As James Jesse, aka Trickster, prepares to go on trial, vendors are selling souvenir TV shirts at the courthouse. One woman, Zoey Clark, tries to shove her way past the police lines insisting that she has evidence for the defense. Barry and Julio arrive while reporter Joe Klein reviews James' case and how Megan ended his reign of terror. The police bring Trickster in and he promises the crowd that he'll make the city sorry that it crossed him. Trickster spots Barry and vows to make him and Megan pay, and Flash pay the most.
Bellows and Murphy let the public in, including Barry and Julio. Julio insists that Trickster will be found guilty, but Barry has heard that Denise Cowan, a hotshot New York lawyer, is defending the killer. Joe comes over and asks Barry about his romantic relationship with Megan. Julio suggests that Barry say something rather than let Joe put words in his mouth, but Joe quickly moves on when Megan comes in. She tries to credit Flash, but Joe asks how far Megan went to get her man. Megan refuses to discuss it and leaves, bumping into Barry. She gets a call from her secretary and explains that she's been turning down clients ever since she helped capture Trickster. Megan admits that she hasn't had time to write and goes inside.
Zoey tells Murphy and Burrows that she's pregnant with Trickster's child, but they send her out. In the courtroom, the judge calls the trial to order and tells Denise to restrain her client. Denise angrily tells Trickster not to blow the case, and secretly takes a pen from her pocket. The defense lawyer then requests a change of venue, but Trickster insists that the city loves him and he loves it. When the judge rules him in contempt, Trickster insists that everyone is in contempt. Denise yells at him to calm down, and Trickster picks his handcuffs with the pen and then attacks Megan, insisting that she was never his sidekick. Megan punches him and knocks him out as the onlookers applaud. The judge orders psychiatric evaluation and declares a recess. Zoey yells that Trickster is too good for Megan, and Megan leaves before Barry can approach her.
Later, Barry and Tina have lunch. Tina points out that no one is talking about Flash anymore, and says that Barry has a done a lot of good. Barry half-jokingly considers going public, just as Megan comes in. He asks when they're getting together, and Megan says that she's meeting her agent and is buried in business. She promises that they'll get together later, and Barry quickly leaves. Megan wonders what's going on, and Tina refuses to explain.
In his cell, James meets his Denise and discuss his case. Murphy and Burrows deliver the mail: dozens of letters from Zoey. As they go, James suggests to Denise that he should be defending himself. Once he's alone, James stares at the mail and realizes that the pictures form a single image. He puts them together and discovers that the image is a message: she'll get him out. It's from Prank.
The next day, the guards bring James in and he's wearing a suit. Barry, Julio, and Sabrina are in the gallery, and Julio claims that everything is over between him and the girl that Sabrina found him with. James asks to address the court, and a much calmer James says that he's under the influence of internal demons Meanwhile, Zoey poses as a court transcriber.
James continues talking about the voices in his head and breaks into tears. Zoey sets off a toy bear on wheels, dressed as Trickster. She puts on a gas mask as it emits laughing gas, and then runs to Trickster and puts a mask on him. Everyone else bursts into laughter, and James grabs a bailiff's gun and shoots a bailiff dead when James tries to shoot Denise. He then escapes with Zoey. Barry tries to follow them but by the time he's gotten outside, the couple have escaped.
At the police station, Garfield tells Julio to analyze Zoey's letters. He then orders Barry to get Megan in so they can give her police protection, but Barry warns that he can't get near her.
Zoey takes James to her family toy company and explains that after her father died, she moved into the apartments on the top floor. She says that she knew James was a kindred spirit and she's the only one who gets him. Zoey explains that she's spent her entire life looking for kicks, and turned to crime. James is the ultimate thrill, and James agrees. Zoey removes her clothes to reveal her Prank costume, and James considers a new alternate identity. Furious, Prank says that she wants Trickster and she's the only one who deserves to be Prank. Furious, James grabs her throat but Zoey reminds him that he's Trickster and they kiss. After a moment, James tells her that she got to him just in time, shoves her aside, and says that he won't make the same mistakes twice. Prank says that she can get anything he wants, and James says that it's time to make Flash and Megan pay. With that, they kiss.
That night, Megan is at her suite at the Infantino Hotel taking calls. Barry speeds in and finally hangs up all the phones. He tells her that Trickster will be coming for her, and Megan shows him a package that came for her. Inside is a dead rat from Trickster, and Megan insists that she can protect herself. She then suggests that Barry move to San Francisco so that they can become partners. Barry tells her that he likes his current job, and Megan shows him a list of possible hideouts. She gives Barry a cell phone and asks him to check out the hideouts while she tries to get a lead on Zoey. Barry takes offense at her assumptions, and Megan realizes that it's about her leaving town. When she tries to talk about it, Barry says that he'll find Trickster on his own.
Trickster and Punch take over the TV station and a made-up James--posing as Joe--kills the host and calls out Flash. Megan sees the broadcast and heads for the station.
At the crime lab, Barry tells Julio what happened with Megan. They see the newscast and Barry speeds off when Julio's back is turned.
Megan enters the station and finds Joe and all of the workers tied up. She approaches the stage but Flash speeds in first and spins around the chair where James is sitting. It's a dummy, and shoots sneezing powder at Flash and Megan. Trickster and Punch come in and Flash sneezes himself into a wall at superspeed. Punch tosses a box of chattering teeth on Megan and they start gnawing at her. Recovering, Flash gets them off and the two villains run out to their waiting truck and drive off. Trickster drops liquid gum behind them, and when Flash runs after them, his feet get stuck and he trips in the super-epoxied gum. Trickster walks out, wearing special shoes, and knocks Flash unconscious with a mallet.
Megan runs out a minute later and discovers that they're all gone.
At the toy store, James chains Flash to a chair and puts a helmet on his head. Zoey insists that she's Prank, and James refuses to let her remove Flash's mask and reveal the nothing that he is. He then tells Flash that he's going to bring the hero around to his way of thinking. James plays videos and forces Flash to watch, reprogramming his brain. Flash finally screams in agony and passes out, and James tells Zoey that she can't begin to understand his the genius of his plans. He vows to destroy the city with help of his new pal... Flash.
At STAR Labs, Megan tells Tina that she lost her edge dealing with her newfound popularity. Tina explains that she got rid of the radio in the suit's earpieces, and starts tracking Flash's heat signature. Megan explains about her offer to Barry, and figures that Tina is the only thing keeping him in Central City. Tina insists that they're just good friends, but Megan says that she and Tina are a team... romantic and otherwise.
Trickster drives through the city on a rocket-powered scooter and opens fire on a movie theater. Once he leaves, Flash arrives and starts smashing parking meters with a wrench. He catches up to Trickster and tosses the wrench away, smashing the windshield of Murphy and Burrows' squad car. When Burrows draws his gun, he notices that Flash is wearing Trickster boots. They shoot but Flash catches the bullets and throws them back. Trickster shoots fireworks at the squad car, and then starts tossing dynamite. Burrows gets a stunned Murphy out of the car just in time as the new partners drive off.
Prank catches up to Trickster and Flash, and complains that they didn't meet for her. Trickster says that it's boy's night out.
At the station, Julio tells Garfield what Flash and Trickster have been doing. Garfield puts an APB out on Flash, and tells Murphy and Burrows to hit the streets. Meanwhile, Julio wonders where Barry is.
Flash renames the city's name sign "Tricksterville", and Trickster says that they're going to put Central City on trial.
Joe is soon running newscasts warning people against Flash. At STAR Labs, Megan works out that all of the toys that Trickster is using came from Clark Toys. Tina warns her that Trickster has brainwashed Flash, but figures that she can override it with a shot of adrenaline. She warns Megan that if it doesn't work then Barry could die. The two women go to Clark's Toys and find Prank tied up. Prank admits that her real name is Zoey Clark and hopes that Trickster is all right. Megan demands answers and Zoey explains about Trickster's plan to put the city on trial. She breaks free and runs off, but Megan tells Tina that they have to get to the courthouse.
At the courthouse, James has dressed up as a judge and Flash brings in the prosecutor, judge, and Denise. James fires Denise and has Flash read the charges. He then takes the place of all twelve jurors at superspeed and gives a guilty finding. Flash gags all three "defendants" and admits that he can't decide which weapon to use to kill them. James picks a noose and Flash puts it around the judge's neck. The brainwashing falters and Flash can't move, and Trickster figures that it's an attack of conscience. He prepares to shoot his nemesis, but Megan arrives and shoots the gun out of Trickster's hand.
Tina runs to Flash, who grabs her by the throat. Trickster tells Flash that he's a freak of nature and can do whatever he wants, and Megan yells that Flash is better than that. When Trickster objects, Megan shoots him in the chest. Tina insists that she's Flash's partner and she'll stand by him as long as he wants her to. Flash collapses, muttering Tina's name.
Trickster is wearing body armor and starts to escape. Denise rips off her gag and yells, and Megan draws her gun on Trickster. He says that he has a gun and leaves, holding Denise hostage to get to the door. Once he leaves, Megan tells Flash that Tina rewired Trickster's scooter.
Outsider, Trickster gets on his scooter and tries to leave. It explodes, but Zoe pulls up in a clown-decorated car carrier. Trickster gets in and Punch says that she loves him. He says that he's no good for him and shoves her out, and then takes the wheel. Murphy and Burrows arrive and arrest her.
Flash speeds after Trickster, who releases a car from carrier. it's rigged to explode, and Flash is momentarily set back. However, he catches up to Trickster and gets into the cab. Trickster stops the carrier and lights a bomb. The fuse keeps springing back up, and Flash finally grabs Trickster and runs clear just as the bomb explodes.
Later, James is put into a maximum isolation cell and slams himself into the padded walls. He vows that the cell will be his fortress and no one tricks the Trickster.
The next day at the station, Barry thanks Tina for her help. Julio arrives with Sabrina and Megan, and Sabrina says that she and Julio are back together. Megan says that she's off to San Francisco and Tina quickly excuses herself. Once they're alone, Megan apologizes to Barry for being preoccupied. Barry tells her that he can't go to San Francisco with her because Central City is his home, and his friends and family are there. Megan suggests that they share a few long goodbyes and they kiss. Garfield comes in and interrupts, telling Barry that they have work to do.
Workers repair the city sign, adding a new signing that Central City is the home of the Flash.Written by Gadfly on Dec 10, 2016