Harrison Wells may have been killed and replaced by the villainous Eobard Thawne in season 1 of THE FLASH, but the character will be making a return appearance thanks to the portal now open between Earth-1 and Earth-2. In fact, at the end of last week’s episode, we saw Wells arrive in S.T.A.R. Labs on Earth-1. How will the other characters react to the arrival of a familiar face that had betrayed them so terrible?
During a recent visit to THE FLASH set in Vancouver, the cast weighed in on their characters’ reactions to the return of Wells:
- Barry’s initial reaction will be one of “shock, confusion and fear,” teased Grant Gustin. But he moves on pretty quickly, because we’re grasping this Earth-2 idea [and] it’s not him. It’s not the same guy [as the other Wells who had betrayed them]…. Barry’s wanting to trust him. And, in a way, he’s quicker to trust him than he was to trust Jay when Jay showed up, which is kind of confusing. [Barry and Wells] have a very interesting relationship. We’re shooting [episode 9] now and the layers are still getting peeled back.
- Jesse L. Martin says that Earth-2 Wells is “even less cool than he was before. He presents a whole lotta problems for [Joe] just by looking at him.”
- Caitlin’s “initial reaction is not good,” said Danielle Panabaker. “Everyone’s taken aback by it, for sure.”
- Meanwhile, does Jay know of Earth-2’s Harrison Wells? According to Teddy Sears, we saw a Comic-Con preview where Jay Garrick arrives somewhere and people are clapping. “That has to do with Harrison Wells.” Sears also went on to tease that “Jay and Harrison certainly know each other, but Harrison Wells is a guy who is known to many people because of who he is back there.”
On the flip side, Tom Cavanagh says that Wells’ interaction with the S.T.A.R. Labs’ team this year “all involves the mission that [he’s] on. Much as last year [he] was on a pretty momentous mission, this year is similar.” Further, “if he’s much more brusque and arrogant and generates conflict (and I think all the better for the show and for me to play that) — I would like to say it would be up to the viewers and yourselves to decide, but I think there’s quite an apparent difference [between season 1 Wells and season 2 Wells] and I think necessarily there should be. I also think given the people that do watch this show and how passionate they are, there’s going to be a lot of vitriol directed [Harrison’s] way and I think that’s fine.” Cavanagh also said that there will be a reunion between Earth-2 Wells and the rest of the team fairly early on and hinted that Wells’ “ego is not lacking. I think that this current character is a lot less about togetherness.”
Watch our interviews with the cast below and tune in to an all new episode of THE FLASH on October 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.