The Flash - Season 1

[The Old Mixer]

I'm getting the sense that maybe things are coming to a head with this issue, but that at this point there's been so much build-up of tension on the issue that Iris's learning won't come without some sort of dramatic cost. Maybe Eddie goes to the dark side, or dies with Iris blaming Barry, something like that....

I also have to wonder how they expect to keep from Iris that Joe and Eddie have been working with the Flash, when they have so many crooks in custody who can testify to that fact.

 

[Jax]

Iris whole you should tell each other everything stuff was such crap.

 

[Guy Gardener]

When can Eddie tell her who Barry is?

When he asks her to marry him?

When he puts an engagement ring on her finger?

When she says I do during the ceremony?



Oh boy.

What if Iris is not related to Eobard?

What if Iris is beaver damming (girl version of cock block.) the reverse Flash's heredity?

What if instead of being erased from History, from having a new ancestor, the wrong ancestor, Eobard Thawne becomes some what, a little bit black?

Obviously Wells is Wells, and Wells because it is a disguise and not what Eobard really looks like, is not going to change pigment as Eobards personal time line hickups, but when Thawne takes that mask off, he could see a very different face under there.

Hmmm.

Or has a lot of what he's been there for in the past has been (just enough) to make sure that Eddie and Iris did hook up, because she is his great great... great gammy, and it is that sexy Barry Allen who who was trying to paradox the Thawne line out of out his existence?

Here's the problem.

The engagement ring is half way down her finger and Eddie is already yelping "BARRYISTHEFLASH!"

"WTF?"

"Barry... Allen... Is.. The... Flash."

"What? This is hardly the time... Did you find out 5 minutes ago or, do ####? ####? What?"

"I wasn't allowed to tell you until we were married."

"Wasn't allowed?"

"Your father said..."

"MY FATHER?!"

"Yes, your father - "

"MY FATHER!! The only reason you asked me to marry you is because you wanted to tell me that Barry was the Flash you weak spineless son of a bitch!? Not because you love me, not because you want to spend your life with me but because you are afraid of my father you weak gutless ballless weasel! Barry is the Flash? THAT'S what all this #### has been about? OH for ####s sake!? ...How long have you been lying to me? Months? Sweet Christmas! Edward Thawne! I never want to see you again in my life!!"

"Eddie is not short for Edward..."

"I said #### off!"

...

Bridezilla interrupted.

 

[The Old Mixer]

In spite of all that's happening, I don't think it's Eddie's place to tell her, and he knows that. It's definitely his place to kick Joe and Barry in the ass until they agree to tell her.

 

[DEWLine]

And he should keep kicking on this one until he wins the argument.

 

[Taylirious]

Everyone knows Barry is The Flash except Iris.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Wait a sec....Barry is the Flash?????

 

[Nerys Myk]

Wait a sec....Barry is the Flash?????

 

[Gryffindorian]

No. Cisco is.

 

[Servo]

I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just saying that I understand their perspective.

And I'm saying that their perspective is not the one that needs to be defended. That if you only talk about the men's perspective and say nothing about the woman's perspective, then you're guilty of the same problem that's perpetuated sexism for so long, the failure to include women's point of view in the discussion. Literally, in this case.

As several people, myself included, have said you you previously on this subject, understanding is not the same as defending. We all agree that what Joe is doing is the wrong way to handle things, but it's a realistic way for a father to act. The fact that things seem to be coming to a head in this department, with Eddie being in the position that he is, indicates that some point soon the truth will out for Iris, and Joe will realise his mistake.

That's character progression. I don't want characters to be written to make the perfect or correct decisions right from the start. That's boring. They need to learn from their mistakes over a period of time. I figured that you'd get that, as a writer.

The fact is, Joe being a cop means he was already overprotective of Iris because of all the bad stuff he's seen. Now he's been thrust into a world of superhumans that he can't fight in the traditional sense. He's overwhelmed, and that has lead him to make the wrong decision for the right reasons.

If Iris is still being treated this way this time next season, then you'd have a basis to be bitching about it, but I have a feeling that this situation is going to change soon, and Joe is going to realise his error. I think Iris is going to be pissed at him, and that's going to be his wake up call.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Maybe Captain Lance is sending out a scathing newsletter to all the local parents groups about the dangers of letting your daughters indulge in Superheroism?

 

[Servo]

 

[DWF]

I don't get all the concern about Iris knowing about Barry, it took Thea and Laurel years to learn about Ollie on Arrow and nobody complained. Also Iris' life was threatened. And really Iris will find out and it'll be rather anticlimatic now given everything else that's going on.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Closer to the beginning than the middle, Joe started looking into the Allen Murder.

The Reverse Flash showed up and threatened to Kill Iris?

 

[Dick Whitman]

Has there been any word on whether or not Cavanaugh is supposed to return next season? If not and they just zap Eobard off to futures unknown and move on in the finale/premier, I hope they do like Mercury/STAR merger type of thing and bring Pays in full time.

Tom Cavanagh has said playing the Reverse Flash, being the villain, is what attracted him to the role. It had been tricky for him to discuss the role all season before it was revealed who Wells really was. So I highly doubt we will see him as a regular cast member after this season. Certainly not as a so called "cured" Wells. In fact that Thawne, played by another actor, replaced a real Dr Wells was a late decision and not part of the original plan. That was to explain why Wells' blood was not found at the crime scene. So I suspect if we see Cavanagh after this season it will be as the Reserve Flash in guest appearances.

I certainly hope Tina has a more frequent role. I think I was the first to make that predicament after her first episode that she could take over Star Labs. One of the producers this week said they love having her on the show. Not just as a homage to the original show. But because she is so good describing technological terms with her lovely British accent!

 

[Christopher]

As several people, myself included, have said you you previously on this subject, understanding is not the same as defending.

That's not what this is about. It's about who gets a voice. It's about the larger issue of gender representation, which is a matter that's heavily under debate in the comics world right now, with a lot of people trying to dismiss or marginalize the female voice even as it becomes an increasingly influential force in the industry and the audience. My point is that the men in this situation, as the historically dominant group, already have a voice automatically, so they don't need any extra help getting it expressed or talked about. In order to have a proper balance, there needs to be advocacy for Iris's voice as well, for her right to make choices about her own life and for how she would feel about having those choices made for her. But I seem to be one of the only people here who's interested in discussing Iris's side. I see all these people talking about how they can understand Joe's or Barry's or Eddie's point of view, but not saying a single word about Iris's point of view, even though this whole thing is about her. And that's just perpetuating the unthinking habit of ignoring the female voice in the discussion. It's making the same mistake Joe is making, and that the comics/sci-fi industry as a whole has made for too long.

I'm just saying, let's include her in the conversation about her own life. Let's talk about it from her point of view as well as the guys'. Otherwise it's not a complete appraisal of the situation.

 

[Kelthaz]

Eddie should just tell Iris that he's working with the Flash and as a result knows his secret identity. But of course that's not his secret to reveal.

Forced relationship drama averted.

 

[Dick Whitman]

I think she would see right through that! Why would he be acting the way he is unless the Flash is someone she already knows? She would just ask more questions. Or likely that partial truth would be enough for her to figure out its Barry.

 

[Servo]

As several people, myself included, have said you you previously on this subject, understanding is not the same as defending.

That's not what this is about.

It is when you are accusing people of defending the behaviour when they clearly aren't.

It's about who gets a voice. It's about the larger issue of gender representation, which is a matter that's heavily under debate in the comics world right now, with a lot of people trying to dismiss or marginalize the female voice even as it becomes an increasingly influential force in the industry and the audience. My point is that the men in this situation, as the historically dominant group, already have a voice automatically, so they don't need any extra help getting it expressed or talked about. In order to have a proper balance, there needs to be advocacy for Iris's voice as well, for her right to make choices about her own life and for how she would feel about having those choices made for her. But I seem to be one of the only people here who's interested in discussing Iris's side. I see all these people talking about how they can understand Joe's or Barry's or Eddie's point of view, but not saying a single word about Iris's point of view, even though this whole thing is about her. And that's just perpetuating the unthinking habit of ignoring the female voice in the discussion. It's making the same mistake Joe is making, and that the comics/sci-fi industry as a whole has made for too long.

I'm just saying, let's include her in the conversation about her own life. Let's talk about it from her point of view as well as the guys'. Otherwise it's not a complete appraisal of the situation.

In all fairness, how can Iris have a voice on the matter when she doesn't even know she needs one? She doesn't even know Joe and Barry are keeping a secret from her, and the only reason she knows that Eddie is, is because it's painfully obvious that he isn't comfortable with the situation.

You're even dismissing Eddie as a male point of view, even though he's the one championing for her to be included. So it's ok for you, a male, to advocate her plight on an internet message board, but her actual boyfriend in the show can't because he's just another male voice?

And how is us saying "I can see why Joe is doing it, but it's wrong" not advocating for Iris' voice? Because we didn't actually use the word Iris in the sentence? You're arguing a point that everyone is agreeing with, just because we are phrasing it differently.

And good job on completely ignoring the point about character progression. It's plainly obvious that they are buliding towards Iris finding out and being pissed with everyone involved, but you're banging on like everyone in the show should be perfect from the first minute, and learn nothing over the course of the show. That's crap writing that does not jive with the way people actually act.

 

[Christopher]

And how is us saying "I can see why Joe is doing it, but it's wrong" not advocating for Iris' voice? Because we didn't actually use the word Iris in the sentence? You're arguing a point that everyone is agreeing with, just because we are phrasing it differently.

Because that's not the point I'm making. I'm not just talking about whether Joe is making a mistake in his treatment of Iris -- I'm talking about why he's making that mistake, and maybe why the writers are making it. He means well, but he's still making unexamined assumptions from within the bubble of gender privilege, and since he's inside that bubble, he can't understand how his actions and choices feel to someone outside of it, namely Iris. I'm saying that if we want to understand that, we need to make an effort to recognize how male privilege shapes our own perspectives and reactions without our even realizing it. That's the deeper issue I'm trying to draw attention to here.