Por Chris E. Hayner 19 Abril 2016
When it was revealed on “The Flash” that Zoom was, in fact, Jay Garrick (Teddy Sears), those tuning in were shocked that the man they grew to love over a season — or at least a version of him — was behind all of the destruction and devastation Team Flash has been facing. As surprised as they were though, their reactions paled in comparison to Sears himself.
The actor spoke with Zap2it about making the change from Jay to Zoom, when he found out he was the villain of the story and why he wishes he wasn’t.
Zap2it: When it was revealed in Season 1 that Harrison Wells was Reverse Flash, Tom Cavanagh was very open about that turn being one of the major reasons he signed on to do the show in the first place. When did you find out this was the route for Jay?
Teddy Sears: [Laughs] Like Tom Cavanagh, I found out before I accepted the job. I got on a call with Andrew Kreisberg and company and he told me this was the plan for the season, and it all sounds very exciting. Many months into shooting there had been no word from the writers and no indications in the script.
Without having seen Season 1, I had no idea this had happened before. Knowing that, I became very attached to playing Jay Garrick. Many months into shooting there had been no words from the writers or any indication in the scripts that I was going to morph into this other character, as it was originally intended.
So I began to convince myself that it wasn’t going to happen, which was great. I was sort of hoping against hope because I really did love playing Jay. I loved everything about him — the history, the origin, the type of guy he was.
But in the episode where Caitlin and I are in the park and I point out my doppelganger Hunter Zolomon, I knew this was, in fact, the path we were going to go down.
It was a difficult thing to do because I’m an honesty-first guy, through and through. But in the TV world where big reveals are the reasons we tune in and stay tuned in, I had to sidestep that initially. Also, I really hoped it wasn’t going to happen and was being shown all of these reasons why it wasn’t until it was.
Looking at the moment it did happen, as an actor what it like getting to play these two extremely different characters in one role?
It was thrilling! My God … I haven’t said this anywhere in print, but to anyone who will listen, it’s been the most satisfying, enriching, exciting job of my career. The ability to play these wildly divergent characters — and when we get into this new episode, we’re going to get into the origins of Zoom. We’re going to look at Hunter Zolomon’s origin story, really.
So it’s fun. There’s Earth-1 Jay Garrick, there’s Earth-2 Hunter Zolomon, then there’s ultimately who he becomes in Earth-2 Zoom.
As we’ve seen from trailer and photos from that new episode, it’s the first time the team is coming face-to-face with an unmasked Zoom. What is that meeting like, after how entrenched in the team Jay was.
I sort of look at it two ways. One, as an actor, suddenly I was no longer on the same team as all these other actors who had become my friends and allies. Now I was across the room from them, which was awkward, wearing a different suit and brandishing a different attitude. That first day of shooting was a little bit less comfortable than it had been, but in good fun of course.
Then as the character, it’s sort of wonderful because Jay had almost lulled them to sleep in a way that they would never expect this mild-mannered, upstanding guy who was on their team could possibly be anyone but who he says he is.
So that was really fun. Zoom is this sociopathic, obsessive — this term comes to mind — megalomaniac, who I think truly, unlike Teddy Sears the actor, was in his element sitting across from his former friends with a feeling of deep self-satisfaction that he was able to pull off this ruse.
That was really fun to relish as an actor, to occupy that headspace.
http://zap2it.com/2016/04/the-flash-ted ... come-zoom/
Por Matt Webb Mitovich / 19 Abril 2016, 7:24 AM PDT
The CW’s The Flash resumes Season 2 tonight at 8/7c with an episode that will at least start to answer our many, many questions about the sinister speedster known as Zoom, who was recently revealed to be “Jay Garrick” aka Earth-2’s Hunter Zolomon.
Was anything about Jay real? How did Zoom become who he is? And what’s behind his need for all the speed? Teddy Sears shared with TVLine a look behind the man in that mask… and a tease about the man behind that other mask.
TVLINE | How long did it take you to understand the Jay/Zoom twist?
Boy — I’m still trying to figure it out! No, I guess that’s not entirely true. [Laughs] Yeah, there are many layers here, man. It’s definitely like a piece of origami. It’s folded upon itself and upon itself and eventually it becomes this thing that you recognize. But right now, we’re still folding it in on itself. We’re not quite at the end.
TVLINE | Perhaps the best starting point is: Who was kissing Caitlin that whole time?
Good question. Hunter. Hunter Zolomon has been kissing Caitlin this whole time, and Hunter Zolomon has real feelings for Caitlin, while he played everybody else. What wasn’t part of the plan was falling for Caitlin, so that was a nice little twist. That was something the writers wanted me to keep in mind very early on, that what quote-unquote “Jay” is experiencing for Caitlin is very real and unanticipated. The one thing that was real, the only thing that was real, was his feelings for her.
TVLINE | So from the first day you set foot on set, you knew you weren’t simply playing a square-jawed do-right hero?
Just before accepting the job, I got on a phone call with [showrunner] Andrew Kreisberg and a few of the writers and he laid out for me what this guy was going to do this season. Bear in mind that when I auditioned, I didn’t know that it was for Jay Garrick; they kept it very vague, saying only that [the character] would be a mentor to Barry Allen this season. Now, had I known the comic books, had I seen the finale when the helmet flew in, maybe I would have put two and two together, but I honestly didn’t know what I was there to do. I have two younger brothers, so I was excited by the idea of playing a mentor. When I then was told how it would actually unfold, I got very excited, because how fun is that going to be, to play a couple wildly divergent characters?
Now if you look back, my hope — and I like to think I accomplished this — is that sprinkled throughout the [earlier] episodes, up until where we are now, you should be able to see very distinct moments where you’re like, “Ohhh. He’s tipping his hat a bit, to who he really is.” And it starts with the first time you see Jay Garrick. He’s sort of stepping behind a brick wall snapping a picture and then receding. How shady is that? Yet we forget that that was the first breadcrumb. “That’s weird, he’s taking pictures of Barry Allen, and then he’s hanging out at Flash Day?”
TVLINE | All leading up to the fact that he “took a nap” at a very bad time a few weeks ago.
[Laughs] Yeah, exactly! “How come Jay’s never around when Zoom is wreaking havoc?” But I will say this: I did grow very attached to playing Jay. A lot of time passed between that initial phone call and the big reveal, and in that time I had convinced myself that the-flash-season-2-photos (6)the writers had decided to go a different direction, that they were going to have someone else play Zoom. because playing Jay was great, but he didn’t really have a lot to do. If you look back, he mentored Barry in Episode 202, but that was it.
TVLINE | But that kind of fed into my theory that there’s probably a big reveal coming up. They were letting him fly under the radar a bit.
Then you win the prize, man. And I know that there were some people who were kind of pissed — “Thanks for adding a guy in the second season who really doesn’t bring much to the table.” But like you said, there was very much a reason why he was laying low, like a snake in the grass.
TVLINE | How would you describe the backstory we’re getting this week?
It’s mirror image to Barry Allen’s backstory. These two had a similar event happen to them at virtually the same age in their childhood. Barry went one direction, Hunter went the other. I can describe it as parallel events in the lives of these two kids which help form their identity going forward, one using his abilities for good, the other one for… not-so-good, to put it mildly. We’re going to see that play out in this episode: Why is Zoom the way he is, how did he become this guy?
TVLINE | Maybe to that point, why does Zoom want to be so fast? Is it simply a vanity project, to lay claim to that Fastest Man Alive trophy? Or is there something he wants to do with that speed?
We won’t know exactly why after this particular episode, but there is something. It is not purely vanity. There is a very specific reason why he needs this speed. But it’s funny, as we head towards the finale, lots of different things that will come to light. We’ll see that he wants this speed, needs this speed, for a number of different reasons, all personal.
TVLINE | As we explore this the-flash-season-2-photos (4)and bounce around Earth-2 some more, will we get any new clues to the Man in the Iron Mask [being help captive by Zoom]?
Good question…. We’re shooting the finale [now], and if you had asked me this question last week, I would have said that I don’t know that we’ve sprinkled any clues. We do see him throughout [the final episodes], but I didn’t know who he was until the finale. Some of the other actors will tell you, “Oh, no, we sort of knew.” Or, “We had ideas who it was going to be.” If they knew, then they knew a lot more than me, because I didn’t have a clue. But the identity will be revealed and I think it’s going to be very satisfying for the viewers.
TVLINE | Because I have seen some wild theories, from “There are four Jay Garricks” to “There are 12.” One reader laid out a scenario with twins of doppelgangers and doppelgangers of twins….
[Laughs] I know, I know. There’s a part of me that’s like, “Oh awesome, that’s more roles to play!” And another part of me is like, “That sounds exhausting! Can we not do that??” No, this job has been amazing. I’ve been able to wear many hats and that is very satisfying.
http://tvline.com/2016/04/19/the-flash- ... in-agenda/
Por Natalie Abrams 19 Abril 2016
Though Barry found a way to not only go faster, but to cross universes, it was Zoom who got the upper hand during Tuesday’s episode of The Flash.
Through flashbacks, viewers finally got more insight into the sociopath previously purporting to be Barry Allen’s (Grant Gustin) mentor. After returning from the war, Hunter Zolomon’s (Teddy Sears) father killed his mother, leaving Hunter to be raised in the foster care system. Hunter then went on to become a serial killer, who murdered 23 people; he was incarcerated and receiving electroshock therapy during the particle accelerator explosion on Earth-2, which granted him his powers.
Meanwhile, after a brief journey to National City via the tachyon device for the Supergirl crossover, Barry realized that Cisco (Carlos Valdes) could be the key to opening up a breach to Earth-2. Unfortunately, it gave Zoom the perfect opportunity to cross back to Earth-1, where he promptly took Wally (Keiynan Lonsdale) hostage in a bid to steal Barry’s speed.
Barry, of course, obliged, but Zoom took more than just Barry’s speed, kidnapping Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) on his way out. “There’s that smug satisfaction that comes with seeing your long, multi-month plan come to fruition,” Sears tells EW. “For one, Zoom needs Barry’s speed for a very specific reason. We’ll get into why. He’s satisfied on a number of counts. Of course, he gets the girl by any means necessary. She’s not a trophy; she really is someone he believes that he loves and wants to have with him.”
However, Caitlin doesn’t quite feel the same way. “No,” Sears says. “After the reveal, she is repulsed by him. She wants nothing to do with him. Shockingly, Hunter doesn’t quite understand why, which is also fun. ‘What do you mean?’ He’s a bit misguided, and he’s very broken.”
The episode also provided a bit more information as to how Zoom was able to kill Jay Garrick, a.k.a. himself, in that earlier episode. “It does have something to do with what Tom Cavanagh was doing with time remnants and other timelines,” Sears says. “Essentially, Hunter goes back in time to convince another version of himself to go along with this plan as a sociopathic, charismatic convincer would. He gets him to go along with this. He recruits himself to take part in his plan. There’s a bit more to it than that, which will unspool in future episodes.” The only reason he dressed up as a superhero? To give people hope so he could then rip it away. Seriously sociopathic.
http://www.ew.com/article/2016/04/19/fl ... d-spoilers
Por Chris E. Hayner 19 Abril, 2016
Zoom (Teddy Sears) is many things on “The Flash.” He’s a monster, a killer, as evil as they come. However, it turns out he’s also a lover. That came into sharp contrast on the April 19 episode of “The Flash” when Zoom snatched not only Barry’s speed but Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker), kidnapping her to Earth-2.
You see, while Zoom did come to Earth-1 to take The Flash’s speed, that doesn’t make his feelings for Caitlin any less real.
‘While he played every other member of STAR Labs and convinced them he was this other guy, his feelings for Caitlin and the connection they had was 100 percent real and authentic,” Sears tells Zap2it. “As a sociopath is wont to do, he’s going to try to get his way no matter what.”
As for his plans for Caitlin now that he’s taken her, that’s something Sears isn’t ready to spill about just yet.
“We will get into why he stole Caitlin more in the future,” he explains. “But to tease it, his feelings for her were always real and the writers wanted to hammer the point home that it’s really interesting to see a guy pretend to be one way with everyone else but then have this sort of thing kind of creep up on him where he has real and lasting feelings for somebody else.”
“They did have a special connection very early on. When the season began they were both strangers in a strange land — Jay literally, but Caitlin having just lost Ronnie,” Sears continues. “I think they formed a bond very early based on where they found each other. Caitlin was not part of the plan.”
Of course, given the fact that he’s an inhuman monster, chances are Caitlin isn’t going to be warming up to him anytime soon. Then again, given Earth-2 Caitlin’s Killer Frost alter ego, maybe there’s something inside he can bring out in her.
As for what Zoom plans to do with Barry’s speed, Sears teases, “It is so he can become more powerful, but there’s more to it that we will reveal in future episodes.”
http://zap2it.com/2016/04/the-flash-ted ... onnection/
Por Craig Byrne, 25 Abril 2016
Film director Kevin Smith helmed the May 10 episode of The Flash, and following a screening and Q&A for this week’s Flash episode “Back to Normal” hosted by The CW this afternoon, we asked Executive Producer Andrew Kreisberg and one of the show’s most popular actors, Tom Cavanagh, about what it is like to have an episode within Smith’s Askew view.
For starters: Kreisberg confirmed that Silent Bob’s hetero lifemate, Jason “Jay” Mewes, does indeed guest star in the episode, and that there is one scene “that is like, literally, a scene out of a Kevin Smith movie.” He also heaped a lot of praise on the director for his work on The Flash.See photos from this week’s episode of The Flash here!
“Kevin is such a fan of this show, in a way that humbles me beyond my wildest expectations,” Kreisberg enthused.” To be able to sit in a room with him and talk to him and think about how often I quote him and quote his movies, and how he was who I wanted to be when I was in college… to sit down with him and have him speak about the show so lovingly and so intelligently and so deeply…. [and] he didn’t approach this like ‘here’s my chance to put my stamp on it’ or ‘here’s my chance to Clerks-ify it.’ His biggest drive — I hope it’s okay for me to say that — was he didn’t want to mess it up, because he’s such a fan. There was a reverence and an awe, almost, in how he approached everything,” he continued.The finished footage from the episode, titled “The Runaway Dinosaur,” came out very well. “Usually there’s a lot that goes on in editing, but this was an episode where we basically watched and gave a few notes and just said ‘go with God’ because the thing came out so great,” Kreisberg said.
Actor Tom Cavanagh (Harrison Wells, or “Harry” if we’re talking about his Earth-2 counterpart) also had praise for the director’s work. “He’s achieved so much. For many of who our comedy goes in that direction, we love him. And we love the fact that he is such a fan of this and is so knowledgeable about it, but just as a person, to watch somebody who has accomplished so much come on set with such humility… for Kevin, it seemed that what mattered was the day, and the fact that we are doing what we love, and he would say that every scene,” Tom recalled. “The first time Grant showed up in the suit, it was incredible to watch Kevin. He’s like ‘I just can’t believe this is in front of me, let alone directing it!’ He was like ‘Guys! Isn’t this amazing!’ After lunch, he’d have a quick speech. ‘I just gotta say, I know it’s lame that I’m saying this in front of 45 grown men and women, but I think it’s amazing that we get to do what we love’.”
Cavanagh also revealed that Kevin Smith would point out the others in the crew that make the show go along, and gave them appreciation and credit. “It didn’t seem false; it seemed like he felt like someone needed to get credit. His demeanor on set was unlike most. Jesse L. Martin said, ‘I always feel like I’m energized about The Flash; [but] I feel like I’m completely reinvigorated just being around that man for eight shooting days.’ I think all of us felt that way,” he said, pointing out that long days on set reveal a lot about someone. “The set is the kind of place that outs you as a person. After 17-hour days, your true personality would come out. And this guy… this is who he is. He’s a good human being. He’s incredible to work with,” he said.
http://www.ksitetv.com/flash/flash-krei ... th/109362/
Por Natalie Abrams 25 Abril 2016 — 7:30 PM EDT
Will Barry Allen and Iris West finally become the couple destined for marriage on The Flash?
Though the duo have been on a rollercoaster of emotions over the first two seasons of The Flash, Iris (Candice Patton) has started to come to terms with the fact that she may be destined to end up with Barry (Grant Gustin). After all, both their Earth-2 doppelgängers and their future selves are married.
“This whole season has been about Iris, whether she realizes or not, trying to take a step forward,” executive producer Andrew Kreisberg says. “She really did love Eddie [Rick Cosnett]. They probably would’ve had a life together, and a good one if everything hadn’t happened in the finale.”
Unfortunately — or fortunately, for those WestAllen shippers — Eddie met a grim fate when he sacrificed himself to take out the Reverse-Flash. But thanks to Barry’s trip back to the past, the fastest man alive provided his best friend and longtime crush some closure. “We [had] a great scene with the flashback where Eddie gives her the message where he basically tells her to move on,” Kreisberg says.
While the show has taken its time, the time is now ripe for Barry and Iris to find some happiness of their own. “We couldn’t just slam them together,” Kreisberg says. “It would’ve been a disservice to Eddie’s character and everything that happened between them. We left it on this simmer all season long, and now she should be ready to move on, but she’s starting to feel like the universe is telling her otherwise.”
As the universe nudges her toward Barry, should we expect a WestAllen kiss before season’s end? Kreisberg, of course, dodges the question. “You can expect some twists and turns in that,” he says. “But I think you can expect it to be moving steadily forward.”
http://www.ew.com/article/2016/04/25/fl ... n-spoilers
Por Chris E. Hayner 25 de Abril, 2016 05:04 PM
What does the future hold for Barry (Grant Gustin) and Iris (Candice Patton) on “The Flash” — as well as the army of WestAllen fans who have been waiting for their dream couple to finally get together? From the sound of it, some very good things.
Speaking to the press at a screening for the April 26 episode of “The Flash,” executive producer Andrew Kreisberg says, “I think you can expect some twists and turns in that, but you can expect it to be moving steadily forward.”
“This whole season has been about Iris, whether she realizes it or not, trying to take a step forward,” Kreisberg explains. “She really did love Eddie (Rick Cosnett) and they probably would have a life together — and a good one, if everything hadn’t happened in the finale.”
Of course, fans knows how that ended up, with Eddie sacrificing himself to save the world from Eobard Thawne (Tom Cavanagh). Losing the love of her life devastated Iris. With that in mind, quickly moving her into a relationship with Barry — regardless of the comic book history the two share — would have been a bad idea.
“We couldn’t just slam them together. It would’ve been a disservice to Eddie’s character and everything that happened between them,” Kreisberg says. “So we sort of left it on the simmer all season long.”
As it’s been simmering, the universe is seemingly going out of its way to tell these two they’re destined to be together. Between the newspaper headline from the future and Barry’s jaunt to Earth-2, the WestAllen love story has practically become a character unto itself on the show.
When will it come to pass, though? That’s one question you’re going to have to wait to get an answer on. While relations between Barry and Iris may be “moving steadily forward,” there’s a number of other things that need to take priority. Who can think about dating when Zoom (Teddy Sears) is trying to destroy you?
http://zap2it.com/2016/04/the-flash-ep- ... westallen/
Por Bryan Cairns, 26 Abril 2016
"The Flash's" roster of speedsters keeps growing, and while Earth-2 refugee Jesse Chambers has yet to display her of fleet-footedness onscreen, fans of the character's comic book incarnation know it's just a matter of time before Jesse Quick is racing through the streets of Central City.
In the comics, Jesse's father is yet another speedster, Johnny Quick, a hero who's footsteps she races in after learning his secret equation that allows them both to tap into the Speed Force. And while actress Violett Beane's Jesse is the daughter of Earth-2's Harrison Wells, considering her father is the inventor of Velocity-9, a drug granting its user super speed, it's no wonder fans are asking when Beane will don a superhero suit rather than if she will.
Ahead of tonight's episode, Beane spoke with CBR about the reasons for Jesse's return to Central City, whether she knows of the identity of Jesse's mother, and why she's excited at the prospect of getting her own supersuit in the near future..
CBR News: Jesse started out as Zoom's prisoner. How has that traumatic event affected her?
Violett Beane: She was able to get some consolation from everyone on the team. Everyone has dealt with some situation with Zoom. It definitely struck something in her. When we saw her run away two episodes ago, she ran away because of what she found out about her father. She also needed a breather. Ever since she got to Earth-1, it's just been go, go, go. She needed time to understand what had happened to her. Hopefully when she comes back, she's a bit stronger and aware of who she is now.
How would you describe Jesse's relationship with her father, Harrison Wells?
She absolutely, 100 percent loves him. It's like any parent/child relationship; there are times when you fight, and there are times when you love each other. That is playing out as well. Right now, she is a little confused as to who he is. In this next episode, Jesse is going to do everything she can to help the team, and find her dad.
Jesse has been AWOL for weeks. What brings her back to Central City in "Back to Normal?"
Barry comes to Jesse asking for her help. One of the villains has taken Harry, and if anything is going to bring her back from this moment in life, it's going to be saving her dad. It's very poetic that she has to search for him now, just like he searched for her over a lot of this season. That's going to be really beautiful, and hopefully they'll reunite.
How does Jesse fit in with Team Flash and their crusade to take down Zoom?
She is extremely smart, so she's going to be able to help in that aspect. You saw Zoom, at the end of last episode, grab Caitlin. She might be able to fill in [Caitlin's] spot a little bit. If Caitlin is gone for however long, they are going to need that extra hand on the team and in S.T.A.R. Labs. Jesse is going to fit in pretty well.
Who Jesse's mother is remains a mystery. What kind of discussions have you had about the subject?
On Earth-1, Harrison is married, but then she gets killed when Reverse Flash takes his identity. It could definitely be her. They are keeping it very open-ended. Hopefully we find out at some point, because that would be a really interesting storyline.
How cool would it be if her mother was Liberty Bell like in the comic books?
Oh, yeah. That would be amazing!
What else can you share about what's in store for Jesse in the upcoming episodes?
She's going to get used to her life there and figuring out her place and helping the team ultimately destroy this insanely scary villain. He's haunted multiple Earths, and it's her issue now, too. It's not a problem she can scoot away. You are going to see her helping everyone and hopefully take Zoom down.
The obvious question is whether Jesse will become the speedster Jesse Quick. How excited are you about the prospect?
I am very excited. I think it may happen, because there have been so many hints about it. If, and when that does happen, I cannot wait. I've talked to everyone about their own suits, and they love them. They put them on and they were like, "I feel like a superhero. I feel so cool." I can't wait to see if that happens to me, where I put it on and feel that way, too.
Is there a version of Jesse Quick's costume that you fancy?
If they do it, the suit won't be quite like the ones in the comics. I like the Liberty Bell on it. That's a sweet sentiment. I like more of the maroon color that the Flash in our show wears. What they make is so great. We'll see!
http://www.comicbookresources.com/artic ... esse-quick
Por Christina Radish 26 Abril 2016
In the next episode of The CW series The Flash, called “Back to Normal,” a meta-human with super strength mistakes Harry (Tom Cavanagh) for Earth-1 Harrison Wells and kidnaps him, demanding that he cure him of his condition. At the same time, Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) has to learn how to help people without relying on his powers and with a little more help from the team.
Following a screening of the episode at the offices of The CW, actor Tom Cavanagh and executive producer Andrew Kreisberg were on hand to talk about the fall-out and what’s still to come. While we’ll hold off on any spoilers until part two of this interview, we did want to preview what fans can expect from this episode, why Griffin Grey (Haig Sutherland) makes a good villain, how Hunter Zolomon fooled Team Flash into believing that he was their friend, making subtle tweaks to all of the various versions of Harrison Wells, where Barry and Iris (Candice Patton) are at with their relationship, and what it was like to have filmmaker Kevin Smith direct an episode. Be aware that there are some spoilers.
Question: What can you say to tease this week’s episode, “Back to Normal”?
ANDREW KREISBERG: The biggest tease is that Barry and the team are dealing with the fact that Barry doesn’t have his powers anymore. We’ve been at such a break-neck pace. TV scheduling put a couple of arbitrary stops in there, but if you think about it, the Earth-2 saga to King Shark to the trajectory episode to the flashback episode to last week and all of the revelations and Barry losing his speed, we’ve been pedal to the metal at a break-neck pace. This episode where Barry loses his powers was literally designed to slow everything down and let everybody catch their breath before the next four episodes.
TOM CAVANAGH: But the fashion with which we breathe with Barry, as he’s going through what he’s going through, in my personal opinion, is one of the most inventive things this show has done in the two seasons that I’ve been involved. I just think the way that that is crafted is brilliant. The way in which we take that breath with Barry, I think people are going to love it. It’s something we haven’t seen yet, and I think people are going to be extremely gratified.
This episode plays with power in an interesting way, with Barry Allen losing his power and a villain, in Griffin Grey, who doesn’t want his power. Was that a deliberate choice for the villain?
KREISBERG: With the episode title, “Back to Normal,” we talked about who would be a good villain for them to go up against. The idea that there was a villain who got the short end of the stick, as far as their powers were concerned, and who had taken Wells, we wanted this episode to have a profound impact on Harry. He was taken in a case of mistaken identity. He tries to rationalize, “I didn’t do anything. I didn’t create this guy, so I shouldn’t feel bad about it.” But the fact that Harry had his own guilt for what he had done and his own sins to atone for, made Griffin Grey the perfect villain to have grabbed him this week. It’s what pushes him to come up with the plan that he comes up with at the end of this episode, which propels the plot forward.
This is the first time we get to see just how crazy Hunter Zolomon is. How did he fool Team Flash into believing that he’s sane and their friend when he’s clearly so unhinged?
KREISBERG: We didn’t feel like this season is a repeat of last season. We feel like this season happened because of last season. They wanted to believe it. He kind of told them everything. The way he talked about Zoom and the way he lost his powers, they took a lot of it on faith, and a lot of that was because they wanted to believe it. Barry lost his mentor when Wells turned out to not be who he said he was, and Barry was looking for that partner. And then, along came Jay, who was willing to share secrets and teach him and give Barry all of that back. Caitlin, for her part, had lost Ronnie, and here was this knight in shining armor, coming along to replace him. I think he was able to do it because they let their guard down and wanted to believe it. Rather than getting cynical and jaded about what happened last year, because they are the sweet, nice people that they are, they wanted what they had lost back, so they let this fox into their hen house. He also has a line in an upcoming episode where he’s like, “Do you have any idea how hard it was to be Jay?!” So, I think hiding his crazy wasn’t always the easiest thing in the world for him to do.
Was Jay Garrick just a creation of Hunter Zolomon?
KREISBERG: That question will be answered down the line, and I think it’s worth not talking about.
Tom, you’ve played various versions of Harrison Wells on this show. How do you feel about the version that you’re playing now?
CAVANAGH: Here’s my thing, what I understood when I signed onto this show was that the highest tally wins. Recently, Grant [Gustin] and I had this discussion where he was like, “No, I’m #1 on the call sheet. I’m The Flash. That’s not going to change, if you do ten characters.” But I feel like, when a man sets a goal, that man should follow through with that goal. Personally, I feel like this version of Harrison Wells is coming swimmingly along. There’s a nice arc to it. The way that I play it, I like to keep all of that emotional stuff pretty close to the vest because your actions are your words.
KREISBERG: Why Tom deserves an Emmy – and I mean that in all sincerity – is that you’re reminded of the character that he played last season and how different, deadly and scary that character was, and what a wild card it was, and then, in this episode, you see a tortured man who’s beset with guilt, and then you see these incredibly loving scenes with his daughter and you see how much he loves her. It’s all played by the same guy, with shades and variations and subtle tweaks to the character, and you believe it all. Of all the things that we do, it’s the talent of the cast, and especially the performance that Tom puts in, week in and week out, and because it’s a superhero show, that won’t get recognition.
CAVANAGH: That’s one of the nice things that television can afford. You spend 40-plus hours crafting various things. It’s harder to do that on the big screen. It’s easier to do that on television, by virtue of putting in the time. If you’re fortunate enough to get on a show that runs for a little bit, then you start having these moments where you’ve invested time and you get the pay-off. That can’t happen in every episode, but when it does come along, that’s the domain of a long-running television show where people have come along with you, along the way, and they’re invested like you are, as the person playing it.
Where are Barry and Iris at, at this point?
KREISBERG: As far as Barry and Iris are concerned, we really like the idea that the trip to Earth-2 had a profound impact on everybody. It had an impact on Barry, and then when Barry told everybody what happened to him, it had an impact on them. This whole season has been about Iris, whether she realizes it or not, trying to take a step forward. She really did love Eddie and they probably would have had a life together, and a good one, if everything hadn’t happened in the finale. We couldn’t just slam [Barry and Iris] together. It would have been a disservice to Eddie and everything that happened between them. So, we’ve left it to simmer, all season long. She should be ready to move on, but she’s starting to feel like the universe is telling her otherwise.
Can we expect to see a kiss between them, before the end of the season?
KREISBERG: You can expect some twists and turns in that, but I think you can also expect it to be moving steadily forward.
Does Kevin Smith’s episode (Episode 21, “The Runaway Dinosaur”) have any nods to his movies?
KREISBERG: Yes, Jason Mewes guest stars. There is one scene in there that is literally a scene out of a Kevin Smith movie. Kevin is such a fan of this show, in a way that humbles me beyond my wildest expectations. To think about how often I quote his movies, and how he was who I wanted to be when I was in college, and to sit in a room with him and have him speak about this show so lovingly, intelligently and deeply, he didn’t approach this in the way of, “Well, here’s my chance to put my stamp on it,” or “Here’s my chance to Clerks-ify it.” His biggest drive was just to not mess it up because he’s such a fan. There was a reverence and an awe in how he approached everything. Usually, there’s a lot that goes on in editing, but this was an episode that we watched and gave very few notes and just said, “Go with God,” because it came out so great.
CAVANAGH: He’s achieved so much, and for many of us whose comedy goes in that direction, we love him. We love the fact that he is such a fan of this and is so knowledgeable about it. As a person, to watch somebody who has accomplished so much, come onto the set with such humility, it’s rare. Some people see accomplishments as power. For Kevin, it didn’t seem that any of that mattered. What mattered was the day and the fact that we were doing what we loved. The first time Grant [Gustin] showed up in that suit, it was incredible to watch Kevin. He was like, “I just can’t believe this is in front of me! Guys, isn’t this amazing?!” After lunch, he said, “I know it’s lame that I’m saying this in front of 45 grown men and women, but I think it’s amazing that we get to do what we love.” Our script supervisor is incredibly knowledgeable and is very good about stuff that needs to be done or that might be missing, and Kevin gave her credit for directing the episode. It didn’t seem false. It seemed like he felt someone needed to get credit. He would single different individuals out. His demeanor on set was unlike most. You rarely get that experience. Jesse Martin said, “I always feel like I’m energized about The Flash, but I feel like I’m completely reinvigorated just being around that man for eight shooting days,” and I think all of us felt that way. It’s rare that you see that kind of enthusiasm and gratitude. Kevin Smith proceeds from gratitude. A set is the kind of place that outs you as a person. You can be a certain way, but after 17-hour days for four months, your true personality will come out. Kevin Smith is a good human being. He’s incredible, and he’s incredible to work with.
http://collider.com/the-flash-season-2- ... interview/?
Por Scott Huver, 26 Abril 2016
With the 19th episode of Season Two, "The Flash" slows things down -- way, way down. Once the fastest man alive, the Flash's alter ego Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) enters tonight's all-new episode, "Back to Normal," without his super speed. But the lack of literal velocity doesn't mean that new plot twists won't be coming fast and furiously.
"I think the biggest tease is Barry and the team are dealing with the fact that Barry doesn't have his powers anymore," revealed executive producer Andrew Kreisberg during a press Q&A for the episode. "Quite literally, we've been at such a breakneck pace. I know the TV scheduling put a couple of arbitrary stops in there, but if you think about it, going from the Earth-2 saga to King Shark to the 'Trajectory' episode to the flashback episode to last week and all the revelations and Barry losing his speed, we've been pedal to the medal at a breakneck pace."
"This episode where Barry loses his powers was literally designed to slow everything down and let everybody catch their breath," he added.
To that end, the series returns to original form with the introduction of a new metahuman whose abilities were activated by the Particle Accelerator explosion. The new meta is Griffin Grey, inspired by the DC Comics character who appeared in the "Impulse" comic book and boasting a similar power set. Grey pays an unfortunate price for using his powers but deems it worth it in order to settle a score with Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh). Only he sets his sights on the wrong Harrison Wells -- the one from Earth-2 -- leaving a speedless Team Flash scrambling to intervene.
"We talked a lot about who would be a good villain for them to go up against?" said Kreisberg. "The idea that there was a villain who got the short end of the stick as far as their powers were concerned, and had taken Wells, and more than anything, we wanted this episode to have a profound impact on Harry. So there was a case of mistaken identity."
Also expect to get some more intel on exactly what's going on with Zoom and Caitlin after the villain unexpected whisked her away after stealing Barry's speed, including a glimpse at what's really going on in Hunter Zolomon's head after so thoroughly duping Barry and the STAR Labs team.
"He kind of told them everything," said Kreisberg. "The way he talked about Zoom, the way he sort of lost his powers. They kind of took a lot of it on faith, and I think a lot of that was because they wanted to believe it. Barry lost his mentor when Wells turned out to not be who he said he was, and Barry was looking for that partner. Then along comes Jay, who's willing to share secrets and teach him and give Barry all that back. Caitlin for her part had lost Ronnie. So here was this knight in shining armor, sort of coming along to sort of replace him."
"He was able to do it because they let their guard down and wanted to believe it," the producer added. "Rather than get cynical and hardened and jaded by what happened last year, they were sort of, because they are the sweet, nice people that they are, they sort of wanted what they had lost back. So they let this fox into their hen house."
http://www.comicbookresources.com/artic ... -to-normal
Por Sydney Bucksbaum 26 Abril, 2016 6:00pm PT
[Warning: This story contains spoilers from Tuesday's episode of The Flash, "Back to Normal."]
If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, then Harry Wells (Tom Cavanagh) might be crazier than Zoom (Teddy Sears) himself on The Flash.
By the end of Tuesday's episode, Wells thought of what he considered to be a great idea on how to get Barry's (Grant Gustin) speed back so he can fight Zoom: By orchestrating another particle accelerator explosion. Because the first one didn't do enough damage to Central City...
"The next episode is about the efficacy of doing that," executive producer Andrew Kreisberg told reporters after a screening. "Harry thinks that between his particle accelerator explosion [on Earth-2] and what he learned from what the Thawne version of Wells did, he thinks he can contain it and just get Barry his powers back. But it's complicated and dangerous, and everyone including Barry has to decide if this is the right way to go, considering the craziness that ensued last time. They're now faced with a damned if you do, damned if you don't, because Zoom is about to unleash a reign of terror on the city."
Back on Earth-2, Zoom killed his captive Killer Frost (Danielle Panabaker) once he got the original version of his love, Caitlin Snow (also Panabaker), as his prisoner. Somehow, after talking at (not with) Caitlin, to her horror Zoom/Hunter Zolomon/faux-Jay Garrick decided that he shouldn't measure his success in how many victims he's killed, but rather how many worlds he's conquered. Now, he's set his sights on Earth-1 after bringing Earth-2 to its knees, and Barry is powerless to stop him after giving up his speed to save Wally (Keiynan Lonsdale). That's why Harry is so dead set on creating another particle accelerator explosion, to recreate the circumstances that gave Barry his powers the first time around.
Of course, the rest of the STAR Labs team won't be as into Harry's idea as he is. "That's part of what the next episode is about, is, 'Are you out of your mind?'" Kreisberg said with a laugh. "This is insanity and we're trusting everything based on Harry's say-so that it's all going to be fine. That's part of what makes the next episode so exciting."
Barry's inability to make a decision about another particle accelerator explosion will lead him to reach out to someone important for help.
"John Wesley Shipp returns as Barry's dad in the next episode," Kreisberg said. "There's a great scene that's between Barry's three fathers essentially, where all three of them are debating what their son should do and not all of them have the take on it that you'd expect and that makes for an interesting scene."
Barry's father hasn't been seen since Barry first went up against Zoom and lost. He's brought back into the fold for the same reason as last time: Barry needs his father's advice on what to do.
"Barry's at a crossroads as far as what he should do or what he shouldn't do," Kreisberg said. "He's been presented with monumental decision that could not only affect him and possibly kill him, but it could kill everybody in STAR Labs and set off another chain reaction and affect everybody in the city. The last time they took matters into their own hands, they created this whole problem with blowing a hole in the universe and creating all these breaches. They're all a little bit gun shy and their faith in themselves and their faith in their decision-making is a little bit lost. Everyone [except Wells] is shaken. So Barry reaches out to his dad for help and advice."
According to Kreisberg, Joe's (Jesse L. Martin) reaction to Harry's "crazy" idea will be the most surprising out of everyone.
"Because straight up, once Barry decides to do something, I don't think Joe thinks that he can be dissuaded from doing something," Kreisberg said. "That's the Barry that Joe has come to know and love and respect. Given what they're up against, Joe, who has always been so protective of Barry, surprisingly is the one who says maybe we should give this a shot."
After Harry's reconciliation with his daughter Jesse Quick (Violett Beane) in Tuesday's episode, expect to see her more with the STAR Labs crew, especially with Caitlin still M.I.A.
"Jesse is now for sure folded into the team," executive producer Todd Helbing said. "Caitlin has been missing and Jesse's smarts and scientific know-how -- she's really able to fill the shoes of Caitlin and provide the science background and specialty that the team is missing. Wally, he is not as brought in as much as Jesse is to the team. He also is the only one that doesn't know that Barry is the Flash, so there are still a few more episodes of him being how Iris was last year. It takes a while before he gets fully caught up to what's going on."
And speaking of Caitlin, being forced to watch as Zoom killed her evil doppelganger will definitely affect her going forward.
"Ultimately, [Killer Frost] had to go," Kreisberg said. "Ultimately, even she said, the only reason [Zoom] had to keep her alive was she was a living remembrance of him caring about Caitlin."
When it comes to the reigning champ of doppelgangers on the show, however, Cavanagh takes the top prize, as he counts up to five different characters that he's played over the past two seasons on The CW series.
"What I understood when I signed on for this show is the highest tally [of characters] wins," Cavanagh said with a laugh. "Recently Grant and I had this discussion where he was like, 'Uh, no. I'm number one on the call sheet. I'm the Flash. It's not going to change if you do 10 characters.' But I still feel like when a man sets a goal, a man should follow through with that goal. So personally, this version of Harrison Wells, this is coming swimmingly along. There's a nice arc to it. This is a big leap for him. And where we're leading to for the season, I think the payoffs are extreme."
While neither Cavanagh nor the producers could elaborate on where the season is heading as the finale looms closer and closer, they all agreed that the revelations coming are mind-blowing.
"I know TV scheduling put a couple of arbitrary stops in there, but if you think about it, we've been pedal to the medal at a breakneck pace," Kreisberg said. "This episode where Barry loses his powers was literally designed to slow everything down and let everybody catch their breath before the next four episodes."
Looking ahead to the final four episodes of season two, Kreisberg is particularly excited for viewers to finally learn the identity of the man in the iron mask held captive in Zoom's lair.
"The man in the iron mask? The answer is going to blow your mind," Kreisberg said. "Honestly, the two things that I am most proud of this season are Harry and the identity of the man in the mask."
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-f ... ign-887596?
Por Matt Webb Mitovich / 26 Abril 2016, 5:59 PM PDT
This week on The CW’s The Flash, as Barry reconsidered his need for speed, Zoom claimed a victim over on Earth-Two.
Weighing in on Zoom aka Hunter Zololomon’s latest kill, Flash showrunner Andrew Kreisberg says it was simply a case of a doppelganger proving to be redundant. Meaning, Hunter iced Killer Frost because he now has “Jay Garrick’s” actual romantic interest, Earth-One’s Caitlin Snow, in his clutches.
“We loved what Danielle [Panabaker] did with [Killer Frost], so when we were designing this episode and we had Zoom kidnap Caitlin, it seemed like a fun thing to do to be able to have the two of them together. To have Caitlin actually experience time with her [doppelganger] gave us an opportunity to sort of deepen both characters.
“But ultimately, she had to go,” the EP continues. “Like even she said, the only reason he had to keep her alive was she was a living remembrance of him caring about [Caitlin].”
Turning to last week’s big “loss” — Barry ceding his speed to Zoom, in trade for Wally West’s life — Harry at the close of this week’s hour unveiled an idea on how to get our Flash back into the fast lane, by no less than recreating the original S.T.A.R. Labs particle-accelerator explosion. As anyone who has read the comic books knows, recreating The Flash’s origin can be fraught with peril.
“The next episode is about the efficacy of doing that,” Kreisberg says. “Harry thinks that between his particle-accelerator explosion [on Earth-Two] and what he learned from what the Thawne version of Wells did [on Earth-One], he can contain it and just get Barry his powers back. But it’s complicated and dangerous. Everyone, including Barry, has to sort of decide if this is the right way to go, considering the craziness that ensued last time. They’re sort of faced with a ‘Damned if you do, damned if you don’t,’ because Zoom is about to unleash a reign of terror on the city.”
The proposal will, for sure, have its opponents, seeing as, among other things, it could sire a whole new bunch of baddies. But interestingly, it’s one of Team Flash’s cooler heads that will endorse Harry’s bold plan. “Given what they’re up against, Joe, who’s always been so protective of Barry, surprisingly is the one who says, ‘Maybe we should give this a shot,'” Kreisberg reveals.
In fact, all of Barry’s father figures engage in the debate, as John Wesley Shipp returns as Henry Allen. “There’s a great scene between Barry’s three fathers essentially… where all three of them are sort of debating what their son should do,” Kreisberg says. “Not all of them have the take on it that you’d expect, and I think that’s what makes for such an interesting scene.”
http://tvline.com/2016/04/26/the-flash- ... rost-dies/
Por Scott Huver, 26 Abril 2016
Tonight's episode of "The Flash," "Back to Normal," not only showcased Barry Allen's dramatically slowed-down existence in wake of losing his speed to Zoom, but it also marked some crucial turning points that set the table for the remainder of Season Two.
All caught up? Put your running shoes on as CBR News joins executive producer Andrew Kreisberg, producers Todd and Aaron Helbing and series star Tom Cavanagh for an in-depth press Q&A focusing on the startling ramifications of the episode, and the rocky road ahead for the season's final episode as Team Flash continues to deal with Zoom without Barry Allen's super speed.
On the dangers of Earth-2 Harrison Wells recreating the Particle Accelerator accident to help Barry regain his speed:
Andrew Kreisberg: I think the next episode is about the ethicacy [sic] of doing that. Harry thinks that between his Particle Accelerator explosion and what he learned from what the [Eobard] Thawne version of Wells did, he thinks he can contain it and just get Barry his powers back. But it's complicated and dangerous.
Everyone, including Barry, has to sort of decide if this is the right way to go, considering the craziness that ensued last time. They're sort of faced with a "damned if you do, damned if you don't," because Zoom is about to unleash a reign of terror on the city.
On whether or not Wells' plan could actually work:
Kreisberg: Well, that's part of what the next episode is about is, "Are you out of your mind?" This is insanity, and we're trusting everything on Harry's say so that it's all going to be fine. So I think that's part of what makes the next episode so exciting.
John Wesley Shipp returns as Barry's dad in the next episode. So there's a great scene that's between Barry's three fathers essentially. It's between Tom Cavanagh and John Wesley Shipp and Jesse Martin, where all three of them are sort of debating what their son should do. Not all of them have the take on it that you'd expect, and I think that's what makes for such an interesting scene.
On the most surprising response within Barry's triumvirate of papas:
Kreisberg: Probably Joe's, I think. Because just straight up, once Barry decides to do something, I don't think Joe thinks that he can be dissuaded from doing something. That's the Barry that Joe has come to know and love and respect. Given what they're up against, Joe, who's always been so protective of Barry, I think surprisingly is the one who says, "Maybe we should give this a shot."
On the return of Dr. Henry Allen:
Kreisberg: Barry reaches out to him now that he's lost his speed. He needs his dad. He needs his advice because Barry's sort of at a crossroads as far as what he should do or what he shouldn't do, because he's being presented with a monumental decision that could not only affect him and possibly kill him, it could kill everybody in S.T.A.R. Labs. It could set off another chain reaction and affect everybody in the city.
The last time they took matters into their own hands, they created this whole problem with blowing a hole in the universe and opening the breaches. So they're all of them a little bit gun-shy. Their faith in themselves and their faith in their decision-making is a little bit lost.
The effect of Episode 19 on Harry is, "Now I know what I've got to do and I'm going to fucking do it." Now he's sort of firmly on the team and firmly on "We're going to get Barry's speed back. This is the thing to do, and everybody should just listen to me." And everyone in the group is a little bit shaken and a little bit on their heels. "Maybe we should take a step back." So Barry reaches out to his dad for help and advice.
On keeping Killer Frost around a bit longer, then letting her die at Zoom's hand:
Kreisberg: We loved what Danielle [Panabaker] did with her, so when we were designing this episode and we had Zoom kidnap Caitlin, it just seemed like a fun thing to do to be able to have the two of them together, and then to have Caitlin actually experience time with her, and gave us an opportunity to sort of deepen both characters.
But ultimately, she had to go. Like even she said, the only reason he kept her alive, the only reason he had to keep her alive, was she was a living remembrance of him caring about Caitlin.
We haven't met Caitlin's mother yet, so we got a little talk between the two women is something that will probably play out in Season Three.
Tom Cavanagh: The table read was great because they had these volleys back and forth. She'd be like "What do you think, tough guy?" The voice would change. It's Danielle talking to Danielle, but it's tremendous to watch. Then you put her in that outfit -- I remember we were up in the woods and shooting in the woods. It's raining. She's wearing a bustier, this kind of thing. The effects guys are like, "It's going to explode here, your eyeline has to be here. Then, when you bring it up, wait until you do the thing, hold it just for one second so we can get the plate so we can put the effect in..." All this kind of stuff. It was a lot, and she was phenomenal with it. She was just loving every minute. It was really, really impressive to watch.
Kreisberg: I think the credit, again as always, goes to all of these actors who take the time to very carefully delineate between the doppelgängers and just in the same way that Tom's done it and Carlos and Grant and Jesse and Candice. This was really Danielle's moment to shine, and really show the difference between them.
On revealing the full extent of Zoom's insanity:
Todd Helbing: In Episode Two, Jay basically tells them what Zoom is capable of doing, what he will do to be the fastest person alive. If you go back and look at that scene, you can see there's a spark of crazy there.
Kreisberg: The way Teddy plays it. He also has a line in the upcoming episode where he's like, "Do you have any idea how hard it was to be Jay?" So I think hiding his crazy wasn't always the easiest thing in the world for him to do.
On Jesse and Wally inching closer to becoming fully integrated members of Team Flash:
Helbing: Yeah, Jesse is for sure -- now she's folded into the team. Caitlin is sort of missing, and with Jesse's smarts and scientific know-how she's really able to fill the shoes of Caitlin and provide the science background and specialty that the team is missing.
Then Wally's still not brought in as much as Jesse is into the team. He also is the only one that doesn't know that Barry is the Flash. So there are still a few more episodes of him being sort of how Iris was last year, and it takes a while before he gets fully caught up to what's going on.
On whether super-speed is destined for either of the two characters, regardless of their comic book counterparts' histories:
Kreisberg: I think right now the show is called "The Flash," and Barry Allen is the only Flash, and obviously there's expectations for both those characters, and whether or not they're realized is part of the fun and joy of watching the show. It will never be "Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends." It'll always be "The Flash."
On Iris' increasing awareness that maybe she and Barry are indeed meant to be together:
Kreisberg: As far as Barry and Iris are concerned, we really like the idea that the trip to Earth Two had a profound impact on everybody. It had an impact on Barry. Then when Barry told everybody what happened to him, it sort of had an impact on them. This whole season has been about Iris, whether she realizes it or not, trying to take a step forward. She really did love Eddie, and they probably would have had a life together, and a good one, if everything hadn't happened in the finale.
We couldn't just like slam them together. It would have been a disservice to Eddie's character and everything that happened between them. So we sort of left it on this sort of simmer all season long. Now she should be ready to move on, but she's starting to feel like the universe is telling her otherwise. We had that great scene with the flashback where Eddie gives her the message, where he basically tells her it's okay to move on.
On the mystery of the man in the iron mask:
Kreisberg: The answer is going to blow your mind. Honestly, the two things I'm probably most proud of this season are Harry and the identity of the man in the mask.
On the exciting race toward big developments at season's end:
Cavanagh: The fashion in which we sort of breathe with Barry as he's going through what he's going through is in my personal opinion one of the most inventive things I feel this show has done in the two seasons that I've been involved. I just think the way that that is crafted is brilliant. I think people are just going to love it -- it's something we haven't seen yet, and I think people are going to be extremely gratified.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/artic ... -to-finale
Por Jim Halterman 26 Abril, 2016 | 06:00PM PT
For a show that has utilized comic book story devices like time travel, doppelgangers and multiple Earths, “The Flash” is taking us where we didn’t think we’d ever go again – to the particle accelerator explosion that was the impetus to giving Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) the powers to become The Flash in the pilot.
With Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) currently in the clutches of the insane/smitten Hunter Zolomon (Teddy Sears), Zoom determined to destroy our Earth and Barry void of his Flash powers, our team is running out of options even if said option is one that could end up making things worse before they’re better
Here’s what executive producers Andrew Kreisberg, Todd Helbing and Aaron Helbing, as well as Tom Cavanaugh (Harrison Wells), had to say about what it all means.
Particle Accelerator Explosion Redux
It won’t take long for us to get into whether creating another explosion is really a good idea. “It’s complicated and dangerous,” Kreisberg explained. “Everyone, including Barry, has to sort of decide if this is the right way to go, considering the craziness that ensued last time. They’re sort of faced with a damned if you do, damned if you don’t, because Zoom is about to unleash a reign of terror on the city.”
Buh-bye, Killer Frost
Now that Zoom has Caitlin, he didn’t really need her doppelganger anymore and, upon her trying to kill Caitlin, he killed Killer Frost. Kreisberg expressed regret at ending Frost’s journey but loved what Panabaker brought to playing the dual roles. “When we were designing this episode and we had Zoom kidnap Caitlin, it just seemed like a fun thing to do to be able to have the two of them together,” he said. “Then to have Caitlin actually experience time with [Frost] gave us an opportunity to sort of deepen both characters. But ultimately, she had to go.”
The Evolution of Wells
The producers and Cavanaugh expressed their joy at the arc of Harrison Wells this season since he went from someone who didn’t want to be on Earth and was often quite surly about it to now being a full-fledged part of the team. The actor explained the journey had this “nice sort of arc to it where it was like, ‘these people suck. I want to get my daughter back.’ ‘These people suck. I want to get my daughter back.’ ‘These people suck. Oh, I got my daughter back. Okay, these people don’t suck.’ The fact that it’s Wells’ idea to recreate the particle accelerator explosion says a lot about his feelings about Barry and the team as a whole.
A Fine Romance…Finally?
“This whole season has been about Iris, whether she realizes it or not, trying to take a step forward,” Kreisberg said of Miss West’s realization that maybe she should be with Barry after all. In fact, knowing that Barry and Iris were married in Earth 2 also pushed the idea along but at a slow enough pace to honor the death of Iris’s ex, Eddie. As to how quickly things might move in the final episodes of the season for the potential love birds, Kreisberg would only say, “I think you can expect some twists and turns in that, but I think you can expect it to be moving steadily forward.
Jesse & Wally with the Team
We saw Wells’ daughter, Jesse (Violett Beane) return to her father and get more folded in with the team in this episode. With Jesse’s bio-chem background, “she’s really able to fill the shoes of Caitlin and provide the science background and specialty that the team is missing,” Todd Helbing explained.
As for Wally, don’t expect him to get an inside view at the action at least for the time being. “He’s not brought in as much as Jesse is into the team,” Todd Helbing said of young Mr. West. “He also is the only one that doesn’t know that Barry is The Flash so there are still a few more episodes of him being sort of like how Iris was last year and it takes a while before he gets fully caught up to what’s going on.”
Cisco and His Powers
As Cisco gets more of a handle on his growing abilities, don’t expect everything to run smoothly, even providing some lighter moments against the backdrop of Zoom’s threat. In fact, while Mr. Ramon emotionally is in a good place, Kreisberg teased, “you’re going to see a couple of more of what we are calling ‘Spider-Man’ moments, where he’s trying to make it happen and it’s not happening the way he wants it to. There’s sort of more, ‘Greatest American Hero’ technical issues, glitches coming up this season.” The executive producer also promised that at the end of the day despite the changes going on with him, Cisco will still remain Cisco.
The Return of Barry’s Dad
John Wesley Shipp is back in the next episode but it’s not to help with recreating the particle accelerator explosion but more for an emotional reason. “[Barry] needs his dad,” Kreisberg said. “He needs his advice because Barry’s sort of at a crossroads as far as what he should do or what he shouldn’t do, because he’s being presented with a monumental decision that could not only affect him and possibly kill him, it could kill everybody in S.T.A.R. Labs. It could set off another chain reaction and affect everybody in the city.” Watch for a scene involving Barry’s three fathers (or father figures) on the episode (Shipp, Jesse L. Martin and Tom Cavanaugh) as they try to figure out what’s best for Barry.
Is Jay Garrick gone for good?
Now that we know Hunter Zolomon is really who we thought Jay Garrick was all this time, what about the real Jay? Did he exist or just a figment of Zolomon’s insanity? Kreisberg didn’t want to spoil much but did say, “I think the answer to that question will be answered down the line. I think it’s worth not talking about.”
Who is the Man in the Iron Mask?
Predictably, nobody was offering up the answer to the mysterious figure trapped in Zoom’s lair but Kreisberg did express his pride in the secret identity right along with Well’s story this season. “The answer is going to blow your mind,” he teased.
Kevin Smith Directing
The popular film director helms episode 21, titled “The Runaway Dinosaur,” and, yes, he’ll bring some of his own signature touches to “The Flash.” In fact, Kreisberg teased, “there’s one scene in there that is like literally a scene out of a Kevin Smith movie.” Despite that statement and revealing Jason Mewes (a regular face in Smith’s films) will be a part of the episode, Kreisberg shared that the director had one objective when he came in to direct. “He didn’t approach this in like, ‘well, here’s my chance to put my stamp on it, or here’s my change to Clerks-ify it. His biggest drive [was] he just didn’t want to mess it up because he’s such a fan.” That episode airs May 10.
http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/the-fla ... 201760487/
Por Eric Goldman 26 Abril 2016
This week’s The Flash ended with Harrison (or “Harry”) Wells coming up with a bold way to give Barry Allen his powers back – causing another particle accelerator explosion.
The Flash’s executive producers weighed in on this turn of events and other plotlines, as the show nears the end of Season 2.
Is the Particle Accelerator a Good Idea?
There are a lot of good reasons to not cause a particle accelerator explosion, given what happened last time, but we were assured that those concerns are very much part of the storyline.
Andrew Kreisberg (Executive Producer): The next episode is about the efficacy of doing that. You know, Harry thinks that between his particle accelerator explosion and what he learned from what the Thawne version of Wells did, he can contain it and just get Barry his powers back. But it's complicated and dangerous, and everyone including Barry has to decide if this is the right way to go, considering the craziness that ensued last time. They're sort of faced with a ‘damned if you do, damned if you don't,’ because Zoom's about to unleash a reign of terror on the city.’
Part of what the next episode is about, is, ‘Are you out of your mind?’ [Laughs] ‘This is insanity, and we're trusting everything on Harry's say-so that it's all going to be fine.’ So I think that's part of what makes the next episode so exciting.
Father Figure
As Barry debates what the right thing to do is, we’ll see all of his father figures weighing in.
Andrew Kreisberg: John Wesley Shipp returns as Barry's dad in the next episode, so there's a great scene that's between Barry's three fathers, essentially. It's between Tom Cavanagh, John Wesley Shipp and Jesse Martin, where all three of them are sort of debating what their son should do. Not all of them have the take on it that you'd expect, and I think that's what makes for such an interesting scene.
Once Barry decides to do something, I don't think Joe thinks that he can be dissuaded from doing something. That's the Barry that Joe has come to know and love and respect. Given what they're up against, Joe, who's always been so protective of Barry, I think surprisingly is the one who says, ‘Maybe we should give this a shot.’
Barry reaches out to [Henry] that he's lost his speed, and he needs his dad. He needs his advice, because Barry's sort of at a crossroads as far as what he should do or shouldn't do, because he's being presented with a monumental decision that could not only affect him and possibly kill him but could kill everybody at STAR Labs or set off another chain reaction and affect everybody in the city. The last time they took matters into their own hands, they created this whole problem with blowing a hole in the universe and opening the breaches. So they're all of them a little bit gun shy. Their faith in themselves and their faith in their decision-making is a little bit lost, which is why for us it was such an interesting episode, because Harry is -- the effect of episode 19 on Harry is, ‘Nope, I know what I've got to do, and I'm going to f**king do it.’ Now he's sort of firmly on the team and firmly on, ‘We're going to get Barry's speed back, and this is the thing to do, and everybody should just listen to me,’ and everyone on the team is a little bit shaken and a little bit on their heels. ‘Maybe we should take a step back.’ So Barry reaches out to his dad for help and advice.
Hunter = Crazy
We got a bigger look at just how unhinged Hunter Zolomon/Zoom is this week, and the producers were asked how Hunter, posing as Jay Garrick, hid his true self from them for so long.
Kreisberg: You know, what we've always said is, we didn't feel like this season was a repeat of last season. We think that this season happened because of last season. They wanted to believe it. I mean, he basically told them everything, the way he talked about Zoom, the way he lost his powers -- they kind of took a lot of it on faith, and I think a lot of that was because they wanted to believe it. Barry lost his mentor when Wells turned out to not be who he said he was, and Barry was looking for that partner, and along comes Jay, who's willing to share secrets and teach him and give Barry all that back. Caitlin, for her part, had lost Ronnie, and here was this knight in shining armor coming along to sort of replace him. So I think he was able to do it because they let their guard down and wanted to believe it. Rather than get cynical and hardened and jaded by what happened last year, they -- because they are the sweet, nice people that they are -- they wanted what they had lost back. So they let this fox into this henhouse.
Todd Helbing (Executive Producer): In episode two, you know, Jay basically tells them what Zoom is capable of doing, what he will do to be the fastest person alive. If you go back and look at that scene, you can see there's a spark of the crazy there.
Kreisberg: He also has a line in the upcoming episode where he's like, ‘Do you have any idea how hard it was to be Jay?’ So I think hiding his crazy wasn't always the easiest thing in the world for him to do.
Killer Killed
“Back to Normal” also saw the return of Killer Frost as she came face to face with Caitlin… and then was killed by Zoom. The producers discussed that turn of events.
Kreisberg: We loved what Danielle did with her, so when we were designing this episode and we had Zoom kidnap Caitlin, it just seemed like a fun thing to do to be able to have the two of them together and to have Caitlin actually experience time with her. It gave us an opportunity to sort of deepen both characters. But ultimately, she had to go. [Laughs] No, I mean, like even she said, the only reason he kept her alive, the only reason he had to keep her alive was she was a living remembrance of him caring about Caitlin.
But Seriously, WHO is That?
The Flash’s big lingering mystery this season is who Zoom’s prisoner, the man in the iron mask, is. Asked if he could comment on that question, Kreisberg gave a short but notable answer.
Kreisberg: The answer is going to blow your mind. Honestly, the two things I'm probably most proud of this season are [introducing] Harry and the identity of the man in the mask.
http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/04/27/ ... -good-idea
Por Terri Schwartz 28 Abril 2016
Who is the man behind the mask in Zoom's lair? That is the big question hanging over The Flash as the series heads toward its Season 2 finale, and star Carlos Valdes promises the reveal will be satisfying.
"I think all the curtains will be drawn and all mysteries will be revealed in terms of Zoom origin, the lair, the Man in the Mask, the identities," he told IGN of how Season 2 will be resolved. "There's an element that's missing that people don't know about yet in which people won't find out about until the Man in the Iron Mask is unmasked."
When asked if he found the reveal to be satisfying or whether this storyline would continue into Season 3, Valdes explained that the identity of the Man in the Mask won't make sense until you get his whole story.
"When I first found out who it was, I was thrown for a loop," Valdes said. "You don't understand why it's this person until you go into the story behind how this person got into the cell, why Zoom took them hostage and put them in the cell. You cannot make sense - there's no way of making sense of why that person is in the mask until it is explained. But I think that explanation is very satisfactory. It takes loops and turns, and it's a riveting story that makes sense within Zoom's chronology and his story and his motivations."
He added, "The payoff after the unveiling of the mask as far as that character is concerned, there's this beautiful reveal. It's just a beautiful reveal. That's all I'm going to say."
http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/04/28/ ... -mysteries