The Flash: Danielle Panabaker Reflects on SPOILER’s Return in the Epic Series Finale

Published on May 29th, 2023 | Updated on May 29th, 2023 | By FanFest

“The Flash: Danielle Panabaker Reflects on the Impactful Return in the Unforgettable Series Finale”

Last week marked the conclusion of The Flash after nine remarkable seasons on The CW. As the series finale, titled “A New World Part Four,” wrapped up Barry Allen‘s story, it also provided closure to the journeys of other beloved characters, including Khione, portrayed by Danielle Panabaker. Making her debut in the final season, Khione emerged from Caitlin Snow’s attempt to resurrect Frost, albeit at the cost of Caitlin’s life. However, the season took an unexpected turn, and for Panabaker, the way things unfolded was precisely how she envisioned the ending.

Warning: Spoilers for The Flash series finale, “A New World: Part Four,” ahead.

Throughout the season, Khione discovered her true nature as an actual goddess. In the finale, she realized it was time to ascend, bidding farewell not only to her Team Flash family but also shedding her mortal form to fulfill her higher purpose. As Khione departed in a whirlwind of elements, she left behind something—or rather, someone: Caitlin Snow. With her departure, Khione restored Caitlin to life, reuniting her with Team Flash. Panabaker expressed her satisfaction in concluding the series as Caitlin, mirroring how she joined the show.

“It was how I wanted to go out,” Panabaker shared about returning as Caitlin (via Entertainment Weekly). “It’s how I joined the show, and it was appropriate that that’s how I left the show as well. When Eric [Wallace, showrunner] initially conceived Season 9, he thought he was going to have Season 9 and 10 to tell a lot of stories. I think it snuck up on him and the writers how quickly they needed to wrap up so many storylines. I did feel pretty strongly, and I was pretty vocal about this, that it would only be right to bring Caitlin back again to honor the show and how we started. That’s not to say that she hasn’t grown and the other characters I’ve played have been a lot of fun, but I was invested in that. I do feel that, for me, the show ends on a hopeful note and that is what I will choose to focus on and take away from this show.”

Which storylines were omitted from The Flash’s final season?

In another interview, Wallace discussed the storylines that didn’t make it into The Flash’s final season, including the two-year arc originally planned for Khione.

“With Khione, although it worked out great, I had originally pitched it to Danielle Panabaker as a two-year story, and suddenly I didn’t have two years to tell her story,” explained Wallace. “So, the whole first half got thrown out. It was supposed to start with who comes out of that crystal coffin, right? We had to change so many things. Where we ended up is equally as shocking and surprising and emotional as we would’ve gotten to in Season 10, but we did lose some of the minutia that I think would’ve been very enjoyable for the fan base and for us as writers and directors.”

Will the Arrowverse continue beyond The Flash finale?

As a live-action DC “reset” looms in the coming years and The CW’s Justice U spinoff recently canceled, fans wonder about the future of the Arrowverse.

“I’ve wrapped up a lot of things in the series finale, and it ends on a very hopeful note that shows you how the future of the Arrowverse could continue in some way, shape, or form,” Wallace shared in a recent interview. “It hopefully gives people closure but also some hope for the future because otherwise, it’s very sad to think that there