We all know that most of The Flash's characters deal with setbacks and tragedies on a regular basis, but Caitlin Snow can barely catch a break. In Season 4, her struggles stemmed from losing her Killer Frost persona, and then expanded when she tapped into some repressed memories from her past, in which we learned she had her icy powers for way longer than expected. Star Danielle Panabaker spoke with CinemaBlend and other press at San Diego Comic-Con, and here's what she had to say when Killer Frost's Season 5 fate was brought up.
Well she's gone right now, so I think the first thing is for Caitlin to find her and understand more about how she came to be. And if she can get her back. . . . I think what was revealed was that Killer Frost has been a part of Caitlin for longer than just when the particle accelerator exploded. I'm excited to spend some time learning about what happened, how she came to be, and that sort of thing.
I definitely didn't like hearing the words "if she can get her back" coming from Danielle Panabaker, because Killer Frost's return should be an absolute certainty at this point, even if it might take some fairly complex situations in order to bring it about. Season 4 was something of a learning period for Caitlin, as she first worked to balance her two personalities, and was then forced to cope with not having one of them around anymore. So I think it's only fair that, after she figures out what's happening with her mysterious past, Caitlin should be permanently connected to her Killer Frost side without any risk of losing her in the future.
Of course, unpacking childhood traumas is hardly a speedy process, and considering Caitlin's involves metahuman characteristics and a potential vehicular accident (among other things), any therapeutic outcomes may take a while to reach. Showrunner Todd Helbing did confirm at the Flash panel that viewers will learn how and why she got her powers in Season 5, but hopefully it won't take an entire season to get to that explanation. Still, whatever happened to Caitlin that gave her enhanced abilities without the need for a particle accelerator, you can bet it won't be the easiest thing to figure out. But it could be a giant gamechanger.
To that end, I asked Danielle Panabaker how heavily Caitlin's family would play into her past and her renewed search for Killer Frost. Here's her answer:
Well, I mean we did see Caitlin/Killer Frost as a child, so the first question you go to when you have questions about childhood, I think, is your parent. Maybe it's your sibling, but Caitlin doesn't have siblings. So I think it would probably be safe to assume she's going to go talk to her mom.
I then tried to half-jokingly get confirmation that the show won't try to retcon things by introducing a surprise brother or sister for Caitlin in the flashbacks, though my attempts were made in vain. But for now, we'll just look forward to reconnecting with Susan Walters' Carla Tanhauser when she returns to The Flash next season, and it'll hopefully be for more than just an episode or two.
If you haven't checked out The Flash's first trailer for Season 5, then remedy that immediately. And be sure to tune in when the premiere hits The CW on Tuesday, October 10, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Check out what we learned about Nora West-Allen from star Jessica Parker Kennedy, and then head to our summer premiere schedule to see all the new and returning shows coming soon.
