The Flash Season 9 Episode 3 Review: Rogues of War

On The Flash Season 9 Episode 3, “Rogues of War,” Team Flash takes a step back and lets a group of former villains do the heavy lifting. The only crew member they forget to invite is trust.

Captain Boomerang and the Fiddler are still on their stealing spree, gathering assorted tech for their head honcho, Red Death. Although the spoils seem random initially, Barry quickly deduces that these baddies are saving up to build a cosmic treadmill. All they need is one additional piece.

Working together to achieve a common goal has already helped these crooks one-up Barry several times this season. Without much direction, Barry’s team hasn’t been as successful. Obviously, it’s led them all to the same spot where the villains have the upper hand. 

This leads Barry to reach out to Hartley, a master of technology that Team Flash doesn’t quite reach. Hartley knows where to find this final piece of equipment and understands what they must do to get it before the baddies do.

Being a former villain, Hartley’s mind works a little differently than the others. He is willing to go the extra mile to obtain what he needs. Although he is no longer a killer, it doesn’t mean he isn’t willing to bend some of the rules.

Hartley knows they must steal this equipment before the others do. He views the end as justifying the means. No matter how you slice it, this is a dangerous way of thinking.

Hearing Hartley’s plan, Team Flash feels less than comfortable doing the task at hand. Their community trusts them to always do what is right. How can they betray Central City by taking what isn’t theirs?

As we learn later on, trust is one of the hardest things to build and the easiest thing to destroy — be careful how you handle it.

Instead of having Allegra, Iris, and Chester suit up, Barry and Hartley go about town appealing to villains they have helped over the years. They end up with familiar faces like Jaco, Goldface, and Mark. 

Honestly, not the best group of underlings to have, but I guess you have to make due when you are in a pickle. 

Barry is wise to appeal to their better nature getting them to agree to help out, at least this once. But what he forgets to do is allow them some sort of reward for good behavior. 

Although Barry is looking out for Central City in general, he isn’t discerning the needs of this team. 

Again, these are former bad guys who often want only what is best for themselves. If they are risking their newfound freedom to help out Barry, they are going to need some compensation.

Jaco: Sorry Barry, if you can’t trust us, we can’t trust you. 

Bickering ensues as each team member squabbles over why they are deserving of this piece of equipment. A room full of egos and testosterone proves to be a scary thing. Muscles are flexed, guns are aimed, and flames are fanned. 

Needless to say, the team falls apart before they even achieve their first mission. But it isn’t their narcissism that tears them apart, it is Barry’s inability to trust them.

Come on, I get it. Four less-than-trustworthy individuals together in one room doesn’t make for a promising outcome. Barry is right to be leery of what is to come, but unfortunately, Barry shows his hand.

It is one thing to not have the most faith in the people before you, but letting them know your doubts is downright despicable. To push your team forward you need to hope for the best, focusing on their strengths — not their weaknesses.  

Goldface, Mark, Jaco, and Hartley are all well-equipped to handle the job Barry has given them. He needs to target those assets and bring them forward instead of hindering their abilities with overwrought rules and regulations. Simply put, they need a teammate, not a babysitter. 

In typical Barry style, he doesn’t realize this until it is almost too late. The team throws a mutiny leaving Barry without an ally and no way to move forward. 

Seeing a promising venture, the team sticks together without a true leader. Barry can wallow in his misery while they get the goods and skip town. 

Of course, they don’t get that far, but it would have been interesting to see how things would have ensued.

There is more than a bit of irony in the outcome when Mark proves that there are sometimes reasons not to trust people. After all, a scorned friend can become your worst enemy in the right circumstances. Sadly, it gives the viewer mixed signals as to what the moral of the story is.

Trust people? Don’t trust anyone? How do we proceed? 

That’s a great question but one that doesn’t have an answer. In my opinion that is the best way to end things, not with a full-fledged answer but with ideas to contemplate. 

Promoting discussion is the greatest tool of any television series. Don’t preach to me and force your ideas. Instead, present me an idea, and let me unbox it myself. 

This episode isn’t great as a standalone but works well as a connective piece. The overall story arc is furthered but fails to make much of a lasting impression. As next week’s episode rolls around, I doubt I’ll remember much of what happened except for the hidden face of Red Death. 

It seems to be an interesting twist in the grand scheme of the Arrowverse. Let’s hope they don’t destroy the legacy these shows have built over the years.

What did you think of this episode of The Flash? Will Mark see the error of his ways? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Flash airs Wednesday at 8/7c on The CW.

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