The season finales of CW’s Arrow and The Flash were suggestive of big changes coming to the ever-growing world of DC’s television universe. Arrow saw Oliver and Felicity finally become the power couple fans have been screaming for since season 1, complete with “Olicity” riding off into the sunset in celebration of their newfound love. Meanwhile, in Central City, the celebration of Reverse Flash’s defeat was short-lived, as a black hole opened up, threatening to destroy the city and, indeed, the entire world. These were big moments with which to conclude seasons, one that left fans wondering just what was in store for the next year.
Thanks to two new images released today, we have a small idea of what’s to come. Though we’re still over a month away from the season 4 premiere of Arrow and the season 2 premiere of The Flash, the pair of images gives us a bit of insight into what to expect in their respective seasons.
Take a look at the first image from Arrow season 4 (via TV Insider):
If the image from Arrow is any indication, Olicity is here to stay, at least for a while. The picture shows Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) and Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) lovingly - and perhaps a bit playfully - gazing into each other’s eyes from across a table. It’s hard to tell, given the angle of the picture, but it certainly seems as though Oliver is (gasp!) actually smiling for once. This may seem out of place given Arrow’s moody, broody reputation, but producer Marc Guggenheim says that the show is going for a lighter tone than the one seen in previous seasons. It’s hard to imagine the show moving too far away from its dark atmosphere, but things certainly have been grim in Starling City for the last several years, so it’s nice to see characters experiencing a bit of joy for a change. Of course, with Ra’s al Ghul’s former partner Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough) looming on the horizon, there’s a good chance that joy won’t last forever.
How Olicity will affect the other members of Team Arrow remains a mystery, but Guggenheim has never been one to shy away from the human side of superhero action. While Diggle and Thea are sure to be happy for the new couple, dynamics may end up changing as the story moves forward - and change doesn’t always mean happy times. Still, this is something fans have been anticipating for years, so it’s probably safe to take the promises of a lighter, happier Arrow at face value.
The Flash, meanwhile, is picking up the story about six months after the black hole threatened to destroy the world, according to The Flash himself, Grant Gustin. While this means fans won’t get immediate closure for the events that rocked the season 1 finale, rest assured we will get our answers as Gustin also promises that “we’re going to piece together how the storm has affected everyone.” For now, we can glean that things have stayed more or less the same with the S.T.A.R. Labs crew. The newly released image shows the gang facing off against an out of frame opponent, which is about par for the course for this crime fighting team. Joe (Jesse L. Martin) stands with his gun drawn while Barry, Iris (Candice Patton), Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker), Dr. Stein (Victor Garber), and Cisco (Carlos Valdes) stand in shock at whatever threat is facing them.
Take a look at The Flash season 2 (via TV Insider):
Cisco, of course, gained new powers after Barry’s meddling with time last year, possibly putting him in line for his transformation into the superhero Vibe, and Guggenheim has suggested that Caitlin will soon transform into the villainous Killer Frost, whom we were given a brief glimpse of in last season’s finale. This threatens to put her at odds both with The Flash team and with her husband Ronnie, who’s known these days as one half of the superhero Firestorm. Additionally, we know that Flash will have to contend with the ramifications of his time altering shenanigans and will have to face Golden Age Flash Jay Garrick at some point this season.
Fans can no doubt expect more crossover specials for the two shows, especially as The CW gears up for next year’s Legends of Tomorrow. Given what we’ve seen in the preview for Legends, it’s a safe bet that both Oliver and Barry will, at some point, face off against Vandal Savage on their own shows prior to forming the team that saves the world in that series. Regardless of what goes down, this is looking to be another exciting season of television for DC, who continues to dominate The CW lineup.
Season 2 of The Flash premieres Tuesday, October 6 at 8pm/7 central, with season 4 of Arrow premiering the following evening, Wednesday October 7, also at 8pm/7 central. Legends of Tomorrow premieres in 2016.
Source: TV Insider