The Flash in the Media

[Trini]

More producer interviews previewing the next episode, and the rest of the season *some spoilers*:

TV Guide:

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Iris is such a great, competent character. Will we see her become very proactive in saving her own life or will it be a lot of Barry and the rest of the team trying to save her?
Helbing: She always plays a vital role. She's essentially Flash's beating heart. With respect to that, the team is going to... they have superpowers. Vibe (Carlos Valdes) has the ability to go into other dimensions. Kid Flash (Keiynan Lonsdale) is the second fastest man alive. I would say that they're kind of taking the forefront, but Iris is always going to be involved in those conversations and she's going to be that North Star for that entire team. "This is what we're working towards. This is what we're going to do. We're going to prevent Iris from being brutally murdered by Savitar."

As Wally continues his training, how will the power dynamic potentially shift within Team Flash?
Helbing: It depends on the day. We're going to exploit that relationship between Kid Flash and Flash and, "Who is the fastest man alive?" So you'll see in an episode that play out.

EW:

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How does Julian (Tom Felton) fit into the team moving forward?
He fits really well. The thing about the team is they’re always willing to give somebody a second chance. What they realize about Julian is he wasn’t actively being Alchemy, he was under Savitar’s control. So, because of that, they’re willing to give him a second chance. He’s going to provide a lot of clues and a lot of information for the team because he’s essentially an expert on Savitar and on the Philosopher’s Stone.

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By throwing the box with Savitar into the Speed Force, did Barry essentially make the future that Savitar said would happen come true? He literally trapped him in eternity!
That’s a good question. Honestly, we hadn’t thought of THAT.

So not something you’re going to address then?
No, not really.

Really? If we could just have one person in charge of continuity....

[GHScorpiosRule]

Come on now, @Trini!!! Like I posted up thread a couple weeks ago: they're all lying liars who lie! And how's this for incestuous? Dude in this interview also worked on Smallville!??

Edited January 24, 2017 by GHScorpiosRule

[Trini]

Mid-season recap:

[Trini]

Promo for 3.11:

And trailer for the next few episodes:

 

Jitters! It still exists!

[RedVitC]

Still laughing at Julian's 'It's a pretty solid 1'

I'm glad the character is one the show. Hope he sticks around.

[Trini]

Promo photos for "Dead or Alive":

[Trini]

"Borrowing Problems from the Future" recaps: TVLine, BuddyTV, Comicbook.com, Hypable, Fansided, Arrowverse.tv

Easter Eggs: DC Comics

Edited January 27, 2017 by Trini
added another link

[Trini]

Arrow producer interview; mentions that more Flash characters will show up on Legends.

[Trini]

Reviews:
Collider:

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The Flash‘s “Borrowing Problems From the Future” was frustrating at times because it was a bit of the same ole, but by the end of the hour the good far outweighed the mediocre. From Wally’s grooming to be a hero, to Caitlin’s Frost problems, to Julian’s standoffishness, these all felt overdone at times. As these storylines played throughout the episode, though, each of these character evolutions ended up working.

... Even more frustrating than that is that for being intelligent people and scientists, they didn’t discuss or make any plans before starting to change the future. They took the newscast clues and just started altering them without any thought as to whether that would be the catalyst to save Iris’ life. If that continues, it would be disappointing. I’d rather see them have a calculated plan and even take a minute to consider the longer term ramifications.

IGN:

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The notion that changing stories on a news ticker will somehow prevent Savitar from killing Iris seems a bit flimsy. Still, it is interesting to see the show dive headlong into the nature of time travel and the question of whether the future is something that can be changed, or if, as H.R. put it, “The future wants to happen.” Barry clearly didn’t have any luck when it came to altering the past in Flashpoint, but maybe the future is more fluid. Or maybe he’ll make the same mistake so many time-travelling heroes have before him, where in attempting to change the future he only winds up bringing it to pass.

Wherever this is going, I just hope the season is building to something bigger and more unpredictable than Barry racing Savitar for the fate of Iris. This Terminator 2-style “fate or free will” question needs to yield more interesting results.

... The nice thing about The Flash is that we can always count on the Team Flash dynamic to carry the day even when the show stumbles through storytelling missteps or lousy plot twists. This episode offered a pretty sluggish start to the new year, but there were plenty of small, strong scenes involving various Star Labs characters.

CinemaBlend:

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All things considered, Team Flash's plan to save Iris isn't the wildest scheme that they've come up with over the years, but it's definitely one with the potential to backfire spectacularly. Barry has meddled with time off and on ever since Season 1, and the midseason premiere proved that he still hasn't really learned his lesson about changing timelines without considering the potential repercussions for the world at large. His plan to change events so large that they made headlines four months in the future will almost certainly have devastating consequences for somebody, whether Iris or another of the good guys or the civilians of Central City as a whole.

Den of Geek:

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Meanwhile, for a guy that we only see in flashback (ahem, I mean, flash-forward), Savitar's presence looms large. But really, he's completely absent in every appreciable way from the episode, but his presence is still felt heavily in nearly every scene. You can thank Grant Gustin's performance for that, and I think finally, after Barry's manic episodes that ultimately led to Flashpoint, the character has settled into that perfect groove of "the weight of the world, perhaps multiple worlds, is on my shoulders" without compromising his otherwise appropriate exuberance and positivity. ...

What I might be most impressed by, though, is how this episode sets up a new mission for the rest of the season. Usually, the instinct with these midseason premieres is to open with a bang and try to get everyone accustomed to formula again. But here, "Borrowing Problems From The Future" almost feels like the start of a brand new season for a show that has been quite happy to subvert its own formula for the last nine episodes. Flashpoint is behind us, and they quite literally spell out the plan for the rest of the season on that snappy clear wipeboard. There's your formula right there: change the future by changing the events that lead up to it. I'm down for this, and the fact that we only get ten or so episodes to do it should keep everybody honest.

[Trini]

More reviews:
JoBlo:

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What this episode does do right is not keeping Barry's vision of the future a secret from the team. In the past, this has eaten away at our hero and caused a rift between him and the supporting characters, culminating in a big reveal and team reunion to fight the big bad. This time, the writers have elected to have Barry and the team face the future together which does open more narrative possibilities. It also gives them more room for dramatic interaction as they try to stop destiny. I was just expecting there to be more than them just attempting to alter headlines from a vibe. I mean, there has to be more to this season than a slight variation of Barry trying to save his mom in season one or Thawne/Reverse Flash trying to maintain the Infinite Crisis headline in his secret room at STAR Labs, right?

AV Club:

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... “Borrowing Problems For The Future” is all about getting us back up to speed (so to speak) on the season so far and pointing the way toward where it’s going. It does both of those things effectively enough (maybe too effectively in the case of the former, as Iris’ death at the hands of Savitar is replayed three times within the first minute of the show), but the transitional nature of the episode keeps it from qualifying as a top-shelf hour of The Flash.

... (After two-and-a-half seasons of angst over changing the past, it’s now come to this. Of course, even the future is somebody’s past; Reverse-Flash’s, for instance.) Cisco helps Barry vibe back into his flash-forward, meaning we see Iris murdered for a fourth time, but we also get a number of hints about the course of the season, as future events are revealed in a news crawl. It’s a nifty little gimmick: we know what’s coming (including ominous news about the return of Killer Frost), so these almost act as mini-spoilers within the show. The question is not so much what’s going to happen as how Team Flash is going to change it, if they can. We’ve got the map, now let’s discover the detours.

Geek Exchange:

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It’s a theme the episode seems to revolve around, as the various characters continue to be haunted by their respective ghosts. Barry spends the episode in fear of his vision of the future where he witnessed Savitar kill Iris, a moment that has shaded his every action since, including moving in with Iris. ...

Julian and Caitlyn bond over their individual hauntings, as both are living in fear of their respective alter ego’s Alchemy and Killer Frost. ... Of course, the haunting of Team Flash (which added Julian to the fold this episode) does result in a positive change for almost everybody involved.

That change is they finally tell the truth. All season secrets and lies have been what’s actually haunting Team Flash, and we finally saw a step in the right direction as Barry revealed first to Iris, and then the rest of the team (excluding Joe) his vision in the future. Cisco and Barry vibe back to the future hoping to learn a bit more about that day  – which is actually 4 months – and reveal an exciting list of headlines that point towards the future events of the season, events that Team Flash endeavors to change one by one.

Polygon:

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It's really upsetting to see a TV show let you in on all of the plot lines for an entire half-season by spoiling their outcome. The city is recovering from a gorilla attack? Boy, I hope we don't set that one right three weeks from now.

This is, as always, a bad plan — demonstrated with a literal set of dominoes — and now we know what we're doing for the next dozen weeks. But outside of the episode, we at least know that we're staying in-universe, in this specific point in time, and dealing with character issues one-by-one. If Barry used his words he might've explained that this is what should've happened with Flashpoint earlier. Maybe, he's even learned from his mistakes then about how true responsibility ... wait, he’s used his Flash powers to set all the dominoes up again. Yeah, he hasn't learned anything. ...

This episode was a great chance to dip a toe into casualty and reset some rules for the universe, but honestly that's what the first half of the season should have been doing. Instead, Team Flash keeps growing and the universe keeps getting easier to fix.

[Trini]

More reviews:

Bleeding Cool:

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... I actually feel sorry for Plunder. He’s not really a character, but rather a MacGuffin (a plot enabling device or element that serves no other purpose) used to test whether or not the team can change the future. We get no backstory on him other than he’s a thief and once arrested, he’s able to get out of Blackgate Prison rather easily. An escape we don’t get to see… because he’s a MacGuffin. ...

Nerdist:

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Lest one worry that Iris functions as a mere McGuffin, a prize to be won or lost, the mere fact that she now shares Barry’s life and home has made her his full partner. She’s the first person he confides in now, and the reason he tells his teammates why he’s too distracted to subdue this week’s villain: Plunder.... But Plunder at least allows the show to introduce Kid Flash as Barry’s official colleague in the field ....

... But we don’t have to wait for that March event to enjoy some levity on the show. Tom Kavanagh’s H.R. again proves he’s The Flash’s MVP as he opens his STAR Labs Museum, to the initial chagrin of his colleagues. As always, everyone’s at their best when doing light comedy as they react to a malfunctioning Cisco hologram (“…my love of…SCIENCE”) and learn that their new responsibilities include serving cappuccinos to bewildered visitors.

In just its first episode of 2017, The Flash is already renewing its commitment to returning to the lighter tone it maintained throughout its first and so far best season. Here’s hoping it keeps up the good work.

TV Overmind:

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Something interesting from the episode is that the main threat is a looming one, not as immediate. Savitar is set up to kill Iris in the future, and while there is a chance to change that outcome, it’s interesting to see The Flash utilize the speed god as an episodic presence who could possibly never actually return. Savitar is currently dormant with [to the viewer’s knowledge] no way to return, which is something somewhat new to play around with while giving the smaller scale baddies some additional time to shine. The show outlined it’s future and the timeline that will hopefully be changed, but this is where The Flash will have to successfully step up and fill itself in with unique and fresh storytelling. ...

Other ideas seem like they truly might be reaching their final chapters. “Borrowing Problems from the Future,” finally incorporates Julian to a full-time member of Team Flash, which gives a lot of hope for a slight switch in the dynamic. It continues to show that the team behind the show is willing to explore new dynamics .... Along with this, The Flash also displayed firsthand what to expect from now having two Flash’s out in the field rather than one. The beginning of the episode highlighted Barry keeping another secret, which goes on to end up making his partnership with Wally awkward out in the field. It felt like the show was trying to say that everything is definitely shifting now that Barry isn’t the only person with powers ready to start operating in the field. Team Flash is going to require a lot more honesty and trust with one another if things are going to continue to operate smoothly.

... Hopefully all of these signs from last night’s episode are pointing towards a season 3 conclusion that leaves the show in a much more mature place moving forward. The Flash has struggled with it’s balance and growth in the season’s first half but comes back strong with a grounded and simple episode that starts 2017 off with excitement and hope. ...

BuddyTV:

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The Flash teasing the death of Iris West is not the best decision the show has ever made. It is not ideal to put the life of the show's female lead in danger just to put the hero through some emotional turmoil. ... However, Iris' possible death has ushered in a really compelling storyline for The Flash to follow for the rest of season 3.

... With these future news headlines The Flash gives itself a guideline that will be easy to follow for the rest of the season. The headlines are also vague enough that the audience can be surprised and excited by the future of the show. There is enough room for the show to play around, tell interesting stories and still pepper in hints of these future headlines.

... The Flash made the very smart decision in "Borrowing Problems from the Future" to actually borrow problems from the future that will impact every single character. 

... The Flash succeeds because of its incredibly likable, charming and appealing central cast. The Flash has one of the best groups of series regulars in recent memory. Season 2 broke up the team far too much. Now with this new storyline everyone (but Joe) will be working together and gathered under the same big story umbrella. ...

[Trini]

These two have contrasting views of Iris' role:

Vulture:

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... Despite so much of the episode concerning the possibility of Iris dying only four months into the future, there is little focus on how much this revelation upends her own life. Sure, she cries when Barry reveals the truth using the future newspaper article in the time vault. ... But there is little examination of how this affects Iris emotionally.

...Learning you're going to die would be a major event for any character, but beyond a few tears, Iris doesn't seem all that effected.

Although this development relies on the rather frustrating trope of threatening a hero's love interest, it does give The Flash a fresh opportunity to develop Iris. Instead, she's treated like a non-factor in a story line that hinges on her survival. This betrays the problems inherent in the superhero-girlfriend archetype: She's often more object than subject. Candice Patton has a warm presence, humor, and skill that should be utilized. But all the charisma in the world can't distract from how thinly her character is written. ...

Yes, the housewarming scene at the episode's end was cute. But cute doesn't equate to memorable, and it certainly isn't the kind of character development that Iris desperately needs. Since getting them together, The Flash hasn't found a way to balance interesting characterization with developing their romance.

Blastr:

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... We get to see Barry and Iris happy for the first time ever, but it all has such a sense of inevitable dread hanging over it. It's drama, but darn good drama.

Candice Patton got a lot to do in this episode, and her version of Iris West took full advantage. The scene where Barry tells her about the future is heart-wrenching as she breaks down in tears and asks how long she has left. Iris is tough as nails, and we haven't really seen her show those type of emotions very often. It was handled perfectly, and, true to her strength, she was soon refocused and ready to change her fate. An A+ episode for Iris, which is saying something, considering they've struggled to keep her busy in the past.

[Trini]

Tomorrow's episode previewed (starting @ 1:15):

[RedVitC]

Thanks for compiling all these reviews, Trini!

[Trini]

*Spoilers* for the musical crossover: 'Rachel Bloom Wrote A Song For "The Flash" / "Supergirl" Musical Episode'

Edited January 31, 2017 by Trini

[Trini]

Speculation about how the 'Save Iris' storyline might be resolved: 'Can Iris Be Saved On 'The Flash'? Death Isn't Always The End In Central City'

Interview with Jessica Camacho, who plays 'Gypsy':

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In the preview for next week’s episode, Gypsy looks and acts a little different than her comic book counterpart. Can you tell us about your take on the character?

Jessica Camacho: Well, I think it’s obvious from the first seconds of watching her that she is just a truly capable, committed, confident foe. I mean, I don’t know if she’s a foe, but — when we see her — she’s very much on a mission and she very much knows what she’s looking for, what she intends to do and what she is willing to do in order to make that mission a success. So she is just an absolute force, I would say.

Will we learn anything about her background in this upcoming episode?

So she’s from Earth-19, which is where HR is from. She is sent to collect him, so we find out that she’s a bounty hunter, and she’s an undefeated bounty hunter on a mission to bring HR Wells back to Earth-19 to stand trial for violating one of their most sacred, important laws, which is no one is allowed inter-dimensional travel. You find out reasons why this law is so sacred to them and their earth, but her mission is to find HR and bring him back so that he can stand trial. So that’s what she’s doing when we first meet her.

Edited February 1, 2017 by Trini

[Trini]

Another interview with Camacho:

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Collider: How did you come to this role on The Flash? Did you go through the usual audition process?

JESSICA CAMACHO: I did! I went through the whole, “You have an audition tomorrow.” “Oh, okay.” I went in, initially, and met with the team of producers, and it was completely and totally nerve-wracking, but I just loved this part so much. I really just connected with her, right from the get-go. There was so much strength and wit to connect to. She knows exactly what she’s doing, at all times. That overpowered the nerves and I saw myself sinking into her strength and who this character was. It was just so much fun. Thankfully, it worked out in my favor.

What’s it like for you to be on a superhero TV show in a superhero suit, working opposite The Flash in full costume? Is that a real pinch-me moment?

CAMACHO: Yeah, it’s a complete, total pinch-me moment. It’s one of the moments that you dream about when you’re hustling auditions, waiting tables and grinding. When I was standing there, I found myself looking back to all of those moments. It’s just a trip to see where all that work has brought you, and it just makes me very, very grateful. I couldn’t have asked for a cooler, more exciting opportunity. I just love every second. It’s awesome!

[Trini]

And another: About the Gypsy/Vibe dynamic:

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“You know, there’s always a little nervousness surrounding that because you don’t know if you’re going to connect to the character or the actor in that way, and it can make for a very awkward conversation," Camacho told ComicBook.com. "My method is just to kind of feel it out. I knew after reading the script and understanding what Gypsy wants what makes her tick and I was able to gauge when she met Cisco what she found interesting about him, what she found endearing, what made her cock her head to the side and take another look at him. With Cisco, there’s so much there to be interested in and so much there to be intrigued by that it was really easy to play with all of that.”

[Trini]

Latest Chronicles of Cisco post.

[Trini]

Zack Stenz no longer writing for The Flash.  :(

[phoenics]

Crap!!  I loved Zack!  Ugh!

[RedVitC]

Sad to see Zack go. He wrote 2 of my favorite episodes.

Watchmojo ranked the Arrowverse heroes (top 10)

 

Barry is ranked number 1. There were also a few honorable mentions and Iris got an honorable mention, nice!

[mtlchick]

Look out for a tie in for the Lego Batman movie!

 

http://www.tvinsider.com/gallery/arrow-the-flash-supergirl-lego-billboards/#6

[Trini]

2 hours ago, mtlchick said:

Look out for a tie in for the Lego Batman movie!

 

http://www.tvinsider.com/gallery/arrow-the-flash-supergirl-lego-billboards/#6

Aww!

[Trini]

Interview with Keiynan (Wally):

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Barry dropped this huge bomb on Wally at the end of last week. When this episode picks up, what can you say about Wally's initial reaction to now being the one who has to save Iris?

Keiynan Lonsdale: I mean I think that's just a lot of pressure. I think that's a lot thrown on him. But at the same time, he's definitely prepared to step up, and part of him will also be excited at the idea of training with Barry and being allowed to be his full speedster self. It's definitely frightening to him, for sure.

... In addition to everything else he's dealing with, Wally is also keeping Iris' future death from Joe (Jesse L. Martin). How does he feel about keeping such a huge secret from his dad?

Lonsdale: He hates it. This show and these characters, these people, they've all dealt with secrets before and we don't want any of that. No one does. No one wants to have secrets. I think Wally doesn't like to hide things from people and we see, even the last episode where Wally is looking out for Iris, where he can't help but say, "Iris put herself in danger," because he does what he thinks is best. Every single part of him wants to tell Joe what's going on, but that's not what he's being advised to do and he's trying to respect that as much as possible. But he's torn, completely.

[Trini]

Posting for the pic they used to promote their poll. :)

[Trini]

5 hours ago, mtlchick said:

Look out for a tie in for the Lego Batman movie!

http://www.tvinsider.com/gallery/arrow-the-flash-supergirl-lego-billboards/#6

And here's the promo! I think Grant got to say the most:

[Trini]

More interviews with Keiynan (from the same conference call?):

Screener TV, Collider, and Yahoo TV.
 

[Trini]

'How CW’s Television Superheroes Get Their Powers' - about the panel at the TCAs last month:

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... From there, the teams look for a sweet spot combining live-action stunts, special effects, and pyrotechnics with digital character and scene builds, within the allotted time and monetary budget. The houses use standard industry software—, 3DS Max, and Nuke—with some proprietary coding for unique flourishes. Since the VFX budget hasn’t changed, they’ll amortize the cost of asset builds by reusing them in multiple episodes.

"To me, the best sequences are the ones that are a blend of both," says Kreisberg. "When there’s as much reality as it can be within it, it actually enhances the digital world."

"When everything is completely digital, the audience can tell," adds Guggenheim. "It may be cheaper and easier to do it digitally, but we always want to start with doing it practically and have visual effects enhance it rather than start just from a place of, 'Oh, we'll just do it digitally.’" ...

[Trini]

Lego tie-in end card:

[Trini]

Grant, Candice, and EPs Kreisberg and the Helbings will be at Paleyfest on March 18.

[Trini]

Latest Chronicles of Cisco: HR thanks Cisco for saving him....

[xaxat]

Tom Cavanagh will be hoopin' it up in the NBA Celebrity All Star game.

[Trini]

"Attack on Gorilla City" promo:

[Trini]

Violett Beane (Jesse Quick) previews the next episode: (some *spoilers* for events in the first episode)

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“It’s going to be pretty massive,” Beane says of the multiverse arc. “There’s a battle between Grodd and his own gorilla friends,” sparked by a power play by Solovar, a sentient ape voiced by Keith David. ....

(Speaking of locations, a fun fact: Beane shares that a relentless Vancouver snowfall forced filming of the Gorilla City scenes to be moved south of the original site. After all, “You can’t really have a jungle with snow in it!”)

Edited February 14, 2017 by Trini

[Trini]

Really nice interview with Keiynan Lonsdale about his career, Wally West, and other roles:

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You mentioned that you're learning a lot of things yourself. What sorts of things are you learning, as an actor and as a person?

Even the simple thing of sliding in, or when we have to do the technical elements of things for visual effects. Luckily I have Grant there, and I get to see how he works, and it's so quick and efficient. Pun, pun [laughs]. But just the technical aspects of things, and getting to do a lot of green screen stuff, which is always fun. Yeah. It's been a good experience.

... What led you on this path of being a performer?

I can't remember a time when I didn't want to be on stage. From, like, two, three years old, I was obsessed with Michael Jackson, and just wanted to be on stage with him. And my mum put me in dance classes, but I had a lot of social anxiety and didn't want to be around people; I didn't like to look at anyone in the eye, so that was a difficult thing to get over. So I left, and I just decided to perform in the living room in my house. Eventually my mum was, like, "Look, if you want to perform, the people are gonna have to look at you at some point. Like, that's what happens!" And I really had an issue with that. I didn't want anyone watching me. But eventually, I was like, "Okay. I'll go to classes and I'll go on stage. As long as people don't look at me when I'm not dancing, then I'm fine!" And eventually, I got over that innocence, and when I went to high school, I went to a performing arts high school in Sydney, and it showed me that there were even more levels of performing than dance. ...

... What is it about Australian superheroes? You gave us Wolverine, Thor, Kid Flash...

I guess the fact is, if we've moved all the way to America; gotten a visa, a green card; moved away from our family and our friends, you best believe that we're gonna work hard and make it work. So I think that's what it is. If you've made that commitment, you're obviously putting absolutely everything into this, and I think that's why we generally have a good reputation for having a great work ethic, and we take what we do really seriously, but at the same time, we have fun.

[Trini]

Extended promo for "Attack on Gorilla City" :

[zannej]

Thanks for the extended promo!

I love how enthusiastic Julian was about it being like Planet of the Apes and wanting to go to another earth.

It will be interesting to see how it plays out. When does this one air? Is there a week break?

[Trini]

Posting for the new promo pic:

[Trini]

New Chronicles of Cisco: http://chroniclesofcisco.tumblr.com/post/157203423755/times-are-stressful-as-frak-i-mean-we-got-the

[Trini]

[jay741982]

20 hours ago, zannej said:

Thanks for the extended promo!

I love how enthusiastic Julian was about it being like Planet of the Apes and wanting to go to another earth.

It will be interesting to see how it plays out. When does this one air? Is there a week break?

Yes there was a week break. Gotta say I'm looking forward to this. I'm guessing Jessie doesn't accompany them to find her dad so they can keep up the CC has two flashes thing  

[Trini]

Video about the special effects of "Attack on Gorrilla City", but there's also a short clip from part 2:

[Trini]

Candice was in L.A. for an Oscars party:

[Trini]

Interview with Kreisberg about the Grodd episodes: (Some non-gorilla excerpts:)

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TVLINE | I appreciated Cisco’s throwaway line establishing that Earth-Two’s Africa is cold. Was that because you knew we’d be seeing the actors’ breath outside?
[Laughs] You know, we’re just dealing with the realities of Vancouver. And it being Earth-Two, anything’s possible. The actors are serious troupers, though, it was very, very cold. But we just went for it. This is what Mother Nature has given us, so we’ll march forward.

TVLINE | You took a moment in that episode to let Caitlin and Julian have that talk. Why was it important for that conversation to happen?
Because Julian has feelings for Caitlin and she’s important to him. He’s kind of an old-school guy going against a woman is clearly formidable and able to take care of herself, so he’s just trying to be a gentleman. He wanted to make sure that, since she’s a woman he cares about, he would be there for her in this alternate world. Plus, he got the opportunity to go to another Earth!

TVLINE | What might Iris herself do, in the name of changing her future?
Honestly, I don’t want to give anything away on that front at this moment.

Oh sure, Kreisberg. We know your record on letting Iris do stuff. :-/

[Trini]

Well, Natalie Abrams doesn't like Barry Allen, and managed to pick out the quotes that support that. Which is fine; but then she's blaming him for the villains' actions, which is ridiculous.

Edited February 28, 2017 by Trini

[Trini]

Tom Cavanagh is directing an episode.

[Trini]

2017 Saturn Awards nominations for The Flash:

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This year's awards show is slated to take place on June 28 in Burbank California.

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Best Superhero Adaptation Television Series:
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Arrow
The Flash
Gotham
Legion
Supergirl

Best Actor on a Television Series:
Bruce Campbell (Ash vs. Evil Dead)
Mike Colter (Marvel's Luke Cage)
Charlie Cox (Marvel's Daredevil)
Grant Gustin (The Flash)
Sam Heughan (Outlander)
Freddie Highmore (Bate's Motel)
Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead)

Best Supporting Actress on a Television Series:
Kathy Bates (American Horror Story: Roanoke)
Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead)
Melissa McBride (The Walking Dead)
Thandie Newton (Westworld)
Candice Patton (The Flash)
Adina Porter (American  Horror Story: Roanoke)
Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld)

[Trini]

"Attack on Central City" recaps:

TVLine;
Inverse;
Hypable;
BuddyTV;
Fansided;

DC Comics: Grodd info
 

[Trini]

Reviews:

TV Guide:

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So, you combine an episode arc that makes a sort of sense for the characters but doesn't fit the show tonally (and whose results are a foregone conclusion) with a staging of "Waiting for Groddot," and you get a very dull conclusion a very dull two-parter.

...If there was one big bright spot to the whole affair, and "Attack on Central City" in particular, it was Barry's marriage proposal to Iris. The story around the ring was really good, but just the whole proposal itself felt very meaningful....

Collider:

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... Dedicating an episode to the Flash team dealing with an army of sentient, super-powered apes from an alternate reality is a storyline that you’d expect from a comic book, but not so much from a prime time television show. Understandably, the show’s budget didn’t allow for the entire episode to be devoted to Flash fighting a telepathic gorilla twice his size, but thanks to the strength of the characters, we’re able to forget about the special effect shenanigans and focus on the interactions they all have with one another. Our latest episode manages to find a healthy balance between character moments and high speed action, though does stumble once or twice along the way.

IGN:

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The Flash wrapped up an ambitious two-part storyline in fine form this week. Once again the show was forced to rely on Gorilla Grodd and his gorilla army sparingly, but the final showdown between Grodd and Solovar offered a truly epic finish to the conflict. And along the way, there was plenty of amusing character drama and a subtle focus on the growing pressure Barry faces as he tries to protect Iris.

EW: recap/review:

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Although I didn’t find tonight’s episode as exhilarating as last week’s, I thought it did a pretty good job of picking up the threads of part one, particularly when it came to the importance of hope. It’s been a while since the show has embraced the optimism of its premise, so it was nice to see both Barry and Gyspy step up to the plate.