‘The Flash’ Cast Discusses the State of Team Flash in Season Four
Barry sacrificing himself to the Speed Force may have saved Central City, but it put the members of Team Flash in a very tough spot emotionally.
Season four of The Flash begins with the STAR Labs crew trying to recover from their loss, while still keeping the city safe.
The cast discussed the difficult challenges facing their characters at Comic-Con.
Candice Patton says Iris has become more of a team leader to help her deal with her feelings.
“Six months in the future, Iris has kind of had to step into the role that Barry left and it’s a kind of a way for her of distracting herself, too,” said Patton. “She’s obviously depressed and sad that Barry’s gone and not sure when he’s going to come back, so it’s a good distraction for her to be the leader.”
Iris and Barry will have a lot to work through when he returns from the Speed Force.
Patton revealed that Iris throws herself into work to ignore her pain.
“I think everyone is questioning if and when Barry is going to come back, and she deals with that in her own way,” she continued. “I think you’ll see a very, very, very different Iris picking up Season 4. She’s almost hardened and a little more pessimistic and just kind of like, ‘Gotta move forward. We gotta just keep moving. We don’t know if Barry’s coming back; we can’t deal with that. All we can deal with is protecting the city.’”
Patton believes Iris is also harboring some hurt feelings over Barry’s abrupt exit and those feelings will have to be dealt with alongside their big romantic reunion.
“You know, he didn’t consult her. It was a snap decision. So, I think, when and if he comes out, that’s a conversation they need to have about communication,” she said. “As iconic as they are, Barry and Iris still have their issues, and they desperately need to work those out before walking down the aisle. So that’s something that I think we’ll delve into this season.”
Despite his own sadness, Joe will try to help Team Flash pick up the pieces after Barry leaves.
For his part, Jesse L. Martin says Joe continues to be the caring, supportive dad of Team Flash.
“Joe will be devastated, and also worried about the gang that is still there, particularly Wally and Iris. Like, Iris lost her fiancé, and he’s very concerned about how she’s taking it all in,”said Martin. “Wally has to step up and be the Flash, if you will, along with Cisco’s Vibe, and we’re all still dealing with metas in Central City, so we have to keep up appearances, but the Flash is definitely missed. So I’m doing a lot of emotional repairing, if you will, to start.”
Keiynan Lonsdale explains that while Wally is sad to lose Barry, he’s the only one adjusting to the new reality.
“Wally is actually in a pretty good place! The whole team has had to step up and become a unit, and it’s just like sort of becoming this sort of well-oiled machine, as much as they can without Barry,” said Lonsdale. “Kid Flash has like found his place and I think he’s been forced to grow up a lot more. He is enjoying that freedom and independence that he has. Even if he’s making mistakes, he’s finding the light in it, which is cool.”
In Barry’s absence, Kid Flash and Cisco will become Central City’s new protectors. Source: Comic Book Resources
As usual Carlos Valdes doesn’t mince words about where Cisco is when season four starts.
“I can tell you straight up! It’s not good,” he said. “Six months have passed since the disappearance of Barry Allen, and the team is sort of clutching at straws to keep the city together. Although Kid Flash and Vibe are out in the field doing their thing and trying to keep it together, there is a unanimous feeling amongst the remaining members of the team that it is just not the same without Barry. We cannot keep the villains at bay with the same efficiency that he used to. So, in light of that, Cisco does whatever it takes to get his friends back.”
Team Flash returns to Central City when the fourth season of The Flash premieres Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 8 pm on The CW.
Source: Comic Book Resources
