“The Flash” TV series
proposed episode
“I am Grodd”

by Joel Ellis Rea
(aka COMALite J aka [email protected] aka [email protected])

Act II

(SCENE 1: Early morning, outside S.T.A.R. Labs. Same Security Guard as last night is at his post, as Dr. Tina McGee arrives.)

GUARD: Good mornin’, Ma’am. I must say, I didn’t expect to see you here quite so early today.

TINA: But it’s 9 o’clock. This is when I usally get here, isn’t it?

GUARD: Not when you’ve worked so late the night before.

TINA: But I left at 6:30 last night!

GUARD: Well, that’s not on my shift, but I do remember you coming in late last night to finish up some work. After midnight.

TINA: Wha—? Oh, uh, oh yes! Okay, I do remember. I must be more tired than I thought! Isn’t your shift about over now?

GUARD: Yes Ma’am. I’m just waitin’ for the day guy to show up. Late again, as usual. Ask me if I’m surprised. C’mon, ask me.

TINA: I think I know what the answer would be. Anyway, I need to go ahead and get started, tired or no. Good day!

(The Guard tips his hat to her as she walks in. End of Act II, Scene 1.)

(SCENE 2: Barry and Julio at their Lab. The digital clock reads 9:10. They engage in talk about a case they’re working on, when Julio changes the subject.)

JULIO: Yeah, I don’t see how they expect us to get all this done with just the two of us. You think there’s any chance of stealing Cory away from S.T.A.R.?

BARRY: (sudden look on face as if he’d just remembered something)
Cory? Oh, him! With Tina yesterday. Y’know, that reminds me. I really need to give her a call.

(pregnant pause)

JULIO: Well? There’s the phone!

BARRY: Uh, well, I wanted to talk to her about something, well, private.

JULIO: Ohhh! Say no more! I think I hear some paperwork that needs taking care of up front. Tell her “hi” for me!
(winks, then leaves)

(Barry dials the phone, and we hear only his side of the conversation.)

BARRY: Uh, Dr. McGee, please. Yes, I’ll hold.
(pause)
Hello, Tina! Listen, is Cory there?
(pause)
No, I wanted to talk to you, but he’s not there yet, right?
(pause)
Okay, that’s in about 45 minutes. Um, listen, I think there’s something really strange about him. I mean, really strange.
(brief pause)
Well, it’s like — let me ask you something. How would you describe him? I mean, physically? What’s he look like?
(longer pause)
Uh huh. Brown hair and brown eyes? Well, guess what? That’s not what he looks like to me, or Julio, or Lt. Garfield.
(pause)
No, all of us see something different. I see a blond kid with blue eyes, and I just realized he looks just like what I expect Jay’s boy to look like when he gets that age. Garfield sees a kid with red curly hair, green eyes, and freckles. But get this: to Julio, he’s Black!
(brief pause)
Well, yes, black hair, but I mean he’s Black black! As in African-American! Isn’t that weird? What could cause that!?
(longer pause)
You will? Good. Well, call me if you find out anything. I didn’t get much sleep last night thinking about this — I really should’ve called you then. If you even suspect that there’s any danger, just call me, and I’ll be over in a flash, if you know what I mean. Okay, ’bye.

(Barry hangs up, with a really disturbed expression on his face. He’s still standing by, and staring at, the phone when Julio walks back in. End of Act II, Scene 2.)

BOSS: Yes, Tina?

TINA: I need to ask a favor of you. Do you have that tape I made of the work-study program interviews?

BOSS: Sure do. It’s on my file cabinet. I’ll send it by.

TINA: Thanks. I really need to check something.

(She turns off the intercom, and a minute later, a clerk walks in with the tape and hands it to her.)

CLERK: Here you go, Dr. McGee.

TINA: Thanks.

(Clerk leaves. Tina pulls out a small cassette recorder from inside her desk (apparently what she recorded it on), inserts the tape, and presses PLAY and CUE alternately until she finds what she’s listening for. The tape plays, and we hear her voice on the tape:)

TINA: Well, this all seems to be in order, Cory. Your qualifications are outstanding, and you come highly recommended. I think this work-study program S.T.A.R. arranged with Keystone University will benefit us both, if the rest of the student assistants turn out to be as brilliant and dedicated as you.

(pause of about three seconds, during which background sounds can still be heard on the tape, so the pause isn’t due to erasure)

TINA: I’m not sure where you’ll be assigned, but I certainly wouldn’t mind you working with me. Under one condition, that is.

(pause of about a second and a half, with background sounds still present)

TINA: Yes. Don’t call me “Dr. McGee.” My name’s Tina.

(a sound like papers rustling, and a chair squeaking, and something falling onto a desk, are among the background sounds at this point)

TINA: Oh!

(another pause of about a second, with background sounds present)

TINA: What, this?

(longer pause this time, about five seconds — background sounds persist)

TINA: My — late husband, yes. He died a few years ago.

(Anywhere from here on down through the interview from the Prologue, Tina cuts off the tape [this can be adjusted to help time the Scene and Act as a whole — there should be enough time for the viewers to realize that Cory’s voice is missing entirely from the tape, and that Tina has also realized this — perhaps enough extra can play to recap background info on Grodd for those viewers who came in late]. As the tape was playing, Tina’s face progressed through a variety of emotions, including puzzlement, amazement, etc., and is now somewhat frightened. She turns off the playback of the tape [at whatever point the director wishes] and, in somewhat of a rush, heads out of her office. End of Act II, Scene 3.)

(SCENE 4: Tina at the computer at her workstation. Clock on the wall reads 9:26. Tina turns on the computer even before she sits down, and logs in, and types in a command, using her fingers on the keyboard, rapidly.)

TINA: (under her breath) Oh, no! Not that file! And that’s today! Well, last night after midnight! But how?

(Suddenly, she gets up and walks quickly to the Security station. The Day Guard, who’s younger than the Night Guard we met before, is there.)

TINA: Um, can you do me a favor? Last night I came back and did some late work on my computer, and I, uh, took out my credit card to update its info in my files, and I must’ve mislaid the card somewhere, and I can’t find it anywhere. Anyway, can I borrow the security video from last night — camera D, I think — so I can see where exactly I put my card?

GUARD: Sure, Tina.
(He reaches up, grabs a VHS cassette case from a shelf above the bank of B&W; monitors, and tosses it to her. It has a “D” and the date “Jan 6, 94 12–6AM” on its label.)
Be sure to bring that back right away, ’kay?

TINA: Thanks. I will.

(She walks out, and heads back to her own office, after stopping by to check out a small combined VCR player/TV from S.T.A.R.’s A.V. Library. Carrying both back to her office, she sits the player and tape down on her desk, plugs in the player, then sits down, turns it on, opens the tape case, takes out the tape, and inserts it in. It starts playing automatically. She presses “FF»”, and since it was already in Play mode, she’s actually doing a fast search in the forward direction. There is a constant time indicator in the corner of the screen showing the time of recording on the tape, and as that nears 01:00:00 AM, she lets it play normally. The camera shifts to show her face, and not the screen. Her expression suddenly becomes one of extreme horror, and she mouths “Oh my G-D” over and over again, and quickly picks up the phone and dials it.)

TINA: Get me Barry Allen, please. It’s an emergency.
(pause)
Yes, I’ll hold.
(long pause)
Hello, Barry? Listen, you were more right about him than you knew. He’s extremely dangerous! But listen! I’m not the one in danger — you are! He knows about you! He knows all about you.
(brief pause)
I don’t know how he knew the password, but he read your files last night. I now know what he really looks like, and Barry, he’s not human! It’s a long story, but I know him from way back. I don’t know how he’s alive, but it’s him all right. Barry — you have to leave Central City immediately! Don’t argue! You’re no match for him on any level — not physically, not mentally. It’s you he’s after! I’ll be—

(At this point, we see Cory Adams standing in the door. The clock on Tina’s office wall now reads 9:42. Her face is terrified.)

CORY: Good thing I thought to come in early today, isn’t it? You sure you still want me to call you “Tina”? Sure you wouldn’t prefer — “Mother”?

TINA: I — I know who you are! What you really are!

(As Cory speaks, he walks into the office, and towards Tina’s desk.)

CORY: Of course you do. I knew that even before I heard you talking on the phone. That’s The Flash, right? Or should I say Barry Allen? And to think I thought he was boring at first! Oh, yes, I’d love to meet him again!

TINA: (back into the phone)Barry! You have to — Barry? Barry!!

(There is a sudden “whoosh,” and The Flash is standing in the office door.)

TINA: BARRY, NO!!!

The FLASH: Stand away from her, young man!

(Camera switches to Cory, who still has the brown-haired, brown-eyed appearance he has for Tina, even though The Flash is the one whose point of view we are apparently seeing.)

CORY: Hey, Mr. Allen, I don’t mean—
(even as he says this, even before being interrupted, his right arm starts rising, hand balled into a fist)

The FLASH: I said stand away!

(At this, The Flash runs quickly towards Cory, but the right fist has risen up enough to tag The Flash just as he reaches Cory. The blow sends The Flash forcefully into the wall, knocking several pictures, diplomas, and other framed items off of it, and visibly cracking the plaster. He slumps to the ground, stunned. Camera remains focused on him, as Cory speaks his next line off-screen:)

CORY: You’re fast, but I knew what you were going to do before you did it. I read minds, you know. Well, sorta. Anyway, I think we can drop the mutual masquerade. Mom here knows what I really look like. It’s time you did too, Mr. Allen.

(The camera pans up from Cory’s feet up slowly towards his head, pulling slowly back at the same time to encompass him more fully. Only, it’s not any of Cory’s appearances we’ve seen before. Instead, it’s a very large, very fierce-looking, obviously sentient, near-adult mountain gorilla! His mouth does not move as he “speaks,” in a deep “voice” that seems to reverbate:)

GRODD: Allow me to introduce myself, Mr. Allen. I am Grodd.

(Fade to black. End of Act II, Scene 4.)

(End of Act II. Commercials and Station break.)

All characters are © DC Comics
This piece is © 2000 by .