5 Point Discussions – The Flash S4.20: “Therefore She Is”

DeVoe assembles the last of what he needs to begin his enlightenment. But is his longtime partner and wife Marlize still a believer in the plan? Remember, if you like this article and 5 Point Discussions, please share it on Facebook or Twitter! It really helps. And if you’ve got any comments or questions, please hit me up @SageShinigami.

1. You know how sometimes you have a friend who does something absolutely wretched, leaving you in shock they could do something so horrible? Maybe it’s not a friend, but a significant other, or a family member? But as you start to look back on your relationship with that person, it dawns on you they were secretly horrible the entire time, and you were just choosing to ignore all the signs until it was much too late? We’ve all experienced it; it’s basically what Kanye’s been doing for the last week or so now.
“Therefore She Is” shows Marlize coming to that exact realization as the show how she and Clifford met, eventually got married, and set out on the path that’s led them to where they are now. Through a number of flashbacks, we’re shown how the “love” these two talked about mid-season began and grew to fruition. And while DeVoe’s been a jerk since the holiday break ended, turns out he was always something of a jerk. When Clifford met Marlize while she was giving a speech about the importance of technology in helping humanity rise up, Clifford rudely cuts in talking about how humanity will inevitably ruin every invention it makes for itself.
Despite his callousness at her college speaking opportunity, she gives him a chance by going on a date with him. But then after conversation goes well for a bit, she gets a phone call. Rather than be gracious and accept she’s got other things to do with her time, he tosses her phone away so they can have a dance, because of course nothing matters more than his time with her. Eventually, she finally sees who he is when she gets a look at a secret journal of his, learning about his plan. (More on that later.) Disgusted by how low a opinion of humanity DeVoe has, she abandons him and leaves.
She’s convinced to return after a run in in a third world country with some terrorist forces.  With the help of a friend she was developing a way to cleanly develop potable water, and her place full of doctors and scientists is quickly attacked so the device could be stolen.  Despite seeming so certain of humanity’s capacity for improvement initially, this one glimpse into the dark nature of man is more than enough to completely change her mind and make her want to aid her husband.
But after seeing his actions as he’s been stealing the powers from the metas, witnessing how easily he killed his former self, and noticing how callously he’s starting to take lives now that his plan is nearly complete, Marlize finally understands her husband’s a monster.  Too bad it’s happened after dozens of lives have been lost, but…hindsight, right?

2. With actress Jessica Camacho taking on a regular role on NBC’s “Taken”, it was presumably only a matter of time before Cisco and Gypsy had to break up. Near the beginning of the episode, Cisco opens a multiversal communication box to see Gypsy asking him if he has an answer for her father, who asked Cisco to take over his job on Earth-19 after he retired a few weeks ago. He puts the device away, but we learn she’s been asking for quite some time as he’s got a drawer full of boxes just like that one.
Later, Gypsy happens to show up and she and Cisco work together to boost their abilities and try to vibe at a lab DeVoe attacked while stealing tech. Gypsy explains they need to be in perfect sync for the vibe to work, and they do get something…but they move too late and actually see the wrong thing, leading to DeVoe escaping with yet another piece of tech he’s looking for. When they try to vibe a second time, they’ve become completely out of sync and wind up getting blasted into the wall by DeVoe’s interference.
Eventually, after much arm twisting on the part of Barry, the two of them finally talk it out, and we finally learn the problem: neither of them want Cisco to take the job. Now ordinarily, this would have been the end of the drama, but since Camacho has to leave, things are taken a little further. Gypsy’s unwilling to give up her job and doesn’t really want to work with Cisco because their current situation works for her. But after a year together, Cisco’s ready to move to the next stage of their relationship. Unable to reach a state they can agree on, they decide to break up.
It’s the sort of decision which only make sense because the actress simply can’t be on the show any longer. They wouldn’t be the first long distance couple to make it work, even if this is an cross-universe situation. But for now, we say goodbye to the bad-ass meta cop from Earth-19.  *sniffs*

3. After twenty episodes of hushed whispers over the “enlightenment”, we finally learn what it is at the same time as Team Flash. Turns out, DeVoe has such a dim view of humanity he believes they no longer deserve the “toys” they’ve invented over the last few thousand years. The enlightenment is meant to use dark matter to fry everyone’s synapses, making them forget everything they’ve ever learned to give them a “reset”.
Ironically, this entire time I was under the impression the enlightenment was meant to increase everyone’s intelligence so humans are smart enough not to give into petty, base impulses. But it turns out DeVoe wants the exact opposite, which makes…frankly, zero sense. Even if humanity started over and suddenly didn’t know how internet, phones, and other technology worked…how would that stop us from giving in to even worse impulses the second time around? Suddenly we’ve got all the tech but none of the knowledge.
Presumably it’s why he wanted to absorb the powers of all these different metas, but honestly it sounds like this entire time he’s been aiming to turn himself into a god.

4. After witnessing the depths her husband is willing to sink to accomplish his goals, Marlize finally has enough. As DeVoe commands her to activate his plan for the enlightenment, she floats away in the very chair she created to keep him alive. This was where the story was always headed, and might be the best handled plot point of the season, even if I personally hate how we’ve abandoned something special. What made Clifford stand apart from the other villains, aside from being the first arc villain not to make Barry’s opening “I’m the Fastest Man Alive” speech a line of BS, was that he wasn’t a complete sociopath. He and his wife were in love, and that was what made them so hard to beat. At least until Clifford started collecting powers like candy.
Still, as much as I want to complain the scenes between Marlize and Clifford have remained some of the best in the series, with the dialogue in this episode being particularly chilling it was so good. Clifford attempts to get her to stay, even reminding her of the vow they made as husband and wife, only for Marlize to remind him her husband was dead.  Worse, he was “Thinker’s first victim.” This train has been off the rails for a long time, and it’s only now she’s been in the position to do something about it.

5. Harry spends most of his time this episode keeping Cecile distracted while Joe puts together a baby shower for her. It feels wildly inappropriate now that they know what DeVoe’s planning, but whatever–why let your major arc plot get in the way of background stuff? While they’re celebrating though, Speed Force Girl makes an appearance and I’m beginning to think now she’s XS from the Legion of Super-Heroes and she was writing in this universe’s version of Interlac. The Legion is over in Supergirl, but from the comics we know traveling through time can cause you to land on other Earths. It’s nothing to say she winds up on Supergirl’s Earth even if she is Barry and Iris’ daughter (or granddaughter).
If that’s the case though, it’s unlikely she’s very important to what’s happening with DeVoe, and more likely we’re setting up for a season five plot point.
The Flash airs on The CW, Tuesday nights.