Bart and Nora witness [SPOILER]'s failed 2013 romance in The Flash sneak peek
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The Flash is doing the time warp again.
EW is debuting an exclusive sneak peek at the speedy drama's midseason premiere, which sends Bart (Jordan Fisher) and Nora (Jessica Parker Kennedy) back to the year 2013 to fix whatever timeline problems they created when they traveled to 2021 from the future to help Team Flash defeat Godspeed in the season 7 finale. If you've watched even half of the show's run and have witnessed any of Barry Allen's (Grant Gustin) time-travel misadventures, then you know that's not as easy it sounds — especially when you're still working out your power dynamic and are easily distracted, as is the case with Bart and Nora.
"The hardest part [is] the fact that they are a brother-sister dynamic and both adults, and trying to both figure out how to be superheroes at the same time," Kennedy tells EW. "Bart is distracted by his, you could say, love life a little bit. There's definitely a love connection that happens in this episode, which distracts him and is kind of funny. At the end of the day, they're just trying to save the world as usual."
In the clip above, Barry and Iris' (Candice Patton) adult kids arrive at the CCPD precinct in 2013 in time to see their grandfather, Joe West (Jesse L. Martin), crash and burn while asking his future partner Cecile (Danielle Nicolet) out on New Year's Eve. Bart and Nora try to maintain their distance, because interacting with anyone connected with their family in the past would cause even more timey-wimey chaos. But that plan quickly falls apart when they come face to face with a blast from the past: Detective Eddie Thawne (returning season 1 star Rick Cosnett), who catches them lurking.
Below, EW chats with Kennedy about Bart and Nora's "ridiculousness," working with Cosnett, and more.
Shane Harvey/The CW Jordan Fisher and Jessica Parker Kennedy on 'The Flash'
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How would you describe this episode?
JESSICA PARKER KENNEDY: I think it's cute, because Jordan and I got kind of spoiled having this episode to ourselves in a lot of ways. The whole episode revolves around our ridiculousness. We felt very, very special when we were filming this episode, more than we have before. We always feel special, obviously, but this one is just an extra-cool one. I just think it's really sweet. It shows the dynamic of the siblings in another way. And it shows how incredibly charming and annoying Bart is all at the same time, which is a different enigma kind of way to be, and he captures that so well.
When I spoke to Jordan last season, he compared Bart and Nora's relationship to The Incredibles in that they're siblings first and partners-in-crime second.
They're sort of a good pair and in moments a terrible pair, I guess, because I would say the problem with them is that they are siblings first in terms of the fighting siblings do, and the lack of… I guess you could use the word "respect" that Bart has for Nora's ideas. If she has an idea, he has the better idea. So you treat each other like family and you don't take that extra moment to say, "You know what, sis? I appreciate your idea, but I like mine better." Instead he's always like, "No, I'm not going to do that," and then he does his own thing. So that can work sometimes or get them into trouble sometimes. But at the end of the day, they do make a good team because they're both smart and good at what they're doing, and miraculously everything always works out.
This version of Nora obviously isn't the one from season 5. Do you approach her as a different character when you're performing?
Yeah, I do. We all have who we are inside of us, but how we're raised and who we're raised around changes us entirely and completely. When I was a kid, my mom used to say, "Wow, I have so much control here. I can raise you to be an insecure person, a confident person, a frightful person, an anxious person." It's Nora in that it's still her, but it's her having been raised by a mother and a father, so there's a lot of anxiety that isn't there that she had — anxiety and longing, you know? Other Nora wanted to prove herself all the time, especially to her father, and a huge piece of her was missing being raised without her father but knowing so much about him.
Whereas this Nora, I think she's a little bit more grounded. There's certainly a lot more focus on like, "Oh my God, my brother is the most annoying person on the planet." In a lot of ways, I think that Bart's character has a lot of Old Nora-isms in him. When I film sometimes, I'm like, "It's not fair! I miss the other Nora and being the goofy one that messes up and gets into trouble." Now it's kind of Jordan's character who gets to be that one. I'm sort of the more older, naggy, responsible sister. It's a different Nora, but they're both wonderful and I love both of those characters, and I'm proud of who both of them became.
Sergei Bachlakov/The CW Jessica Parker Kennedy as Nora/XS in 'The Flash' season 5
The last time we saw Nora and Bart was at their parents' vow renewal. Where do we pick up with them in this episode, and what can you tease about the challenges they're facing?
Living together and working out their power dynamic, really. They're both adults in their own world. I guess that's the hardest part, the fact that they are a brother-sister dynamic and both adults, and trying to both figure out how to be superheroes at the same time. Bart is distracted by his, you could say, love life a little bit. There's definitely a love connection that happens in this episode, which distracts him and kind of funny. At the end of the day, they're just trying to save the world, as usual.
How do they react to returning to this early point in time in their family's history?
I think for Nora, the stakes are always a lot higher because she's older and more responsible. There's an element that she can enjoy it, but she's also just extremely concerned about making sure the timeline isn't changed at all. Whereas Bart sort of has this more enthusiastic, "I want to see this! I want to see that! Oh my God, look at that!" He's very much a little puppy. Nora is very much focused on, "We have to get in and get out as fast we can without changing anything." Bart is more like, "Don't worry about it. Let's just have a great time. No matter what happens, we'll figure it out." That's kind of like his attitude, which I don't relate to personally. [Laughs] I'm much more of this version of Nora: prepared, looking five steps ahead.
It's interesting to see them meet their mom's ex-fiancé, Eddie Thawne. Was there anything surprising for you about getting to work with Rick, who was part of the show's early history?
First of all, he's the loveliest person in the whole wide world, and I had never met him before, so that was just absolutely delightful just sitting with him between takes and getting to know him. He's just a kind, gentle, lovely, lovely person. But I think for the characters it's really neat, but because the stakes are so high, there's almost no time to appreciate how cool it is really is. I think, again, Nora is just really focused. As me watching the episode, I was like, "Oh my God, this is so special!" There's something special about being able to have those characters on the show again, and such a cool throwback to what is a longtime ago.
So you've seen the episode? What was your reaction to watching it after shooting it months ago?
I loved it. I think the most fun thing is that Jordan has a lot of ideas of things he wants to do with the character that aren't in the script. Like the adorable [way] he kisses Joe on the cheek when he tries to make sure the bullet doesn't hit him. Just stuff like that is really fun. He always has these wild ideas and I'm like, "Okay, try that," and they work so well on the day. I think something I particularly enjoyed watching after was all the adorable stuff that Jordan has added to the character.
Cate Cameron/The CW Rick Cosnett as Eddie Thawne in 'The Flash' season 1
Did working with Jordan empower you to improvise in moments when it made sense for Nora?
It depends on the character. The more bubblier and wilder the characters are, like when Tom Cavanagh was playing Sherloque [in season 5], there was tons of improv on his part. I think with Jordan's wildness, there's room for improv, and Nora in season 5 there was room for improv. But more for me when I'm playing a character just little bit more serious, there isn't as much room, but in terms of the stuff where Bart is being annoying or Jordan improvises, it gives an opportunity for me to [show] extra annoyance that isn't in the script, or an eye roll or body movement. He gets really authentic reactions out of me.
When you watched it, did anything play differently than how you'd imagined it?
No, we had a pretty clear vision of what it was going to be like. It was really fun to watch because it was what I expected, other than the great little stuff that Jordan added. I always really liked the episode and I knew I was going to like it when I watched it, and I loved it.
Is this the last time we'll see Nora this season?
I don't know if I'm allowed to talk about that, but I think Nora comes by, she's around, and always popping in where she can. I think it's safe to say she can definitely maybe possibly [laughs] come back again this season.
The Flash airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CW.
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