continue into “Pay the Piper.” Ending this episode with a stinger of Eva emerging from a hibernation chamber for no apparent reason doesn’t exactly help, either. There’s a lot of ground to cover if this season is going to have any chance at a halfway satisfying finale in Episode 19, and I’m not feeling overly optimistic right now.
That said, there is one way in which this episode actually does further the Mirror Master storyline in a more meaningful way. Tonally, this episode also showcases that sense of balance The Flash recovered with the advent of Season 6. There’s an undercurrent of darkness to this episode as Barry and friends come to terms with recent defeats and the full realization of what’s been taken from them, but Team Flash ultimately emerges on the other side a more unified and focused group. This episode really capitalizes on the team’s family dynamic and the way they truly are stronger together without getting overly sappy or melodramatic in the process.
