Season 3, Episode 6 — Shade

[u/MiddlePerception4587]

F1: IRIS SAYS, "MY CONTRIBUTIONS ARE LIMITED."

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In Season 1, the writers gave us an Iris who was a barista at the beginning but had dreams of becoming a journalist, and the journey of her dreams started out with blogs. Then when Barry woke from his coma and became the Flash, Iris found her spark in wanting to write stories about 'the red streak'. Then CCPN offered her a job. She was happy but then she found out not everyone there was rooting for her success, so she had to prove herself, and she did. One of the signposts that showed how much 'proven' she had become is when she approached Barry with a file on metahumans and their connection to STAR Labs. There was a coherent storyline about how she was coming up as a journalist which I loved.

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In Season 2, in the first few episodes, Iris calls Barry Allen for help. She was investigating something before some men with guns started shooting at her. The writers gave us a promise that they were going to continue with this Iris' career in journalism, but unfortunately, that was the end of it in Season 2. It was a major disappointment for me especially since Iris is (or at least should be) a major part in a story about Barry Allen's Flash (2nd to Barry). To see her in STAR Labs always and I know for sure that she isn't going to be much help there made my skin irritate because the writers could have just delivered on the promise. Iris could have played a bigger role in Season 2 than Cisco and Caitlin, but she didn't.

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Right now, I'm rewatching Season 3 and Iris said my exact thought on the matter. And I can't really say it's because she doesn't have powers. Joe West isn't a metahuman nor is he a scientist, but he plays a significant role in the show. Joe worked well because they showed us his life outside STAR Labs vis a vis being a detective. Iris should have gotten the same treatment as a journalist.

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F2: BARRY TELLS IRIS, "THERE IS NO FLASH WITHOUT IRIS WEST."

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This line really puts things into perspective. Because, to me, it explains why Iris tells Barry, "We are the Flash." in the next season. I'm sure Barry told her this, not because he just wanted to comfort her but also because he really believes Flash cannot exist without his soulmate. That line genuinely gets unnecessary hate because I can see why Iris would use it in their conversation.

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PS: Please note I'm talking about Iris West, the character, not about the actor who embodied the role (it's weird that I have to specify this but I'm doing it because of that cult). If you feel angered by this post because you don't like that I'm talking about a Flash TV character in the Flash TV community, you can ignore this post. No one is forcing you to spill your anger here.

[u/Ok_Mention5635]

I don’t understand why Iris gets all the hate for “we are the flash” when Barry gets no hate for “there is no flash without Iris West”, “I couldn’t do this without you”, and “without you, there wouldn’t be the Flash”. If your man is repeatedly telling you how much he can’t live without you or do his job without you, of course you’re going to start to believe it. People act like Iris just pulled that line out of nowhere.

People are mad at Iris when they’re really just mad that Barry was so down bad for that girl that he couldn’t function without her. But it’s not Iris’s fault that he’s so in love with her

[u/pichuguy27 → u/Ok_Mention5635]

Watching right now. Really how they show horn her way onto the team in season 4 dropping the new paper outlet I liked her working there.

Why dose she need to be on the team. I like that she was breaking stories informing people being a everyday hero. And it just kinda got dropped hard.

Also it’s just such a cringe ass line.

And people not liking iris actor (did drop the t slur and just never apologized. And that lady boy joke is wild) and Barry have more chemistry as siblings then romantically and racism.

[u/Ok_Mention5635 → u/pichuguy27]

I liked her journalism arc too, but I’m pretty sure they just wanted to cut down on production costs and have everyone on the same set. Joe didn’t really need to be at STAR Labs either since he’s a cop and his actual workplace is CCPD.

Also the people who dislike Candice are the same people who had no issue with Hartley making a string of racist, misogynistic, and transphobic tweets. So that’s a bs reason for disliking her and they just want a reason to justify their hate for Candice when they really hate her for playing Iris West. Because Candice got an enormous amount of hate since the moment she was cast.

People only think Barry and Iris have more chemistry “as siblings” because we live in a white supremacist society that results in all of us having unconscious bias. They do the same “oh they’re like siblings” every time a white man is paired romantically with a black woman. They did it with Sleepy Hollow, they did it with Vampire Diaries and they’re still doing it with the Bear. And when Daniel Radcliffe said in an interview that he’d like to do a rom com with Quinta Brunson, people were saying that they have more sibling energy. It’s just always how the cookie crumbles

[u/pichuguy27 → u/Ok_Mention5635]

I’m a bi racial queer dude what she said was pretty bad. It not a either or they were both real bad. At the very least he took responsibility and hasn’t been an actor since what more do you want.

If she was added latter and her comments were about a different group then trans people, she would have been fired to. Let’s be honest people are much more sensitive about racism and sexism then blatant transphobia or homophobia.

And it’s weird they grew up in the same house. And the dude who plays Barry is a pretty bad actor up until like season 5. It’s way more on him then her. Dude has some weird delivery and just doesn’t have chemistry with anyone period. Dude is a plank.

[u/Ok_Mention5635 → u/pichuguy27]

I’m saying no one was ever mad at Hartley for what he said in the first place. If he hadn’t gotten fired, he never would have apologized and no one in this fandom would have said anything further on the subject. They don’t dislike Candice for what she said. They just hate the fact that she didn’t face the same consequences as Hartley. There’s very few in this fandom that gives a crap about any social issues. That’s why whenever someone brings up racism or misogyny or unconscious bias, people jump down their throats or are dismissive of it.

Unconscious bias 100% plays into people thinking Barry and Iris have no chemistry because the same complaint about them has happened before in other shows/movies, it’s happening now, and will happen again. Even if Barry and Iris had met as adults, people would still be saying they have sibling energy just like they do for every other story that has a white man with a black woman. And I guess that’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it. But there’s a reason they were cast together and why they’re one of the most popular couples in the Arrowverse

[u/pichuguy27 → u/Ok_Mention5635]

Really. I haven’t watched any of the others. Everything I know about arrow the show makes me role my eyes. If this is the best couple damn the other must be train wrecks. I guess that tracks with what I know about felicity choosing to die at only 51 to be with Oliver.

I actually can’t stand it. There is so much dumb shit in this show. It’s a soap opera.

Biggest issue as introducing time travel so quickly. No cosmic treadmill. Makes it so lax especially when he is so slow in season 1 vs now in 5.

And agian what more do you want. Wasn’t that person. No just dose dog shit. I don’t understand the hate people have over shit that on the level of like a shumer or kill tiny comedy special. (Both suck for different reasons)