The Flash – The Trial of The Flash

By: Stacy Miller

In the mid-season finale, a dying Clifford DeVoe (Neil Sandilands) had transferred his brain into the body of Dominic Lanse (Kendrick Sampson) and framed Barry (Grant Gustin) for his murder. Now, Barry is taken to Central City Police Department and booked. “My name is Barry Allen and I am an innocent man,” the voice over says as we see him being fingerprinted and under his fingernails being checked for Clifford DeVoe’s DNA. The scene is intercut with one of DeVoe’s funeral with Joe (Jesse L. Martin) watching grieving widow Marlize DeVoe (Kim Engelbrecht) crying over her husband’s coffin. Barry says he doesn’t know how DeVoe’s body ended up in his loft but he does not that he is being framed because he didn’t killed Clifford DeVoe. Captain David Singh (Patrick Sabongui) tells Barry to start from the beginning.

We next see Barry at Star Labs. Although he is under house arrest, Cisco (Carlos Valdes) was able to hack into Barry’s ankle monitor so it looks like he’s at Joe’s. Cisco also scrambled the police video footage when Allen came out of the Speed Force and was mumbling about not wanting to kill anyone; they don’t want the police getting the wrong idea. Team Flash realize that this was all of part of DeVoe’s plan and creating other Meta Humans is part of the large picture. Barry knows that if he goes to trial with all the evidence the police have on him, he’ll be convicted. No problem says Cisco “No prison can hold you.” But Barry refuses to run and become a fugitive; if he’s convicted, he’ll go to prison. Cecile will be representing Barry.  The team has work to do to keep Barry from getting convicted. Once they are alone, Barry asks Iris (Candice Patton) how she is doing. “They say the first year of marriage is the hardest but I never thought my husband being on trial for murder would be one of the challenges,” Iris says. “I’m just trying to be strong for the team and for you. Remember, we’re The Flash,” Barry tells Iris. Joe tells Ralph (Hartley Sawyer) that he needs his talent as a shady private investigator to help Barry. Joe adds that he failed Barry’s father but he’s not going to fail Barry.

Meanwhile, Clifford DeVoe in the body of Dominic Lanse marvels at how they have defined the laws of science by doing more than just transferring his consciousness. “I’m who I was before and who I desire to be,” says Devoe as he caresses Marlize’s face. As DeVoe has inherited his host’s ability to read thoughts and knows that his wife’s doesn’t care for Dominic’s hands touching her. “Marlize, see pass this body, see pass these eyes. See me, Clifford,” he urges. DeVoe tells Marlize that he can’t do this without her.

At the courthouse, Barry’s trial begins. In his opening statement, Prosecutor Anton Slater (Mark Valley) tells the jury that for this trial they’ll have to believe the impossible; that someone trained to protect and serve violated their trust by committing the heinous act of taking a human life. “We will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Barry Allen stood among us, a wolf in sheep’s clothing.  Barry Allen wears a mask.”  He adds that Barry stalked and murdered Clifford DeVoe in cold blood.

Meanwhile at a bank, Neil Borman (Ryan Alexander McDonald) goes to open his first savings account. But as he leaves, everyone in the bank suddenly pass out and fall to the ground.

Back at the trial, Slater presents his case showing the court restraining order against Barry issued to Marlize DeVoe for harassment.  He tells the jury how Barry Allen broke into the couple’s home and searched through DeVoe’s personal items. Next he shows that Allen’s DNA was found underneath Clifford DeVoe’s fingernails; a man in a wheelchair trying to defend himself. And finally the murder weapon, a bloody knife that was a wedding gift. It takes a special evil to use a wedding gift commemorating a couple’s love to separate another couple.

Joe gets a text about a Meta Human attack at a bank downtown. He, Cisco and Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) leave the courthouse. At the bank, Cisco gets a reading of heavy Dark Matter. Captain Singh tells Joe that he’s been called by the prosecution to testify.

At Barry’s trial, Captain Singh is forced to tell the court that he found Barry Allen standing over Clifford DeVoe’s body. Cecile cross examines and asks Captain Singh why he hired Barry Allen, someone younger and with less experience than the other applicants. Singh explains that it was because of something Allen said during his interview.  While the other candidates wanted to go after the criminals, Barry Allen wanted the job to help the victim. “He’s one of the good ones,” Captain Singh adds. Slater redirects and asks Captain Singh why Barry Allen took a six month sabbatical and was late seventy-two times in the last two years. Slater accuses Captain Singh of unknowingly covering for the secret life that Barry Allen had. Being late seventy-two times doesn’t sound like Barry Allen wanted to help people. “Do you still think he was one of the good ones?” Prosecutor Slater asks Captain Singh.

Meanwhile, Joe and Ralph are setting in a car outside the DeVoe house and Ralph snaps a photograph of Marlize kissing DeVoe but he looks like Dominic Lanse. “I smell an acquittal here,” Ralph says proud of himself.

Cecile meets with Iris and Barry that the only options he has: She can go to the D.A. and ask for a plea deal in exchange for a lighter sentence or he can plead temporary insanity. Barry refuses to do either as doing so admits he’s guilty, which he’s not. Cecile tells him he can testify and tell the world that he is The Flash. That way he can explain what really happened and the jury will believe him. But as the prosecution’s case will wrap soon, she needs his answer. “Tell the world that you’re The Flash,” Cecile urges.

At Star Labs, Caitlin tells Cisco and Harry that everyone in the bank passed out due to symptoms of radiation poisoning.  Harry says that this new Meta Human could have enough radiation power of a hydrogen bomb to blow up the entire city.

Marlize takes the stand and testify that she met Barry Allen two months ago when he came to the DeVoe home in the guise of needing their help for a case involving one of Clifford’s former colleagues. But because of Barry Allen’s persistence and her husband advanced ALS, she stepped in hoping the restraining order would cause Barry Allen to back off.  Marlize goes on further telling the court that Clifford decided to see Mr. Allen on Christmas to ask him to leave them alone. Marlize cries that she wishes she was able to talk her husband out of it then he’d still be alive. Joe and Ralph return with the incriminating photo. It is allowed into evidence. Cecile questions Marlize about the man she is kissing in the photo who is most certainly not her husband; maybe her marriage wasn’t as happy as she claims it was and wanted an out, maybe she wanted this man to kill her husband. But a clever Marlize turns it around.  She testifies that she and Clifford met Dominic Lanse at an ALS benefit where he (Dominic) was honoring his father who recently passed from the disease. Clifford noticed their (hers and Dominic) bond and encouraged her to turn to Dominic for the comforts of a husband he could no longer provide. As Cecile’s strategy backfires, she returns to the defense table and tells Barry she needs his answer now. Barry still refuses to testify that he is The Flash. Cecile exits the courtroom and Iris follows. Annoyed, Iris tells Marlize to drop her grieving widow act. Marlize’s demeanor changes and she tells Iris that there’s something better here than Iris’ husband. But the question is, what is Mrs. West-Allen willing to do for her husband.  Iris bursts into the courtroom and announces “Barry Allen is the…” But Barry moves so fast in super speed mode that everyone appears to be standing still. He urges Iris not to tell the court that he is The Flash. Sadly, she agrees and instead tells that court that Barry Allen is innocent. The prosecution rests and unfortunately since Barry won’t tell the court that he is The Flash, the defense rests as well. “You should have gone with the insanity plea,” Slater tells Cecile.

Neil Borman doesn’t know what’s happening to him as everyone he comes into contact with pass out and he glows green. As Cecile is giving her closing statement, Barry gets an urgent text and tells the court that he has to go. Angry at the blatant disrespect shown in his court, the judge tells Barry to make sure he’s back in time for sentencing. I guess the judge is anticipating a guilty verdict.

At Star Labs, Cisco tells Caitlin that they need Killer Frost, but Caitlin reminds that it doesn’t turn that way, she has to be scared or angry. Cisco reminds that if the city is blown up “The puppies are going down.” That does it, Killer Frost emerges and she and Cisco jump into a breech arriving downtown. Caitlin gives Borman the deep freeze but his powers are strong and melt the ice. So, Barry is forced to create a vacuum around him and breech the radiation to barren Earth 15. The Flash saves the day just as the jury finds Barry Allen guilty. Barry returns to Star Labs and learns of his conviction.

Returning to the courthouse for sentence, Barry sees DeVoe and confronts him. As The Flash is giving an award of valor, Barry Allen is sentence to life without the possibility of parole and remanded to Iron Heights. Arriving at Iron Heights, Barry notices something carved on the wall of his cell. It reads: Henry Allen was here.