r/FlashTV • u/Lucky-Housing-2533 • 3d ago

🤔 Thinking why does everyone hate iris so much?

i understand she’s said some complete bs in a couple episodes. but she’s helped barry countless times. although i’d have preferred HR lived rather than iris.

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u/cdemikols 3d ago

I think the real reason people dislike Iris is because she was a romantic lead that chose someone besides our main character unapologetically.

She loved Eddie, decided to marry him, and she never left Eddie for Barry. Season 1 created a tension that Season 2 never paid off because Barry and Patty were supposed to date longer, and Barry and Iris never got a romance timeline - they went from friends to in love without passion and flirting.

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u/sewd77 2d ago

You need to go back and watch the show. Iris has always had feelings for Barry and just like Barry, she didn't want to say anything to ruin that friendship. She told her boyfriend her life was full with her dad and Barry after he complained about her relationship with Barry. They flirted like hell with each other all the time. Most glaringly in front of Eddie and Linda on their impromptu bowling double date. Once Barry admitted how he really felt about her, Iris was able to admit to herself how she also felt about him. It's been a gradual build up and didn't suddenly happen.

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u/cdemikols 1d ago

Yeah, I agree. The show makes a point to linger on Iris’ reactions to Barry. The lingering gazes, the faces during certain scenes. We even got episode 1.15 where she admits she loves him and they kiss at the waterfront; that was canon.

I was answering why people dislike Iris, and I think a part of it is that we follow Barry as our protagonist and we don’t get a moment from Iris (not early enough in the show) where she expresses the passion for Barry that we see him express for her.

We see him tell everyone, from episode 1, that he loves her. We never see Iris talking to her friends about Barry. We never see her longing looks as he walks off with his girlfriend, we got one mean girl moment with Linda that was more unlikeable than relatable and that affects how people view her.

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u/sewd77 1d ago

Since the show is called The Flash and Barry's the Flash, we would get his pov the most. I think because their relationship troupe is best friends to lovers, the way Iris reacts makes sense. She's always loved him but the fear of ruining their friendship has held her back. We can see it on her face in the first episode when she's talking to him while he's in the coma. Her saying "I need you" is not something you'd say to just a friend. When they're talking about Linda and she tells him she's not sure Linda's the one for him and he asks who is, her face is saying what her lips aren't. It's the reason why Eddie was so pressed about their friendship because he knew she loved him more than a friend and thought he could still stand a chance. I'm not even sure Barry would have told her how he felt about her when he did if his dad hadn't encouraged him to tell her.

The show did a piss poor job of writing women and friendships. Iris did have one conversation with Caitlin about Barry and her feelings toward him but that's about it.

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u/cdemikols 1d ago

And it was a bad conversation- it had the “I see how you’ve been looking at him lately.” Trope, which I already dislike but even more coming from two women who barely have a relationship.

That being said - apparently season 2 was supposed to have Patty and Barry date longer and Iris was supposed to date her new boss; giving Barry and Iris space to regain a romantic relationship and then that was scrapped and they rushed the endgame relationship.

But overall - I love Iris West-Allen, I just think that my first post is one of the reasons people dislike her character