Spoilers and Spoiler Discussion

[Sweet Tooth]

Sooo...I was wondering why they had Caitlin totally committing to the ultra boring Marcus, and so with this latest episode, I went on a little hunt for figuring out if Robbie is returning...

Return of Robbie

 

[Trini]

Apparently Candice answered some fan questions on her instagram recently, and among other things she said that Iris will be "M.I.A." for four(!) episodes.

This account that tracks her social media posted screenshots:

https://twitter.com/WestAllenWorld/status/1512167702793707522

---

That just sounds crazy to me. How are they going to have an arc involving Iris without Iris?? And this makes me worried about Barry too; because his wife disappearing should be his entire arc and focus, but based on past writing, I'm sure he'll be busy with everything else or won't even know - which doesn't make sense at this point. They've done separation stories for Barry & Iris too many times.

As it is, Barry's barely been an active part of this 'Black Fire' arc; so far most of the progress in stopping it has been through Chester, and Frost.

[Trini]

Synopsis for 8.12:

Quote

"Death Rises" - (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (TV-PG, DLV) (HDTV)

ALL HANDS ON DECK - With a new Meta terrorizing the city, Joe (Jesse L. Martin) lends a hand to the local authorities, meanwhile Barry (Grant Gustin) gets an assist from Cecille (Danielle Nicolet) who helps to track the mass murderer.

Phil Chipera directed the episode with the story by Alex Boyd and teleplay by Arielle McAlpin & Dan Fisk (#812).

 

-------

So this one is credited to three new writers; McAlpin worked with the show in Season 7 (no writing credits), Fisk has one writing credit in Season 7, and I think Boyd is completely new. If I haven't missed anyone, McAlpin will be just the second Black woman writer on the show.

Not looking forward to a Cecile powers episode; but at least Joe gets something to do... even though he's supposed to be 'retired'. I'm concerned that Iris isn't mentioned; this might be one of the episodes that Candice won't be in.

[Trini]

Danielle Panabaker's instagram video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CcOdwsiJznR/

she says:

• She's shooting episode 19,
• ... but filming for episode 20 - the season finale - has also started.
• Episode 17, that she directed, is a bottle episode.

I'm really surprised she's not on maternity leave already. I was wondering if this Ronnie story was setting up an exit arc for her or Caitlin, but it sounds like she'll be in Season 9.

[Trini]

So Candice is in 8.12; photos are out: https://www.nerdsandbeyond.com/2022/04/12/the-flash-new-photos-released-for-season-8-episode-12-death-rises/

[Trini]

Sounds like this is the end of this "graphic novel", maybe; 8.13 synopsis:

Quote

"Death Falls" - (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (TV-PG, LV) (HDTV)

GRIEF - Team Flash is under attack, and each must fight to save not only themselves but each other.

The series stars Grant Gustin, Jesse L. Martin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Danielle Nicolet, Kayla Compton and Brandon McKnight.

Chris Peppe directed the episode with the story by Sam Chalsen and teleplay by Joshua V. Gilbert (#813). Original airdate 5/4/2022.

 

[Trini]

Some info from Robbie Amell's interviews:

https://ew.com/tv/the-flash-robbie-amell-season-8-deathstorm-villain/

https://www.tvinsider.com/1040420/the-flash-season-8-episode-11-robbie-amell-ronnie-raymond/

Quote

It's a four-episode graphic novel that started last week, so I'm in for three episodes: this week, and then two after.

Quote

My first question was, "Do I get a costume, or am I back in just a leather jacket with a splicer on it?" And they were like, "No, this is going to be different." A lot of my time was spent in the ADR booth because it's a full CG monster, which is pretty cool....

Quote

Some of the other characters on the show are possessed by this Deathstorm figure, and that was pretty fun getting to see their performance and channel myself through that.

Quote

... It's always fun to get to see characters get possessed or play different versions of themselves, so it's cool to see that with some of Team Flash getting possessed by Deathstorm. Those scenes are pretty interesting.

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... But you're going to be Deathstorm, and it's just going to be wreaking havoc on everyone."

Quote

He's not quite powerful enough yet, so he feeds on pain and anguish and suffering, and that's what he does. He goes out and starts preying on individuals.

Quote

But Deathstorm is not a real person. He is a soul-eating creature that feeds on pain and suffering, so I don't have to make him a human being. This thing is pure evil.

 

Quote

Well, he feeds off of anguish and pain and all of those things. So you get to see him put the rest of the cast through the wringer. And a lot of my fun on this show is actually in the ADR booth for all of the CG characters and when I’m talking through other characters, having to match their lips and their tone. It was a blast. As far as ways to come back to the show, it was super-cool.

 

Edited April 17, 2022 by Trini

[Trini]

So Wallace is teasing a death(?) for Team Flash, and 8.14 has 'funeral' in the title, but I'm not really concerned, because there are certain characters he can't touch, then he has his favorites, so I think the only person in real danger might be Caitlin. Less likely, but possible is Joe. Maybe Iris if they want to connect her arc with Deathstorm, but I highly doubt that.

[Trini]

8.14 synopsis:

Quote

“Funeral for a Friend” ...

HONOR THE FALLEN – Team Flash uses the distraction of a bank robbing Meta to detract from the grief of losing someone they love.

The series stars Grant Gustin, Jesse L. Martin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Danielle Nicolet, Kayla Compton and Brandon McKnight.

Vanessa Parise directed the episode with the story by Jonathan Butler & Gabriel Garza and teleplay by Jeff Hersh (#814). Original airdate 5/11/2022.

-----

Butler and Garza are good, but I don't think any particular writer or episode can make up for how the season has been going so far.

Still think it's Caitlin, if they are actually going to kill off a series regular. However, this is Flash, how much will any death stick?

[shantown]

53 minutes ago, Trini said:

Still think it's Caitlin, if they are actually going to kill off a series regular. However, this is Flash, how much will any death stick?

Even if it's Caitlin that dies, Frost still lives - who is just the cranky, white-haired version of Caitlin. And since Frost "lived" dormant inside Caitlin and has all her memories there would be no loss to any history or memories she shared with the remaining Team Flash members. It's the biggest cop-out - the death of an original S1 character but there being zero change to the Team or the status quo of the show.

Which is why if they're going to kill a major character I hope they go with Caitlin. My fear is it's either Joe, because he's leaving for a new show, or Iris, because I am expecting the worst possible outcome. And I think either of those deaths would HAVE to affect the show and Barry to an extent that Eric Wallace and the writers aren't willing to go and aren't able to easily brush aside. So they won't. Fingers crossed!

[Trini]

55 minutes ago, shantown said:

It's the biggest cop-out - the death of an original S1 character but there being zero change to the Team or the status quo of the show.

Yep - that's another reason it's probably Caitlin; easiest person to delete from the Team, since she's been minimally relevant for seasons now.

Again, I'm not a fan of Caitlin, however, it still still seems a terrible way to exit her character - if that's what they're doing. Why can't she just run off with Marcus, or go work for her mother's company in a different part of the country? I can just see them trying to make the death heroic, but she shouldn't have to die in the first place.

[cambridgeguy]

On 4/21/2022 at 5:58 PM, shantown said:

Even if it's Caitlin that dies, Frost still lives - who is just the cranky, white-haired version of Caitlin. And since Frost "lived" dormant inside Caitlin and has all her memories there would be no loss to any history or memories she shared with the remaining Team Flash members. It's the biggest cop-out - the death of an original S1 character but there being zero change to the Team or the status quo of the show.

They already did something similar with Laurel Lance over on Arrow except they waited a while to bring in the snarky, morally gray version of the goody two shoes original.  And heck if they kill Joe and bring him back in the eventual series finale then that'll be just like Arrow too.

[Trini]

Barry & Iris preview clip:

 

I should be used to it by now, but they're still "explaining" their weird plot twists without really explaining them. But this is still a really nice scene for Barry & Iris. Not sure how much more of those we're going to get.... :(

[Trini]

Jordan still filming for the finale:

 

I wish they had more Flash family stuff in throughout the season, not just at the end.

[Trini]

From TVLine:

Quote

“We discover over this stretch of time that the reason why Cecile is the only one who didn’t get attacked by her own ‘grief monsters’ is because she’s the conduit for all of it,” Nicolet notes. “And as the season progresses, that’s all going to someplace very big. By the time we get to the three-part finale, it’s going to come together into a massive level-up.”

https://tvline.com/2022/04/27/the-flash-danielle-nicolet-preview-season-8-deathstorm-agenda/

---

I mean, who would have thought that the superhero lead's father-in-law's girlfriend would be getting so much focus in Season 8 of this show??

Edited April 27, 2022 by Trini

[Trini]

8.15 synopsis:

Quote

"Into the Still Force" - (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (TV-PG) (HDTV)

EP ERIC WALLACE DIRECTS - The Flash (Grant Gustin) gets an assist from XS (guest star Jessica Parker Kennedy). Meanwhile, CCPD enlists Chester (Brandon McKnight) for help when a mysterious device is found at a crime scene.

The series also stars Jesse L. Martin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Danielle Nicolet and Kayla Compton.

Executive Producer and Showrunner Eric Wallace directed the episode written by Lauren Barnett & Christina M. Walker (#815). Original airdate 5/18/2022.

 

Not really sure what to expect from Wallace directing; but It'll be nice to see Nora again.

[Featherhat]

7 hours ago, Trini said:

From TVLine:

https://tvline.com/2022/04/27/the-flash-danielle-nicolet-preview-season-8-deathstorm-agenda/

---

I mean, who would have thought that the superhero lead's father-in-law's girlfriend would be getting so much focus in Season 8 of this show??

I don't hate Cecile but I've never been particularly enthused about her either. DN isn't a bad actress but I just don't have a lot of interest in Cecile Levelling Up. 

I would imagine the death would be Caitlin, she's by far the easiest to kill off because she has a Doppelganger who is basically "her" so they get a dramatic death without loosing anything story wise. Also having it be Deathstorm would add that extra tragedy because Ronnie. Then when they defeat him they can be all "happy together in the afterlife, blah. blah, blah." 

Obviously Joe would be a big one if they actually wanted to shake things up a little and cause Barry and Iris yet more angst. 

I don't think it's Iris but I guess there's a possibility with Candice missing from a couple more episodes, before they bring her back. Although Candice posting "that's a wrap on Iris West-Allen" on her Instagram Stories and wiping her face is a little worrying. It does seem final, although she's probably just teasing and she means the season. 

[Trini]

5 hours ago, Featherhat said:

I would imagine the death would be Caitlin, she's by far the easiest to kill off because she has a Doppelganger who is basically "her" so they get a dramatic death without loosing anything story wise. Also having it be Deathstorm would add that extra tragedy because Ronnie. Then when they defeat him they can be all "happy together in the afterlife, blah. blah, blah." 

Danielle was apparently still filming as Caitlin for the last couple episodes, so now I'm thinking it might be Frost -- even though that would be the dumber choice between the two.

6 hours ago, Featherhat said:

I don't hate Cecile but I've never been particularly enthused about her either. DN isn't a bad actress but I just don't have a lot of interest in Cecile Levelling Up. 

I just hate how they're using her in the show -- having her powers be a plot device, instead of developing her as a part of Barry & Iris' family.
 

6 hours ago, Featherhat said:

Although Candice posting "that's a wrap on Iris West-Allen" on her Instagram Stories and wiping her face is a little worrying. It does seem final, although she's probably just teasing and she means the season. 

I wasn't really worried until that. Not having her in the probably last season would be a huge loss.

[Trini]

Surprise cameo in the Season finale:

Quote

“Oh my god, it’s so huge,” [Danielle Nicolet] said of the season finale, “and you’re going to see a face that you are going to be so surprised to see. So surprised.”

Now before anyone who obsesses about such things get to rattling off the names of the three familiar faces who were snapped by the Vancouver paps filming the finale this week — beware possible spoilers in the Comments section! — I am told that Nicolet was not referring to any of those returns.

 

::rollseyesemoji::

Yeah, I can't get excited about their little teases anymore. When was the last time the show had a good surprise/cameo? (Reverse Flashpoint would have been one if they hadn't announced Cavanagh was coming back. I'd count Bart singing at the vow renewal; but other than that... I dunno.)

And knowing this showrunner, it could be literally anyone, and not necessarily someone that makes sense or who the audience wants to see; so yeah, it'll be surprising in that sense.

Edited May 2, 2022 by Trini

[Trini]

"Death Falls" promo:

 

I'm sure Grant and Michelle Harrison will bring their A-game, but I'm not looking forward to Barry's dead parents being brought up yet again to make him cry. And in general not looking forward to another horror-themed episode.

But I am interested in who they kill off - and if it actually sticks.

[Trini]

8.16 synopsis:
 

Quote

"The Curious Case of Bartholomew Allen" - (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (TV-PG, V) (HDTV)

CAITY LOTZ DIRECTS - The Flash (Grant Gustin) gets blasted with a shockwave forcing his body to age prematurely.

The series also stars Jesse L. Martin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Danielle Nicolet, Kayla Compton and Brandon McKnight.

Caity Lotz directed the episode written by Thomas Pound & Jess Carson (#816). Original airdate 5/25/2022.

---

Yeah, this totally sounds like an "interlude" episode. I wonder how they'll make Grant look older - makeup, I assume, but maybe also CGI?

Edited May 6, 2022 by Trini

[Trini]

Danielle Panabaker gave some info on upcoming episodes in her latest interviews:

https://www.tvinsider.com/1043241/the-flash-season-8-episode-13-frost-dies-caitlin-grief-danielle-panabaker/

Quote

... This year, Eric gave me the reference of Assault on Precinct 13, the John Carpenter movie, for Episode 17. It was a lot of fun. It’s technically a bottle episode, but hopefully it doesn’t feel like one. I think it’s gonna have a different flavor for a Flash episode.

Quote

... In particular, it’s a big episode [8.17] for Allegra [Kayla Compton] and I’m always excited to see her shine, pun intended.

Quote

...This season finale is massive. The first time I read it, I was curious as to how they would pull it all off. I think there are even more twists and turns. Our last two episodes in particular are pretty significant.

Where does the season leave Caitlin?

That’s a giant cliffhanger. I thought Season 8 was our last season. I think we all need to be prepared for not every storyline to be wrapped up nicely in a bow at the end of the season.

How’s she doing at the end of the season when it comes to her grief?

Terribly. Grief is not simple and it often does not follow the timeline that we want it to and it pops up in various different ways. For Caitlin, the last few episodes of the season, it’ll be two steps forward, one step back, maybe two steps back.

 

https://ew.com/tv/the-flash-stars-break-down-season-8-death-episode-spoiler/

Quote

As we close up graphic novel No. 2, there's a little bit of an interlude before they head into graphic novel No. 3, and you will see a little bit less of Caitlin. I directed episode 17, and I kind of take a step back when I'm directing and you won't see me on camera as much. But by the end of the season, you'll see where Caitlin is headed. And there's a big cliffhanger at the finale. Of course, you would expect nothing less.

Quote

[Re: 8.17] ... This was a new one for me. We got to use a lot more handheld than we'd ever used before, and we had a lot of fun with it. It's an Allegra-centric episode and I'm so proud of [actor] Kayla [Compton] and the work that she does.

Quote

I'm most excited for fans to see Kayla's performance. There's obviously going to be a hole now that Frost is gone, and I think it's ripe with opportunity for Allegra to sort of step forward and start to spend more time in the field with the Flash.

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This season's finale is going to be huge. There's a lot of returning faces, familiar faces, which is always fun to have. I think this is the biggest finale we've attempted in a couple of years, so I can't wait for fans to see it. It'll be an interesting end of the season. It's a doozy, for sure.

 

[Trini]

::SIGH:: You can't just have 4 episode in a row of filler and then only have 3 for the next 'big bad', especially when Iris' time sickness *still* hasn't been an A-plot. And this could have been the final season?? I hope they backed up the money truck for both Grant and Candice for Season 9.

 

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Also the photos for 8.14 are out: https://www.nerdsandbeyond.com/2022/05/06/the-flash-season-8-episode-14-insert-title-photos/

Cast in black at Frost's funeral; and Barry and Caitlin.

[Trini]

Photos for 8.15 were also  released: https://flashtvnews.com/flash-into-the-still-force-photos-released/45773

Flash family (minus Iris) and Team Flash (minus Caitlin) looking concerned in STAR Labs. Nora West-Allen; Barry in beige.

[Trini]

Matt's Inside Line:

Quote

Anything else to tease about The Flash‘s season finale? –Meg
Only that after back-to-back, COVID-hampered finales, Season 8 will end with a much bigger bang. “I was not around for every bit of it, but as I was reading the script for the finale I was shaking my head wondering how on Earth they were going to pull it off,” Danielle Panabaker, now on maternity leave, shared with me. “It was the first opportunity to have a big finale in a couple of years, because Season 6 ended short and Season 7 we were still dealing with COVID restrictions. It’s huge, with a lot of returning faces…. As the saying goes, ‘Go big or go home,’ and they went big for this one.”

----

 

I didn't want to speculate because I'm sure it'll lead to disappointment, but I'm thinking the surprise cameo could be a DC character (of course) from a different DC show.

[Trini]

Wallace quotes: https://tvline.com/2022/05/18/the-flash-iris-missing-season-8-episode-15-preview/

Quote

... “That is why, even though we’re in the middle of our interlude episodes [between Graphic Novel 2 and 3], this episode really is a prelude to the final Graphic Novel of the season, and the Season 8 finale.”

There has to be stuff happening before you can have an "interlude" from it! This is the first episode where the still very vague "time sickness" is the A-plot, but then there's going to be several in row where it's the C-plot again until the last few episodes. And then Iris isn't even going to be there for most of this?? So ridiculous. And we still don't really know what the next "graphic novel"/rest of the season is about -- one would think it would be the search for Iris, but that's clearly NOT a given.

Quote

... The light at the end of this latest, dark tunnel for WestAllen fans? “Of course Barry and Iris will come back together,” Wallace assures, “but how? And who will they be when they get back together?

“But here’s the great news,” the EP adds. “As you know very well, I believe in happy endings, so I can tell people right now: this time when they get together, they will be together for the foreseeable future, living happily ever after and all those good things.”

LOL - first off, this is a lie; Wallace doesn't know how to do 'happily ever after's. Second, yeah, everyone already knows Barry & Iris are untouchable, so of course they'll reunite - that's not the problem. The problem is separating them is a overdone trope at this point, and even when they're 'together' they're hardly together in the same story or at all. And why do they only get to be happy for 5 minutes at a time at the beginning and end of the seasons?

I'm not opposed to conflict for WestAllen, but why can't it be something for them to work through with each other? Treat your leads like leads!

Quote

“It’s a bit of both,” Wallace previews. “It all goes back to ‘Armageddon’ Part 5, and that wonderful scene between Danielle [Panabaker] and Tom Cavanagh. We saw that Caitlin has a much darker side, and is willing to cross lines that we thought she’d never be able to cross, when she says, ‘I wont kill you, Reverse-Flash, but I’ll let you die.’ That was a clue to the audience that this storyline was coming. She is about to go down some very dark territory, and there will be consequences.”

It's cute that Wallace thinks "Caitlin has a dark side" is a new development. Again, I'm not a Caitlin fan, but why are they doing her character so dirty? If they needed to exit Panabaker, just send Frost off to work with ARGUS/the Suicide Squad, and then actually develop Caitlin's relationships with her mother and Marcus, and she can go off with them.

Edited May 24, 2022 by Trini
gah - dropped word, spelling

[Featherhat]

3 hours ago, Trini said:

LOL - first off, this is a lie; Wallace doesn't know how to do 'happily ever after's. Second, yeah, everyone already knows Barry & Iris are untouchable, so of course they'll reunite - that's not the problem. The problem is separating them is a overdone trope at this point, and even when they're 'together' they're hardly together in the same story or at all. And why do they only get to happy for 5 minutes at a time at the beginning and end of the seasons?

I'm not opposed to conflict for WestAllen, but why can't it be something for them to work through with each other? Treat your leads like leads!

I feel like a lot of shows have trouble with this. They constantly create conflict for their couples which means that they're separated or else have book end scenes each ep but nothing else. Actually writing a couple dealing with problems together is apparently a no no for most. It even happens to non romantic pairs in later seasons, the writers seem to always split them up because they want to play with other shiny new dynamics whilst the audience mostly wants to see them work together. 

The time sickness plot is so weird in that they aren't ramping up any sort of urgency or mystery and even if it ends with the revelation that Iris is from the future and/or pregnant and this is some crazy issue with one or both of those things, is it really going to be worth a season of blah over it? 

I truly don't see why letting RF die is a bad thing. He's had 1000 chances to reform and he's refused them all - something not even Damien Darkh did. Every chance he gets he tries to commit genocide or otherwise change history/recreate reality in his own image. They all should be committed to killing him if they get the chance. Because he is willing to destroy reality for his own gain. 

That said, meh on Caitlin's "dark arc". They've fumbled it with KF and any kind of complex look at what that means for either character for the last 5 years so this isn't going to be any better even if DP needs maternity leave so Caitlin temporarily leaves. If their treatment of Frost is anything to go by it will end up with everyone else telling her she did nothing wrong. 

 

[adora721]

5 hours ago, Trini said:

It's cute that Wallace thinks "Caitlin has a dark side" is a new development.

I laughed when I read that part of the interview. Like, Eric Wallace clearly doesn't watch his own show or he suffers from cognitive deficits. Cait wished Ronnie dead in season 1 after she found him living as Firestorm. In s2, Zoom told Cait he sensed darkness in her. In s3 x7, Cait committed many crimes trying to get rid of KF. In s4, Cait chose to work in human trafficking to control KF instead of going to her genius Mechanical Engineer BFF, Cisco. Also in s4, Cait endangered Cynthia's life & almost get Cynthia murdered, and Cait felt zero guilt about it. In s5, Cait claimed to care about consent for a medical procedure, the meta cure, but then put Grodd, a sentient being in a medically-induced coma without Grodd's consent. Yet she (and Cisco) were angry with Barry about curing King Shark. In s7, Cait tampered with police property (obstruction of justice) and lied to the police to nullify the meta cure.  Like, what show has Eric been watching???? He's nuts.

[Trini]

On 5/18/2022 at 4:04 PM, Featherhat said:

The time sickness plot is so weird in that they aren't ramping up any sort of urgency or mystery and even if it ends with the revelation that Iris is from the future and/or pregnant and this is some crazy issue with one or both of those things, is it really going to be worth a season of blah over it? 

Two (2!) seasons of blah; and no it won't. Like I don't even want them to touch on her pregnancy at all anymore.

As for Eobard, the show has already screwed themselves over with bringing RF back too many times because they like Cavanagh. They just need to stop bringing him back unless it's to end him. And it doesn't have to be in the final episode ever, either; at least not for me. Just finish the story already! They're never going to let Barry kill him outright; so I don't know why they set up the perfect scenario for RF to be erased just for Barry to save him. (Well I know why - so he can come back again, but they don't have to do that.)

Edited May 19, 2022 by Trini
gah - dropped words

[Featherhat]

23 hours ago, Trini said:

Two (2!) seasons of blah; and no it won't. Like I don't even want them to touch on her pregnancy at all anymore.

 

It's been going on for so long, I've forgotten how long it's been going on for.

The reason I think it is pregnancy related is Wallace's "don't worry, there's a happy ending!" It will turn out to be pregnancy symptoms thrown backwards in time because she's having speedsters. Then they can wrap it up and go "see, told you it was leading to something huge and awesome!" And hope the fanbase forgives them dragging it out so long. The same goes for a "Iris from the future" reveal. 

 Obviously the fact that he doesn't know how to stick the landing and doesn't bother creating an interesting journey despite the fact that most people realise they aren't going to kill off Iris even if CP leaves a lot of Iris's storyline the last couple of seasons completely pointless despite any huge reveal. If indeed there is one. 

 

[Trini]

TVLine's Inside Line:

Quote

As we head into the final five, I am told that the next two “interlude” episodes ahead of the final Graphic Novel are a bit standalone in nature and have a “Season 1 feel” to them. Also, the June 1 outing was directed by Danielle Panabaker, who used the 1976 film Assault on Precinct 13 as a reference. “It’s technically a ‘bottle episode,'” Panabaker told me, “but there are a lot of people in most scenes, so it didn’t always feel ‘small.'”

::SIGH::

They're really going to wait until the very end to advance the plot with Barry/Iris and the 'time sickness'. Standalone/"filler" episodes are fine, but having multiple in a row when there's an urgent story or problem to resolve is not the way to do it.

Also from Inside Line; more of "we'll get to that later...":

Quote

On The Flash, will they EVER complete the repairs on the S.T.A.R. Labs roof? –Willis

Willis, not a flyover shot goes by where I haven’t wondered the same. And that makes me extra happy to report that I relayed our shared Q to showrunner Eric Wallace, who emphatically replied, “Yes — I hope to repair it in the series finale, whenever that is. That has always been my plan, since Season 6.”

[Trini]

8.17 synopsis:

Quote

"Keep it Dark" - (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (TV-PG, LV) (HDTV)

DANIELLE PANABAKER DIRECTS - The Flash (Grant Gustin) goes off the grid to look for answers about a new Meta in town. Meanwhile, Allegra (Kayla Compton) pulls out all of the stops at CC Citizen Media, to protect a source and a friend. The series also stars Jesse L. Martin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Danielle Nicolet and Brandon McKnight.

Danielle Panabaker directed the episode written by Kristen Kim & Emily Palizzi (#817). Original airdate 6/8/2022.

---

Eh -- forgot Kim was on this one.

So this is the Allegra-centric bottle episode. Sounds like Barry will have about two scenes (probably not related to getting his wife back).

[Trini]

8.18 synopsis; more leveling up (drink!):
 

Quote

"The Man in the Yellow Tie" - (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (TV-PG, LV) (HDTV)

WHEN NOTHING IS WHAT IT SEEMS - With a new speedster in town, The Flash (Grant Gustin) gets much more than he bargained for, meanwhile Cecile's (Danielle Nicolet) powers experience a growth spurt allowing her to aid Team Flash on an entirely different level. The series also stars Jesse L. Martin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Kayla Compton and Brandon McKnight.

Marcus Stokes directed the episode written by Sam Chalsen (#818). Original airdate 6/15/2022.

[Trini]

From TVLine's Inside Line:

Quote

I delivered your Q to Flash showrunner Eric Wallace, and he teased back, “Theres a reason why Iris got her time sickness, and the final big bad of Season 8 is the person behind it. And you will learn why this is all happening.”

[Trini]

8.19 synopsis:

Quote

"Negative, Part One" - (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (TV-PG, LV) (HDTV)

TEAM FLASH BANDS TOGETHER - The Flash (Grant Gustin) and team are in for the fight of their lives, meanwhile, Iris (Candice Patton) discovers the cause of her time sickness. The series also stars Jesse L. Martin, Danielle Panabaker, Danielle Nicolet, Kayla Compton and Brandon McKnight.

Jeff Byrd directed the episode written by Jonathan Butler & Gabriel Garza (#819). Original airdate 6/22/2022.

Kind of a downer title for the finale 2-parter. I assume we're going back to the concept of the Negative Speed Force and Thawne?

So Iris figures out what's wrong - which would be fine, but they've hardly had Barry contributing anything to this storyline. Can't believe they're only devoting 3 episodes to this arc that they've been teasing for a season-and-a-half.

Butler & Garza are cool; but they're still under Wallace, who probably wrote the finale.

[Trini]

https://theflashpodcast.com/interviews/exclusive-the-flash-eric-wallace-meena-dhawan-arrowverse-introduction/

Quote

... As we see at the end of 8.17, she’s [Meena] just beginning her speedster journey. She needs help, she needs a mentor – which of course, as we see at the end of 8.17, Flash volunteers and says, ‘I’m going to mentor you, I’m going to help you get better as a speedster.’ But what are the consequences? One of the consequences of having [Barry] as your mentor as we run into the season finale as he’s searching for Iris – it’s all gonna come together. Let’s just say bad things are gonna happen before the eventual good!”

Is he turning Barry's mentorship into a bad thing?? Great... just, great.

[cambridgeguy]

1 hour ago, Trini said:

Is he turning Barry's mentorship into a bad thing?? Great... just, great.

Sounds like he's saying having Barry as a mentor means being dragged into whatever drama he and his team gets involved with, which does make sense.  Meena wouldn't be much of a hero if she saw Barry fighting some villain and said hey, leave me out of it - I didn't sign up to tangle with Thawne, or Zoom, or Godspeed, or some other evil speedster.  Plus those guys wouldn't leave her alone regardless unless Barry somehow manages to mentor in secret.  Being in Barry's orbit means you might put a target on your back.

[Trini]

Wallace has just done "Barry/Team Flash do something good - BUT - it turns out bad" too many times already. If there are complications, then that might be okay; but he just can't seem to let anyone get a straight win. He thinks a turnaround is a "fun" plot twist, but it's not.

[Trini]

Vague season finale synopsis:

Quote

"Negative, Part Two" - (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (TV-PG, LV) (HDTV)

SEASON FINALE - With The Flash (Grant Gustin) still reeling from everything that just happened, the rest of the team rallies to support him when he needs it the most. The series also stars Jesse L. Martin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Danielle Nicolet, Kayla Compton and Brandon McKnight

Marcus Stokes directed the episode written by Eric Wallace (#820). Original airdate 6/29/2022.

-----

And the promo photos for 8.18 are out: https://flashtvnews.com/flash-photos-the-man-in-the-yellow-tie/45843 -- Team Flash scenes, and Barry and Meena. Looks like Barry reveals his identity to her right away; oh, Barry!

[rogvortex58]

Sounds boring.

Hope they fix Iris’s time sickness finally.

[Trini]

From TVLine:

Quote

Will Mia Smoak be returning to The Flash again in Season 8? –Michael

Persistence pays off, Michael! I finally got your Q to showrunner Eric Wallace, who reported back, “Not this year, but I do hope to have her back in Season 9.” Bonus scoop!: There is no predicting this week’s B-story, but it doesn’t take place in Central City and it is a doozy.

If the B-story (C-story?) isn't what has already been revealed in the promo and episode description, maybe it's about Caitlin? She's the only one besides Iris (who won't be in this episode) who is supposed to be out of town. I doubt it's Joe, but it's possible.

Or maybe he's just referring to Cecile's 'leveling up' story.

[Trini]

[Trini]

From previous (see above, this page) spoilers about the finale: There's supposed to be a "huge" cameo; some plotlines will be unresolved; 'familiar faces' return; a cliffhanger; and the episode "goes big".

And Joe isn't going to be a regular in season 9, so I wonder if they'll have an exit story for him? (I doubt it.)

Edited June 23, 2022 by Trini

[Trini]

Only 3 photos of the finale have been released so far; I assume most are spoilery.

ETA: 4 actually: https://flashtvnews.com/the-flash-season-finale-photos-negative-part-two/45883

---

From TVLine:

Quote

Any tiny hint about The Flash finale’s “surprise” guest? –Trevor

I’m midway through the finale at press time, and I am going to say that Danielle Nicolet was accurate-ish with her tease, if she was referring to who I think she was. I myself had certainly tempered expectations — after some speculated it’d simply be long-absent Baby Jenna, and especially after Mia Smoak got ruled out — but I legit exclaimed, “Oh, damn” when I saw a certain character pop up in this coming Wednesday’s finale. What’s more, the seed for this reappearance was very pointedly planted some time ago, and it sets up a great performance by their scene partner.

Edited June 24, 2022 by Trini

[cambridgeguy]

The only real "damn" character would be a Kryptonian (in which case they need to ask each other where the heck they've been during all of the other catastrophes), Legend, or Oliver Queen.  The others are the usual suspects (Wally, Cisco) really should be on speed dial regardless, and Diggle already popped up.  Wally might care that his sister vanished and is now "dead", and you'd think Cisco would want to know too, what with him being Barry's BFF.

[Trini]

Apparently, (I haven't read the comic myself) the final issue of the Earth-Prime series, '#6, Hero's Twilight', sets up Bloodwork as a returning villain for Season 9.

https://www.cbr.com/the-flash-season-9-setup-bloodwork-earth-prime-dc/

[Trini]

I'm over speculating what other nonsense might happen in the finale, but if anyone is interested, this interview with Wallace from May gives some hints: https://ew.com/tv/the-flash-eric-wallace-teases-season-8-finale/

[Trini]

Sounds like the surprise of the cameo is more about who they cast than who the character is:

[Trini]

Extended trailer for the season finale:

-

I rather not have Barry kill either, but he definitely would NOT be "just as bad" as RF if he did kill him.

[ETA:] Also, Eobard is not even supposed to exist anymore, so I think he's fair game. But they're still not going to let Barry kill him, so I'm dreading whatever ridiculous things they pull to ensure he doesn't. sigh

And it looks like they're going to be referring back to the Reverse Flashpoint timeline?

And there's ... Kryptonite(??), maybe?

Edited June 28, 2022 by Trini

[rogvortex58]

Oh good. She’s staying.

https://tvline.com/2022/06/28/the-flash-candice-patton-contract-season-9-iris/

Edited June 29, 2022 by rogvortex58