“The Flash” is inching toward its end, and with it comes the end of the Arrowverse. But, for the most part, Danielle Panabaker didn’t get too emotional — at least until it came time for her final directorial debut on the show.
Including Wednesday night’s episode, Panabaker, who has starred in the series since its pilot as Caitlin Snow and Killer Frost, has directed five episodes over the course of the series. And according to the actress, when she was behind the camera this time, the feeling of being a finalist in the show really set in.
“I will say that, I think, some of the times I’ve gotten emotional is looking around in this final season, you know, at a lot of different crew members, most of whom were there when I first started. Bar, and you know, I really love collaborating with him,” Panabaker told TheWrap.
“And knowing that we will never be able to do this again in this capacity, because even if I go back to Vancouver and direct another show, the crew will never be the same,” she continued. “So you know, I have a lot of gratitude for him and for him. And I loved, I loved it. So I think that was a moment where it really hit me like ‘Okay, I’m not going to do this to you guys like that again.’
Of course, Wednesday’s episode was particularly special for the helm, as it included the return of Stephen Amell as Green Arrow, David Ramsey as John Diggle, and more. And apparently, those returns had a ripple effect on set.
“to be honest, [Stephen] And both David, you know, have basically been in the same shoes as our cast members an incredible number of times, having done so many episodes, there’s a really special excitement about them coming back,” Panabaker said. “I mean, they’re getting the band back together again. And I think it was contagious. I think it’s really pushed some of our other artists as well.
It certainly made his job easier. As a self-described “perfectionist,” Panabaker says this episode was one where she could really focus only on the details.
“Stephen and Grant [Gustin], Most of the actors on our show don’t really require a lot of hand-holding,” she explained. “They know these characters better than I honestly do. And, you know, I don’t need to mess with his performance much.
She continued, “But because it’s so important to me, I want to make sure everything Other actually working as well. So you know, I just, I wanted everything to be perfect.
“The Flash” airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.
