On a fun and successful run!

‘The Flash’ is a fast-paced superhero series that follows the high-speed adventures of Barry Allen (played by Grant Gustin). With season five of the show on the air, every Wednesday at 10 pm on Colors Infinity, we catch up with actress Candice Patton – who plays Iris West in the show – to find out what fans can expect from the upcoming storylines of the epic DC Comics drama…

Excerpts from an interview:

What’s the underlying theme of ‘The Flash’ in season five?
The main theme involves legacy and family, so we will be looking at the family dynamics of every character; especially the West family. It’s going to be a very interesting theme for Iris and Barry with their new daughter around.

How would you describe the relationship between Iris and her daughter, Nora?
At the end of season four, we saw that Nora (played by Jessica Parker Kennedy) is a little stand-offish towards Iris. I think that was pretty clear. Well, we’ll get into the reason why that happened in season five. We’ll discover why we don’t have the best relationship, and why Nora is so much more of a daddy’s girl.

Does the arrival of Nora disrupt the West family, or does it bring them closer together?
I think Iris is happy to have Nora around because it indicates to Iris the fact that Barry and Nora must have a happy relationship together in the future. It means that Iris and Barry get the happy ending that they’ve always dreamed about. However, I think Iris is a little perplexed and jealous that she doesn’t have the relationship that Nora has with her father. It’s going to be hard for Iris to watch Nora get along with her father so well but not have the same dynamic with her mother.

How will Iris react to the strained relationship with her daughter?
Iris is happy that Nora is around, and she wants her to stay. However, if you look back at Iris’ childhood, you’ll remember that Iris didn’t really have a good mother figure in her life. In that respect, I think Iris will start to wonder if she’s repeating her mother’s mistakes in not being a good mother. She might come to the conclusion that it’s her fate to not have a good relationship with her daughter. That’s definitely something that Iris is going to have to struggle within season five.

Do Iris and Barry find the sudden arrival of their twenty-something daughter a little strange?
In the world of ‘The Flash’, nothing is too weird. I don’t think they are too perplexed by this. However, this is something that they are going to have to contend with in having a daughter who’s here from the future. They will have to figure out what that means for the timeline and what the ramifications of her arrival are going to be. They are also going to have to create a relationship with this new member of the family. They want to have a somewhat normal life with a family, but that might not be possible in ‘The Flash’.

Does the arrival of Nora have a big impact on Team Flash?
I don’t think so. I think Team Flash will always be Team Flash, just with a few new additions in the form of Cecile, Ralph and Nora. This season, I’ve noticed that the team isn’t together all the time. People have been separated into different groups, which I think will be more interesting visually for the audience. You don’t see us all standing around together at STAR Labs all the time in season five. We’re split into different groups and different pockets, which has been way more stimulating for us as actors as well.

Is a journalistic future on the cards for Iris in season five?
That’s what I’ve been told. That’s the plan; to get Iris back on track to be a journalist. However, I don’t know how far they will go. I’m always a little sceptical when there’s so much going on – but the plan is to definitely move in that direction. We’ve seen the article from 2024 when Barry goes missing. Iris wrote that article, so we have to get to the place where that is possible to some degree.

How much does Iris’ future excite you as an actress?
I think this season is going to be a really fun and interesting season for Iris. I’m really excited to see Iris get back into reporting. It’s going to be great to see Iris working rather than just being a love interest in the show. I really hope that’s something they stick to. I’ve been pushing for that for years, and I think the producers have been pushing that, too. The fans were very vocal about Iris returning to reporting because that’s how we know her in the comic books. Personally, I think the reporter aspect is a very cool thing in superhero shows. People love the Lois Lane character.

What have you learned from playing Iris West all these years?
As an actor, I’ve learned a lot from playing this role. It’s been quite a journey for Iris because I’ve had a lot of heavy work over the seasons in terms of emotional investment. I’ve had to learn how to do emotional scenes over and over again, so I’ve built up a lot of stamina as an actor. I’ve also learned a lot about improvisation and how to try new things.

When you work with someone like Tom Cavanagh (who plays Harrison Wells), you may have your lines, but you learn that you won’t necessarily be sticking to the script. It’s been really fun to try new things and I’m always kept on my toes with this group of actors. Everyone in the cast has their own strength and working with them has only made me stronger. It’s been a very fun journey.

- Sourced exclusively for The Hans India