I've read over this thread. It started out hopeful and positive then descended into a constant stream of negatives. Some of the criticism is valid, others.....not so much. Personally, I saw nothing wrong with Iris's character overall last season. A few hiccup scenes here and there, but nothing to warrant calling her a selfish *****. Some points:
The Linda debacle. Linda went to Iris to find out why Barry's so.....Barry. The explanation Iris gave wasn't done maliciously as others have pointed out. She told Linda that Barry had an unrequited love and to give him some time. She later questioned her own intent, showing that in the moment Iris wasn't consciously trying to derail Barry's and Linda's relationship. Let's keep in mind that the real perpetrator behind Barry's and Linda's failed relationship is Barry himself. He lied to Linda, when he told her he was over Iris. Fully knowing that Linda wouldn't have dated him otherwise. Then dumped Linda when he knew Iris had feelings for her. Then proceeded to ask Iris out in front of Linda. Both Iris and Barry looked bad in this situation and Linda was the victim.
Iris knew very well what she did and she did formulate her 'explanation' knowing very well how Linda would take it.
The writers made her out to be a very unlikable character here. She did not need to tell Linda that Barry was in love with her (which she may ot may not return, considering her actions it is really hard to tell), but she still did. She knews what consequences this 'slip' of tongue would have, you could see it on her face there and later on when Barry confronted her about it.
I agree, Barry was a complete moron, and he would likely have ended things with Linda later on, but Iris still butted into something that did not concern her at all. She did not tell Linda about Barry having feelings for her she does or does not return because she loves him so much as a brother or friend, or because she was concerned about the other woman's heart being broken, she did so because she did not like to have Barry fall in love or be in a relationship with anybody else.
The Bowling Alley scene. Iris wiping ketchup off Barry's lip was to show the familiarity and deep intimacy of their relationship. Iris didn't feel that what she did was wrong until Eddie and Linda confronted her about it. Barry didn't see anything wrong with it period. Being best friends and having grown up in the same household, it's not outrageous that they'd have intimate quirks like these.
I disagree, the actors did not play it like this, they made it obviously seem like the tension of that scene goes way deeper than them being friend/siblings. Iris knew what she did, she is a grown up woman, not a teenager, she knew how Linda would take this interaction with Barry, and what I think is actually worse is that she did so in front of Eddie, which is just outright bad.
I see what you mean, but by having seen how Iris acted till then and afterwards and actually watching the seen itself, makes it obvious that she did not do so because she just wants to take care of her brother. She has also been aware of Barry's feelings by then and her being that balantly with displaying affection that could be interpreted as flirting despite telling him that she does not love him is pretty cruel.
Iris's reaction at finding out about the Flash. Some people complained that Iris made it all about her. Um, yeah it kind was about her. She was the one they were all lying to and she just found out. Some have asked what right does Iris have to know Barry's secret. Well, Barry gave her that right. Iris was the first person Barry wanted to tell when he became the Flash, but Joe forbade him to. Barry himself even said that Iris had the right to know. Not only that, but Iris's life was affected by this secret. Some of Barry's enemies knew the Flash's identity. Meaning, if they wanted to hurt him then they could go after those closest to him like his family. Iris would be walking around completely unaware that every second her life is in danger because Barry's running around lifting his mask off for everyone but her. Iris's life has already been threatened. She has a right to know that. Plus she was beginning to investigate Wells along with Mason. We all know what happened to Mason right? If Iris continued along that vein then she could've been killed as well. And you have to think about Barry's and Iris's relationship. They tell each other everything. But Barry kept one of the most important things about himself from her and told everyone else. She felt hurt. Of course she would. I think there's more to say here, but I'll leave this topic for now.
I very much disagree here. I think she has no right to know about the Flash just because she knows Barry. He wanted to tell her, that gives her the right, but she does not need to know just because she is his friend. She was more than capable to bring herself in danger without knowing who is under the mask, I think the argument that she would have been safer if she had known is a rather weak one, she is obviously a very headstrong person with the need to prove herself which is a combination that usually bears bad consequences.
About her reaction to Barry being the Flash, I have to say it was written really badly. They are supposed to be really close, which we have hardly seen anything about btw, and she does not care in the least that her best friends mother has been killed by the man he thought to be his mentor and trusted friend.
Her being pissed about being lied to for so long? I get that, I would have reacted similar, maybe not in such an egocentric way as her, as Iris of season one has had quite the tendency to make things about herself that don't really concern her, but it is still understandable that she was hurt. What I did not like is not that she actually reacted in an angry manner to Barry's secret, what I really disliked about this version of Iris is how she did so. I didn't care that Iris was left out, for all I care she could still be kept in the dark, her knowing about Barry being the Flash has hardly helped the team so far other than for her having to 'remind' Barry that he 'can do it'. The one time she did actually got handon involved and have seen now in season had her to be rescued again and got her another stay in the hospital. She is a damsle in distress, she hardly did anything so far that made her knowing that Barry is the Flash actually legit.
Iris giving Eddie and ultimatum. Some of ya'll think Iris should've just left Eddie alone. Her boyfriend, who she was living with. Lying to Iris was tearing Eddie apart and it was affecting his relationship with Iris. Iris said he'd been distant with her. When she asked if Eddie was working with the Flash he could've said yes. That's all he had to say. She didn't ask for the Flash's identity, she never really cared to find out the Flash's identity. Even if she did ask for his identity, all Eddie had to say was I don't know. But Eddie was clearly lying to her face and Iris knew it. Now onto Iris considering the explanation that Barry offered and still giving Eddie an ultimatum. Someone on here explained it really well already. Eddie's her boyfriend and they live together. Eddie even wants to marry her someday. Iris doesn't want him to keep stuff from her and suffer through it alone (because it's obvious Eddie was suffering). She doesn't want him to grow distant and resort to lying to her face. She doesn't feel she needs protection from the ghastly details of a police case. When Joe tried to protect her from hearing about the crimes he was investigating, she was a child. She's not a child anymore and Eddie's her equal, her partner. If he wants a serious relationship then he has to share the burden not carry it alone and allow it to affect their relationship. She had the right to give him an ultimatum. If she didn't want a relationship with a guy who treated her the way her father treated her, who wasn't open and honest, who would disconnect from her rather than talk about it, who point blank lies to her face then she had the right to tell Eddie to either start opening up to her (as you should when you're in a relationship) or it'll be it for them.
I did not particularly like how she reacted to Eddie, especially as she is the daughter of a cop herself and has to know that people who work in this area simply don't share everything they have to deal with. It's about mutual trust, Iris trusting Eddie that he will tell her eventually what is bothering him and that he is not putting her in danger because she clearly knows him by this point, why else would she be willing to live with this person. They are already in a serious relationship which has to be based on something. Putting a silly ultimatum on him is trying to bully him into telling her and it is a clear sign that Iris is also not exactly what you would consider good partner-material.
The problem with you falling back onto the argument that people try to protect her and thus hinder her is that she is more than capable to get herself in trouble. She is a grown up but she is often not reacting like such a person. I would never have pulled of half of her stunts as a mind-twenty something. She is written really badly in this regard, though, to be fair, so is Barry and the rest.
Iris being a damsel in distress. That's not something only Iris has to deal with. Everyone on this show has been a damsel in distress, even Barry. At least in every situation where Iris's life was in danger, she helped. Knocking out Girder, cleverly alerting Joe that she and hundreds of others had been poisoned, shooting the Clock King... I believe that's it.
I agree, the show is really bad in estblishing strong characters in general but especially women that are part of it.
Now as for the there's no racism and sexism behind the dislike of Iris West/Candice Patton comments, those of you who believe that must not visit sites other than this thread. I was glad to read through this thread and not see any racism. But other sites are a different story. A lot of people didn't like Iris West/Candice Patton because she was black. I've seen the "n" word, monkey, and black ***** thrown at her in the beginning of the show (someone even took a picture of Candice, changed her skin white and gave her red hair to look white like comic Iris West). Even the producers told Candice Patton not to read any comments online for a few days after her casting was released. They (rightfully) knew she was going to receive a lot of hate because she was black playing a traditionally white character. Someone on tumblr made a compilation of some of the racist things said about Candice and Iris. I'd post it, but it's buried and I can't remember the user (you should really try looking for it though. I'd advise going to the facebook Flash page and look at every post about Iris/Candice going back to the beginning). As for sexism, I once saw a comment by a man saying Iris doesn't deserve to be with Barry because she was used goods for sleeping with Eddie. That comment had a lot of up votes showing that many agreed with him. After that, I never doubted anyone saying that sexism was involved in some of the Iris/Candice hate. And since I saw racist comments said about her first hand, I didn't doubt it either. And I seriously doubt that the people who threw racial slurs at her are fine and dandy with her character now (I've found that some hide behind bogus reasons for disliking her character: her breathing on the roof top was too loud, she smiles too much, she doesn't look right, she's not pretty enough, her and Barry don't look right together, person with no reason: "I don't like her" why? "just because").
I think the 'you're racist because you don't like that actor or actress of color' really looses its edge when you try to use it to defend your opinion against any person who does not disagrees with you. It's good that not everybody her is a racist, and it is a pity that there are so many on other sites you frequent, but I really don't care. You've posted here, why talk with people who aren't racist about how racist it is to dislike Iris? And sure, she is portrayed by an actor of color and thus will have idiots disliking her merely for her skin alone, but I think that most people don't like Iris because she was a legimately bad written character in the first season and even in season two she is not adding much to the plot other than for the family darma.
If you try to use this for an argument you could say that disliking any woman on a show is sexism. In some cases it may fit but you shouldn't generalize like this.
I mean... Da fug? Really? I can't even begin to understand what you even THINK you mean. This feels awfully like Rain Man territory here.
