EDITORIAL: Is Iris West Really THAT Annoying?

EDITORIAL: Is Iris West Really THAT Annoying?

I've seen a lot of complaints on the internet concerning the depiction of Iris West in The Flash. These are some of my thoughts on Iris, the CW, and female lead characters in general.

Editorial Opinion
By CombatWombat - May 06, 2015 10:05 AM EST
Filed Under: The Flash
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So I’ve seen a lot of complaints on the internet concerning the depiction of Iris West in The Flash. Most of these complaints range from, “Iris is so annoying!” to, “She’s such a bitch!” to, “IRIS MUST DIE!!”

 

Despite everything I'm about to write, I don't hate the character -- mainly because of Candice Patton. Still, the general consensus among fans seems to be that Iris is vain, shallow, and does nothing but hamper every episode she’s featured in.

 

Here I am to talk about some of my thoughts on the matter.

 


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1.) Terrible Female Leads on the CW


 

Yeah, I’m going to be frank here -- the CW is has this horrible, horrible tendency to write their female leads as narcissistic, vindictive, incredibly self-righteous, and sometimes passive-aggressive. Does anyone remember Lana from Smallville? Holy crap, was she the worst.

 

Laurel was a bit like that, and now Iris is slowly becoming like that on The Flash.

 

Let me use the latest episode as an example.

 

SPOILER ALERT:

 

Iris finds out that Barry is the Flash, and that she’s been in the dark this entire time. She’s understandably upset about this, and despite their attempts to justify their actions, Barry and Joe obviously feel pretty bad about lying to her.

Caitlin Snow even tells Iris at one point:

 

“For what it’s worth, Barry feels really bad about lying to you.”

 

To which Iris replies:

 

“He should!”

 

W-wait, really? She’s not even going to TRY and see things from Barry’s point of view? She’s just going to act all self-righteous about it? Keep in mind this is the same woman who made out with Barry in an alternate timeline, in spite of having a boyfriend in Eddie. Iris doesn’t really have much moral high ground to stand on.

 

Laurel was a lot like this in the first two seasons of Arrow. It was totally understandable why she would hate Oliver Queen, but rather than avoid him like the plague (you know, like a NORMAL PERSON would do if they disliked someone) she spent her every waking moment trying to make Oliver feel shitty about himself. It was even worse when she went through her drug-addict phase, because at that point she was being a total hypocrite. At least she got called out for it (I think), but still.

 

Why do you do this, CW? You’re perfectly capable of writing likable female characters! Caitlin Snow has been mostly endearing so far, and Felicity was adorable in Arrow season one. Why do you insist on making your female leads so damn self-centered?

 


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2.) What is Iris’s Purpose?


 

Look, not every character necessarily needs some kind of major goal. Members of the supporting cast like Cisco and Caitlin can get away with the flimsy, “I just wanna help the Flash!” goal because … well, they’re only supporting characters.

 

But like I’ve said before, Iris is this show’s female lead — and what is Iris’s main goal? What’s she working towards? What hurdles are placed in front of her to keep her from accomplishing this goal?

 

Um … she wants to be with Eddie Thawne? Okay, well … she’s been with Eddie since episode one. No real obstacles there.

 

She wants to be a journalist? Well, she kind of just had a journalist’s job handed to her. Not like she had to work her ass off to get hired or anything.

 

I’ll tell you what Iris’s real purpose is in this show — she’s a goal for Barry Allen to attain.  She’s not a character. She’s an object that’s been placed on a pedestal, high out of Barry’s reach.

 

Forgive me for making this comparison, but let’s take a look at Marvel’s Daredevil. More specifically, let’s looks at Karen Page. I like Karen Page. I like her a lot. Not just because Deborah Ann Woll is freaking gorgeous, but because she is a genuinely likable character. She has her own character arc. She has her own goals. She contributes to the plot in her own way, and she isn’t wholly dependent on any of Daredevil’s male leads.

 

Most of all, though, she isn’t perfect. She’s fallible. She makes mistakes. SPOILER ALERT — she freaking killed a guy!

 

What mistakes has Iris West made?

 

Um…

 

Well…

 

Uh…

 

Nothing. I can’t think of a single instance in which Iris has been forced to grow as a character. What’s worse, she basically gets everything handed to her instead of having to work for them.

 

For example, how did she discover Barry’s secret identity? Was it a hunch that she doggedly pursued, like Lois Lane in Superman II? Was it something she always suspected, but could never prove? Did she have to actually use her wits to uncover Barry’s secret?

 

No. How did it happen? Um, Flash shocked her with static electricity. And Barry once shocked her with static electricity! Oh my gosh, Barry MUST BE THE FLASH!

 

…What? What kind of plot induced stupidity is that?! Come on, writers, you can do better.
 


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3.) I Still Love This Show


 

So after two and a half pages of complaining about The Flash, I want to reiterate that I actually love this show. I think it’s a lot of fun. However, I’m not going to just stick my head in the sand and ignore its flaws. I really believe that if they aren’t addressed soon, they might end up crippling this show in the future.

 

I also don’t hate Iris West. In fact, I think Candice Patton is very, very good in the role. She is sweet and cute and all that — but damn, the writers are really letting her down. Give Iris an actual conflict to work out. Don’t make her the cause of the conflict. That’s the kind of stuff that makes people dislike her.

 

Laurel Lance has actually become a likable character in Arrow season 3. In fact, some people might say she’s one of the best parts of the season. Whether this is a testament to how disappointing Arrow has been lately, or a testament to how much Laurel has grown, I’m not sure. 

 

I’d like to think it’s the latter, because Laurel actually has a goal of her own now: she wants to make her sister proud, right? She’s become a vigilante herself. Now she actually has EARNED that moral high ground she used to pretend she had.

 

Please, to all the writers, producers, and directors of The Flash — let Iris do the same.

 


 

So there you have it — my three-page rant on Iris West, Laurel Lance, CW writing, and female characters in general. What do you think? Do you agree with me? Disagree? Whatever your thoughts, comment below and let me know.

 

'Til next time.

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TronVin
TronVin - 5/6/2015, 10:54 AM
Pasto
Pasto - 5/6/2015, 10:54 AM
They need to stuff her in a fridge and be done with it.
sickboy76
sickboy76 - 5/6/2015, 11:11 AM
Not as bad as felicity by a long shot.
tonytony
tonytony - 5/6/2015, 11:21 AM
this article is stupid. she aint a doormat that doesnt make her annoying
Matador
Matador - 5/6/2015, 11:52 AM
ehhh....all girlfriends end up being annoying after a month or two that's when you relocate.
DellRusk
DellRusk - 5/6/2015, 11:59 AM
Yes she is.
TheRealUltron
TheRealUltron - 5/6/2015, 12:22 PM
LOL @Matador
CombatWombat
CombatWombat - 5/6/2015, 12:56 PM
I never said she was a doormat @tonytony
Not sure where you got that from.
McGee
McGee - 5/6/2015, 1:38 PM
The whole episode they thought Grodd needed a banana...

When it was Iris who needed it...needed Barry's banana...

Fekkius
Fekkius - 5/6/2015, 1:41 PM
It made sense the way Laurel was in the first two seasons. Those were her crucible. Iris is currently just spoiled. Still not as bad as S3 Felicity tho.
r3negade
r3negade - 5/6/2015, 4:15 PM
First 2 seasons? I still think Laurel's annoying! And I haven't seen "Grood Lives" yet (I will!), but I don't think Iris is terrible just yet. Great comparison to Karen Page, Deborah Ann Woll did an amazing job at an amazing character.
RextheKing
RextheKing - 5/6/2015, 4:40 PM
According to fanboys, Iris, Felicity, Laurel, Sara, Thea, etc. are all annoying and must die, which Sara did(but she'll be back). Caitlyn and Lyla seem to be the only ones these [frick]ers like.
sKeemAn
sKeemAn - 5/6/2015, 4:40 PM
Its the CW all leading chicks are annoying for the first couple seasons. Then they find a place for her making her much better on the show. Case in point Laurel Lance.
sKeemAn
sKeemAn - 5/6/2015, 4:44 PM
TBH Candace Patton is too freaking gorgeous for me to care about her acting. I just like watching her.
gmoney0505
gmoney0505 - 5/6/2015, 6:20 PM
Nothing is annoying about Iris. Ya'll dummies just don't know what to really complain about.
sikwon
sikwon - 5/6/2015, 7:30 PM
Flash and Arrow have the same problem, they are trying to be half Super Hero show and half Soap Opera. They just can't pull it off well. Poor dialogue is one thing but the constant whining (Thea Queen!) and chasing her boyfrien... never mind, I don't have the energy. In both shows the "love story" elements completely killed it for me, they were so poorly done that it literally jarred me out of the story. That's how I stopped watvhing, I would change channels a few minutes at a time till eventually I didn't go back. And it's sad because I really wanted to like those shows.
CombatWombat
CombatWombat - 5/6/2015, 8:22 PM
I literally wrote this during my lunch break...
Anyway, big thanks for all the reads and the comments
staypuffed
staypuffed - 5/6/2015, 8:32 PM
I haven't even read this article yet, but I already know how I feel about this: Iris is, without a shadow of a doubt, the worst aspect of the show. So much so, she's started to ruin it for me.

Since the very first episode I have disliked her, to the point where I feel hate for her. I cringe at any scene she's in, especially the ones about 'lying' and 'keeping secrets' that the CW superhero shows get too much mileage out of. Take this week's episode, for example. It should have been totally awesome. It was Team Flash going after a telepathic CGI Gorilla Grodd, for Christ's sake! But they devote about ten or fifteen minutes (max) to that and instead have the episode's main focus be on Iris being the absolute shit character that she is.

The Grodd sections were very easily 8-10/10, but because of Iris discovering the Flash's identity and hanging around S.T.A.R. Labs (how the [frick] do people just keep walking in there? They just stroll in! That's rubbish!) being a selfish, judgemental guilt-tripper, the overall episode significantly decreases in quality.

She's a terribly defined character with shit dialogue and shit acting. And the saddest part is that they'll never kill her off.

*sigh*
staypuffed
staypuffed - 5/6/2015, 8:33 PM
In case you couldn't tell, I have very strong feelings about CW Iris West.
imkennypowers
imkennypowers - 5/6/2015, 9:09 PM
I think the way they used Iris this episode was counter productive. I liked seeing some emotion from her, but it was almost juvenile because of the writing. Her whole "don't lie to me" and "don't keep secrets" wreaked of unnecessary teenie-bopper drama. Grow up, people lie and EVERYONE keeps secrets. Get over it and get over yourself. If Eddie doesn't want to tell you something that has nothing to do with you, that's part of life. I hated how Iris didn't understand why Barry & her dad kept Barry being the Flash from her. That's Barry's secret to tell. She doesn't understand what that's like, so she has no room to judge or guilt trip them about it. Including her in on his secret is their choice to make. And what did the writers do?? They made Iris seem like she was right and deserved to react the way she did by having Barry & Joe apologize to her and feel bad because of her guilt trips.

Not to mention, Cisco, Caitlin, Joe and/or Eddie know Barry is the Flash because they have something to offer to help the Flash, Iris doesn't. It only benefits Iris, maybe that will change, but until her knowing brings something to the table, she doesn't need to know. Hell, she's a reporter and she's sitting one of the biggest scoops possible. It would make national if not world news in their fictional world.

Sorry, I just like this show a lot and it frustrates me when shows do themselves a disservice when they don't know what to do with their characters and/or don't know how to use them, so they make up dumb, lazy shit for them to do just to keep them involved in the story/show. Which was one of the points you touched on, give Iris something to do! She doesn't "need" to be part of the main story, give her subplots to show her depth and give her purpose. Writing her into main plots just because or so she's not left out, feels forced and makes her less likeable. I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing that she seems to be main thing preventing the show from being consistently great.

Iris West is the Flash's version of Breaking Bad's Scarlet White. hahaha. The more screen time her character gets, the less fans like the episode. Seriously! There's articles showing how episodes with the most Scarlet White screen time are the worst rated/voted episodes. Which I guess is a testament to Anna Gunn for doing such a great job of making her character so hated. Same with Jake Gleeson's helluva job making Joffrey so hated. However, I don't believe the Flash's intent is to make Iris West a hated character.
CombatWombat
CombatWombat - 5/7/2015, 8:24 AM
@staypuffed
Well you never know ... at one point in the comics, Prof. Zoom did turn Iris's brain into mush. As unlikely as it would be to kill her off, I wouldn't totally rule it out.

@ImKennyPowers
Man, they've been doing that "you've been lying to me!!" garbage since Smallville. I honestly have no idea why they keep doing it, it's repetitive and irritating and probably one of the cheapest ways to create conflict between two characters.

I also agree with you, she has very little to offer the heroes in the way of help. They included that one scene in the last episode where she looks up the stories about "Monsters in the Sewers." As if Caitlin couldn't have done that herself. All you have to do is use Google search for that shit.
CombatWombat
CombatWombat - 5/7/2015, 8:26 AM
It's funny you mention Skyler White and Joffrey. If you've watched that show Mad Men, Betty Draper (January Jones's character) is the exact same way. You kind of hate her, but only because that's the point -- you're SUPPOSED to hate her.

A character doesn't have to be likable to be a good character, but with Iris, I feel like they want you to sympathize with her. It just doesn't work.
Tokamak
Tokamak - 5/18/2017, 4:10 AM
@CombatWombat - Extremely good point there - no, a character doesn't need to be liked. But she/he at least needs to be DISliked for the right reasons or at least, not irritate the viewers. Iris fails in these counts.
ClumsyToaster
ClumsyToaster - 5/7/2015, 10:21 AM
This article could have been shortened to a single word: Yes.
staypuffed
staypuffed - 5/7/2015, 5:11 PM
@CombatWombat
Well, the way I see it, if Iris West-Allen writes that article in 2024, then not only does she not die, she gets more involved in the show.
CombatWombat
CombatWombat - 5/7/2015, 5:23 PM
@staypuffed
Well you got a point there, but it seems like time is pretty flexible on the show. So there's always a chance Zoom could alter the timeline in some future season
CombatWombat
CombatWombat - 5/7/2015, 5:24 PM
Ghostpointzero
Ghostpointzero - 5/10/2015, 7:09 AM
Really I find Caitlin and Felicity more annoying than Iris. Problem with Iris is she should just be with Barry from the start. Having her date Eddie was big mistake but she has been good the past few episodes.
Tokamak
Tokamak - 5/18/2017, 4:04 AM
@Ghostpointzero - Haha that's laughable that the former two are anywhere NEAR the same league of annoying as Iris. Some people like vapid aesthetic s maybe but I prefer my beauty to come with brains and ability and [at the very least] a good, contributing storyline. Week n week out, Iris contributes nothing. Only this latest series did the 'will they won't they' eventually cease and she is FINALLY a legit partner of Barry's. But still she is just annoying eye candy (and not even the best at that). Just what is she always doing in Star Labs' battle bridge every week hmmm? When in ep.5, the latest incarnation of 'Dr.' Wells was first outed and the gang were all lambasting him, telling him he'll have to add value to redeem himself, I was so very glad the writers saw fit to keep Iris's blogger mouth tightly shut. Any chiming in from her would've only served to further alienate her detractors (stones...glass houses an'all). A female lead hasn't been this annoying and redundant since Juliette Silverton of 'Grimm'. Writers: please write her (Iris) into some plot threads or just simply WRITE HER OUT.
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