This week on The Flash season 4, Barry Allen was on trial after Clifford DeVoe framed him for murder. The fact that Barry held metas in a prison without due process or humane conditions hung heavily over the episode. When Barry was locked away in a cell at the end, it was supposed to be a dramatic moment. But, all I could think was that his cell has a bed when the cells he provided for metas never did.
The crux of the episode was that Barry had to admit that he’s The Flash. It never fully explained why this would help. In fact, wouldn’t it just raise questions about metas that Barry has faced off against? Including, for instance, Tony Woodward, who died in a cell that Barry put him in.
There was also a scene that introduced a sudden ability of Barry’s to make other people speed up with him. When Iris West-Allen asked how Barry was able to slow them both down, he simply said, “I actually don’t know.” I know this is all silly, but that’s too much.
In the b-plot of the episode, Cisco Ramon, Caitlin Snow and Harry Wells discovered a meta named Fallout. Fallout was giving off radiation poisoning and the spread of his mutation was rapidly getting worse. This meant an impending nuclear disaster. Again, this was the b-plot in an episode where the stakes of the main plot were Barry going to prison.
The one genuinely fun scene in “The Trial of The Flash” was thanks to Kim Engelbrecht’s excellent performance as Marlize DeVoe. After Joe West and Ralph Dibny produced a photo of her kissing Dominic Lanse, her position as sympathetic grieving widow was in question. Marlize tearfully explained that Clifford had encouraged her to start a relationship with Dominic months ago. It was a ridiculous and entertaining scene that brought much needed life to a bland episode.
Also check out my review of the previous episode of The Flash season 4.
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