Barry goes on trial for the murder of Clifford DeVoe in the season 4 winter premiere of The Flash, but he doesn’t make it easy for his lawyer (Cecile, taking a leave of absence to represent him) since he won’t do the one thing that can keep him out of prison: tell the court that he’s The Flash. But Iris and Joe are willing to make major moves to help him. Will they?
Also in “The Trial of The Flash,” the team must figure out a way to deal with a radioactive meta who could go nuclear — and that’s especially hard since even Barry can’t touch him without suffering the effects of his power.
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Barry Makes It Impossible to Defend Him
“My name is Barry Allen, and I’m an innocent man. … I didn’t kill Clifford DeVoe.” That’s basically all there is to Barry’s defense since all the evidence is pointing to him as the man guilty of murdering Clifford DeVoe.
Sure, the team has figured out that what they thought was gibberish from Barry when he came out of the speed force may actually hold some clues — he did, after all, say, “Your Honor, I’m innocent. I didn’t do this. I didn’t kill anyone” — but they can’t actually use that in court. So what can they use in court to make sure Barry stays out of prison, especially since he has decided that he won’t run and become a fugitive?
In his opening statement, the prosecutor, Anton Slater, speaks of how Barry used his experience as a police investigator to kill Clifford DeVoe in cold blood. He then proceeds to show the restraining order against Barry, to detail his “harassment” of Clifford and even to present the murder weapon as a present that was supposed to commemorate the most joyous moment in a couple’s life that was used to forever separate another couple.
On the stand, Singh speaks of how he decided to hire Barry because he wanted to help the victims, the innocents, something he thought Central City needed. Barry’s one of the good ones, he says. However, Anton then brings up Barry’s six-month sabbatical and the 72 times he’s been late, indicators that perhaps he doesn’t want to help or care for anyone but himself. Does Singh still think he’s one of the good ones? Singh doesn’t answer.
Cecile tells Barry they’re in trouble. Since he refuses to take a plea deal or use the insanity defense, since both would mean admitting he’s guilty, he really only has one option to stay out of prison: testify and tell everyone that he’s The Flash. Then he can explain everything. Barry refuses.
Joe, refusing to fail Barry like he feels he failed his father, enlists Ralph to help him as a PI, and they take photos of Marlize and DeVoe-in-Dominic’s body kissing. When Marlize takes the stand, she presents herself perfectly as the grieving wife who wishes she had stopped her husband from confronting the man who had been harassing him, even shedding some tears.
She even has a story prepared when Cecile enters the photos Ralph took into evidence. The DeVoes met Dominic at an ALS charity gala, and Clifford noticed the bond the two shared and encouraged her to turn to Dominic for the needs and comforts he could no longer fulfill.
Afterwards, Iris confronts Marlize and tells her to drop the act. Marlize does, insisting that she’s doing what she has to for her husband and suggesting that Iris ask herself what she’s willing to do for hers.
What is Iris willing to do for Barry? Walk into the court and reveal that he’s The Flash. However, he speeds over to stop her and keeps the two of them moving so quickly while everyone else is still explaining why she can’t. (How? Don’t ask Barry. He doesn’t know.) He’s protecting her and everyone who knows his secret by not telling the truth. Once back in normal speed, that leaves Iris to awkwardly tell the judge that she just wanted to make sure everyone knew that Barry’s innocent when he wants to know why she interrupted the court.
But Iris isn’t the only West willing to step up to help Barry. Joe takes carpet fibers from the loft to plant in DeVoe’s house to frame Marlize. All he needs is for Ralph to pick the lock for him. And this might be the only moment I’ve liked Ralph so far, as Ralph tells Joe exactly what he needs to hear: that it might feel like he did the right thing now, but give it time and he’d realize he did the wrong thing and he’d turned into the very kind of person he protected people from. He leaves Joe with the open door, and Joe closes the door before leaving, making the right choice.
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Barry Allen, You Are…
Since Barry refuses to reveal that he’s The Flash (and clearly this trial needs to be wrapped up in one episode), all Cecile does is give a closing argument about how Barry has dedicated his life in service of Central City and the criminals he’s helped to convict.
Barry is found guilty of murder in the first degree.
Before sentencing, Barry follows DeVoe into a meeting room in the courthouse (and no one notices this?), and DeVoe taunts him that no matter what path he took (even if it was one part of the 12% chance that he told the world he’s The Flash), all avenues led to Clifford’s triumph. He boasts that Barry can’t understand the breadth of what he’s about to do, but Barry makes sure he knows that he’s going to figure a way out of this and come for him, no matter whose face he’s wearing. (Is that perhaps foreshadowing that he’ll take over someone else’s body?)
The judge goes on about how the city trusted Barry to bring the guilty to justice, but he took an innocent life and he’s never seen a defendant more unmoved, with such a lack of regard for human life (so who has been in this judge’s courtroom?), before sentencing Barry to life without parole. And, hey, he can spend that time in his father’s old cell because that’s how things go in Iron Heights.
But at Least Central City Still Loves The Flash?
Of course, there’s also a meta attacking the city, and this meta gives people radiation poisoning. The team has to find him — and a way to stop him — before he causes a nuclear explosion, the fall-out of which would be catastrophic.
Cisco has a satellite track his radiation signature, but when he and Harry encounter a nuclear waste disposal truck, they think it’s the wrong signature and let the driver continue on his way. However, the driver is the meta.
The meta’s radiation levels rise, and Barry actually ends up leaving the courtroom — fortunately, he can because he doesn’t need to be there for closing and he’s out on bail and no one is going to notice Barry disappearing and The Flash appearing moments later, right? — to help. After Barry clears the cops (including Singh) from the area, Killer Frost tries to cool him down, but he melts her ice.
Barry ends up creating a vacuum around him to contain the energy, and Cisco sends that energy to Earth-15 (a dead Earth, thanks to Harry’s knowledge of the other Earths). Central City is saved. And as the judge goes on about Barry’s inhumanity, Singh praises The Flash’s bravery and heroism, and presents him with the CCPD Award of Valor.
Are you surprised by how the trial went? Did you think Barry would be found guilty as soon as he was arrested in the winter finale? How long do you think Barry will be behind bars? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
The Flash season 4 airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW. Want more news? Like our Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of The CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
If it’s on TV — especially if it’s a procedural or superhero show — chances are Meredith watches it. She has a love for all things fiction, starting from a young age with ER and The X-Files on the small screen and the Nancy Drew books. Arrow kicked off the Arrowverse and her true passion for all things heroes. She’s enjoyed getting into the minds of serial killers since Criminal Minds, so it should be no surprise that her latest obsession is Prodigal Son.
