Central City Citizen: The New Media Thread

[shantown]

Oh wow - with only 13 episodes too? That's not much time to wrap up the whole show, let alone do any sort of goodbye to the Arrowverse. Kinda seems like they're trying to push it out the door as fast as possible now though. Can't believe it won't even get a full final season.

[DanaK]

Sad but not unexpected, and really it’s time; Covid really messed up some storylines. And 9 seasons is nothing to sneeze at, though it would be nice to get more than 13 episodes. 

[Featherhat]

Not really surprised given the state of this show and the Arrowverse but OTOH unlike Arrow there is no clear Crisis endgame set up right now and EW seemed to think there might be a S10 a while ago. 

I'm sure it will be a happy ending but it will be interesting to see how many eps CP is in after that podcast where she didn't hold back about her time on the show. 

Stephen Amell has previously said he wants to guest star in the final season so we might get Oliver and some of the Legends but it will be interesting to see if we get Kara. 

[Trini]

8 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

Makes me wonder if they'll try to get some guest stars for a last hurrah of sorts.  Among the Flash cast, Cisco is the only one who would be really nice to see again (TC never truly left) so hopefully Carlos Valdes has the time to stop by. 

Plus since this is effectively the end of the Arrowverse I wonder if they'll try to bring in other characters for a farewell. ...

They definitely will. For the final season I'd normally look forward to cast returns; but with the way last season was, I'd rather they focus on constructing a solid, consistent storyline centered on the Flash family (not Team Flash), instead of extended cameos in disconnected side plots.

They are several previous castmembers I'd love to see back; but I hope they back up the money truck for Keiynan/Wally. Bonus points if they cast a version of Linda Park to come with him.

5 hours ago, shantown said:

Oh wow - with only 13 episodes too? That's not much time to wrap up the whole show, let alone do any sort of goodbye to the Arrowverse. Kinda seems like they're trying to push it out the door as fast as possible now though. Can't believe it won't even get a full final season.

I don't think TPTB are trying to get rid of the show fast (it's still a top performer by CW standards); I think it's more like Grant is tired, and they probably would have had to pay him even more for Season 10.

(I didn't make this:)

[DanaK]

The cancelation also doesn’t surprise me given the CW’s pending sale and their recent cancelations. Of course, it’s likely the biggest reason is Grant likely not wanting to do a 10th season

Candace saying she suffered racism and White costars not understanding early on is not surprising at all. What does surprise me is hairdressers currently not able to do Black hair (assuming Candace meant it’s still ongoing). You would think that would be fixed by now, especially with the showrunner being Black

[Trini]

As far as I can tell, Danielle Panabaker is the only castmember to make a statement about the final season: https://www.instagram.com/p/CgumCBQLkRN/

[Featherhat]

15 hours ago, DanaK said:

The cancelation also doesn’t surprise me given the CW’s pending sale and their recent cancelations. Of course, it’s likely the biggest reason is Grant likely not wanting to do a 10th season

Candace saying she suffered racism and White costars not understanding early on is not surprising at all. What does surprise me is hairdressers currently not able to do Black hair (assuming Candace meant it’s still ongoing). You would think that would be fixed by now, especially with the showrunner being Black

I remember reading on this topic last year and apparently there is/was an ongoing issue with enough hairdressers that specifically train in black hair being able to get the right union qualifications so SAG productions can hire them, which was a bit shocking in itself leading to people like Retta have to privately hiring their own even on big shows. 

But you would think on a popular show with several black women as regulars over the years not to mention other POC that providing hair and make up people for them would be more of a priority.

[angora]

In the podcast interview we did, Candice said that the show didn't prioritize hairdressers who can do Black hair until after the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020. She acknowledged that those hairdressers can be even tougher to find in Vancouver, as opposed to LA, but it seems like the show made no earlier effort to even look. Apparently, there's a Jamaican barber who now drives from CW set to CW set doing all the Black men's hair. Candice recognized hire-ups' complaints that the guy overcharges, but she doesn't blame him for it--the way she sees it, he's solving a problem they've had for years and never bothered to address, so why shouldn't he overcharge them?

It sounds like she also has a better setup for hair and makeup now, but she said she still keeps a full makeup palette and set of hair products/tools in her trailer because, after her years of trauma/dismissive treatment on the show, she can't feel comfortable unless she knows she has a backup plan, "just in case." She figured that she'd feel the need to do that for the rest of her career, imagining herself as an 85-year-old lady on some movie set with full hair and makeup kits in her trailer.

[scarynikki12]

9 hours ago, angora said:

Apparently, there's a Jamaican barber who now drives from CW set to CW set doing all the Black men's hair. Candice recognized hire-ups' complaints that the guy overcharges, but she doesn't blame him for it--the way she sees it, he's solving a problem they've had for years and never bothered to address, so why shouldn't he overcharge them?

If they only hired one man to do all this work then (general) you bet your ass he needs to be overcharging! 

[Trini]

And now Grant Gustin has made a statement about the final season; his instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg4nBJ-A7kt/

[Trini]

Season 8 DVD/Blu-ray info: https://flashtvnews.com/flash-the-complete-eighth-season-blu-ray-dvd-details-revealed/45922

Quote

... It’s a season of change as The Flash: The Complete Eighth Season comes to Blu-ray and DVD October 18, 2022. Buckle up for all twenty fast-paced episodes plus never-before-seen bonus content including deleted scenes and a gag reel. The Flash: The Complete Eighth Season is priced to own at $29.98 SRP for the DVD ($39.99 in Canada) and $39.99 for the Blu-ray ($44.98 in Canada), which includes a Digital copy (U.S. only). The season is also available to own on Digital via purchase from digital retailers.

Quote

SPECIAL FEATURES

Deleted Scenes (Exclusive to Blu-ray and DVD)
Gag Reel (Exclusive to Blu-ray and DVD)
Featurette: The DC Heroes: Path to Glory
Featurette: The Flash: Standing the Test of Time

[Trini]

Danielle Panabaker, Danielle Nicolet, and Kayla Compton were guests at Dragon Con this weekend; but I haven't found any reporting if they said anything about the show.

Edited September 6, 2022 by Trini

[Trini]

I think Season 9 filming starts this week; Grant mentioned he has to shave in "a few days": https://www.instagram.com/p/CiIq94DvHTW/

[Trini]

Some John Wesley Shipp apreciation: 'The Greatest Gift the Flash Gave Fans Was the Original Barry Allen'

[Trini]

Grant did a 'first day (of the lst season)' post on his instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CieFCGDrSH6/

Quote

Tomorrow we start filming the final season of The Flash. I’ll save the long, emotional captions for later in the season, but to say I’m grateful for this journey and the growth it’s provided me in so many different ways would be a gross understatement. Thankful to everyone who helped give me this opportunity and all the fans of the show that have showed me and anyone that’s been a part of The Flash love along the way. Here’s a bit of a photo dump from my first year on the show.

Also:

[thuganomics85]

Looks like we're getting a new version of Captain Boomerang for the final season.  Guessing more multiverse shenanigans are at play, but I certainly won't complain about getting Richard Harmon on board (he was easily one of the highlights on The 100 as Murphy!)

[shantown]

9 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Looks like we're getting a new version of Captain Boomerang for the final season.

Was this the villain from the first crossover? I wonder if they’ll acknowledge that at all. 

[Trini]

Rapaport Casting posted photos of the cast from their audition tapes:

Aw, so young!

[Trini]

Candice Patton and Jesse L. Martin attended the Barbara Berlanti Heroes Gala this past Saturday:

https://www.justjaredjr.com/2022/10/03/candice-patton-tyler-hoechlin-olivia-liang-more-support-greg-berlanti-at-heroes-gala/

-

And Jesse gave a quote about the final season (video):

[Trini]

TVLine got a few quotes from Candice Patton: 'Candice Patton Teases #WestAllen as 'Strong Team' in Final Season: 'They Have a Legacy to Fulfill''

[I refuse to get my hopes up; things are always good at the beginning of the season, then things nosedive.]

[Trini]

Deleted scene (DVD marketing) coming soon to TVLine;

Inside Line:

Quote

In the fourth episode of The Flash Season 7, Abra Kadabra name-dropped “The Chronarch” when taunting Flash, saying that he would be doing him a favour by killing him right there rather than ever facing that foe. Is that an abandoned thread or will it be addressed in the final season? –Gonzalo

Funny you should ask this particular question, because last season’s finale actually had a callback to that Easter egg, but it got cut — and TVLine soon will have an exclusive peek at that very curious, deleted scene….

[Trini]

A couple of deleted scenes from Season 8 were released:

https://tvline.com/2022/10/14/the-flash-deleted-scene-season-8-future-barry-off-world-chronarch/

https://screenrant.com/the-flash-season-8-barry-iris-deleted-scene/

[Trini]

Also a clip (not the whole thing) from the gag/blooper reel: https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/check-out-the-flashs-season-8-blooper-reel-exclusive/

And a Cecile deleted scene: https://bleedingcool.com/tv/the-flash-season-8-deleted-scene-ceciles-ready-to-hit-the-streets/

Edited October 24, 2022 by Trini

[Trini]

This article on fandom racism mentions Candice Patton as Iris West a few times: 'Marvel, Disney, and more are trying to fix Hollywood's fandom problem — but is it enough?'

Quote

Black actress Candice Patton, who plays Iris West-Allen in The CW’s The Flash, was another early target of “violently racist harassment” for playing the superhero’s love interest and eventual wife.

“The CW took almost seven years to speak up about anti-Blackness, and it wasn’t even in the context of the harassment toward their Black actresses,” says Stitch, the author of Teen Vogue’s ‘Fan Service’ column. “It was as part of their performative BLM support.”

When an actor of a different race plays a pre-existing character, like Patton, it is called “color-blind” casting. Hosein explains that in almost every instance where a Black or brown person is cast in a role previously described or portrayed as being white, they become the victim of bigotry and harassment.

Quote

“After decades of colorblind casting, companies that are surprised by racist and anti-Black fans can't claim ignorance,” writer and podcaster Bezi Yohannes says.

“Actors like Candice Patton have spoken about their experiences at the hands of fandom at length. Multi-billion-dollar companies need to foster Black talent at every level of production who will work proactively instead of reactively.”

[Trini]

I don't think any others were linked here, but I know this isn't the only thesis about racebending/genre fan communities/comics media that has included Patton/Iris West:

https://cas.la.psu.edu/news-and-events/news/cas-graduate-student-kenya-davis-successfully-defends-ma-thesis/

Quote

... a Communication Arts and Sciences graduate student, successfully defended her MA thesis on Tuesday, October 18. Her project titled “Re-presenting Iris West: Race-Bent Black Women in Post-Racial Comic Book Adaptation” analyzed the fictional comic-book character Iris West in the television series The Flash. In her thesis, Kenya explores the racial politics of casting a Black woman, Candice Patton, in a role formally represented as white. Davis argues that The Flash avoids the sociopolitical implications of race and racism by intentionally portraying Iris West through a white female romantic lens, but, in contrast, fans of the show were divided by race—some of whom engaged in hate speech, threats of violence, and intimidation of Candice Patton and those fans who came to Patton’s defense.

[Trini]

I doubt anyone in the cast will be attending, but The Saturn Awards are tomorrow, and the show has two nominations; plus Geoff Johns is being honored.

[Trini]

😑

'Jon Cor Upped To Series Regular For Season 9'

Really? That guy?? For the shortened final season? Not Jordan Fisher (Bart), not John Wesley Shipp (Jay), not Keiynan (Wally); not even whatshername for Sue Dearbon? Or Meena? Or even August Heart so they can do Godspeed properly.

And with a story that we've already seen at least three times on this show -- come on.

[Trini]

Little reminder that there is one Flash Thanksgiving episode:

[Trini]

Kayla Compton mentioned in an interview that she will be directing episode 11 of Season 9, which films in January:

[Trini]

[DanaK]

Final season premieres Wednesday February 8 at 8pm http://thefutoncritic.com/news/2022/12/05/ninth-and-final-season-of-the-flash-to-premiere-on-the-cw-network-on-wednesday-february-8-2023-54513/20221205cw02/

[Trini]

From the press release, it seems like Sam Chalsen got a promotion? He had an executive producer title in Season 8, but he hadn't been listed with the top EPs until now. Also, interestingly, Gabriel Garza is not on that list when he used to be, but his partner Jonathan Butler is still there.

... And I just looked him up on IMDB, apparently, Garza left to write for The Winchesters.

Season 9 synopsis, which teases at least two ""graphic novels"" (might be three even with the short season knowing Wallace) and still lists Panabaker's character as 'Caitlin Snow' even though she's supposed to be someone new:

Quote

After defeating the Reverse Flash once and for all, the ninth season of THE FLASH picks up one week later following their epic battle, and Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and Iris West-Allen (Candice Patton) are reconnecting and growing closer than ever before. But when a deadly group of Rogues descend on Central City led by a powerful new threat, The Flash and his team - Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker), Meta-Empath Cecile Horton (Danielle Nicolet), the light-powered meta Allegra Garcia (Kayla Compton), brilliant tech-nerd Chester P. Runk (Brandon McKnight), and reformed cryogenics thief Mark Blaine (Jon Cor) - must once again defy impossible odds to save the day. But as The Rogues are defeated, a deadly new adversary rises to challenge Barry Allen's heroic legacy. And in their greatest battle yet, Barry and Team Flash will be pushed to their limits, in order to save Central City one last time.

[Trini]

I'm already dreading the Season 9 poster that's going to have Chillblaine instead of Joe.

----

BTW, D. Panabaker mentioned on instagram that they are halfway through filming the season, so they should be working on episode 7 about now.

[Trini]

Panabaker also announced on her instagram today that she will be directing Season 9, episode 9, which just started pre-production.

Knew she'd be doing at least one.

Edited December 8, 2022 by Trini

[Trini]

Supergirl castmember guest starring in Season 9. (details in Spoiler topic)

[Trini]

Still no new Season 9 promo art, or trailer. If there isn't one by this week, I guess we gotta wait until January.

But there's a tiny clip of The Flash (and a couple other CW/DC-verse shows) in WB's 100th Anniversary promo video: (at 2:30)

They gotta stop using clips of that terrible Season 5 cowl, though.

[Trini]

LOL -- I should have complained sooner:

https://ew.com/tv/the-flash-final-season-trailer-exclusive/

Looks like Joe might be leaving in the first episode?

[Trini]

I don't know if this indicates anything about whether Wally will make an appearance in Season 9; but it's a little weird (outside of their normal weirdness) that the Flash account did a birthday post for Keiynan when he hasn't been on the show for years.

 

 

[Trini]

Christmas clip from Season 1 on DC's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CmUrwPcrQSb/

[Trini]

Former The Flash writer and producer Zack Stentz gives a little BTS info on an episode he wrote (2x21, "The Runaway Dinosaur"):

 

 

[Trini]

Andy Behbakht, host of The Flash Podcast, put up a new video of clips from interviews with the cast and showrunners of The Flash:

 

Quote

The interview clips include Grant Gustin (Barry Allen/The Flash,) Candice Patton (Iris West-Allen,) Eric Wallace (Showrunner/Executive Producer,) Greg Berlanti (Creator/Executive Producer,) Danielle Panabaker (Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost,) John Wesley Shipp (Henry Allen/Jay Garrick/Flash-90,) Jesse L. Martin (Joe West,) Keyinan Lonsdale (Wally West/Kid Flash,) Tom Cavanagh (Harrison Wells/Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash,) and Stephen Amell (Oliver Queen/Green Arrow) from The Flash Podcast, DC TV Podcasts, TV Overmind, from exclusive interviews and past San Diego Comic-Con events.

 

 

[Trini]

Characters returning for the final season, and a new poster:

[DanaK]

Another returning vet

[Trini]

6 hours ago, DanaK said:

Another returning vet

Annoyed, but not surprised.

[Trini]

I like this poster much better!

https://twitter.com/CW_TheFlash/status/1613234417832452101

 

 

[Trini]

The newest trailer for Season 9; has some more glimpses of the various villains (a new Ragdoll??), Barry & Iris scenes, and they're still hiding Caitlin's new look/character:

 

[cambridgeguy]

I get Iris being irritated with Barry looking up info about their future, but hopefully it’s not the pregnancy news that sets her off. She should know approximately how old Nora and Bart are, so the timing is pretty set.

[Trini]

Happy Birthday Grant!

 

[Trini]

Happy Birthday Jesse!

 

[Trini]

Final season promo; Season 1 rewind:

 

 

Nice! I assume they'll be doing one for each season in the coming week.