“My name is Barry Allen and I’m an innocent man”.
When we left the Flash at the mid-season finale, Clifford DeVoe’s body had been found in Barry and Iris’ apartment, stabbed to death. The police arrived to find Barry standing over the Thinker’s now lifeless body. Also…the Thinker’s former body, as DeVoe had traded consciousness with Dominic Lanse, aka Brainstorm. Barry is arrested…and as we return for the mid-season return we are ready for the trial. Can Barry get out of this one? Will he reveal his identity? Want to know more? Follow us after the jump!
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD!
Note: This review is posting prior to THE FLASH airing in the Pacific Time Zone. If you haven’t seen the episode yet, STOP HERE and come back when you’ve seen the show! Trust us…you’ll be glad you did!
By now, the full FLASH team is in on what’s happened, but they cannot figure out the larger plan. Just so you know, this episode doesn’t give us that larger plan, either. We’ll have to see that sort itself out over the rest of the season.
What we DO have is a trial…and it goes as badly as you could ever think for Barry Allen. Cecile is representing him, but Barry refuses to testify – and he won’t reveal his identity. Without that, he really doesn’t stand a chance. Every twist that could help Barry is easily turned around, either by the prosecution or by Marlize DeVoe, when she puts on a big-time performance as the shattered widow.
During all of this, a new meta shows up. This one is unaware of the effect he is having on everyone. The new meta, aka Fallout, is building up higher and higher levels of radiation, giving everyone around him radiation sickness. He doesn’t realize this effect until very late in the episode, and appears to be truly frightened by what is happening to him.
We run these two story lines throughout the episode – Barry’s trial, and the attempt to find and neutralize the threat presented by Fallout.
One additional subplot comes when Joe almost plants evidence at the DeVoe house. He is so desperate to save Barry that he almost violates everything dear to him as a police detective. What stops him?
Ralph.
Ralph leaves the choice up to Joe…but lets Joe know what the implications of that choice could be by telling his own story. Ralph lost his career…and basically everything…when he planted evidence years ago. His talk is a bit of redemption here for his character – and thankfully Joe decides not to go down that road.
Iris almost gives up Barry’s identity after talking with Marlize. Barry stops her, and realizes a new effect of the Speed Force in doing so. He somehow stops time for everyone except himself and Iris, and convinces her that the cost of revealing who he is would be too great. Everyone he knows and loves would be in danger, and she agrees to let him follow his own path.
In the end Flash helps to stop Fallout, running off from the trial in the middle of closing statements to do so. He saves the day…but is found guilty of first degree murder.
As he returns to the courthouse for sentencing, a remarkable scene is set with frequent cutaways. It bounces back and forth between Singh at CCPD praising the Flash and setting up an Award of Valor, while the Judge excoriates Barry as the worst of the worst and sentences him to life without the possibility of parole. Barry is taken to Iron Heights…to find he is in his father’s old cell. And that’s where we leave Barry both figuratively and literally until next week!
NOTES:
- I know that the writers wanted the trial to be as one-sided as possible, but they inadvertently undercut Cecile’s credibility as a good lawyer in this episode. Yes, she was held back by Barry’s refusal to testify, but they also had her giving up too easily during Marlize’s testimony. I would have loved to see more fight from her, as her character has been established so far as a truly tough attorney.
- That said, I wanted to cheer when Ralph talked Joe out of planting evidence. This was a great scene for him, giving some redemption to the character. Great scene, and great acting all around.
- I’m glad the “Trial of the Flash” didn’t get him out of trouble too quickly, and it will be interesting to see just how Barry is eventually freed…and how he can (if at all) do any heroics while at Iron Heights.
Overall this was an 8/10 for me. A good, solid episode, though I am anxious for the show to get to the point of whatever DeVoe’s plan may be. That’s just my opinion – what do YOU think? Leave your comments below!