The Flash's Carlos Valdes Reacts to That Heartbreaking Death

The multi-verse is a dangerous place to be this year, and this season of The Flash has officially claimed its first life -- though thankfully no Earths imploded like on Arrow. Instead, we had a straight-up murder on our hands, as the beloved Gypsy (Jessica Camacho) fell at the hands of a mysterious killer.

With Barry (Grant Gustin) and Iris (Candice Patton) on a much-needed vacation, it fell to Cisco (Carlos Valdes) to solve Gypsy's murder after Breacher (Danny Trejo) came to ask for help avenging his daughter. He probably never expected the killer to be Cisco's doppelgänger from another Earth though. (And how heartbreaking is it to realize that Gypsy died staring up at the face of the man she'd once loved?)

The emotional turmoil didn't stop there though; Cisco and Kamilla (Victoria Park) were put through the wringer as they worked the case, especially when all signs pointed to Cisco killing his ex-girlfriend in a fit of Breach Psychosis. TV Guide spoke to Carlos Valdes about this heartbreaking development and what it means for Cisco and Kamilla's relationship moving forward.

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Poor Gypsy! What was it like for Cisco to lose someone he loved so much?
Carlos Valdes: I mean it sucks! Not just for the character but also for me because, like, Jessica's awesome as an actress and as a person. She was just always such a delightful presence to have on set, and just to know that she will never come back and there's nothing we'll explore in the future with her -- it's kind of a sad feeling, right?

Do you think losing her was what he needed to sort of put his relationship Kamilla into sharper contrast?
Valdes: Oh, for sure. I think that's actually the biggest challenge in this episode. The weird relational dynamics between Cisco and Kamilla and this invisible third party, which is the memory of Gypsy and the tragedy of what's happened to her. The episode's really about them and how they have to navigate their way through this tragedy. And how they do it, I think, determines the success of the protagonist at the end of the episode. So I'd say that even though they're tested to a really difficult degree in this episode, I think they come out of it stronger than they were before.

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How fun was it filming that fight scene where you were essentially fighting yourself?
Valdes: Well, I had to do a little of it for camera purposes and directorial purposes. You want to see my face and my fist going into another guy's face, which is actually my face as well. But yeah, I actually only got to do a small portion of it, but watching our incredible stunt department attack this very extensive brawl was really cool. It's easy to take that for granted but I think, really, watching them do what they do best sometimes can really humble you, you know what I mean? I had definite moments of gratitude during that episode. I think whenever it's a Cisco-centric episode, and I have to be in every day and work with all these people and sort of massage these moments and choices with them, I become more aware of who my co-workers are and the work that they put into it. I think that increased awareness also increases my gratitude and my humility. I'm just very lucky to be a part of this really weird machine. For me, taking on this episode -- maybe for others it would have been ego boost, but for me, if anything, it checks my ego. It sort of reminds me that it takes a village to make it work. I think our stunt department is a big part of what makes our show so good.

How is Cisco dealing with taking on this new position as the leader of Team Flash?
Carlos Valdes: I think Cisco is still navigating his feelings about becoming team leader. It's a big responsibility for obvious reasons. I think that Cisco, being the charmingly self-deprecating character that he is, I'm not sure that he's 100 percent certain of his abilities to become team leader, but I think in light of the circumstances, it's something that he has to do. It's not necessarily something that he wants to do, but it is something that he has to do.

And now that Nash (Tom Cavanagh) has presented another way to save Barry, is Cisco going to be like a dog with a bone again on a mission to save his friend?
Carlos: I'm not so sure. I think generally, with Wells, you should never trust a Wells. So that's all I'm going to say.

The Flash airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW.

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