Flash Boss Cops to ‘Tough’ Unplanned Cliffhanger, Confirms Plan for Unfilmed Episodes and a ‘Happy’ WestAllen
Just when The Flash seemed to be making progress in the name of fishing Iris out of the Mirrorverse, bam! The fate of Barry’s wife became a bigger, more ominous question mark than ever, as Season 6 of the CW‘s No. 1 series drew to an early close.
TVLine hopped on the phone with showrunner Eric Wallace to discuss that unplanned cliffhanger — three episodes had not been completed at the time the pandemic shut down production, and will now be rolled over into Season 7 — and the happy ending that really, truly awaits “WestAllen” fans.
TVLINE | Where in the world is Iris West-Allen?
I can’t tell you that! [Laughs] She’s still in the Mirrorverse somewhere.
TVLINE | That turned out to be a pretty torturous cliffhanger to leave WestAllen fans with….
Well, this was never supposed to be a season finale. They would have found out what happened to her in a week; now, suddenly, that have to wait for… I don’t even know for how long. But everything will be fine. Eventually.
TVLINE | Is it possible Iris went to a happier place?
Uh, no. No. That’s not possible. [Laughs] Not yet. She’ll get there, though.
These last three episodes of this season were already written, and in fact the episode after this, where you get to see exactly where Iris went to, has already been 90-percent shot. So it’s very strange for me that we were one day away from finishing that episode which suddenly is our Season 7 premiere. Fortunately, you find out where Iris went and, oh boy, will there be tears. Oh my. Tears in our season premiere.
TVLINE | Do viewers at this moment have enough information to speculate what happened to her?
Oh God, yes. In fact, as I watched this episode, I got worried that you can figure out everything that’s coming — because I know, having read the scripts, but also all the clues are there if you’ve been paying attention. We’ve literally told you everything that’s going to happen. Literally.
TVLINE | Do you plan to keep those three scripts mostly intact — I know you said Episode 20 was mostly filmed — and still take three episodes to wrap up this arc? Or might you get restless over the summer and noodle with them?
When this was happening, we were well into breaking Season 7. Not only do we know what happens at the end of Season 6, but I could tell you — I’m not going to! — all of Season 7 right now.
TVLINE | So those three episodes are essentially locked.
Hmmm, I wouldn’t say they’re locked. There might be a wee bit of tinkering. Obviously some things need to change because we don’t know what COVID restrictions there will be on shooting, what protocols might come up. For instance, as in all of the Flash finales, we would have seen huge crowd scenes, but I think that all has to change. We have to go in and change things based on what we can and cannot do when production resumes. I guarantee you that’ll allow us to come up with something we didn’t come up with before, so maybe it’s 75, 80 percent of the original scripts, and maybe 15, 20 percent new stuff?
TVLINE | There might even be subtler considerations. The Rookie EP was telling me how he probably can no longer have 40 people in a squad room with closed doors and a drop ceiling.
Yeah, we’ll have to do some of the same things. In scenes in the finale where we usually have everyone in the room, I don’t know if we we’ll have all nine series regulars anymore.
TVLINE | Eva seems pretty content, having whacked the hubs, wanting to make nice with The Flash. Or has she yet to realize her grander needs, wants and desires?
Look at her behavior at the press conference. There’s a huge clue there — a huge one — that all is not well with Eva.
TVLINE | I saw that. Maybe the Mirrorverse just needs some good skin lotion?
Oh, it’s going to need more than that. A whole lot more. Sometimes getting what you think you want only makes things worse, and that’s exactly what’s about to happen to Eva. And that will be the end of her story. When you’ve been obsessed with one thing for six years and you get it, what happens to you? Also, who did you become? Eva wants more than just killing her husband; she’s out to save the world. So, we’ll see how that ends up!
TVLINE | When Cisco returns from his trip to Atlantis, might we get the slightest Aquaman reference?
I don’t know if I can get it in. I don’t think it made the cut. So I’m going to say no.
TVLINE | But he would have been back in time for the planned season finale?
Oh yes.
TVLINE | Last but never least, what reward awaits the patient, patient WestAllen fans in Season 7?
A happy ending. Because I love happy endings. Don’t worry, I know you’ve been through a lot this season, and I appreciate so much you hanging on — especially after this really tough cliffhanger. It’s bad enough to be in a pandemic, but when your favorite show stops in the middle of the storyline that you’re invested in, I understand. It happened to me as a viewer watching shows during the writers strike. But don’t worry, there will be a happy ending.
Want more scoop on Flash, or for any other show? Email InsideLine@tvline.com and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line.
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Westallen is what keeps me coming back to the show at this point lol. So, he says the three episodes aren’t necessarily “locked,” so I hope that means we can resolve the season six arc with a two-hour premiere and then jump into season 7’s storyline. Either way, ready to see what happens next.
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I’m afraid that the other networks will take FOX’s cue and not premiere till 2021, but I wouldn’t mind if CW just had 13-episode seasons for all their shows next season and work from there. All the DC shows would benefit from that in my opinion (I think Black Lightning did great with 13 episodes in season 1 and 16 for their last two seasons).
When he said it wasn’t ‘Locked’ he meant that some individual scenes might need to be tweaked if there are restrictions on how they can produce following COVID, not that they were going to rewrite the whole 3 episodes that were already written.
Also, as he pointed out 90% of the next episode is already done. So they only have 2 more episodes and a bit more to produce. I’d rather not have them try to cram the last 2 episodes down into a single hour.
Well, judging by the fact that The CW acquired Swamp Thing and two CBS shows, I would reckon they are probably following FOX’s lead. I doubt any shows will air this fall for any network. It will most likely be already produced content. Shows will premiere in midseason and have 14-18 episode seasons. Honestly, that wouldn’t be a bad thing.
This would normally have been the week that networks announced their new lineups. It looks as if they’re keeping quiet because they may not have much in the fall.
i actually enjoyed this season and i enjoyed eva as a semi villian
that being said if after evas arc they are going back to thawne, im not looking forward to that and that will take 100 steps back instead of 100 steps forward
like literally unless you have thawne actually kill barry and bring on a new flash then i have no desire to see him anymore
If you can’t have nine characters in a scene then you can’t have two. Unless they’re constantly shouting at each other from across a room. If you’ve determined that each is individually safe, it’s no more or less dangerous to have more than less. Especially since each individual will be doing scenes with the other eight regulars at some point, even if it’s one on one.
Clever editing and staging can cover two or more people in the same scene, as long as they don’t into that weird CGI territory The Good Wife went into when Archie Panjabi left. But I’m sure it’ll be noticeable at first.
I just figured that Iris teleported to wherever Singh is.
That’s what I thought that she traveled to Singh.
I was never worried about getting the happy ending. But it is very nice to see the unexpected cliffhanger be acknowledged. That is what is going to kill me this May. We’re used to cliffhangers, but none like this.
I kept hoping they’d finally kill off Iris (aka, the weakest link on the show), but instead we were “treated” to more melodrama. You know it’s bad when the Barry/Iris stories almost make me long for the days of Oliver & Felicity. :-/
Between the pandemic and Melissa Benoist’s pregnancy, I hope for next season all the Arrowverse shows experiment with shorter seasons, 13-18 episodes tops. I always feel like the usual 22-24 is a half-dozen too many.
That’s probably what will happen. And all shows would benefit from it.
honestly shows would benefit greatly from leaning into the more procedural side of the genre with shorter 3/4 episode arcs and then 22 episodes would be great. i don’t love a 22-episode arc that could be summed up in 12.
This season has stretched out to such a level that watching the show is more a chore than a pleasure. Hopefully, next season will be shorter or, at least, not stretch out the limited plot over a whole season.
With Chunk joining the team, I am really to farewell Cisco. We need to revamp the supporting cast a bit and without his powers, he’s no longer really warranted. We have too many “human” players as it is…
yeah i agree, idk why some writer thought he’d be a better character by eliminating his powers, for me his powers are the only thing he had going for him otherwise he is just some boring average joe