The Flash Star Candice Patton Explains Why She Won’t Be Watching the Series Finale

We are fast approaching the series finale of The Flash, the Arrowverse-set series that first premiered in 2014. After nine seasons, the show comes to an end this week with its very last episode premiering on Wednesday. It’s the end of an era not just for the fans, but for the show’s stars as well, especially Grant Gustin (Barry Allen) and Candice Patton (Iris West).

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Patton addressed the end of The Flash on The CW. She spoke about how she wanted to leave the show after the ninth season and was relieved when she learned that Gustin was planning to do the same. While she was feeling that it was time for her to move on, she also didn’t want to leave her co-stars hanging, so it worked out perfectly that the titular star of the show also wanted to go. As Patton explains:

“Grant gave me a call around summer of last year to give me a heads-up. I knew it was going to be my last year too, whether the show continued or not, so I was definitely relieved that Grant was on the same page about ending the show. This is a good time to wrap things up, and I definitely didn’t want to leave the show before everyone else — I wanted to end it with everybody else, so I was just really glad.”

There was still a lot of thought that went into her desire to leave The Flash. Patton recalls reaching out to some of her former co-stars who’d already left the series, getting their thoughts on if they felt that was the right call.

“You don’t really realize how much of your time in life you’re taking up and giving away and your relationships struggle. I had conversations with other actors who had left before me, about if they missed the show, if they regretted leaving, how did they know when they wanted to leave, when was a good time? It was good having those conversations with Tom [Cavanagh] and Carlos [Valdes] and Jesse [L. Martin].”

Related: The Flash Showrunner Drew Inspiration from Lost and The Office for Series Finale

Candice Patton Was Ready for The Flash to End

Even if it’s time to walk away from The Flash, Patton also admits that it’s been a very emotional ordeal for her. The Flash had become such a big part of her life for nearly a decade, and moving on wasn’t the easiest experience in the world, even if it as the right move. Because of that emotional attachment, however, Patton also admits that she can’t bear to watch the series finale when it airs this week. However, she plans to one day watch through the show when she’s ready.

“I haven’t watched the show since season 1, and I don’t think I’ll be able to watch the finale just because it’s such an emotional ending for me. I definitely want to watch the series maybe five years down the line when I’m separated enough from it so that I can just enjoy it for what it is and give myself a pat on the back.”

The series finale of The Flash will air on May 24 on The CW.