The Flash in the Media

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USA Today article about the musical:

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The Crazy Ex-Girlfriend co-creator and star penned one of the original tunes in a two-part superhero spectacular “overstuffed with joy and fun,” says Flash and Supergirl executive producer Andrew Kreisberg.

“I’m used to wearing a cape, and Grant is used to being in the cowl, and it was a nice change to be doing something so different,” adds Benoist, who’s part of a mini-Glee reunion with Gustin and Darren Criss.

... Bloom describes the tune as “kind of a comment on all of those songs like Together Wherever We Go or You’re the Top, a very classic musical-theater ‘We’ll always stick together’ song that knows it’s super cheesy.

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Variety Paleyfest report -- not as much info as the others.

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What were the answers??

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Hollywood reporter Paleyfest report *spoilers*

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'PaleyFest 2017: 11 Things to Expect on The Flash, Supergirl, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow' --*spoilers* - info from the panel, and interviews with the producers and casts.

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3 hours ago, Trini said:

USA Today article about the musical:

I didn't realize at first, but there's a clip of Grant and Melissa's "Super Friend" duet at this link!

(I might stop looking for news about the musical, I want to be surprised!)

[legaleagle53]

I am so looking forward to Tuesday's musical episode.  It's obvious that everyone had a blast making it, and when that kind of joy shows up in the finished product, it's definitely worth seeing.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

John Barrowman on appearing in the musical episode:

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Video: quotes from Grant, Candice, and Todd Helbing about the musical: http://www.tvguide.com/news/the-flash-grant-gustin-supergirl-musical-crossover/

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EW interviews about the musical *spoilers*: Grant Gustin,

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Are you actually singing when you guys are doing the takes? Or are you just relying on stuff you did in the studio?

Yeah, I mean, it’s the same exact way that Glee did it, which is you go in before, record your demo technically, and they use the flip track to play on the day. So it’s really us singing and then usually you sing overtop of the track so that what they’re shooting doesn’t look like you’re just lip syncing. It looks like you’re singing for real. So I’m singing for real, but it won’t be like our live singing performance. It’s a pre-recorded performance.

Were you nervous since you haven’t done this in a while?

Yeah, I was, but I just handle it the way I handle this job always, which was to not think about it until I’m literally doing it. [Laughs] So I usually have nerves for maybe an hour leading up to something. I was pretty nervous because I’d been sick, too — Melissa was as well — when we went in to record our music. Both of us were really congested, so I was nervous that morning, but it was fine. I’ve actually not been nervous about the dance aspects because, more than anything else, my true foundation was tap dance. So it’s been cool to get back to it.

and Jeremy Jordan:

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So Winn and Cisco don’t get to interact.

I know! Winn doesn’t even come with them! I don’t know why Winn didn’t come through the portal, but listen he’s got a girlfriend now, so he’s a little preoccupied.

How do you think he’ll feel when he hears what they went through?

Oh, he’s pissed I’m sure. In the Supergirl episode that leads up to this, he specifically talks about how cool it would be to meet Cisco and that they’d be best friends if they lived in the same universe. ...<snipped for Supergirl spoiler>... But I’m sure it’ll happen. This is kind of a fun alternative to that.

Edited March 20, 2017 by Trini

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Red Carpet questions with Todd Helbing and Grant Gustin: https://supergirl.tv/2017-paleyfest-red-carpet-interviews

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So it took this crossover to get new portraits of (only some) of the cast? Come on, WB/CW -- Flash  hasn't had new photos of the cast for 3 seasons!

'6 Portraits from 'The Flash'-'Supergirl' Musical Crossover'

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Latest Chronicles of Cisco:

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Soooooooo….. Barry and Iris have hit a bit of a skid in their relationship which means I’ve got a new roommate until they patch things up. You’d think it’d be awesome living with a guy who can clean the entire apartment in five seconds flat, but it’s actually pretty unsettling. 

On a related, unrelated note, things in my own romantic life have been less than stellar since Gypsy ghosted me to go back to Earth-19. You think dating a girl in another state is hard; try keeping the flame burning when there’s an entire multiverse between you. 

Anyway, to stop Barry from speed-rearranging my digs every two minutes, and to deal with our mutual heartbreak, I took my boy out for an afternoon of pure bromance. ...

[RedVitC]

Love those posters/portrait. I think this might be the first time Candice/Iris is on a Flash poster, right (if you can call it a poster)?

[RedVitC]

10 hours ago, doram said:

She's the second billed star and she hasn't been on an official poster??

I don't think so. Someone correct me if I'm wrong? It's usually just Flash on the poster, or a villain or a character with powers. I vaguely remember Harry being on a poster last year, though. 

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Darren Criss musical promo:

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Candice Patton interview:

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What was it like filming Iris’ death opposite a CGI Savitar?

Strange. I had no idea at first how they were going to handle the character of Savitar. Then, realizing he was going to be fully CGI, I was a bit worried on how to work the scene. The questions that followed while shooting were, how tall is he? Where does he have a hold on me? What do his arms look like? Where does he stab me? You have only so much information, and you have no idea what it’s going to look like in post.

Naturally you worry if it’s going to come together and look right — but it did. I was happy with how that scene turned out. I love our show when the VFX and emotion come together in perfect harmony to create an amazingly impactful moment. I was also worried I’d be shooting different versions of the scene every other episode until the finale. Thankfully, I think I’ve only had to do it two times, and one other small shot when Wally sees her bare finger.

Iris has had a lot to process this season. How has she been dealing with everything thrown at her lately?

She’s gone through a range of emotions. She’s been vulnerable. We saw her scared about her future death. We’ve seen her emboldened, acting out recklessly, knowing that if she isn’t going to die until a certain date in the future, that she couldn’t die in the present. And we’ve seen her strong and stoic – showing up to S.T.A.R. Labs to help save Central City against other meta humans, and she’s even been a calming force for Barry while he struggles with her possible death.

Paleyfest interviews with the producers, and Grant and Candice:

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What else is to come for Iris?

PATTON: Her coming to terms with the fact that she may die. Very soon, she may reach the end of her life, and that is a terrifying concept to have to deal with. You see her start to plan for that. She will ask Barry to make sure he takes care of Wally, looks out for Joe, and keeps everyone intact. She’s actively thinking about the possibility that she could die. Like anyone with a terminal illness, you go through all of the emotions. If you only have so much time to live, you want to live it to the fullest, and try to be there for your family. She has to come to terms with the fact that she may die.

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Savitar’s look has become more practical rather than full CGI, in the last few episodes. What was behind the choice to change that?

HELBING: It was for production reasons. Those things get cost prohibitive. Our VFX team is phenomenal, but we wanted to marry the two and get the physicality. They still interacted pretty physically with the CG. It’s just a different elements. Sometimes, I’ll watch it on Tuesday night and I won’t be able to tell.

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Collider: Barry has had to face a lot of darkness this season, most of it by his own making. Is there a light at the end of that tunnel, when it comes to making all of his time-based mistakes?

GRANT GUSTIN: To be honest, I don’t really know. I haven’t read the last three episodes yet. Coming out of the musical, it’s easier for Barry to re-establish his optimism. I think he’s acknowledged to Iris that that first proposal did come from a place of fear, even though it was also coming from a place of true, deep love. The way he comes right back at it with, “That was from a place of fear, but I love you more than anything and this is what I want, so I’m going to make sure this doesn’t happen,” is all they have to lean on, for the rest of the season. That doesn’t necessarily mean they have an easy road, but they re-establish that this is true love and it’s all they have, right now, to get them through this. At least they have that.

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More Paleyfest interview quotes from the Helbings and Kreisberg:

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We got the chance to ask Executive Producer Todd Helbing about the creative decisions that lead to season three’s darker tone. He explained this season of The Flash by saying, “It’s one of those things where I don’t think that going darker was our intention at the start of the season, but it just sort of evolved that way. We’re certainly cognizant of it now, and that was one of the reasons why with the Grodd episodes we tried to have a little bit more fun, and especially with the musical — that’s such a light episode and it’s such a breath of fresh air. But ironically, a couple of the episodes before the end are a lot lighter than what we’ve had so far.”

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... So, as everyone continues working towards saving Iris, will our leading lady take a stab at trying to save herself?

“Yes, she definitely will,” promised Executive Producer Aaron Helbing. “You will see Iris be a badass, I’ll put it that way. We’ve showed episodes where when she was a little girl Joe trained her, so she knows how to fight. She knows how to handle weapons. You will definitely see Iris kick ass, and it will be in a very satisfying way.”

Executive Producer Todd Helbing added, “After the musical episode you’ll really see her start to proactively take charge.

I'll believe it when I see it....

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'Why The Flash, Supergirl, Once Upon a Time, and More Are Suddenly Singing'

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“It does suggest a cyclical interest in musical theater,” says Rachel Bloom, star and creator of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. “Because in the 2000s, Buffy did a musical episode, Scrubs did one, and How I Met Your Mother did musical elements.” Bloom, whose own series is gearing up for a third season, wrote one of two original numbers for the upcoming episode of The Flash. (Oscar-winning La La Land lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul penned the other; the remaining numbers are covers.) Both Andrew Kreisberg, executive producer of The Flash, and Katy Colloton, another co-creator of Teachers, cite a love of musical theater as the inspiration for their respective special episodes.

EW interview with Kreisberg about the musical crossover:

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Was there any one song you wanted to get in?

There wasn’t one song we definitely wanted to get in. Greg had always wanted Melissa to sing “Moon River,” so that was really important to him, and she sings so beautifully. “More I Cannot Wish You” actually came from Victor Garber. Victor had always wanted to sing that, so that’s where that came from, and having that song about a father singing to his daughter sort of helps influence the storyline that we came up with, with them being trapped in the movie musical.

You have a plethora of talent, but who has surprised you during this process?

I don’t want to say it’s a surprise, but it’s the speed with which Grant and Melissa learned their dancing. I realize they have a lot of fight choreography and they learn that stuff, but I think for them it’s like muscle memory, back to their Glee days of just having to learn very complicated dance moves on the fly. If they came in and did an elaborate fight sequence, I’d say, “Well, that’s just their jobs,” but to me, I look at people dancing, and all of it’s a mystery to me, so they were able to learn this elaborate dance for a two-minute long song, and they would just perform it every single time and never mess up. That I was truly in awe of.

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Quotes from the musical cast from E!Online:

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"It's always fun to kind of put down the weight that Barry carries. And this, I think, has been the heaviest season for Barry," Grant Gustin tells us. "I mean last year started to get pretty dark too, but this, obviously carrying the knowledge that Iris is supposed to die, it's like anything and everything that he does, in the back of his mind, is gonna be, I can't let this happen. It was really fun to abandon that for an episode." 

I mean, if even your lead actor hates the storylines.... Take the hint, EPs.

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It's also fun to watch Barry and Kara and everyone else from the DC comics world abandon their usual duties for a bit of song and dance, and no matter your musical taste, there's something for everyone. There's some Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, some La La Land, and some Broadway classics, and a whole lot of beautiful jokes. 

"I think we've created something really special," Patton says. "I think anyone who's not a fan of musicals should give us a shot. I think it's a great, great episode."

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Paleyfest red carpet interview with Grant Gustin (video); talks about the musical, developments later in the season, Barry+Iris, Krystal, Tom Felton, and how he started dancing.

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'Grant Gustin, Candice Patton Open Up About the Latest 'WestAllen' Development'

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EntertainmentTonight interviews with Grant and Candice - spoilers for "Duet"

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Another episode post-mortem: 'What's next for Barry and Iris?'

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Late but, Carlos Valdes' promo for the musical:

Behind the scenes featurette about the music:

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Behind the scenes photos and video at https://www.instagram.com/flashbehindtheseams/

And the Flash instagram:

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Jesse L. Martin musical promo:

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TVLine's performer of the week:

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HONORABLE MENTION | Whereas Arrow‘s Amell effectively mined darkness, The Flash‘s Grant Gustin immersed himself in lightness and love as Barry and super friend Kara (a buoyant Melissa Benoist) sang and danced their way through a musical mirage erected by the Music Meister. Above and beyond Gustin’s performance as a singer, the Glee grad’s acting was peppered with tiny touches — Barry barely holding back his inner fanboy as “Joe” sang a duet with “Stein,” or cluing in Kara to his new time travel restrictions — that were the very best Easter eggs to find and collect. But yes, it was Gustin’s closing serenade to scene partner Candice Patton, the look of deep love pouring out of his peepers throughout, that brought us to our feet clapping, cheering for an encore.

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"Duet" reviews:

io9:

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Take Criss’ Music Meister, for instance, who showed up in the last five minutes of Supergirl the night before for no real reason, then came over to Flash to do much the same. He goes from making dream musical worlds, to being able to absorb super powers, and then goes and robs a bank just because, and by the end of it, he’s basically an intergalactic cosmic matchmaker from the Fifth Dimension in the style of Mr. Mxyzptlk and then dances off stage left .... There’s no real motive or clear intention for his presence other than to force the musical episode into existence.

... This all might sound like I didn’t like “Duet.” But oh, dear reader, it was actually so much fun that all of the above complaints don’t bother me in the slightest. The Flash is at its very best when it just rolls with as having as much fun as possible, and can poke fun at itself at the same time. The power of love and how music can cheer us all up aside, that’s what this episode was really all about.

Vanity Fair:(gif warning)

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It’s important to acknowledge first that The Flash has a massive advantage over other musical episodes of television. Unlike the musical episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Scrubs (or even certain Oscar-winning movies), The Flash doesn’t have to convince audiences that its leading men and women can sing. Because they can, and without the benefit of autotune. Glee alums Grant Gustin ... and Melissa Benoist ... make up the central duo of the episode, and from Kara’s nightclub rendition of “Moon River” to the original songs “Super Friend” and “Runnin’ Home to You” that close out the hour, Gustin and Benoist deliver pitch-perfect performances with the comfortable ease of actors who know exactly what they’re doing. And Gustin, for the record, can also pull off a mean soft shoe.

... This moment also leaned heavily on one of The Flash’s most reliable strengths: emotional dads. Martin is famous for delivering what he likes to call “Joe-ments”: the moment in any given Flash episode where Joe West’s soft-hearted parenting will jerk the tears right out the audience. In “Duet,” they went for a triple whammy of father figures. It’s almost unfair.

TV Guide:

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One of Flash's defining qualities at the onset was that it wasn't particularly grim, like its parent show, Arrow. And while the two shows still feel tonally different, the space between them sometimes feels like it's narrowing, and it's not a tone that completely suits Flash. And yet, the writers and producers keep leaning into it.

So please imagine my surprise when one of the show's executive producers, Todd Helbing, recently told TVGuide.com that "sometimes our cast is at the best, and our show is at the best, when it's more lighthearted episodes." Helbing said this in reference to this week's episode, "Duet," and he's so very right.

... If there is one thing that hobbles "Duet" and its happiness-based resolutions, it's that they are too easy, at least in regards to Flash .... The episode does acknowledge this with Barry mentioning how easy things are in musicals, and that does provide the show an out, to a certain degree.

Collider:

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It’s always a risky proposition when a series does a themed episode, but The Flash was as perfect as possible in its execution of its first musical. It hit all the high notes with laughs, heart, love, and tears. The song selections were spot on for the scenes and for the actors singing them. Each of those performances are going to be fan favorites for a long time.

... Grant Gustin and Melissa Benoist were as charming as ever together. It’s an absolute delight whenever these two get to work together. With both Barry and Kara breaking up with their significant others prior to “Duet,” the story could have successful put them together romantically for the hour, but it was about the exact opposite. These two friends worked together to save themselves and to find where their true hearts belonged. It was touching to see how they navigated the problems in their own love lives through the musical.

... With all the heartache and suffering the superheroes go through day in and day out, it was time for them to get a little happiness and love in their hearts.

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More "Duet" reviews:

IGN:

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... It was all very surreal, and a terrifically fun diversion from all the doom and gloom the series has been embroiled in for most of 2017. There's a lot to be said for giving viewers a break and focusing more on entertainment than drama.

... The humor tended to work for the same reasons it did in "Welcome to Earth 2" last year. It's fun seeing familiar characters taking on drastically different roles. ... "Duet" rarely went a minute or two without rolling out some weird, wonderful new wrinkle on the usual formula.

... Despite the goofy premise, this episode didn't entirely shy away from current Flash/Supergirl continuity. For one thing, we got to see a really neat team-up with Kid Flash, Martian Manhunter and Vibe, which once again served as a reminder of just how deep the Arrow-verse is diving into the depths of the DCU. ...

AV Club:

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... After weeks of dour, angst-ridden soap opera, The Flash is fun again thanks to the sort of format-breaking escapade that should happen much more often. This is a comic-book multiverse where anything is possible, so why spend so much time running in circles? And while “Duet” works pretty well as a standalone, it actually ties into the season-long plot by resolving an issue that could have lingered unpleasantly for many more weeks, which is reason enough to be grateful.

... Of course it’s all corny as hell, but what kind of musical tribute would this be if it weren’t? The plot is just a clothesline on which to hang the song-and-dance numbers, most of which are as enchanting as hoped. ... These numbers aren’t especially elaborate in their staging or choreography, but they’re delivered with flair and exuberance, captured cleanly by episode director Dermott Downs. The one clunker is the sappy power ballad “Runnin’ Home To You” from the La La Land team of Benji Pasek and Justin Paul, but in context it almost works as Barry and Iris get re-engaged, presumably for the right reasons this time.

Den of Geek:

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But holy moley if I didn't get chills the minute Melissa Benoist started singing "Moon River." Despite my misgivings, "Duet" was kinda delightful. I'm not always the most patient viewer, and The Flash has work to do as it enters the final lap this year, and I kind of want them to get on with it.

But then again, what the hell else were they going to do? Give us some third rate villain of the week who wouldn't be half as charming as Darren Criss' Music Meister? No, I have to admit, "Duet" was the right move, and by the time everything wrapped up, it proved to be the right way to put the ongoing Barry/Iris saga back on track. I could have done without that second original song, though.

Somewhere in the middle of this, they even managed to squeeze in a quick segment of genuine superhero action. Maybe it was the novelty of the frontline team being Martian Manhunter, Vibe, and Kid Flash (an unlikely combo), or the fact that I think it's the first time we've seen real snow in Central City in this show's entire history, but that was just a great visual....

Vulture:

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... “Duet” is neither revelatory nor a complete disaster, packed as it may be with stage talents like Jesse L. Martin, Victor Garber, and John Barrowman. But it is so entertaining and heartwarming, it’s easy to look past the nagging plot issues.

... If you haven’t guessed by now, “Duet” is utter nonsense. But it’s the sort of saccharine, vibrant nonsense that’s held together by great signing, decent songs, and a lot of charm. I especially enjoyed seeing Barry and Kara interact. Their song and tap-dance number about being super friends (pun intended), which was written by Crazy Ex-Girlfriend star Rachel Bloom, is simply joyful.

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Geek.com recap/review:

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This was exactly the sort of sappy fun The Flash needed at this point in the season. After weeks of increasingly dark and depressing episodes, this was the perfect break from all that. Better still, it was more than a fun detour. It had a purpose and got Barry and Iris’s relationship back on track. Darren Criss was a wonderful ham, relishing every scenery-chewing moment he was on camera. Yes, a mysterious alien appearing from nowhere to fix the characters’ relationship problems is a little too convenient, but after the last few weeks, I don’t care. ...

Polygon:

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Flash and Supergirl awake with a renewed dedication to their loved ones and Music Meister takes credit for their improved love lives before fading into a different universe. Barry delivers an original love song called "Runnin' Home To You" that tore my heart into ribbons. You've done it, Flash. You've finally done it. I wasn't ready and you blindsided me and now I have cried during an episode of The Flash and there's no coming back. ...

In the end, there was so much spectacle to behold that it is difficult to unpack it all. A straightforward plot allowed for some straightforward character momentum focusing on our leads without getting lost in every other sidekick B-story. Is the message about requiring extra-dimensional villains to fix you a good story? Meh. But there was so much heart, from start to finish, and heart is overwhelmingly all that this show wants to project. So when you get something exactly on message, who am I to argue?

JoBlo recap/review:

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My biggest complaint about this episode is that there were not enough songs! For a musical episode, this hour only has five songs and doesn't even give Grant Gustin or Darren Criss a decent amount of singing. While this is more of an alternate reality episode like last season's "The Runaway Dinosaur" or "Welcome To Earth-2", this episode manages to progress some of the relationship drama on both series. Even if it is a standalone that doesn't address the big Savitar plot, this was a welcome aside into the bright and cheery world of The Flash that we have not really seen since the first season. There is a smile on everyone's face in this hour and there is a powerful sense of humor that made me truly enjoy watching The Flash for the first time in a long while. I loved this episode but I recognize how divisive it will be for those who are not big musical fans. As a standalone episode, this ranks as one of the all-time best of The Flash.

Blastr:

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... For a musical episode, they actually kind of played this one a little safe. Which is a shame, because they have a boatload of musical talent on the payroll — and that final duet between Barry and Kara showed just how fun this could've been all along. This episode wasn't bad by any means, and parts of it were really good. The covers were fine and the performances were top-notch ... which was to be expected, because a whole lot of this cast can belt it. But, for something like this, originals really felt like the way to go. ...

... Dealing with these characters, and their histories, there's more than enough material to mine for original tunes instead of covers. Plus, aside from the two dance numbers, this was mostly just singing. Not so much a musical, really, just an episode where the talented cast could show off their voices. Which was great, no doubt. If you're doing a musical episode, especially one in a dream world of the 1920s, go all out. Go nuts with it. Get goofy. This show could've used more goofy.

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More reviews:

Observer:

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... Basically, this is the long road to saying that nothing outside of comic books has understood, utilized and mastered the importance of the Big Event better than CW’s The Flash.

... But, despite it all, The Flash is by far one of the most entertaining things on modern TV, because by Grodd can it pull off an Event.

... Last night, The Flash one-upped itself with “Duet,” which, in classic Event fashion, doubled as a cross-over. Here, the cast of DC series/actual ball of light Supergirl joined Barry and Co. for a Whedon-esque musical episode. Here’s the key thing to “Duet,” which saw a trickster-villain named Music Meister (Glee‘s Darren Criss) trapping Barry and Kara inside a musical of their own creation: it was as charming as it was nonsensical, and so entertaining you’d hardly notice it made next to no narrative impact on The Flash overall. Seriously, if you want a visual metaphor for the substance of “Duet,” it would be the Music Meister literally twirling away into nothingness:

Nerdist:

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... It was such a delightful surprise to see that the showrunners took a positive turn with the story. It would have been so easy for Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, etc. have Barry and Kara physically fight and defeat a villainous Music Meister, lock him up, and go back to their separate universes to deal with their broken hearts in subsequent episodes. Instead they had to “follow the script” of the movie musical they were trapped in inside their minds, which resulted in Kara learning how to forgive her boyfriend Mon-El for lying about his royal background and Barry learning that no matter what the future held with Savitar’s prophecy, he and Iris would face it together as an engaged couple. It was a happy ending for both our heroes and the audience, who have had to go along with such dark and depressing seasons for both The Flash and Supergirl.

TV Overmind:

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“Duet” brings back the fun loving side of The Flash that utilizes a lighthearted “villain” in Music Meister, to teach Kara and Barry a lesson that should clear their heads before facing their biggest challenges. While the episode had plenty of potential to feel as though it were an out of place filler, the musical insertion actually turns out to be a ton of fun and something that becomes a lot more important than it had to be. While it gets mentioned (by myself) a lot, The Flash is a show about Barry growing into the hero that the comics present him as; a long-term origin story that displays even heroes aren’t perfect overnight. Episodes like “Duet” are what really remind viewers that these shows are about flawed characters learning how to be great.

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The general consensus seems to be that there needs to be more lightheartedness and optimism, and less doom and gloom.

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A few more reviews of "Duet":
Empire:

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Insofar as crossovers are concerned, perhaps the biggest surprise with "Duet" is how effective it is, how well members of these casts can sing, and that in many ways it's more satisfying than the epic "Invasion" storyline was. Much of this could have to do with the fact that the spotlight shines so brightly on the two most endearing performers in this DC TV universe, Benoist and Gustin, who have a genuine chemistry with each other that has nothing to do with sexual tension. One can only hope that the producers of both shows will come up with future plot devices to bring them together more often.

If there is a weak spot to be found, it might be in the Music Meister himself, Darren Criss. Perhaps designed to be more whimsical than he comes across, we don't get much of a sense of who this guy is. Admittedly there is dialogue where he establishes at the end what he's about, but enigmatic without payoff is frustrating.

Screen Rant:

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‘Duet’ was a silly episode and certainly one that will irritate those who just abhor musical theater. But for anyone else, it was a hoot. Barry and Kara had a chance to return to their more light-hearted selves, free of their serious burdens, and both shows patched up their main couples in an efficient manner. The real draw was getting to hear cast members sing and watch them dance, which to be fair, has been done before and even better by shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but ‘Duet’ was still a most enjoyable distraction. And good timing, too, because with only a handful of episode left, both Supergirl and The Flash are about to get more grim.

[RedVitC]

Has Supergirl really been darker this season, though? 

[RedVitC]

This site chose the final scene of the musical (song and proposal) as the TV moment of the week. (The article is bigger, I quoted some pieces):

This Week’s Most Exquisite TV Moment 

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Grant Gustin’s voice is something I’ve adored since Glee. (Even when I quit the show, I’d still keep up with the music.) And to hear it come out once more for such a pure, wondrous relationship was something I couldn’t have ever imagined. The tenderness in Gustin’s expressions cobbled with the gorgeous sincerity in his voice made for an exquisite song that’d be etched in our memories for a long, long time. Now while Grant Gustin’s sweet voice and gentleness were a real treat to watch, it was Candice Patton’s sincerity that had me bawling. Iris was so taken aback by the gesture, and you knew in that moment that she could feel his love with a fervency she’s never felt before. You could see the ardent adoration in her expression light the room just as he sang of her being the light. (I swear I thought I was gonna melt as they slow danced.)

It was moving. It was lovely. It was everything I could’ve asked for in their proposal. This time, Barry wasn’t doing it to potentially save the future, he was doing it to keep the light in his life in a state of eternal bliss. Iris’ joy when he first proposed was unparalleled, and the realization that the truth hurt her haunted him greatly. That’s why when he did it once more through song, through sincere heartfelt lyrics, it was because he came to the realization that whatever the future holds, she is his, as he is hers, and however short their forever may be, he doesn’t want to waste a single moment of it. She’s been his home since they were kids, his past, his present, his future, and wherever she’s been, serenity has met them there, too. To promise forever with such a gorgeous showcase of the fact that they are each other’s everything remarkably illuminated the fact that where there’s pure, real love, there’s comfort — even in the darkest days, there is light.

 

[RedVitC]

A few shout outs to Barry and Iris in Fangirlish's Feels of the week article (there's some more Flash stuff, I've just quoted the Barry/Iris stuff):

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OTP of the Week

Nora: Barry and Iris are my favorite OTP this week (with Karamel coming in a close second)! The entire musical episode of The Flash was perfect. I love every musical number and every element that went into the episode. When Iris and Mon-El come crashing into the Music Meisters musical world is where my OTP feels really hit overdrive. Iris leaning over Barry after he’s been shot and him trying to tell her that he loves her with his last breathe was an emotional moment. Then Iris saves Barry with a kiss. Like c’mon, how adorable is that? But as if my WestAllen OTP feels weren’t in overdrive enough, Barry sings Iris a song and proposes to her again!!!! It was all so cute and for a couple that’s been through a lot this season, it was a wonderful moment! Also, hearing Grant Gustin singing Pasek & Paul was everything I needed in my life and more. 

 

 

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Quote of the Week

Lyra: “All I wanna to do is come running home to you, come running home to you. And all my life, I’ll promise to keep running home to you, keep running home to you.” – Barry Allen, SuperFlash Musical

 

[RedVitC]

Vanity Fair article: How The Flash Just Pulled Off the Best Musical TV Episode of All Time 

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It’s that final Pasek and Paul number that closes out “Duet,” giving it a heavyweight emotional moment that will endear it to longtime fans of The Flash. Free from the dream world but still in a musical mood, Barry croons out a marriage proposal to his long-time love (and comic book wife) Iris West in the form of the cutely named “Runnin’ Home to You.” It may be a bit saccharine for some, but it fits Barry’s sweetly romantic character like a glove.

[Trini]

IGN: 'Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Clip from the Musical Episode'; also a video interview with Grant, Candice, and the producers from Paleyfest.

EW: 'Who is Savitar?' -- previews tomorrow's episode and 3.19.

[Trini]

This week's Chronicles of Cisco:

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With Barry and Iris back on the right track, morale at a high - it felt appropriate that we all take a breather and go do something together.  And obviously, given what we were just up against it had to be karaoke. We got there and after a few rounds of liquid confidence everyone was ready to scan the book and pick their songs....

[Trini]

[Trini]

David Dastmalchian (Abra Kadabra) interview:

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We know that Abra Kadabra makes the offer to reveal Savitar’s true identity, if he’s let go. Is he truly sincere in that offer and can we trust the fact that he says he has that information, or is he the type of guy who would say anything to get out of a situation?

DASTMALCHIAN: Oh, I will say absolutely, on the record, that Abra Kadabra knows, 1,000%, the identity of Savitar. That’s no trick! With every magic trick, there comes some real concrete technology and real concrete information. How he can utilize that knowledge, and what power that gives him over Barry and his friends, and even Gypsy, who’s trying to take me back to Earth-19, is fascinating to watch unfold in this episode. This episode plays out, in many ways, like some of my favorite comic books have. In a short burst of time, we’re going to go on a hell of a ride with these guys....

[Trini]

Tom Felton interview at TVLine: about the latest developments, and working with the show.

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“It’s an incredible body of work, [producing] 23 episodes in a very short time. So to work with such a skilled cast as well as crew is something to behold,” he shared. “Everyone manages to work like an incredibly well-oiled machine.”

Producer/cast* comments on the Caitlin plot twist.

*(but not Danielle  :-/  )

[Trini]

"Abra Kadabra" recaps: EW, Collider, BuddyTV, ComicBook.com.

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David Dastmalchian interview:

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“It’s so amazing. You don’t get a better resource than with these kinds of characters,” Dastmalchian told ComicBook.com. “The fact that I have so many comics of my own, but then I got to go through and find either issues with Abra that I didn’t remember or stories that were so far back that they were before I was collecting comics. It was interesting and ironic that when this role came about, I was right in the midst of reading what was going on in Titans, where Abra was causing some serious problems for them, and I was loving it. When this opportunity came, it was kind of serendipitous because in my head I had already been thinking about him recently, creatively.”

Edited March 30, 2017 by Trini

[Trini]

"Abra Kadabra" reviews:
IGN:

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... Joe especially stood out this week as he wrestled with his responsibility to make Abra pay for his crimes and his need to protect his daughter. Jesse L. Martin had some strong scenes this week as that dilemma played out.

Another plus to this episode is that there was some unexpected momentum on the Killer Frost front. ... Caitlin got the chance to be a bad-ass in a squirm-inducing scene where she supervised her own emergency surgery. And by the time she emerged on the other side, her bond with Julian felt that much stronger and more believable.

... Who the hell has four Hamilton tickets to just randomly give away? That’s literally the most implausible thing that’s ever happened on this show, and Barry once punched a talking gorilla.

AV Club:

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... As played by David Dastmalchian (who has previously appeared as a Joker henchman in both The Dark Knight and Gotham), Kadabra has a vaguely creepy look and a scenery-gnawing delivery out of the Wentworth Miller playbook (though nowhere near as entertaining). As with Mirror Master earlier this season, the writers haven’t quite figured out how to fit him into this world; a couple of his tricks are fun (the spray of playing cards Barry runs through is very much a comic book panel come to life), but that aspect of his character is underutilized.

JoBlo:

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... We are just a handful of episodes away from the finale of The Flash's third season and we still do not know who the hell Savitar is. While one argument could be made that this ups the intensity of the season compared to prior years where we learned who our nemesis was and then focused on how to beat that person, this episode took one of The Flash's biggest foes and turned him into a plot device.

There was a lot of time devoted here to Caitlyn and Julian's relationship which was actually more interesting than it should have been. The dynamic between those two is intriguing but feels like it is being rushed in order to fill secondary plotlines each week. The finale with Caitlyn's full transformation into Killer Frost was some of the best bits from this episode but I just hope it wasn't a lot of posturing for a quick and easy fix that brings things back to normal next week.

[Trini]

More reviews:
Blastr:

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... Seeing Joe utterly defeated and on the verge of tears because he can't save Iris was heartbreaking stuff, and Jesse L. Martin was laying it all out on the table. Moral quandary or not, dude is trying to save his daughter. Whatever it takes. With the focus so often on Barry, Iris and the younger members of Team Flash, it's great to see Joe get a bit of screen time to see how he's grappling with Iris' imminent demise.

...The little flirtation between Cisco and Gypsy has been a fun subplot, but the two seemed to be on different shows in this one. Cisco was his jokey self while Gypsy was understandably hardcore about trying to bring Kadabra to justice (it's revealed he killed her partner a few years ago). It made sense, but the juxtaposition just seemed weird in this instance. Plus, c'mon, stop with the teases and let this thing go somewhere. Or not. Hopefully so, but still. It needs a bit of momentum.

Polygon:

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There's a point in the episode where Abra-Kadabra taunts Barry for being the fastest man alive but still too slow to save Iris. The weirdo pan-dimensional magician may not be a threat, but his evaluation of Barry's failings is shockingly present. If no one in this show ever evolves, they'll always wind up in the same disasters. Barry can run into a different age but he can't run into maturity — and that's a risk Barry and the show itself are willing to risk again.

Geek.com:

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The Flash has a ton of fantastic, colorful adversaries, and the best episodes are the ones that show them off. The metahuman-of-the-week episodes where Barry has to figure out how to beat an unexplainable new foe are so much fun. And this week’s episode had hints of that. David Dastmalchian’s performance is hammy and deliciously evil. Barry even gets a few good quips in during the brief fight scenes. It feels like it’s going to be a classic Flash episode until they capture Kadabra early on and it becomes about Savitar. Again.

TVOvermind:

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On one hand, the threat of Savitar and knowledge of Iris’ death, has been breaking down Team Flash left and right, which was shown once again last night when Joe chose to let Abra Kadabra free. The Flash is tackling the idea of living in blissful ignorance over horrifying truth pretty well so far, and it definitely has brought a nice lesson to the table for Barry and everyone else involved that will be a game changer in the character’s growth into becoming a better hero. Barry has been pretty carelessly running around and changing time since the show’s first season, but as mentioned before, it’s all about the character’s origin story and growth into a great hero. These are some necessary lessons for Barry to learn and Savitar is going to teach them, even if it comes in a the harshest way possible. However, at the same time, The Flash has suffered from building up villain reveals that end up feeling boring with lackluster finales. For how much Savitar is being built up, and the longer his identity remains a secret, The Flash writers better have something legitimately fresh and exciting planned for the show’s return.

[Trini]

Vulture recap/review:

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Abra Kadabra ultimately leaves as Gypsy’s prisoner, heading to his execution on Earth-19. What can Barry do now to save Iris since nothing else has worked? “It’s all just history to them. They’re armed with the future,” Barry says about his foes. So, Barry decides he’ll do something a touch reckless: travel to the future. This may lead to some problems, but it does open up an interesting story line.

Comics Alliance (conversation format):

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Dylan: He’s great, as per usual. I do love that Joe’s entire deal is making really bad deals and doing really dumb things in service of some idea of protecting his kids but it always just winds up going real wrong. I also enjoyed that we finally got Joe’s Protocols laid out plainly: he’s a cop who’s sworn to bring swift justice to those who violate the law, unless that interferes with him protecting his family, then all bets are off. He’s like Robocop but a dad and also a regular cop....

... Ziah: So Caitlin got impaled through the stomach by a pipe! Because we really don’t have enough graphic penetrations of women by phallic objects in the media we consume already. Still, her talking Julian through her own surgery was the rawest thing I’ve seen anyone do in this show in like five episodes, and probably the most I’ve liked her this whole season. What’d you think of Barry’s Allenatomy (like Barry Allen but also Grey’s Anatomy).

... Dylan: I feel like we should have more to talk about, but the sad fact is that there was a lot of real tedious wheel-spinning this episode between the very few actually-interesting things that happened in this episode. Maybe I’ve seen too much of this show and just I’m being mean? Or was this sort of a dull one?

... Ziah: Man, for real. I’ve actually been kind of annoyed at how good some of the character work has been, and how much individual actors... bring to the table, and how much the overall plot writing has failed them. It’s a real push-and-pull, and when Abra Kadabra (a villain I’ve been looking forward to for months!) showed up, I was just bored until the STARios stuff.

Den of Geek:

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So what's the problem? I dunno. Maybe I feel like they wasted the potential of Abra Kadabra (I can't believe I just typed that). Although it's not like the character is broken or off the table forever or anything. It just felt like Kadabra was just here to throw a few stones in our heroes' paths, let everyone run around and ultimately accomplish little/nothing, and talk at each other about the overall plot and how frustrated they are.

... As you can see, I didn't love "Abra Kadabra." It didn't drive me absolutely bonkers like season 2 episodes did around this time last year, so that's good. And it wasn't completely without merit. In particular, I enjoyed Barry's confidence that they would indeed make it to that Hamilton performance in July, as well as his appeal to Abra Kadabra to do the right thing....

[Trini]

This article is about The Flash movie, but it mentions the show:

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Then there’s the weird problem no other DC Comics live-action movie property has to deal with: There’s a hit “The Flash” television show on the CW. For a lot of fans, Grant Gustin is the Flash. Many fans hoped Gustin would be the speedster in the “Justice League” movie, but WB/DC has made it clear their television and movie DC Comics properties exist in separate universes. So even though Gustin is into his third season of speedily saving the day on “The Flash,” he won’t be the one making jokes with Batman on the big screen.

But Smallville was on when Superman Returns came out. Anyway, I don't see having a TV and a movie version of the same character as a problem. What might be a problem is the TV show running through every major Flash character and story by the time the film is actually released. There'll be way more comparisons/rankings/etc. than just Grant vs. Ezra.

[GHScorpiosRule]

46 minutes ago, Trini said:

This article is about The Flash movie, but it mentions the show:

But Smallville was on when Superman Returns came out. Anyway, I don't see having a TV and a movie version of the same character as a problem. What might be a problem is the TV show running through every major Flash character and story by the time the film is actually released. There'll be way more comparisons/rankings/etc. than just Grant vs. Ezra.

One of the differences I've seen so far between Grant's Barry and Ezra's is that the latter acts and talks more like Peter Parker and Bart Allen. And looks more like fucking teenager when he's supposed to be the contemporary of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman. Cyborg is the one who's supposed to be younger.???

But then I have to remind myself that this isn't being written or directed by Bruce Timm and his people, but by hacks, who are only interested in beating Marvel. Which, based on WB's laziness and arrogance and failure to hire good writers and directors and actors* ain't never gonna happen.??

*Gal Gadot appears to be the only one who has made me believe that she is Wonder Woman.

[Trini]

Didn't think they'd publish during the hiatus; new Chronicles of Cisco:

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... I think I did the right thing breaking it all off, but now I feel like the Staypuft Marshmallow Man at the end of “Ghostbusters”… a big gooey mess.  I have all these feelings for her, but I can’t trust her.  I decided to go for a mopey walk in the rain and pouted my way to a record store.  It was time to drown my sorrows in some sad songs. ...