The Flash’s Danielle Panabaker Shares Thoughts On Latest Caitlin Shocker As Two More Former Co-Stars Confirm Season 9 Returns
Spoilers ahead for Season 9, Episode 2 of The Flash, “Hear No Evil.” Read at your own risk!
The Flash’s final season is getting bigger and bigger, and only two episodes have aired so far. Between Danielle Panabaker’s new character and familiar faces popping up in Central City left and right, nothing is predictable. After the latest episodes bid goodbye to an original character, two more veterans are set to return.
Goodbye, Caitlin
Perhaps the most shocking twist to come out of Season 9 of The Flash so far is that when fans were reunited with Caitlin at the end of the premiere, it was revealed that she wasn’t Caitlin, and she wasn’t Frost, either. In this week’s episode, the new character, initially introduced as Snow, revealed that Caitlin was dead. Danielle Panabaker tells TV Insider how it felt having to say goodbye to Caitlin after portraying her for nine seasons while also looking forward to playing yet another variation:
I will say that that was a bit of a surprise to me. I think Eric had this great idea that I could play another character, which obviously is super flattering that they’ve trusted me to play so many different characters over the last nine seasons. I was surprised to hear that the birth of a new character would come at the death of another character, but also excited. As an actor, particularly on a show that’s gone this long, to be able to constantly have new challenges and new characters to create and new things to do has been a real gift.
After first dealing with Frost’s death in Season 8 and now Caitlin’s in Season 9, it's no wonder that the actress was surprised! I can’t imagine having to say goodbye to two beloved characters in such a short time. However, since this new character, who officially introduced herself as Khione at the end of the episode, will be sticking around for a while, it sounds like Panabaker is excited to explore more about her, and it will be interesting to see what happens. That said, characters have been known to come back, so you never know if Caitlin is going to stay gone, as well as Frost. Surprises are always happening.
Hello, Old Friend... And Enemy
Speaking of surprises, TVLine has revealed that on top of the impressive list of returning guest stars on The Flash for Season 9, two more have been added, which is both a good thing and a bad thing for the Scarlet Speedster. John Wesley Shipp and Teddy Sears have signed on for the final season, reprising their roles as Jay Garrick and Hunter Zolomon, a.k.a. Zoom.
Sears first appeared as Zoom in the second season and has remained one of Barry’s most formidable foes. While it’s unknown what will bring him back to Central City after all this time, EP Eric Wallace teases that he’s going to have “one last battle against Team Flash,” and it’s definitely something you won’t want to miss.
Shipp, meanwhile, once again reprises his role as Jay Garrick. Since Season 2, Garrick has had a recurring role on the series, with a few different variations, and has become a friend and ally of Team Flash. It was even revealed that he’s basically Nora and Bart’s uncle in the future. Wallace previews that this upcoming storyline for Jay will also shed light on Barry’s past, which continues to show how emotional The Flash Season 9 is.
With only 13 episodes this season, there are storylines on The Flash that were cut, but it still sounds like there is a lot planned. Fans will need to tune in on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on The CW to see how Team Flash’s story comes to an end. Check out CinemaBlend’s 2023 TV schedule to see what else is coming out soon.
