The massively epic cross-over episodes of The CW’s The Flash and Arrow had so many big moments, surprises and shocks that it’s both exciting and a little bit scary to see where it will all go next. Thankfully, Collider (along with various other press outlets) was invited to screen the episodes at The CW, after which there was a Q&A to discuss all of the major events, as well as what’s to come.
In Part 2 of the interview, executive producers Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg and Wendy Mericle, along with actor Teddy Sears (“Jay Garrick”) talked about consequences, the Speed Force, Vandal Savage’s greater motivations, that anything and everything will be possible on Legends of Tomorrow, how Oliver’s secret will affect his relationship with Felicity, what’s next for Jay Garrick, and where Cisco goes from here. Be aware that there are some major spoilers discussed.
Question: With the last time travel jump on The Flash, there were consequences. Now that everybody died this time, what will the consequences be for that?
MARC GUGGENHEIM: I think you’re going to have to watch upcoming episodes of Arrow.
We’ve seen a little bit more of the Speed Force now and how that works. Is it going to work like it does in the comics, or are you taking some liberties with that?
ANDREW KREISBERG: There’s always liberties. Just the general concept that the Speed Force is a living entity from which all Speedsters derive their powers, and that there’s a morality to it and consequences to using it, is at play in the show. None of the shows are a specific adaptation of any one comic book. It’s always an amalgamation, put through our filter.
After meeting The Flash, does Damien Darhk take an interest in him?
KREISBERG: That was Marc’s idea. I was working on The Flash side of it and Marc was like, “Oh, Damien Darhk wants a chemical bomb, for some reason.” We’re all working on each other’s shows, but that was a real sit-down collaboration. Damien Darhk likes a good bomb.
Will we see more of Vandal Savage on The Flash and Arrow, or will his story only be continuing on Legends?
GREG BERLANTI: As of right now, we’ve saved it for Legends. But we’re not done with the seasons on those two shows yet, so I don’t want to say that we won’t come up with some kind of way to reference it.
What are Vandal Savage’s greater motivations?
GUGGENHEIM: That’s something you’ll see in Legends. He has a very clear plan and trajectory. The thing about Vandal is that a lifetime is an eye blink. He thinks in thousand year old terms. He’s very much a master of the long con. So, he does have his very own personal agenda with the Hawks, but he’s got much bigger plans for the world. You’ll have to watch Legends to find out what they are.
You’ve been setting up the characters that will be leaving The Flash and Arrow for Legends. Will they continue to cross back and forth, or are they making the move for good?
BERLANTI: Once Legends is born in January, there’s really no intersection on the other shows. Legends is its own wacky, crazy thing that allows for all sorts of fun surprises, in terms of who may visit and how because they’re just flying through the timeline. But, you won’t see them on Arrow or The Flash.
With Legends going through time, will we see earlier or later versions of Barry Allen or Oliver Queen?
GUGGENHEIM: You might. We obviously aren’t going to spoil what we might be doing on Legends, or any of the shows quite frankly, but part of the fun of Legends is the fact that it takes place all throughout history, future and past. One of the things we’re having so much fun with is that everything is up for grabs and anything is possible.
KREISBERG: Legends might as well be called DC’s Bonkers. That really is what it is.
How did you decide who Oliver’s son would actually be?
KREISBERG: When we came up with the whole idea of it, part of it was that we didn’t want to necessarily be tied to a character like Connor Hawke not being able to be a part of the show, if we made him so young. To give us the lee-way to still have Connor Hawke be a part of the universe, that was the biggest reason we made that decision. It’s actually one of the things that all of us are most proud of. Having the partners that we have, we’re able to basically have one scene in one episode in Season 2, knowing that we were eventually going to get to this point, and it is all set up and tied into Oliver’s mother. When you do a show for a long time, there are some things that are happy accidents, and there are other things that we plan on. This was one that we planned on, and it’s something that we’re really proud of. Anna Hopkins, who plays Samantha, is very talented and has lots of opportunities. When we said, “Hey, will you do one scene for us in Season 2? We promise that, in two years, we’ll make this a real part and have it really be a part of the show,” to her credit, because she’s an amazing person, she said yes. I want to give her the props she’s due because she did such a great job and she was so great in that one scene
BERLANTI: It’s a very emotional storyline that was nice to pay off. Especially watching Stephen [Amell] do the work in the episode, it was cool to see.
What will the fall-out be, with Oliver ultimately deciding not to tell Felicity about his son?
WENDY MERICLE: It’s definitely going to come to a head in the middle of the season, but I can’t tell you how that’s going to happen. For the arc of Oliver and Felicity’s relationship this season, the fact that he’s keeping this from her is going to come out and it’s going to have some serious consequences. We’re really excited about how that’s going to change things. It’s really going to raise the stakes and throw some wrenches into their relationship, which has been pretty smooth sailing so far, this season. True to form, we’re going to really mine that. There will be some fall-out for both of them.
What will the fall-out be, for Jay Garrick taking Velocity 6 and then asking for them not to give it to Barry?
KREISBERG: If you’re a fan of the comics, you know a big part of the comics is Velocity 9. You’ve met Velocity 6, so it’s safe to say that there will be a few more iterations of that formula. How it plays out, how it works, who uses it and the effects that has is something you’ll have to watch to see.
Teddy, with Jay having saved Harrison Wells, will we see a change in their dynamic?
TEDDY SEARS: Yes. Jay is still very dubious of Wells, just with the carnage that he’s created on Earth-2, just with being behind the Particle Accelerator explosion. But there is a growing understanding and respect. I wouldn’t call it a shift, but these two will begin to work side by side, as members of team S.T.A.R. Labs, fighting meta-humans. They’re not going to be buddies or best friends, but something does happen for the good.
Now that he’s had a taste of the Speed Force again, will he crave more?
SEARS: I don’t know. Jay showed up with this struggle of, “Who am I, now that I’m not this guy who was able to do a lot of good when he has the Speed Force?” He’s wrestling with his identity and adapting to life without it. He’s not jonesing for a fix, or anything. He’s aware of what potential Velocity 6 has on his life, but I also think he’s very clear that he doesn’t want to go down that path. But like anyone who has seen the other side, there are memories of what could be and what could have been.
What can you say about what’s to come for Cisco, after this heartbreak?
KREISBERG: There are two interesting things that happen for Cisco. First is a further exploration of his abilities as Vibe, and what he can do and what he’s capable of. The other thing that starts to happen, which you got a little bit of a glimpse of in Episode 7, is this relationship with this new Wells. That version of Wells did everything on his own. The Eobard Thawne version of Wells liked having a team and he liked having people around him, and he used their knowledge in a way that made that feel good about themselves. This Wells thinks that everyone else besides him is an idiot and he thinks everybody is a jerk. He’s horrible. Like Cisco said, he’s a dick and he doesn’t make any apologies for that. This version of Wells does not suddenly have a moment and want to join the party, but there are little chinks in this armor, along the way. Everybody wants him to be the Wells from last year, before they knew. No matter how much time has passed, they’re all still craving that bond, that friendship, that love and that support that he would give them. No matter how many times this version of Wells kicks dirt in their face and pulls the football away, they keep coming back for it, much like we all want our parents’ admiration and respect.
BERLANTI: There’s a two-part episode, with 13 and 14, that is the most fun pair of episodes we’ve ever done, and it has my favorite Cisco moment in the history of the series, so far.
The Flash airs on Tuesday nights and Arrow airs on Wednesday nights, both on The CW.
