SDCC 2019: The Riverdale Cast Talks All Things Senior Year [Guest Poster: Kay-B]

(Photo credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

My favorite event to cover is San Diego Comic-Con, and this year did not disappoint! I had a chance to talk to the Riverdale seniors: KJ Apa (who plays Archie Andrews), Cole Sprouse (Jughead Jones), Lili Reinhart (Betty Cooper), Camila Mendes (Veronica Lodge), and Madelaine Petsch (Cheryl Blossom) who shared what’s to come in the form of academics, family, murder and mayhem in the cursed town of Riverdale.

Here is some scoop...

On Jughead’s arc for the season:

“Jughead’s only in Riverdale on the weekends now. So his main storyline is the prep school, which is the foundation and building blocks of the flash-forwards that we're doing with season four, ” Sprouse told me.

The locus of the mystery of this season is this very strange elitist prep school. The way it was described was very Gossip Girl prep, like Upper East Side kids. And then Jughead. It's sort of like Dead Poets Society. He got into this school because of the story he submitted to a writing contest about the gargoyle king. So a teacher being fascinated with his voice takes him into this prep school.”

On Veronica’s newfound freedom this season:

“Veronica is focusing on applying for colleges and dealing with the repercussions of her father's actions,” Mendes shared. “Both of her parents are in prison. She put her father, Hiram (Mark Consuelos) in there and she wants him to be there. I don’t think she wanted her mom to be there though.

But Hiram ... is causing hell in her life, making it hard for her to get into college, and reacting to the fact that she put him in prison. So because of the conflict with her parents and their current imprisonment, Smithers is her legal guardian. Mostly the house is unsupervised, which means anyone can come over and sleep over whenever they want.”

On Cheryl’s emotional state:

Petsch added: “Well, season four picks up three months later, and [the characters are] about to start their senior year of high school. And Cheryl is hyper-focused on getting into college and bringing her girlfriend, Toni, with her.

Mentally [though], she’s kind of sinking. She's hiding her brother's dead body in her basement and, after the events from the farm, she still believes she’s speaking with him. She truly feels like he’s back with her again. And I think we’re going to have to address that fairly quickly at the beginning of the season.”

On Betty’s complicated relationship with her father:

“It’s two and a half months after [Betty] saw her dad get killed in front of her, which is not a great thing to have [to] experience,” Reinhart explains. “Betty is sort of struggling with the idea that she feels like she can’t grieve him because of who he was. He was such a bad person, so morally wrong, and he was a murderer. She feels like she can’t fully grieve him or miss him because that would make her a bad person.

So that’s sad because she still has all of these memories of him being a good father to her growing up. It’s a little heartbreaking to see her deal with that. But Jughead is there for her in that situation. She’s going to lean on her friends since she can’t trust too many people, and her circle of friends is getting a little bit smaller. I think the core four is strong this season because they are all each other has.” 

On Archie’s relationship with Veronica and his mom this season: 

“Archie and Veronica both have a lot going on in their lives right now. They need each other more than ever,” Apa mentioned.  “Also, with Archie's dad being absent this season, we get to spend a lot more time with Archie and his mom, Mary (played by Molly Ringwald), which is a relationship we never really got to get to know quite well. Molly and I have already had some amazing scenes together so far. It’s been good getting to know how our characters interact with each other more. I think a lot of the stuff this season is based around relationships, especially between the core four figuring out things that we didn't know beforehand.”

Riverdale has always been so great at complex storytelling and taking the audience on journeys filled with unsuspecting twists and turns. It sounds like season four is no different; not only will we have dynamic mystery stories but also heavy family and relationship arcs as well.

Be ready for it all when Riverdale premieres October 9th, only on The CW!

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Every Year is Bigger and Better: Kay-B's SDCC 2018 Faves [Contributor: Kay-B]

After a whirlwind weekend culminating in a struggle of flight issues, I am back and ready to give you my top favorite moments from Comic-Con 2018! Let’s dive in, shall we?

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY'S BRAVE NEW WARRIORS PANEL

This panel was hilarious, fresh, and fun. My first time checking it out, this Lynette Rice-moderated discussion featuring today’s male TV heroes included Benedict Wong (Deadly Class), Dylan Bruce (Midnight, Texas), Santiago Cabrera (Salvation), Tom Ellis (Lucifer) Jay Hernandez (Magnum P.I.), Eoin Macken (Nightflyers), and surprise guest Stephen Moyer (The Gifted). During this richly hilarious and divine panel, our heroes discussed topics that covered the thrill of playing iconic characters, the sometimes-awkward fan encounters, and the ups and downs of careers in Hollywood.

Filled with flashbacks from their haunted pasts including a model-esque photo of Stephen Moyer, an NBC promo for The Night Shift that one panelist called “the crossover between Scrubs and Sons of Anarchy,” and that really was everything I never knew l needed. When Lynette asked the gentlemen how their characters save the world, Tom Ellis said: “Lucifer doesn’t care about the world, he only cares about himself!” Jay, in turn, quipped: “Magnum P.I. doesn’t really save the world, but he definitely saves housewives.”

There were detailed stories of fake IDs, bad blonde dye jobs, secret crushes, and more reveals from Eion Macken’s childhood. Santiago said he uses his star power daily to get food at craft services first, and Dylan has always had a thing for Michael J. Fox: “I used to dress up like him Family Ties and carry a briefcase and all!” There were more laughs than I could count, and this panel is definitely not to be missed next year!

RIVERDALE SCOOP

I got so much scoop that I had to write another article, so check it out! But basically, Riverdale is the best. I’m already excited about season three, and I demand a crossover with the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina — somehow and some way — when it premieres.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

A BLACK LIGHTNING FAMILY REUNION

I had the BEST Comic-Con family reunion. And I say family reunion because in my mind, we are just that. I have loved every moment of Black Lightning and any time I get a chance to support, I do! So getting the chance to talk to the cast for a second time at Comic-Con was a delight.

The cast and creators are so thoughtful and articulate not only in how they describe their vision for the show, but incredibly poignant in how they portray this black family and our community. So what did they tease about season two? Well: new tech, new suits, and probably new cell phones for Team Lightning to start. Hopefully we will also get an answer to a current work/love life imbalance for Thunder and Lightning, as well as fresh eyes for a particular law enforcement official and best friend... who will still be in the dark about his friend’s superhero alias.

Finally, we can look forward to more stories that expand the Lightningverse — with hopes that eventually characters like Static Shock will enter into the fold. Until then, let’s count the days until we get what is sure to be a dynamic second season.

WARNER BROS. HALL H PRESENTATION

From the moment that the lights went down and the multi-screens were revealed, I knew this presentation would be a highlight for me. With trailer reveals for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, SHAZAM!, and of course Aquaman, this presentation did not disappoint. The way that the studio flowed from film to film, showing highlights and exclusives, was truly fantastic. While there was some footage left just for Hall H eyes, I can say that if the Aquaman trailer didn’t pique your interest, stay the course because the extended trailer has me even more excited for December 21!

Godzilla: King of the Monsters will just be a largely insane good time, and it is good to see O’Shea Jackson Jr. in another role after his stellar performance as his father in Straight Outta Compton.

SHAZAM! is really just Zachary Levi portraying himself in a superhero suit, while The LEGO Movie 2 is going to be adorable and hilarious. Be sure to watch out for Tiffany Haddish as... what else? A unicorn, of course!

Wonder Woman 1984 (#WW84) will be a stand alone film, that — per Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot — shouldn’t be judged as a sequel, but rather another chapter in Diana’s story. So how on earth is Steve Trevor back? We will have to wait until next Comic-Con for more robust footage. Until then, the exclusive nugget they shot was adorable and had me ready for November 1, 2019.

Finally, the Fantastic Beasts trailer and presentation took us on a wild ride, with the most fan interaction of the presentation. But will this sequel exceed Potterheads’ expectations? Only time will tell. I can say with certainty though that Warner Bros. brought out all of the stops this year and have me wildly excited for this next slate of films!

All in all, Comic-Con 2018 was a success! I cannot wait to head back next year to see old favorites and get the new scoop on my favorite fandoms — and all things pop culture. Until 2019!

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Of Soft Pretzels and Long Lines: SDCC 2018 Personal Highlights [Contributor: Jenn]

I’ve been fortunate enough to have attended Comic-Con for three years now. But 2018 was the first year in the convention in which I actually had the time to prioritize panels and build in rest and relaxation into my schedule (it’s possible!). I loved getting the chance to connect with Twitter friends in real life (shout-out to Chris King and Tiffany, because it was great to finally meet you both in person), I loved seeing the passion in fans for their favorite shows, and I loved getting the chance to get exclusive glimpses into upcoming content.

So here, I’m going to break down some of my favorite moments and memorable panels from last weekend.

(Image credit: Jerod Harris/Getty Images)

COMEDIES REIGN

The best panels I attended (or attended in spirit, thanks to insane lines) were the ones regarding my favorite network comedies. I sadly missed out on the Brooklyn Nine-Nine panel, but Chelsea was lucky to attend and live-tweet the entire thing. Somehow over the last year, that show has become one of my absolute favorites. I think that it perfectly balances silly humor with real character moments and integrates real-world issues (racism, active shooter situations, etc.) with ease and balance. It doesn’t oversentimentalize, but it doesn’t trivialize either. Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s cast is filled with delightful, wonderful human beings who were just so happy to attend the convention that they charmed the pants off everyone in the crowd. I had no idea so many other people loved the series!

A few highlights from the panel that Chelsea gathered:

• You can expect new marital adventures for Jake and Amy in the upcoming season! Their foundation is still their friendship, so it’s bound to be fun.
• Dan Goor consulted Stephanie Beatriz regarding Rosa’s storyline coming out as bisexual. He wanted a real, bisexual female voice and Stephanie discussed how she was honored to provide that insight.
• Terry Crews discussed how his character is essentially the mom of the precinct. We can’t argue with that one.
• A fan teared up (and made Stephanie Beatriz and Melissa Fumero cry too) when she discussed how important it was for her to see strong, smart Latina characters on television.
• Andy Samberg discussed how everyone wants the series to tackle difficult storylines with the respect they deserve so they take their time in developing those.

(Image credit: Entertainment Weekly)

The reason I was late for Brooklyn Nine-Nine and had to miss it was because I was across the street at the convention center attending the final Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Comic-Con panel. Though most of the cast was not present, Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna were there to discuss some of the show’s boldest and bravest moments, as well as what Rachel and Aline have planned from the beginning. And yes, they know how the series will end. I really appreciated hearing from these women for a few reasons.

One, of course, being that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has climbed the ladder in my heart as one of the most inventive and engaging shows on television. And truthfully, I love panels where I get to hear from show creators about decisions they make and how they come up with their stories. Rachel and Aline work seamlessly together and this show is their baby. I’m so grateful that it exists on television — where else can you find mental health and real issues women deal with discussed with such frankness and hilarity? — and am really looking forward to the final season in this series. I can tell that Rachel and Aline, along with their writers, have a clear-cut direction and that always makes for tight stories and character arcs.

A few highlights from the panel:

• Rachel performed the season four theme song for us, which sounds like it’s going to be absolutely delightful.
• We got to watch last season’s gag reel proving, once again, just how much fun these people have together.
• Rachel and Aline talked about the depiction of mental health in the series when an audience member asked whether the series is anti-medication. Aline recognized that the purpose of their series isn’t clinical, but to provide dialogue and note that Rebecca Bunch was misdiagnosed and therefore her medication wasn’t helping her at the beginning of the series. Aline does believe that Rebecca is probably on some low-dose medication now in the show.
• The writers and actors have such a great rapport with each other that often the writers will learn what skills and talents the actors have and write them into the characters on the show.
• The final season of the show will focus on Rebecca Bunch’s desire to marry internal changes with her external realities, and that’ll be the challenge.

Next up: I adore The Good Place. Truly, I do. It’s the kind of comedy that consistently reinvents itself without feeling trite or cliche. And watching their Comic-Con panel solidified that for me. I was lucky enough to have center seats to the panel, where we heard all about how Jameela Jamil has only kissed seven people in her whole life, and where the cast apologized to any Floridians for all of the show’s jokes about the state (Don’t worry, guys. I’m from Florida. You’re not inaccurate in the jokes.) We heard the cast members tease one another but also boast about each others’ talents. Kristen Bell and Emmy award nominee Ted Danson (the only thing host of the panel, Marc Evan Jackson would call him) noted that the chance to work with each other was what drew them to the process. And Danson gave all the credit to Mike Schur for the success of the show and success of the cast on it.

And I got to listen to Mike Schur — one of my writing heroes, honestly — discuss the significance of the show, the difficulty in writing a comedy featuring ethical debates and discussions, and why his series can be watched with families. We even got a glimpse into the first two minutes of the third season. If those moments are any indicator, the next season of The Good Place is gonna be great.

DCTV IS STILL ALIVE AND KICKING

I’ve personally stopped watching all DCTV series within the last year, but I attended the panels because I knew our audience loved the series represented and would love scoop. (We didn’t get into Ballroom 20 in time for the Supergirl panel, but alas; that was okay.) Honestly based on the panels alone, I think I’d reinvest quickest in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Their panel not only provided great scoop, but the entire cast was absolutely adorable and fun. It’s clear they love working together and care about their characters.

Dominic Purcell gave insight into Mick, by telling us that: “With any tough guy, there’s always a defense mechanism. Deep down, Mick is very dark. But at the same time, he’s a sweetheart deep, deep, deep down there.” Meanwhile, we also heard that we’d see softer sides of both Sara and Ava’s characters this season.

I will say that the most intrigue I had was attending the Arrow panel. With a new showrunner who’s been with the series since the beginning, I was interested to know whether or not the show would have a shift in creative direction. Beth Schwartz emphasized the fact that she’d be putting her own twist on the Arrow universe (she loves the dark stuff, God bless her) but that the show would still essentially feel the same. Based on the teaser for the upcoming season, I can sense a slight shift in tone; the video felt more in line with a Marvel Netflix series than a show on The CW. I’m intrigued by it all — but was mostly intrigued by the fact that Felicity would seemingly finally get her due and agency. Part of my curiosity was whether or not female characters would have better agency and representation now that Arrow has a female showrunner. I’m hopeful for fans that they will!

Later, I attended The Flash’s panel. I think Grant Gustin and Tom Cavanagh could have their own comedy special with how much they tease and seem to enjoy working with one another. Speaking of female agency: I was thrilled to hear Candice Patton discuss her desires for Iris moving forward — especially in regards to her career as a journalist. She noted how journalists in 2018 are superheroes and feels like Iris needs to shine in that area this year.

But the real MVPs of the DCTV panels were the kids! At Arrow’s panel, Sarah — a little girl from last year who received a necklace from Stephen Amell — returned this year, and Amell gifted her a bow that he stole from the set. At The Flash’s panel, two little girls hilariously asked the question on everyone’s minds: Why is the security at S.T.A.R. Labs so awful? But fun wasn’t just what these kiddos were there for; one child asked a really amazing question about what Grant Gustin thinks Barry learned from both of his fathers and would pass on to Nora as a dad.

Go home, adults. Kids won Comic-Con.

PILOTS HAPPENED

I screened three pilots at Comic-Con this year, since I opted to skip preview night (and while it’s not a pilot, I did actually watch an episode of Steven Universe. I have no idea what the show’s about still, but the cast was delightful and the fans were absolutely adoring in their love for the show): Charmed, Magnum P.I., and Amazon’s Jack Ryan.

Most of those shows aren’t really on brand for me. I watched Jack Ryan simply because it happened to occur during Amazon’s panel, but if it wasn’t for John Krasinski, I would not have been engaged at all. The Amazon panel in and of itself was a little interesting, since we got teasers for the upcoming series (including the only one that piqued my interest — a series from Neil Gaiman, starring David Tennant), and spent a little time on each creator. Nevertheless, I sat through the Jack Ryan pilot because of Krasinski. He doesn’t disappoint (though I still found his performance in A Quiet Place to be more engaging), and the show does weave in some humor and Krasinski’s knack for making the best facial expressions.

Magnum P.I. seemed like the most on-brand CBS procedural. Of course it’s a reboot of the original series, but the voiceover narrative throughout the pilot was a drawback for me. There was too much exposition and it detracted from the overall plot. The show wove in some comedy, mostly in the form of Zachary Knighton’s character. The creator of Magnum P.I. also created the reboots of Hawaii Five-0 and MacGyver, so naturally it fits that he’d be at the helm of this CBS reboot as well. While the pilot wasn’t inherently bad (and for the most part was actually pretty decent), there were moments that I can only describe as “quintessentially CBS.”

That brings us to the Charmed reboot (seriously, are there no new ideas anymore, people?!) — the most divisive pilot. I met people throughout the weekend who hated it, and some who loved it. As a disclaimer to my review of it: I never watched the original series. Not in its initial run, not in reruns. So I went in without any real expectations and found myself pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The acting is decent, but expect yourself to find Charmed in 2018 to be a mix of The CW supernatural dramas and Pretty Little Liars. The series is set in a college town and the actresses play young women in college. The new Charmed features women of color in the titular roles, and there’s LGBTQ representation as well. While I know fans of the original series might not enjoy the reinterpretation, I actually found it to have potential as a “new” show for a new audience.

Chelsea mentioned to me that the series would pair well either before or after Riverdale, which I agreed with. It definitely has a new look and feel, and will most likely reach a new audience for 2018.

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

Cloak & Dagger’s cast was so delightful together on stage, honestly. I was really excited for their panel because I just got into the Freeform series recently and found it to be really compelling and well-produced. The cast was so cute and simply just grateful to be a part of the Marvel universe! Both Aubrey and Olivia mentioned how fortunate they feel to be representing their characters on the small screen. And bonus — during the panel, we learned that the series is renewed for a second season! I love the complex issues that Cloak & Dagger explores; it doesn’t feel like it sensationalizes them. But what I really love is that these characters aren’t archetypes. Tandy and Tyrone make good decisions and bad decisions. Tandy, especially, is an incredibly layered and complex female character who makes bad choices for good reasons. She feels like the world took everything from her and she needs to take it back. Tyrone is the stereotypical “good kid” who has a lot of anger within him — justifiable anger, mind you, but anger no less.

I think Cloak & Dagger is such a compelling series and the cast and crew were passionate and fun in their first ever Comic-Con panel.

(Image credit: TVGuide)

BARROWMAN, AT LAST

Each year, a panel has conflicted with my ability to attend “Anything Goes with John Barrowman,” but FINALLY this year I was able to attend and was not disappointed. Barrowman is such a character, and he has personality enough to fill the entire Hall H if Comic-Con wanted him to. The best thing about the panel was that Barrowman is a fantastic storyteller and spent most of his time talking about his experience with appendicitis last year. Near the end of the panel though, we got a more solemn glimpse into our favorite former Whovian by listening to him perform a few songs on stage.

I absolutely love how wild John Barrowman is, and am glad I got to see him in person this year!

Did you attend Comic-Con? What were some of your favorite moments and/or panels? Did you eat as many Auntie Anne’s soft pretzels at the convention center as I did? Sound off in the comments below!

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Comic-Con Roundtable Interview: The Cast of Wynonna Earp [Contributor: Chelsea]

Like most parties, I was late to the Wynonna Earp festivities. After seeing AfterEllen contributor Dana Piccoli praise it on Twitter week after week, and the excited fans on Tumblr, I finally hit the screeners a few weeks before Comic-Con to see if the show lived up to the hype. Needless to say, I got way more than I could have ever expected.

Wynonna Earp follows Wyatt Earp’s granddaughter as she returns to her hometown of Purgatory on her 27th birthday and reluctantly takes the title as heir to the Earp curse. With the help of her sister Waverly, Agent Dolls of the Black Badge Division, and Doc Holliday (yes, that Doc Holliday), Wynonna must take down all of the Revenants — the resurrected souls of the criminals Wyatt Earp killed.

The show debuted this past spring right at the height of the Bury Your Gays controversy that was plaguing so many once-great television programs. The show quickly became a safe space for LGBTQ+ audiences who were tired of stray bullets taking the lives of their favorite lesbian characters and of showrunners viewing these characters as expendable. For many (myself included), you came to Wynonna Earp for the refreshing queer characters and stayed because it’s also amazing beyond that. This show is the perfect balance of dramedy, cheese, and heart.

When we got to the press room, we did not know yet that the show had been renewed — though we all were correct in our prediction that they would announce it at the panel that followed. Not knowing if the show was going to be renewed, though, did give us a chance to talk to the actors about more things than just what they wanted from the second season. From the short time I spent with each actor, it was evident that they love the fans as much as the fans love the show, and the close relationships the actors have on-screen are just as tight off-screen.

I sat down with the cast, along with comic creator Beau Smith, to talk about everything from their favorite moments from the first season to which cast member they would throw cold spaghetti at a la Grace Helbig. Checkout the interviews below, then watch the full San Diego Comic-Con panel here.

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Comic-Con Roundtable Interview: Riley Smith (Frequency)

(Photo credit: Dave Starbuck/Future Image / WENN)

When Frequency premieres in October, one of the most compelling elements of the show is the central relationship between Raimy Sullivan (Peyton List) and her estranged father, Frank Sullivan (Riley Smith). Before seeing the pilot, I wasn’t sure how the storyline — based on the 2000 film of the same name — would play out and if I would be captivated by a show about parallel timelines and time-travel. After watching the pilot at Comic-Con, however, I was utterly sold on the show thanks in large part to the incredible emotional core, and the relationship between Peyton and Riley’s characters. While at Comic-Con, we had the opportunity to sit down with Riley Smith at a roundtable and discuss his complex character, Frank’s relationship with Raimy, and what the future holds for Frank.

As you likely noticed from the promotional trailers and from our interview with EPs Jeremy Carver and Jennifer Gwartz, The CW’s Frequency tells the story of an estranged father and daughter, rather than a father and son. When asked about the switch, Riley Smith noted that he was a fan of it: “I feel that the father/daughter relationship is the sweetest thing in the world. […] When I read the script, immediately that’s what popped off to me. That element is going to be so much stronger for a series and for us as actors to play out.”

While Peyton List’s Raimy lives in 2016, Frank Sullivan exists in the past — more specifically, 1996. “It’s literally like walking back in time,” Riley said about the opportunity to time-travel to an era with significance for him. “I knew [the 90s] so well. Oasis’ ‘Wonderwall’ is my [character’s] opening song, and I got chills when that came on. Because that was my song when I was driving in Iowa as a senior in high school trying to get the nerve to move to California to be an actor.”

As the EPs noted in our interview, Frequency is a mix of a few different kinds of shows. The Sullivans are a broken family, and so one of the most integral elements of the pilot is the strained relationship between Raimy and Frank, and the solid relationship between Raimy and her mother. But in addition to being a family-centric drama, Frequency is also a genre show and one that incorporates elements of a police drama, too. When discussing the tone of the story that the show is telling, Riley noted that it is “deeply rooted in the characters and in the relationships,” which is extremely evident while watching the pilot. Relationships are central, whether it’s Raimy’s relationships with her family, her co-workers, or her boyfriend. As Riley then accurately pointed out, the successful basis of any show — but especially Frequency — is one that is firmly grounded in its characters and their central motivations.

“The sci-fi, time-travel elements will take care of themselves,” Riley pointed out. “If we play the scenes as real and as deeply-rooted as possible, all the surroundings? That’s the surroundings. […] We [as actors] can’t get caught up in that. We have to stay true to the words on the page and the dynamic of the relationships, and our goals as characters.”

Perhaps one of the most interesting elements of Frequency (and the thing that could make it an extremely tricky show down the line like Doctor Who or Legends of Tomorrow) is the sci-fi element of time-travel and timelines. Raimy makes choices within the pilot episode that don’t just affect her and her own future, but the future of the people she loves and is ultimately trying to protect. And while the idea of parallel timelines can get convoluted pretty quickly, Riley also discussed the frantic energy and figurative “ticking clock” that the show has, akin to 24 (a show he also used to be on). Frequency’s premise now hangs on the idea that though there may not be a race against time, Raimy is also going to be fighting time and the consequences of her actions.

Because of the premise of the show — especially in the pilot — Raimy and her father Frank are separated by the span of 20 years. When asked whether or not Peyton and Riley got the opportunity to see each others’ scenes in order to play off of them, Riley revealed that he and Peyton have actually been acting partners for the last decade! “Peyton and I vowed from the pilot that we would be there for each other, off camera for the whole [show] because it really makes a difference,” Riley said. “Peyton and I have been acting partners for ten years. […] We’ve worked for countless hours on so many things that we did get, so many things we didn’t get. We’ve never actually physically worked together in a scene on TV though, until now. And so all that history and work we put in shows across that bond we had as father and daughter. So it was very important to us — because we had that bond and we know each other so well as actors — to be there for each other off camera.”

Riley then went on to mention that he wants to try to be off camera for scenes with Peyton for the whole series, but it will get tougher as the show has begun a tighter and quicker shooting schedule. Regardless of whether she’s physically present, Riley mentioned that he hears Peyton in his head, and knows how she would deliver a line.

Riley’s character, Frank, is complex and layered. He’s not necessarily the villain of the pilot, but he also doesn’t always act in the way that he should (prime example: sacrificing his family for his job). But Frank, in spite of his issues, is turned upside down by contact from Raimy in the future. “His whole world is turned upside down,” Riley said. “But what I love about Frank is that he’s an anti-hero. He’s a flawed human being. And me, personally, as an actor […] it’s hard to find a lead role that’s flawed. A lot of times and in a lot of ways they’re generic and perfect. And I’m not that guy and don’t want to play that guy. So I needed to find a guy who was flawed but who you could get behind and root for. And that was Frank.”

“In isolation, he doesn’t have a lot of trust,” Riley continued. “He’s basically given up everything he has and loves for this job. […] But ultimately […] Frank realizes, like a lot of people realize, at the end of the day? It’s about family. That’s all you really have. And the other stuff doesn’t matter because it’s all going to be taken away from you.”

Frequency debuts on October 5 on The CW. Be sure to check it out, listen to the full interview with Riley Smith below, and stay tuned to our site for more interviews with the cast and others post-Comic-Con coverage!

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Comic-Con Recap: 9 Things We Learned From The DC Panels [Contributor: Jen]

(Photo credit: GreenArrow.com.BR)

One of the highlights of San Diego Comic Con was the DC television panels. The excitement in the room was palpable as the writers and casts from Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash and Arrow assembled in Ballroom 20 to discuss their upcoming seasons. The creators and cast from each show had plenty of spoilers for us. But those weren't necessarily the most surprising revelations. Below are nine of the most interesting things we learned from the DC television block on Saturday.

We know who is in "The Pod."

Truth be told, this was a bomb drop for me. I was floored that Supergirl released who is in
The Pod." Okay, now is the time to avert your eyes if you want to remain spoiler-free! Ready? Here we go: Chris Wood — known for his roles on The Vampire Diaries and Contagion — will be joining Supergirl as a series regular in season two. And as it turns out, he is the one in the pod. Judging from his previous roles, Wood plays both a hero and villain equally well, so I truly have no idea what to expect from him on Supergirl.

Arrow's theme for the upcoming season is "legacy."

Every fan of Arrow knows that each year, the show chooses to focus on a singular theme and structure the season around it. The focus of season five was revealed at Comic-Con and will be "legacy." The writers will honor the death of the Black Canary/Laurel Lance, but also refocus on the original premise of Arrow. As Stephen Amell noted about Oliver, "he's really back to the mission [...] the most important thing in [Oliver's] life is honoring what [his] father asked [him] to do, which is protect Star City."

Stephen Amell's mantra throughout the majority of the interviews he conducted about the upcoming season was "back to basics." There's a reason why this message was top priority in the Arrow media blitz. Arrow spent the last three years launching The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. In the midst of all the spin-off goodness, something has been lost for many fans — Arrow. It seems like Amell is echoing the concern of the fans and reassuring them.

This complaint that the show has strayed away from its roots is one that the writers have heard, too. The theme of legacy means that Arrow is committed to honoring the legacy of Oliver's fallen loved ones, but also forging a new legacy with The Green Arrow. It's a return to the street-fighting-Original-Team-Arrow-saving-Star-City premise that makes this show great.

Legends of Tomorrow has new supervillains (plural!) and they are awesome.

One of the chief complaints I had about Legends of Tomorrow's first season was the villain was fairly lackluster. For season two, instead of announcing one villain, creator Marc Guggenheim announced FOUR: Eobard Thawne (Reverse Flash), Damien Darhk, Captain Cold (former Legends of Tomorrow deceased team member Leonard Snart), and Malcolm Merlyn.

All of these villains hail from The Flash and Arrow universes. They are fully fleshed out characters and formidable in their own rights. The legends have personal history with each villain, adding a layer of emotional drama that was lacking with Vandal Savage. Caity Lotz — who plays White Canary/Sara Lance — made specific mention of how much Sara will want to kill Damien and Merlyn, in particular, since Darhk is responsible for killing Laurel and Merlyn is responsible for killing well... her.

A supervillain team fighting against a superhero team throughout time sounds pretty spectacular. Plus capping off the announcement with an appearance from John Barrowman was just the icing on the cake.

Flashpoint is no small paradox.

Of course, at the forefront of everyone's minds is how much has changed (or will change) within the DC television universe because of Barry's decision to save his mother on The Flash. So exactly how much has changed? In a word (or two): A LOT. Grant Gustin said that Barry is somewhat unaware of all the changes because he's living in blissful ignorance. The cast and sizzle reel reveal some of the big changes, however:

• Cisco is the richest man in the world.
• Both Barry's father and mother are alive.
• Iris doesn't really know who Barry is. She has difficulty remembering his name and it's clear they don't have a relationship. Not even a friendship.
• The West family is no longer the strong, close unit they use to be. Joe is very unhappy and Jesse L. Martin specifically mentioned Joe has, what looks like, an unsolvable problem with Iris.
• Wally West is Kid Flash.
• Flashpoint impacts the whole Berlanti universe, but there was specific mention of the impact to Diggle.

It was also announced that Emily Bett Rickards will be guest-starring as Felicity Smoak in episode two this season, but writer Todd Helbing became extremely evasive when pressed for details about her appearance. Grant quickly interrupted and said Felicity is giving Barry advice. The Flash included a clip of Barry and Felicity's kiss during the sizzle reel, leaving some fans to wonder if the Flashpoint impact with Barry and Felicity is more than meets the eye.

Arrow reveals Laurel Lance's final words... and they have real implications for Olicity.

This was another shocker from the sizzle reel. Much has been made about Laurel and Oliver's mysterious final scene and what exactly Laurel made Oliver promise. As it turns out, fans didn't have to wait as long as we anticipated to find out. Their final exchange went like this:

Laurel: Will you promise me something?
Oliver: Anything.
Laurel: Your instinct has always been to go it alone. But Ollie... you can't.

At first, hearing those final words felt like a balloon deflating. Laurel tells Oliver not to "go it alone"? That's it? I felt decidedly "eh." But upon further reflection, it's actually a pretty perfect final exchange between the two. We know that the flashbacks this season are Bratva-centric. In the sizzle reel, in particular, Anatoly Knyaze tells Oliver the only person he can trust is himself. Season five of Arrow is about the juxtaposition of these two sides of Oliver.

Laurel asking Oliver not go it alone not only has literal implications, but also fascinating romantic implications. Ultimately, one of the reasons why Laurel and Oliver failed romantically is because Oliver was constantly going it alone. The Laurel/Oliver flashbacks in "Canary Cry" revealed that Laurel wanted to be with Oliver and save the city together after Tommy's death. Instead of allowing her in, Oliver continues to lie to Laurel and leaves town for the isolation of Lian-Yu. Their romance, of course, never recovered.

We saw this idea of isolation again in season four with Oliver making a similar choice to "go it alone" when he lied to Felicity about the existence of his son and chose to send William away without even mentioning it to her. And in "Broken Hearts," Felicity said to Oliver, "You know, no matter how much you love me, there's always going to be a part of you that defaults to the man who was on the island. Alone. Who came back to save the city alone."

In order to keep Laurel's promise, Oliver can no longer go through life alone. He can no longer default to the man on the island. This means building a new team (and repairing the old one), but it also means becoming the man Felicity Smoak needs and deserves — the man he could never be for Laurel Lance. So, in an ironic twist, Laurel Lance may be the catalyst that reunites Oliver and Felicity.

Katie Cassidy's "deal" across Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow.

Wendy Mericle announced that they made a "deal" with Katie Cassidy for her to appear across all three shows mentioned above. There's been some confusion, however, regarding this announcement. Both Mericle and Guggenheim used the words "deal," but the media reported that Katie Cassidy would be a series regular again. Some fans seem to believe this means Cassidy will be appearing on all three shows with the frequency of her previous contract.

However, in a private conversation I had with Marc Guggenheim, he corrected that notion and told me that Cassidy will not be appearing as Laurel Lance in the present day. Instead, the show will use flashbacks, time travel, and the appearance of Black Siren to incorporate Cassidy into the show again. Her contract, in fact, sounds very similar to John Barrowman's or Wentworth Miller's — both presences in their respective shows, but certainly not in every episode. All of these potential uses of Laurel Lance (or a version of her) sound very interesting, but fans of the character should temper their expectations on the frequency of her appearances.

Stephen Amell, Grant Gustin, and Melissa Benoist are quite similar to their characters.

More than once, the cast of Supergirl mentioned how much Melissa is like Kara Danvers. Melissa, herself, admitted her personality is fairly similar to Kara when she is at Catco. However, there was an impressive moment regarding Melissa when she took the time to discuss how important all the little girls who love Supergirl are to her. She talked about how important it is to be a role model to those girls and how it's something she takes very seriously. My daughter loves the show, so I found Melissa's love and respect toward these young fans admirable. It was truly a moment when her inner Supergirl shone.

Grant Gustin continues to be quite Barry-esque. Barry is essentially a Golden Retriever puppy, and Grant doesn't stray too far from this description himself. He made specific mention of how he can't discuss the death of Barry's mother without tearing up (same, Grant. Same).

Finally, Stephen Amell made an interesting admission as well regarding his character: "I'm stubborn, I'm prideful, I hold grudges, but I'm not a murderer." Apparently Amell is more like Oliver Queen than he cares to admit most of the time.

   

Grant Gustin and Jesse L. Martin always need to tap dance together.

In the highlight of The Flash panel, Grant Gustin and Jesse L. Martin performed an impromptu tap dance routine. They made it up on the spot and performed it in perfect unison because they are ridiculously talented. These two men need to do a Broadway show together. Or just tap dance on The Flash. I'll take either, really.

The Arrow cast can really sing.

The Arrow cast broke out into a rendition of Hamilton's "You'll Be Back" during their panel. Echo Kellum took the lead, but the cast didn't miss a beat singing along with him, in harmony no less. Maybe there should be an Arrow musical (no there shouldn't)! But seriously, these guys can really belt a tune.

There's a reason why Comic-Con builds up to the DC panels — the casts truly come to play. There were so many thrills in discussing the upcoming seasons and watching these wonderfully talented people interact with one another on their panels. I was so lucky to be there, and I can't wait for all the new seasons of these fantastic shows.

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Comic-Con Roundtable Interview: Creators of Frequency

(Photo credit: Dave Starbuck/Future Image / WENN)

When Frequency debuted its pilot during Comic-Con’s preview night, I was surprised at how much I loved the series. To the show and network’s credit, the teasers playing on The CW didn’t give away too much of the show’s plot, while still managing to pique my interest. Based on the 2000 movie of the same name, Frequency tells the story of Raimy Sullivan (Peyton List), a detective whose father (Riley Smith) died 20 years earlier. Raimy’s memories of her father are tainted by anger and bitterness, as all she remembers is that he abandoned her family when they needed him. Unbeknownst to Raimy, there was a lot more to Frank Sullivan than met the eye. So when a freak lightning strike allows her to communicate with him via a ham radio in 1996, Raimy learns things and makes decisions that impact her future significantly.

We sat down at Comic-Con with the Frequency’s creator, Jeremy Carver, and executive producer Jennifer Gwartz to discuss the show. 

And if you’re wondering whether or not you need to have seen the movie in order to appreciate the television series, never fear: you don’t! I had never seen the film but was captivated by the story and by the way that Frequency grounded itself in character development first, and then time-travel shenanigans and police drama second. But if you are a fan of the film, you might notice something a little bit different about the television series — the show chooses to gender-swap the main character. When asked what was behind the gender swapping (from a father/son relationship in the movie version of Frequency to the father/daughter version in the television show), Carver noted: “For me, I just thought it would be much more of a challenge. I always loved that central relationship in the movie. But when I thought more and more about it, the idea of making it father/daughter just felt more dynamic to me. […] I haven’t seen a relationship like this [on television], at least not in the shows that I’m watching. So it felt more exciting and more dynamic and not so tried and true.”

When you watch the pilot of Frequency, you might be wondering exactly what kind of show it is. Because while there are supernatural and time-travel elements to it, Frequency is about more than Raimy communicating with her father in the past. It’s about her present, and all of the moments that led her there. She has a very familial relationship with Satch DeLeon (Mekhi Phifer), who works on the force with her and a case presents itself in the pilot that will thread throughout the remainder of the series. So what kind of show is Frequency, then? “I would consider this show to be of three parts,” Carver noted. “You have a mystery/police drama, a family drama, and the genre part of it. And they’re sort of all mashed together. […] There’s no one template for each episode. There’s a sense of unpredictability for each episode that hopefully people will get excited about. […] One of the fun things about the show is that while we have a propulsive mystery with a ticking clock, we have all of these other issues sort of standing in the way. […] There’s no one template for the show. And while that makes it a little trickier to break these stories, I think it ultimately is going to be more rewarding to watch.”

Frequency certainly isn’t the first television series to be adapted from a film (just last year, CBS adapted the short-lived television series Limitless, based on the 2011 Bradley Cooper film), and it won’t be the last. While shows with source material like comic books, novels, or movies might find it easier in some ways to adapt to a new format, there are always still challenges. Especially when timelines are involved, as with Frequency. Carver said that, “I think one of the other challenges might be cross-time communication and the butterfly effect.” But unlike a show involving time travel like Doctor Who or Legends of Tomorrow, Carver said that “we never want people to feel like they have to keep a rule book by their sides [while watching the show]. […] You will pick up on what the rules are but we aren’t going to spell them out for you.” One of the most frustrating and challenging aspects of shows involving timelines or time travel is remembering all of the different versions of history and keeping the rules, as Carver noted, of each straight. Thankfully it seems like the Frequency writers are cognizant of the fact that audiences get frustrated whenever they’re asked to keep track of storylines and timelines and rules of time travel.

Speaking of time travel, it’s pretty evident just by looking at the shows on television this upcoming season (Legends of Tomorrow, Timeless, Time After Time, Making History, and Frequency) that time travel has become the new vampires or zombies. Audiences have always been fascinated by time travel, from Doctor Who to movies. But now more than ever before it seems like time travel has captivated audiences. And Jeremy Carver has no idea why, but surmises: “In our show there’s an element of wish fulfillment and the idea of having a second chance. I think that was one of the appeals to me about the show. But why’s there so much time travel? I’m sure there’s something about the times we’re living in and people looking to escape.”

Jennifer Gwartz then chimes in, “our [show] was developed two years ago. So we were ahead of the trend, regardless!”

Frequency is a show that relies heavily on the emotional relationship between Frank and Raimy Sullivan. Though there is a lot that is packed into the pilot, the episode never loses its central focus. Everything that Raimy does and everything she is centers around her past. While there are definitely procedural elements to the pilot, the cases and Raimy’s job are not at the forefront of the show in terms of importance. The case presented is easy to follow, and the show uses the relationships Raimy has — both with people on the force and with the job itself — to define and elevate her character. Peyton List and Riley Smith have incredible chemistry together already, and are able to nail some really complex emotional nuances within the span of forty minutes. 

If you’re even remotely curious about Frequency, I highly recommend that you check it out when it debuts on The CW on October 5th.

Listen below for the full interview with Jeremy and Jennifer, and stay tuned for more interviews from Comic-Con!

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#SDCC: Pilot Preview Palooza 2016 [Contributors: Jenn, Maddie, Chelsea, and Jen]

One of the benefits of going to Comic-Con is attending Preview Night, where you and hundreds of your closest friends get to watch a few of the upcoming television pilots. I didn't get the chance to go to Preview Night last year, but was really excited when I realized I would have the opportunity to this year. In total, our team watched five different shows (Riverdale, Powerless, People of Earth, Time After Time, and Frequency) and we all had fairly similar reactions to each. Here, we're going to tell you what we thought of the new fall and midseason pilots, including which are worth your time (and which you should just run far away from right now).

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Jenn's Pick: The Best (and Worst) of Comic-Con 2016

I was fortunate enough last year to be able to attend Comic-Con for the very first time as press. It was the biggest event I had ever covered and provided me with so much scoop and awesome interviews. I loved the opportunity to travel cross-country and the fact that my friends at 4YE were so gracious in letting me crash with them at the last minute. But this year I was even more excited for Comic-Con because I wouldn't be going alone — I would be bringing some of my team with me!

Chelsea, Maddie, Jen K., and I ventured to San Diego in order to attend days and nights of panels, bringing you all the coolest and most exclusive scoop from panels and interviews. (Laura was also there with us, though she was at Nerd HQ and the off-site events most of the weekend. Still, we love Laura and it was so great to be with her!) Over the next few days, we'll be posting about our experiences (and giving you some exclusive interviews with the casts of Time After Time, Frequency, and Wynonna Earp). But before we get to all of that, I wanted to post about my experience at the convention — both the good and the bad. This year was more relaxed for me (even more so when I unintentionally fell ill), and it was strange in that regard, but totally welcome. I was able to actually rest, which is not something you usually hear in conjunction with Comic-Con.

So let's kick off a recap of my week, shall we?

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#JennAtSDCC: Roundtable Interviews (Cast of 'Zoo')

ZOO @ SDCC

Press room interview, featuring James Wolk (Jackson Oz) & Nora Arnezeder (Chloe Tousignant)

Thursday at Comic-Con (yes, it's August and I'm still talking about Comic-Con. Deal with it!) was such a whirlwind day spent with CBS. It was honestly a blast though, and kudos to the network for being so good to deal with, having friendly staff, and providing us with some great material. I hope to be able to be in their press room again next year because everything seemed to be very well-organized.

I've already posted a few interviews with stars and EPs of the returning hit series Scorpion and the new fall series Limitless. This interview is with James Wolk and Nora Arnezeder of CBS's summer hit horror-drama series Zoo, based on the novel by James Patterson. James and Nora were utter delights to sit down and converse with. We learned more about the series' trajectory, what initially drew both to the show, and had some fun when James and Nora swapped animal stories with us. Enjoy!

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#JennAtSDCC: Roundtable Interviews (Cast & Producers of 'Limitless')

LIMITLESS @ SDCC

Press room interviews, featuring EPs Craig Sweeny, Alex Kurtzman, Heather Kadin, director Marc Webb, Jake McDorman (Brian Finch), and Hill Harper (Spelman Boyle)

I'm slowly making my way through transcribing our San Diego Comic-Con CBS roundtable interviews. (I'll be working on coverage from SDCC for the next few weeks, it seems like.) In case you missed our first interviews and transcriptions with the cast of Scorpion, you can listen to/read them here!

I absolutely loved sitting down with the cast and EPs of CBS's new fall series Limitless (loosely based on the movie of the same name). We were treated, as I mentioned in my Thursday recap, to a screening of the pilot which definitely exceeded my expectations and solidified a place on my watch-list for the fall. The pilot is beautifully directed, the cinematography and integration of graphics is stellar, and the acting is fantastic. (Though I'm really a sucker for anything and everything Jake McDorman-related after watching him for years in Greek and Hill Harper was my constant high school TV companion in my days of CSI:NY obsession.) Below, I've linked off to the audio of our interviews via Soundcloud, as well as transcribed them.

Enjoy and be sure to check out this new series on CBS in the fall!

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#JennAtSDCC: Comic-Con, Sunday Edition ("... I don't want to go.")

If you missed any of my San Diego Comic-Con 2015 coverage, here's a little handy guide for what has been posted thus far (I'll have two more interviews -- one with the producers and stars of Zoo, and the other with the producers and stars of the upcoming CBS series Limitless) posted before the entire weekend recap is over):

• #JennAtSDCC: Comic-Con, Thursday Edition (In Desperate Need of All the Coffee)
• #JennAtSDCC: Roundtable Interviews (Cast & Producers of Scorpion)
• #JennAtSDCC: Comic-Con, Friday Edition ("I'm learning so much on this panel!")
• #JennAtSDCC: Comic-Con, Saturday Edition - Part 1 ("I fashion myself a witty individual.")
• #JennAtSDCC: Comic-Con, Saturday Edition - Part 2 ("San Diego Comic-Con... you  have not failed this city!")

And so, this brings us to the final day of Comic-Con: Sunday. Honestly, when I perused the schedule of panels and activities for Sunday morning and afternoon, I was relieved. (And also really mad that Comic-Con doesn't release their schedule in enough time for people to make better flight arrangements, because I would have left Sunday afternoon had I known.) As it turns out, there was nothing on the schedule I was interested in seeing. I'm not a fan of Supernatural, which was one of the biggest headliners of that morning. 

When I woke up on Sunday, I had gotten a lot of sleep but was still exhausted. And sick. Like, really feeling horrible. Ilene was too, so she and the other girls went to breakfast and stopped at CVS to get some decongestant. (Which worked miracles for a few hours.) Meanwhile, I woke up prepared to go to brunch with Natalie at Cafe 21 in the Gaslamp District. Unfortunately, she couldn't make it, but I went anyway and it was AMAZING. And cheap! Even though I had a sore throat, I was determined to have a mimosa (after you've been looking forward to one for the entire weekend, it's a necessity) and a crepe.

MIMOSA. STRAWBERRY MIMOSA.

YOU GUYS, THE CREPE. THE CREPE WAS SO GOOD.

Cafe 21 was actually relatively on-par with other brunch places -- my entire meal cost me less than $20 -- and the food was really good. Totally worth it, so if you're in San Diego for Comic-Con next year (or just in general), definitely check this place out. They have a lunch menu too!

After breakfast, the girls and I spent our final hours together (minus Emmy) at the convention walking the floor. Before we got there though, right outside of the convention center, there happened to be a little bit of a fandom-centric street fair. And blessedly, Scream Queens had an ice cream cart set up there! All you had to do was take a photo in front of the cart and use the hashtag they requested to post your photo on social media. BAM. Free ice cream. 

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Scream Queens!

(And ice cream. Duh doy.)

(For the record, free ice cream is better than regular ice cream, and felt amazing on my throat.)

Inside, we walked... er, SHUFFLED through throngs of people on the floor in order to see just how insane the Funko line was. As it turns out, it was a) insane and b) barely had anything left in stock. I decided that it was better to order online than to try and brave THAT crowd for the next few hours. "Free" just so happened to be the word when it came to the floor at Comic-Con, and while we were  wandering around, looking for swag, we happened upon a table that was giving away free Agents of SHIELD posters. 

Even though I don't watch SHIELD, I thought the poster was really cool and would be great for a giveaway!... Unfortunately here's what ended up happening: I got on my first airplane of the night in San Diego and looked into my purse, where I had stashed the poster. And I found out that my water bottle had somehow opened and emptied a quarter of itself into my bag, ruining my poster (among other things). SO BUMMED.

Still, the girls and I enjoyed shuffling through the floor and looking at some of the artist stalls, we all decided to call it an afternoon and ended up meeting up with Ilene again at the nearby Marriott to charge our phones and crash until we all needed to leave.

GROO2-D2 ON DISPLAY.

This, my friends, is the epitome of the final day of Comic-Con in a single photograph (however unflattering the angle may be. THANKS JAMIE.) -- all of us exhausted, playing on our phones, and using our bags as pillows.

Comic-Con was an absolutely amazing experience. It was exhausting and stressful at times, but totally worth all of the energy that I put into it. I headed back to Orlando feeling happy and grateful (and really blessed by God because SERIOUSLY my flight back home was also delayed and I had a connection to make, but Frontier Airlines made sure that all of our connecting flights were held for us and that everyone got home safely). ... And sick. If you can avoid flying with a cold, do so. Flying with mine made landing in Orlando super painful on my ears and revealed that I had a double ear infection. YAYYYYYYYY #CONCRUD!

Seriously though, guys, I'm: a) so grateful that I got to spend time with amazing people while I was in San Diego, b) so happy I had the chance to meet new people, make connections, and make memories. 

I'll see you next year, San Diego.

This time I'll remember to bring Emergen-C.

Cosplay of the Day - Sunday:

LADY CAP. AGENT CARTER. #ladies

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#JennAtSDCC: Comic-Con, Saturday Edition - Part 2 ("San Diego Comic-Con... you have not failed this city!")

Did I mention that Saturday at Comic-Con was insane?

Okay, because it was and that cannot be emphasized enough. Saturday only became more insane when my cold began to hit full-force. I thought I could shake it off – that it was just allergies – but as I sat under the tents in the Hall H line, I started to feel more and more exhausted and my throat was killing me. Luckily, as I said in part one of the post, Natalie was an utter gem and brought me tea which really did perk me up and make me feel better for a few hours. Tea isn't magic though, as much as the Brits might want us to believe, so eventually I crashed.

But before that, I had an AMAZING time in Hall H. Natalie and I were super early to the EW Women Who Kick Ass panel (I wanted to get there in plenty of time to see that) and they let us into the Hall toward the very end of the Lionsgate presentation (which meant I entered right at the end of Crimson Peak, so I got to listen to a minute of actual Disney Prince Tom Hiddleston speak).

(It also meant that I saw the trailer for KRAMPUS, a movie I’m definitely not going to see – I don’t do horror, y’all – but whose panel boasted a bearded Adam Scott wearing a leather jacket. It pays to be early to things, you guys. It really does.)

Natalie and I had to split up because they didn’t have two seats for us together in the hall, which was fine. We watched trailers for Warcraft – which earned a lot of cheers from the audience, but meant absolutely nothing to this chick who has never played World of Warcraft in her life. It was a visually stunning trailer and the special effects alone are enough to make you marvel. The thing that’s really cool about Hall H that you’ll see in the photos I post later on is that it’s a completely immersive Hall. There are large screens throughout the hall so that you can get a clear glimpse of what is happening on stage if you’re all the way in the back. But there are also curved screens that stretch along the walls from the stage’s main screen to a little over halfway down the hall. Some studios utilized them (20th Century FOX did a bit, but Lionsgate really made use of them and Warner Brothers/DC used them REALLY well for Superhero Saturday) and the movie Warcraft, I think, got the most use out of them, introducing footage of the characters on them as the panel came out on stage.

Scattered things from the Lionsgate presentations:

• I know nothing about the Warcraft movie except for the fact that Clancy Brown is in it and he’s glorious whenever he speaks.
• Notable quote: “Behind every great man… there’s a greater woman.” – Ruth Negga, dropping the mic.

#LADIES

After the Lionsgate panel wrapped, Natalie and I managed to find each other and find seats a little bit closer for the EW panel. And since I had great luck in Ballroom 20’s press pit, I thought I would venture up to the one in Hall H in order to wait for the panel to emerge. To my delight, there weren’t a lot of people in the pit (it was a huge pit, obviously) and I realized why – Hall H’s press pit has pretty crappy views unless you’re able to catch the talent RIGHT as they walk onto the stage or when they’re standing up at the table. In spite of the views (and the fact that I had to crane my neck to see the main screen), I enjoyed spending some time there. Here’s what was covered in the panel:

• Sidebar: I thought the panel would be a lot more... interesting than it was? That’s not to say that the talent wasn’t great – they were excellent. The questions asked though were kind of… stale. I feel like I’ve heard different women (and sometimes the same women) answer the questions they were asked before. Nevertheless, it was a good panel because #LADIES.
• Notable quote: “Even the strongest, most badass women fail, but as long as you keep going, that’s what matters.” – Gwendoline Christie
• Notable quote: “I still don’t understand shipping, but I suppose it’s a good thing.” – Hayley Atwell
• Kathy Bates revealed that she knows her character in American Horror Story: Hotel is the one running the hotel, but she wouldn’t (or couldn't) reveal anything else.
• Notable quote: “A lot of us are going to television because the writing is so good now [especially for women].” – Kathy Bates, essentially echoing what Halle Berry said on Thursday afternoon.
• Jenna Coleman constantly is asked about whether or not the Doctor would ever be played by a woman, and in this panel, she answered: “Of course it’s absolutely possible.”
• What are some struggles women have that men do not? “Running in heels?”
• I loved that the women talked about feminism and being strong women without tearing down each other or men. Cat Gadot brilliantly said: “It’s never been about women vs. men. It’s always been just about showing how amazing we are.”
• I got rather annoyed in Hall H though, I must say, with the questions that were asked in all of the panels. Ballroom 20 did a pretty good job of screening questions, but when people approached the mic in Hall H (especially in the EW panel and Joss Whedon’s), they began to babble about how much the panelists meant to them. Okay, that makes me sound harsh. (Natalie can attest to my multiple snarky comments and eyerolls…) But should you ever get the chance to ask a panelist a question, please remember that you’re not the only person in the room and there are 6,499 other people who don’t care about your personal story of how much a character meant to you. Ben Blacker did an AMAZING job when he gave guidelines for questions in Ballroom 20: “Remember: questions begin with a ‘w’ or ‘h,’ not with an ‘I.’ Think about your question and then condense it into one sentence.”
• When asked how the women respond to negative or degrading comments, Gwendoline Christie said: “All the time with violence,” jokingly.
• Hayley Atwell told a story about being on set and she imitated an American accent because someone told her: “Darling, you’re not in a club.” I discovered at this panel that even though I do not watch Agent Carter, I kind of want to because Hayley Atwell is the most precious sunflower to ever exist.

More photos from the panel:

After the EW panel, people began to filter out a bit and Natalie and I moved up slightly for the Joss Whedon panel, which wasn’t so much of a panel as just Joss Whedon at a microphone talking about his work. It was a one-man show of awesome and I gained a lot of respect for him that I didn’t have before. Most of the things we learned and he discussed are perfect motivational or inspirational quotes:

• Notable quote: “I don’t know if any of you saw… but I made another movie.”
• On how to practice active gratitude: “Continue to earn what you already have.”
• Joss Whedon is obviously incredibly aware of the fact that a lot of people had problems with how he portrayed Natasha in Avengers: Age of Ultron and he wasn’t afraid to make fun of that. “Everyone’s so perfectly pleased at how I handled Natasha… You’re welcome.”
• Notable quote: “Comic-Con: the cure for Twitter.”
• Someone asked Joss Whedon the hardest question creators are always asked regarding which unique character he has created is his favorite. He deliberated for a while and noted that his answer probably won’t always be the same. “How can I not say Buffy?” he ended up responding.
• Notable quote: “Memory is storytelling.”
• Joss Whedon is hilarious – he’s snarky and witty, but he’s also self-deprecating in the way that most creators are. He doesn’t think of all of his successes and when it comes to the way he views himself, he said: “I keep hoping to be the hero of my own story. I’m more like… the nerdy sidekick.” Then: “Unlike me, y’all are the hero of the story.”
• A fan asked if Joss were to meet a younger version of himself now, what advice he would give. Without missing a beat, Joss responded: “Rogaine.”
• Notable quote: “Worrying about things you can’t control is boring… and time-consuming.”
• A surprise occurred when Joss was given the Icon Award on stage. He was genuinely floored and began to get emotional, which was so wonderful. The entire hall gave him a solid standing ovation. And that was a perfect way to end that panel.

Photos from the panel:

Natalie and I had a system in between panels – I would go scour the room for available seats closer to the front. Unfortunately, before the 20th Century FOX presentation, I couldn’t find anything closer. (Never fear because thanks to my Monica Geller-like scrappy nature, I found AMAZING seats for the Superhero Saturday Night panel.)

The 20th Century FOX presentation was, by far, one of the greatest highlights of the convention itself for most of the attendees. We were treated to exclusive sneak peeks, trailers, and panels with the stars of upcoming feature films. Let’s run down some of what we learned and saw at these panels, shall we?

The Maze Runner – Scorch Trials:

• My sister was really mad that I was in attendance for this one because she’s been obsessed with Dylan O’Brien. So I texted her a photo from the panel and she responded with a lot of emojis. Having never seen The Maze Runner, I was interested in watching the trailer for the sequel, which looks insane and intense.
• Giancarlo Esposito doted on Dylan throughout the panel and provided insanely articulate answers to questions, which was wonderful.
• Chris Hardwick hosted the entire FOX presentation and it was amazing. He should host, like, everything at Comic-Con. (He… kind of almost does already though.)
• They showed a clip from the movie featuring the new monsters and it was a GENUINELY terrifying clip. Scarier than the horror movie trailer we saw earlier at the Lionsgate panel, actually.

Victor Frankenstein:

• We got to see the exclusive trailer and a clip from the movie, which stars Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy. They’re hilarious together.
• I could listen to James talk with his accent forever. Seriously.
• Notable quote: “I get thrown around a lot in the movie. But it’s okay. I bounce.” – Daniel Radcliffe
• Notable quote: “I supplement you.” “You what me?” – Daniel talking about how their characters and personalities complement each other in the film.
• Notable quote: “Much like Liam Neeson in the film Taken, Victor realizes that he has a… particular set of skills.” – James McAvoy
• There were so many innuendos that occurred at the panel. I kid you not, like, ask anyone who was there. Every other sentence was basically an innuendo between James and Daniel and it was delightful.

Fantastic Four:

• The final trailer for the movie was revealed at Comic-Con. I saw the Ioan Gruffudd, Chris Evans, Jessica Alba, and Michael Chiklis one ten years ago (holy CRAP that was TEN YEARS AGO? HOW DOES CHRIS EVANS STILL LOOK THE SAME?) and I don’t know that I’m interested enough to see this one. Still, the trailer looks quite good.
• Kate Mara is a precious sunflower and must be protected at all costs.

Deadpool:

• SURPRISE! In one of the greatest unexpected moments of the con, I was in the same room as one Ryan Reynolds. He’s beautiful, you guys. So beautiful.
• Notable quote: “What is love?” “It’s a man named Ryan Reynolds.”
• Notable quote: “I’ve only ever done one proper… wait, no. One superhero movie.” – Ryan Reynolds throwing some hilarious shade at Green Lantern.
• Notable quote: “I photoshopped myself into every Joey Lawrence photo I could find.” – Ryan Reynolds, after Brianna Hildebrand talked about how she geeked out when she joined the movie because she had a huge crush on Ryan when she was younger.
• Chris Hardwick and Ryan went back and forth making horse puns and honestly, it is one of the greatest things I’ve ever experienced.
• They showed the exclusive, Comic-Con only (except for those people who have already leaked it on the Internet… dishonor on you and dishonor on your cow) trailer for Deadpool which received SUCH a raucously positive response that the crowd in Hall H began to chant: “One more time” and Chris Hardwick instructed them to play it again. Seriously, it’s the highlight of the weekend for many people and I’ve never seen such an extremely and overwhelmingly positive response to a panel.

X-Men – Apocalypse:

• Hugh Jackman was in the house. As was Jennifer Lawrence and like, every single person on the X-Men cast. Theirs was the biggest panel of the weekend (at least that I had seen).
• They debuted the X-Men: Apocalypse trailer for the first time, which – I must admit – looked really cool, especially because I care exactly zero percent about these movies.

After the panel, Chris Hardwick said that there was a special surprise and brought out all of the superhero casts onto stage (along with Stan Lee) to try and get the largest superhero selfie. It technically wasn’t a selfie though since someone else took it. That someone else was Channing Tatum. Yup. That happened.

After people began to file out of the 20th Century FOX presentation, I BOLTED toward the middle of the hall and literally found a seat SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE of Hall H. Like, it couldn’t have been more perfect. I ended up not spending a lot of time there (I was in the pit for the majority of Superhero Saturday Night, actually), but I know Natalie appreciated our seats. Especially because while I was in the pit, she was seated right behind acclaimed Arrow director Glen Winter and met him, as well as got a photo with him.

OUR SEATS. I WIN.

I was REALLY starting to feel horrible before Superhero Saturday Night began. Like, my throat was killing me and all I really wanted to do was sleep. But I powered through, like you do, because this was the thing I was most looking forward to the entire weekend at Comic-Con. I met some nice people in the press pit and chatted with them about different panels (one person was a fan of Community, so we actually got to discuss that beforehand). At one point, I looked behind me – beyond the gate that separates the pit from the floor – and noticed a woman who looked really familiar, but who I couldn’t place. I assumed it was because she was a journalist. I was wrong. It was because she was Wendy Mericle.

A view of MY view from the Arrow panel (and the screens I talked about earlier!)

I made one friend in the press pit who I bonded with and fangirled with – Rose. This is how you know you’ve become friends in the press pit: you stand beside a speaker and end up tapping each other’s arms and reaching for each other whenever something particularly exciting or feels-inducing happens on stage. You just automatically become friends with people at Comic-Con: people in line, people sitting next to you, people at press rooms or pits. It’s kind of wonderful, really, when you think about how difficult it is sometimes to bond with people and forge connections in real life. At Comic-Con, it’s like… it’s like you’re all on the same playing field. You all love the shows you’re at the panel for. You all care about actors and stories and sneak peeks. You’re equals.

There’s no greater feeling than meeting a complete and total stranger and having them just automatically GET you.

Superhero Saturday Night kicked off with the debut of the new Arrow suit and guys, it’s glorious in person and it’s glorious in photos and videos. So here’s what happened: talent emerged from the side of the stage where we were situated in the press pit. If we stood at just the right angle, we could actually see backstage before they walked out. So they passed really close to us is what I’m saying. Well, the lights were darkened and Rose and I were momentarily distracted before we gasped. Because though you wouldn’t have been able to necessarily see it toward the back of the hall, we were totally able to see Stephen Amell emerging, wearing the new Green Arrow costume. We screamed. We took lots of photos. We thanked God that he stayed REALLY close to the press pit during his monologue and didn’t move around too much so we could get amazing photos. We may have all swooned and cheered just a little bit, even though we're professionals.

HELLOOOOOOOO MR. AMELL!

OH. HI. Yeah, I was this close. No zoom. Nothing. Just... right there.

With the hood up!

And then the monologue concluded and Stephen went backstage to change, which was the perfect time for the debut of the Arrow sizzle reel. If you haven’t seen it, go and watch it. And then imagine watching it in a hall with 6,500 people. And imagine you’re beside the speakers, confident that you’re going to be deaf in the morning and not caring one bit because you’re standing and watching the video, slack-jawed. Arrow’s third season was… well, it was dicey. I’m going to be honest. The good was REALLY good and the bad was REALLY bad and most of the season fell somewhere in the mediocre-we-could-do-better range, but you’d never know that through the sizzle reel.

Like, literally I thought: “This makes the season look way more awesome than it was.”

Here are some of the highlights of the Arrow panel during Superhero Saturday:

• There were a LOT of loud cheers for Olicity, especially when they showed clips of them in the sizzle reel. I felt proud. I also cheered from the pit on multiple occasions.
• The EPs talked about the new suit and the transition for Oliver from Arrow to Green Arrow. The suit, apparently, is more indicative of the tone of the fourth season. “He’s happy… he’s in love,” they noted. The suit is reflective of that. And if you want to get all deep here, the suit is less covered up than the old Arrow suit. It’s like… Oliver opened his heart and now his clothes reflect that. LIKE I SAID, CONJECTURE AND WAY TOO DEEP. BUT STILL.
• Anarky will be joining Damien in this season of Arrow and it was recently announced that the roles for both have been cast. I had a love/hate relationship with Neal McDonough's character when he was on Suits, so I’m intrigued to see how I feel about him on Arrow. What they did mention about Damien as a character is how he will differ from villains like Slade and Ra’s. Both of those men lived by codes. Even Malcolm Merlyn lives and dies by a certain code of honor. Damien doesn’t have that. He has no moral compass and he has no code. He’s pure, unadulterated evil.
• It was also announced that Mr. Terrific will be joining the show and will work a lot with Felicity. Arrow’s version of Mr. Terrific is gay (and also black, as it was recently announced that Ben and Kate alum Echo Kellum will be playing him). I’m SO excited that Echo is going to be in this role. I have a feeling he and Emily Bett Rickards will have amazing comedic chemistry. Go and watch some of Echo’s stuff on Ben and Kate because he was so wonderful.
• Willa Holland got to talk about how exciting it was to transition from Thea being sidelined to Thea becoming Speedy: “I had tears of joy when I tried on the outfit.”
• Emily Bett Rickards was asked about what it was like to wear the ATOM suit as Felicity and she actually revealed a funny story: though it looks very much like Oliver is smiling lovingly at Felicity when she is in the suit… Stephen was actually smiling at a six-foot tall stuntman who was wearing the costume for the shot, while Emily was out of sight.
• John Barrowman was asked whether or not he’ll be donning the robes the entirety of season four as the new Ra’s or whether he’ll get to pick up the hood again. He turned the question to the producers who revealed that Malcolm will be back in the hood for the third episode. John Barrowman then took the opportunity to tell everyone that he had the Ra’s ring made for himself and showed us all that he was wearing it at the panel. It was amazing. John Barrowman is amazing.
• John Barrowman's laugh is seriously the best thing ever and infectious.
• Diggle’s costume was revealed! It is complete with a helmet and everything. On his new digs, David said: “Diggle officially has a costume. It’s called… Black Driver.” We all died laughing and then David mentioned that the joke never gets old to him.
• The cast was asked a lot about the tone of the show and what the characters would be like next season. Stephen’s response: “We are going to move in a more Green Arrow-y direction.”
• I could listen to Paul Blackthorne talk all day.
• Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards addressed winning MTV's Ship of the Year and they genuinely appreciated how hard the fans fought. They talked about how amazing it is to see the love in-person from Olicity fans at things like Comic-Con. I love listening to them express their love for fandom, I really do.
• Notable quote: "It means a lot... like, not quite an Emmy... but a LOT." – Stephen Amell on the Olicity MTV fandom win.
• Katie Cassidy brought up the fact that they all just learned about “Doliver” – people who bromantically ship Diggle and Oliver – that weekend.
• Notable quote: “I just love looking into your eyes, John.” – Emily to John
• Notable quote: “[He's] got a sugar mama.” – Stephen about Felicity, when asked whether or not Oliver will ever become rich again.
• When asked whether or not the actors have had to play their characters in real life, Emily noted that she's definitely not as technologically capable as Felicity, citing a time where she couldn't locate her Apple TV remote and then was told that she could just put it on her phone. 

The Arrow panel was over as quickly as it began (or so it seemed) since we had four other panels to get through (and a screening of Supergirl, but we'll talk about that later on). Perk of being in the press pit, though: the talent walks off the stage the same way they walked on, which meant I had the chance to wave to Emily Bett Rickards, who waved back. My fellow press pitters (... we'll make that a word now) got some high fives and fist bumps, as well.

Before we move onto The Flash, here are some more photos from the night:

BARROWMAN.

What a precious little princess she is.

DIGGLE'S COSTUME

Next up was The Flash panel where we were treated to a sizzle reel beforehand. The sizzle reel was AMAZING and can be seen here if you haven't yet. At the end, we were told: "ZOOM IS COMING." SO BASICALLY GET PREPARED. Here are some more things we learned at the panel:

• The EPs said that the show would be introducing characters from Earth 2 onto the show.
• Grant Gustin talked about how Barry ended the first season, noting that it's difficult for him to deal with the fact that Eddie was the hero in the end and to watch someone have to make that choice to save them. So Grant said that in season two, Barry is kind of acting like a lone wolf.
• There were a lot of cheers for Tom Cavanagh and Danielle Panabaker, and the two were super bashful about it. It was adorable.
• Danielle Panabaker is excited to hopefully see more of her Killer Frost alter ego after she was sort-of introduced in the finale.

And honestly, those are all of the notes that I have for The Flash. Like I said, they kind of rushed people off the stage and actually, come to think of it, The Flash didn't get audience questions like Arrow did. The cast made room for Legends of Tomorrow next, but here are a few photos before they left:

I wish this wasn't blurry because it would have been perfect.

Legends of Tomorrow was up next, where they debuted a new(ish) trailer and spilled some secrets about what to expect in the show's first season:

• Marc Guggenheim revealed that there is one more major character in Legends of Tomorrow that they haven't yet debuted: Hawkman.
• Notable quote: "We're glad you [Brandon Routh] are not dead. We're also glad Caity isn't dead."
• Wentworth Miller talked about the fact that Snart isn't a hero and noted that it's going make the dynamic of the team quite difficult. "These guys have to work together, but it's gonna be a bumpy ride."
• Andrew Kreisberg talked about what Legends of Tomorrow will be -- a show that is full of crazy things and crazy ideas. He said that on Arrow and The Flash, sometimes the writers will have the idea to do a story, but it'll be so crazy that they immediately reject it. Not so with Legends which: "all it is... is the crazy ideas."
• Ciara Renee talked about how she prepared for her role as Hawkgirl: reading all of the comics and a LOT of boxing.
• Brandon Routh talked about how great it was to be a part of things like Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow: "We get to make silly stuff look awesome."
• When asked about what White Canary will be like and how she'll differ from the Canary we were used to seeing on Arrow, Caity Lotz said that White Canary will be dangerous because she isn't afraid of dying.

Here are some photos of the wonderful and beautiful cast of Legends of Tomorrow:

The STUNNING Caity Lotz.

After spending an inordinate amount of time in the press pit with my new friend Rose, I returned to my seat in order to sit through Gotham (which I don't watch or care about) and Supergirl's panels. The cast of Gotham was nice, so here are some pictures of them looking pretty:

We ended the night with the Supergirl panel (all of whom are SUPER -- get it? -- delightful and wonderful human beings) and a screening of the pilot (... which Natalie and I ducked out during because we maaaaay have already seen a *cough* copy of it weeks earlier). Here are a few things we learned:

• One of the first questions that was asked of the panel and the producers was: "Why Supergirl?" The answer: "It's time, isn't it? Her gender doesn't matter. She's a badass." And if that's not the perfect mic drop moment then I don't know what is.
• The producers talked about the magic of the casting of their superhero shows: Stephen Amell was the first person to read for Oliver Queen and they went with him. Grant Gustin was the first to read for Barry Allen, and he was their Barry. And Melissa Benoist? The producers knew that she was their Supergirl and she was the first one they saw. "There is only one Supergirl and that is Melissa," they noted.
• Notable quote: "It's hard not to feel hope and strength." – Melissa on how empowered she feels when she wears her costume.
• Notable quote: "What happens at Comic-Con... stays on Twitter." – what happened immediately after Mehcad Brooks was asked to lift his shirt and reveal his abs just like Stephen Amell did last year. Mehcad was embarrassed after the event and the quote above, saying that his mom follows him on Twitter, to which the moderator said: "A LOT of moms will be following you on Twitter."

The panel concluded and here are some pictures!

As the Supergirl panel ended, a really cool aerial acrobatic show began and immediately after it ended, Natalie and I did too. I went from "riding high on Arrow feels" to "feeling like a truck hit me in the face," leading me to head back to bed and skip the Geek Nation rooftop party I was supposed to attend after 11 PM. And thus concluded my Saturday at Comic-Con!

Sunday was easy, calm, and also filled with decongestants and tissues. YAY CON COLD! Until THAT recap, friends. :)

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