When The Flash season 7 returns next week after a brief break, it’ll say goodbye to one of the founding members of Team Flash – Cisco Ramon is leaving Central City, as star Carlos Valdes has decided to exit the long-running DC show after being a regular presence on the series since its inception. Just as you’d expect, then, the promos for the episode – titled “Good-Bye Vibrations” – have promised an emotional rollercoaster.
But that’s not how Valdes is promoting the outing himself. While speaking to TVLine ahead of his final appearance, the Vibe actor revealed that the episode will actually have a “very silly, very goofy” tone. Instead of offering up an “intense, monumental goodbye,” Valdes says Cisco will leave via a “low-stakes departure.”
Here’s how the star put it:
“I had a lot of fun. I had a lot of fun with this episode. Leaving a show after years of working on it can be such an emotionally complex event, so to get the chance to be irreverent and kind of throw caution out the window and just play, just be silly, that ended up being a very cathartic experience for me. Because if it had been this very significant, intense, monumental goodbye, I think the pressure of delivering on that — and making it feel meaningful, for myself…. I don’t think that would have been the right way to go. I’m actually really grateful that Eric and the writers chose this route for my departure from the show. It’s a very silly, very goofy, low-stakes departure.”
As you can see in the trailer above, we’ve previously been promised a lot of tears in this installment, as we’re given the impression that Cisco’s old friends Barry (Grant Gustin) and Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) struggle to come to terms with losing their close pal. What’s more, it’s even hinted that Cisco could make the ultimate sacrifice to save Central City from the new Rainbow Raider. Valdes appears to confirm this is just a big fakeout, however, as he hints that Cisco will make it out alive and go on to move away to San Francisco with girlfriend Kamilla (Victoria Park), just as he planned.
Obviously, that’s good news, as no one wants Cisco to die – and if you do, you’re a monster worse than Reverse-Flash. The show’s comedy episodes often draw a mixed reception from fans, though, so the decision to go down a goofy and silly route with this very important installment might get some criticism. But let’s just see how it plays out when The Flash 7×12 “Good-Bye Vibrations” airs on The CW next Tuesday, June 8th.