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 * https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Flash_(season_4)&oldid=837421493

Main

 * Grant Gustin as Barry Allen / Flash
 * Candice Patton as Iris West
 * Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin Snow / Killer Frost
 * Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon / Vibe
 * Keiynan Lonsdale as Wally West / Kid Flash
 * Neil Sandilands as Clifford DeVoe / Thinker
 * Tom Cavanagh as Harrison "Harry" Wells
 * Jesse L. Martin as Joe West

Recurring

 * Danielle Nicolet as Cecile Horton
 * Kim Engelbrecht as Marlize DeVoe / Mechanic
 * Jessica Camacho as Cynthia / Gypsy
 * Patrick Sabongui as David Singh
 * Richard Brooks as Gregory Wolfe
 * Hartley Sawyer as Ralph Dibny / Elongated Man and Clifford DeVoe / Thinker
 * Katee Sackhoff as Amunet Black / Blacksmith
 * Sugar Lyn Beard as Rebecca Sharpe / Hazard and Clifford DeVoe / Thinker
 * Kendrick Sampson as Dominic Lanse / Brainstorm and Clifford DeVoe / Thinker

Guest
• Britne Oldford as Shawna Baez / Peek-a-Boo

• Mark Sweatman as Norvok

• Dominic Burgess as Ramsey Deacon / Kilg%re

• Donna Pescow as Sharon Finkle

• Chelsea Kurtz as Mina Chayton / Black Bison

• Violett Beane as Jesse Chambers Wells / Jesse Quick

• Danny Trejo as Josh / Breacher

• Vito D'Ambrosio as Anthony Bellows

• Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak

• Riley Jade Berglund as Joanie

• Matt Afonso as Weeper

• Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen / Green Arrow and Dark Arrow

• Victor Garber as Martin Stein / Firestorm

• Caity Lotz as Sara Lance / White Canary

• Chyler Leigh as Alex Danvers

• Franz Drameh as Jefferson Jackson / Firestorm

• Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance / Sturmbannführer

• Jeremy Jordan as General Schott

• Juliana Harkavy as Dinah Drake / Black Canary

• Melissa Benoist as Kara Zor-El / Kara Danvers / Supergirl and Overgirl

• Wentworth Miller as Leonard Snart / Citizen Cold

• Russell Tovey as Ray Terrill / The Ray

• Frederick Schmidt voices Metallo-X

• Mark Valley as Anton Slater

• Ryan Alexander McDonald as Neil Borman / Fallout

• Devon Graye as Axel Walker / Trickster

• Corinne Bohrer as Zoey Clark / Prank

• Bill Goldberg as Dave Ratchet / Big Sir

• Derek Mears as Sylbert Rundine / Dwarfstar

• Paul McGillion as Earl Cox

• Miranda MacDougall as Izzy Bowin / Fiddler  and Clifford DeVoe / Thinker

• John Wesley Shipp as Jay Garrick

• Leonardo Nam as Matthew Kim / Melting Point

• Max Adler as Jaco Birch / Pyro

• Bethany Brown as Janet Petty / Null

• Morena Baccarin voices Gideon

• Arturo Del Puerto as Edwin Gauss / Folded Man

• Katie Cassidy as Siren (Earth-X)

• Anne Dudek as Tracy Brand

• Victoria Askounis as young Caitlin Snow

Development
The series was renewed for a fourth season on January 8, 2017, earlier than usual for the series. Executive producer Andrew Kreisberg said on this, "The great thing about our dear friends at The CW and Mark Pedowitz picking the shows up as early as they did has allowed us to start building the schedules for next season." In May 2017, it was announced that Aaron Helbing would not return as an executive producer for season four, with only Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, Sarah Schechter, and Todd Helbing returning from previous seasons. Todd Helbing and Kreisberg were slated to serve as the season's showrunners. In November 2017, Kreisberg was suspended from his role as executive producer and showrunner on The Flash over allegations of sexual harassment. By the end of the month, he had been fired, with his name eventually being removed from the credits from all shows he worked on. In addition, Berlanti would take additional responsibilities working with Helbing to co-showrun the season.

Writing
In March 2017, Kreisberg confirmed that the main villain for the fourth season would not be a speedster, like the previous three seasons. Executive producers Aaron and Todd Helbing also mentioned that there would be less time travel in the season, with Aaron saying, "We like playing with the timelines and the different time periods and future and past. For now, I think we're going to focus on the present." In June 2017, Clifford DeVoe / Thinker was reported to be the main antagonist of the season. He was first hinted in the third season episode "Abra Kadabra" when the titular villain mentions him among the Flash's greatest enemies, and again in the season finale "Finish Line" when Savitar mentions facing DeVoe but states that the Flash has not dealt with him yet. At the series' San Diego Comic-Con panel, the speculation was confirmed, with Todd Helbing saying, "With three Speedsters in a row, this year it's the fastest man alive against the fastest mind alive." He added that the writers were "making a conscious effort this year to get the fun quotient back up".

Regarding the possibility of Wally West taking on the mantle of the Flash in Barry's absence, Keiynan Lonsdale said that "It's not something that's on my radar. I feel as though there is so much story to tell and Wally has so much growing to do... We need to see how these character realistically get to where they are headed for." With the action picking up six months after season three, Kid Flash and Vibe are left to protect Central City, with Carlos Valdes saying "the team is sort of clutching at straws to keep the city together,... there is a unanimous feeling amongst the remaining members that it's just not the same without Barry... So in light of that, Cisco does whatever it takes to get his friends back." Valdes also confirmed the return of Cisco's more lighthearted joking manner. Candice Patton explained Iris West's larger role within Team Flash as "a way of distracting herself," adding that "[Iris] is forced to deal with that anger and resentment and abandonment by kind of focusing on protecting Central City... We're seeing a very different Iris, almost a very hardened Iris." Kreisberg also hinted at some major growth for Iris this season, and noted that "the season premiere is all about Iris and Cisco, not Barry".

In July 2017, Sterling Gates, DC Comics comic book writer, joined as a member of the fourth season's writing staff. At the Television Critics Association press tour in August 2017, Pedowitz stated that the fourth season of The Flash is "going to try to find the lightness... of the Barry Allen of the first two seasons," and said that the show was likely "done with Speedster villains". Later in the month, Kreisberg confirmed the return of Harry Wells from Earth-2, saying that "season 4 for Harry is really realizing what he's missing in his life and what it is he needs to become a better, more complete person, and so he's going to be going on a fairly epic emotional journey this season that is tied to the Thinker's plan," in addition to confirming the introduction of a new version of the Wells character. In October 2017, Kreisberg explained that instead of introducing another Wells like the previous three seasons, they decided to stick with Harry as "there was more meat on the bone with [him]".

In September 2017, Helbing noted "There's a lot of love in the air this season," and compared Barry and Iris' reunion to "somebody going off to war for six months and coming back. There's a lot that Iris experienced that Barry didn't when he was gone, and it's really [about] the fun and the emotional component of making up that time when they weren't together." Helbing also explained that the Speed Force "let [Barry] deal with all of the baggage [from the past three seasons]. When he comes out, he's sort of left that all behind." Helbing explained that "The whole dynamic has shifted and when Barry reestablishes himself in the team, there's a lot of challenges because of that."

That month, Kreisberg also confirmed that Barry and Iris will be getting married this season, while also revealing that the pair will be going to couples therapy since "[they] keep comically clashing inadvertently because [both are] used to being in charge, and so they wind up going... to work through it." He added, "The two of them with the therapist is some of the funniest stuff we have ever done on this show, but it also leads to a deepening of their relationship." Helbing said, "There's definitely a comedic tonal shift" this season due to "the combination of the scripts being a lot more fun and more joke-ridden, and just the state that Barry's in when he comes out," which allowed Grant Gustin "to play [his] scenes with a lot more lightness to it".

Kreisberg said the season premiere, titled "The Flash Reborn," is "a little bit of a restart, diving into more comedy, more fun, more brightness, and more excitement." He further explained that Barry's experience in the Speed Force was "a bit of a baptism for him" washing "away a lot of his sins and [cleansing] him of a lot of his doubts, his fears, and his guilts, and it really is leaving him free and clear to just have an open road and a fresh start. He really loves being The Flash again." Helbing said that Barry's experience "will have lasting effects on the show 'in his attitude and the way he approaches everything.'" Gustin explained that Barry will return "pretty scrambled" because "he experienced his whole life laid out in front of him from start to finish. So in some sense, he comes out very wise, kind of knowing everything, but he has no understanding of what he's seen". Although not the title of the series, Kreisberg explains that it is really like Flash Begins and "Now it's season 4 and he's really become The Flash in the comic books, the one who really is in full mastery of his skills and has the emotional maturity that he has in the comics." Helbing

The Thinker was chosen because the producers "really wanted to do something different" with the villain for the fourth season. Kreisberg explained that "We tend to think of the Flash as an athlete, like a runner, [and] So much of his previous seasons have been about training harder... but he's up against a villain this season that he can't outrun. It's somebody he has to out-think." Helbing elaborated that the Tinker is "motivated by something personal that he experienced rather than a desire for world domination" and that there is a "psychological component" to the season, with "a lot of chess pieces that he's moving around simultaneously". The Tinker is "an intelligence threat," who is not out to thwart the Flash, but rather "has a need for him, I would say is more accurate," Kreisberg teased. Kreisberg noted that unlike the previous season, where they only figured out Savitar's motivation in the back half of the season, the writers worked hard to properly understand the Thinker's motivation from the beginning and have all his moves planned leading to something big.

Regarding the introduction of Ralph Dibny / Elongated Man, Kreisberg said in September 2017 that "There's going to be a lot of conflict between [him and Barry] in terms of how to be a good guy. Ralph is hitting on everybody all the time. He's brash and loud and doesn't listen." In addition, how he got his powers will be "one of the big mysteries of the season".

Casting
Main cast members Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, Keiynan Lonsdale, Tom Cavanagh, and Jesse L. Martin return from previous seasons as Barry Allen / The Flash, Iris West, Caitlin Snow / Killer Frost, Cisco Ramon / Vibe, Wally West / Kid Flash, Harrison Wells, and Joe West, respectively. Cavanagh will portray Harry Wells from Earth-2 at the start of the season, without ruling out the possibility of introducing another incarnation of the Wells character later on. Teasing the arrival of a new Harrison Wells, Cavanagh said, "We're going to start with Harry and then find a way, I think, to try and get a different version of Wells in there, be it some version of Harry or whatnot as the season's gaps present themselves." Also returning from earlier in the series are Jessica Camacho as Gypsy, and Anne Dudek as Tracy Brand. It was revealed that Tom Felton, who joined the cast as Julian Albert in the third season, would not be a series regular in the fourth season, and that there were no plans for him to appear. Julian's absence will be addressed "pretty quickly — there's a reason why he's no longer with the team," said Helbing. In the season premiere, it is revealed that Julian has returned to London. Kreisberg also confirmed that he had put on hold the planned return of Violett Beane as Jesse Quick due to the high number of speedsters on the show, but did not rule out a possible return in the future. Beane eventually appeared as Jesse on the episode "Luck Be a Lady". Britne Oldford, who previously appeared as Shawna Baez / Peek-a-Boo in the first season and the web series The Chronicles of Cisco, reprised her role in the season premiere.

In July 2017, Neil Sandilands was announced to be cast as Clifford DeVoe, a metahuman genius who embarks on a seasonlong battle with the Flash in order to fix all that he deems wrong with humanity; while Kim Engelbrecht was announced as The Mechanic, Devoe's right hand and a highly intelligent engineer who designs devices for him; and Danny Trejo as Breacher, a bounty hunter from Earth-19 and the father of Gypsy. Also in June, the series was looking to cast a role that "should put the visual effects department to the test", with the role later revealed to be Ralph Dibny / Elongated Man, a metahuman with the ability to stretch his body to superhuman lengths and sizes. Hartley Sawyer was cast in the recurring role that July as the fast-talking private investigator who after discovering his abilities will help Team Flash solve one of Central City's greatest mysteries. The character was previously mentioned in the first season, as one of the fourteen people who seemingly died as a result of the particle accelerator explosion. The next month, Katee Sackhoff was announced in the recurring role of Amunet Black / Blacksmith, who operates an underground black market of metahuman supervillains.

Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes make a special cameo appearance in the episode "Null and Annoyed", directed by Smith, as security guards who resemble Jay and Silent Bob.

Design
The season introduces a new title sequence for the series, replacing the one that appeared in the first three seasons. The title sequence in "Crisis on Earth-X" is drastically different from the design introduced for the fourth season

Filming
Filming for the season began on July 4, 2017, in Vancouver, British Columbia, and concluded on April 21, 2018. Kevin Smith will return to direct an episode in January 2018.

Music
In August 2017, series composer Blake Neely and Nathaniel Blume began to compose the music for the fourth season.


 * https://twitter.com/LaLaLandRecords/status/991379979555385344

Arrowverse tie-ins
In May 2017, The CW president Mark Pedowitz officially announced plans for a four-show Arrowverse crossover event, crossing over episodes of the television series Supergirl, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Arrow. The crossover, Crisis on Earth-X, began with Supergirl and a special airing of Arrow on November 27, 2017, and concluded on The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow on November 28. In August 2017, Berlanti noted that it would be "a big life event for a few different people" that would bring them all together for the crossover, adding "There are many life events that happen." Prior to that, Arrow actress Emily Bett Rickards appears as Felicity Smoak in the fifth episode of the season.


 * "It is tricky where you don't want to just do a one-off where none of the stories are lining up," Helbing says. "Figuring out how to extend and keep the narrative going on all four shows is tricky. There's obviously logistical scheduling challenges. And there's the expectation quotient that we want to exceed."

Broadcast
The season began airing on October 10, 2017, on The CW in the United States, and on CTV in Canada. Sky One acquired the rights to air the season in the UK & Ireland, airing it alongside the other Arrowverse shows. The season premiered October 17.

Marketing
In July 2017, cast from the series appeared at San Diego Comic-Con International to promote the season, where exclusive footage was shown. During the panel, a trailer for the season was shown, with James Whitbrook at io9 feeling that despite the "grim" tone, there was "some fun signs of the team coming together to protect the city without [Barry],... Sprinkle in a few wacky things, like, say a goddamn Samuroid ripped straight from the comics, and ladies and gents, you've got a good season of The Flash lined up." Ben Pearson with /Film felt seeing Iris West deal with the absence of Barry was "a nice change of pace for that character", but anticipated that "Barry [would] be back two or three episodes in at the latest." Collider.com's Allison Keene also noted Iris "getting an actual storyline" with Barry gone, and similarly presumed that he "[would] be back in the fold by the end of the first episode" alike to Flashpoint in the third season. She added, "There are some new foes, lots of action, plenty of tech — it's great!"

In September 2017, The CW released "Super Season" promos to promote the start of their superhero lineup of the 2017-18 season. The next month, The CW released a viral ad for Big Belly Burger, the fictional fast food chain in the Arrowverse, containing footage from previous seasons of The Flash, Arrow, and Supergirl. The series partnered with Microsoft for cross-media marketing to promote the Microsoft Surface with extra scenes featuring Ralph Dibny and the rest of the cast. In January 2018, The CW released a short promo titled "Suit Up" to promote the return of their superhero shows from their mid-season breaks and the addition of Black Lightning to their lineup.

During the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in January 2018, Patton and Panabaker appeared at "DC in D.C.", a pop culture event at Newseum in Washington, D.C. that brings together the worlds of entertainment and public service to discuss current issues through the lens of comics and superheroes through a series of panels, to promote the season. At the event, a limited-time "DC in D.C. Pop-Up Shop" was opened in front of the Newseum, which included a free CC Jitters coffee bar based on the coffeehouse of the same name on The Flash. A similar pop-up shop was also made available to the public at South by Southwest in March 2018, and again featured a CC Jitters café.

Home media
The season will begin streaming on Netflix in the United States on May 30, 2018.


 * http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Flash-Season-4-Press-Release/24165
 * http://theflashpodcast.com/news/the-flash-season-4-blu-ray-dvd-details-announced/

Critical response
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 7.36/10 based on 14 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "After an unsteady turn in season three, The Flash returns to its roots with a fourth season packed with humor, spectacle, and a whole lot of heart."

Reviewing the first two episodes of the season, Allison Keene writing for Collider.com, felt the premiere "wipes the slate clean, fixing a lot of the issues that plagued the end of the last season, and setting up a much more toned-down storyline. Most importantly, it's brought back some fun." She added that with a "streamlined team," the core characters now have time to interact and have meaningful plot lines. On the second episode, Keene described it as "truly a delight" with the show taking "the time to focus on character relationships, and not just romantic relationships" and each character "feeling like a refreshed version of themselves, with new narrative purpose". She also highlighted the setup of the Thinker "as an Alchemy-like villain who manipulates evil metas into the Flash's path as part of some kind of masterplan", saying "The Flash is a series that truly works best as a procedural, with the team finding creative ways to bring down Villains of the Week."


 * https://www.eonline.com/news/887675/was-mixed-signals-one-of-the-flash-s-best-episodes-ever